Newport Beach Brewing Company

Oh so good!! Food, location, service and the beer. Had the Blonde and it was yummy. Clean and refreshing. Not heavy at all but still good ABV of 4%. Had the Garlic Pepperoni pizza with it... more yum. I'll definitely be back and be sure to bring my friends.

Steelhead Brewing

I spend a couple of hours this afternoon on the patio at Steelhead Brewing in Irvine. It's right across the street from the UCI campus, in the University Shopping Center. Sunday at 3 and the place was dead. The center was hopping but the brewery was quiet. Nice inside. Collegiate decor with a big chalkboard listing all the brews available. I had the Hairy Weasel Hefeweizen. Not as fruity as others but good flavor. Good for a warm day and light food. 

Map for Steelhead Brewery

The Great Beer Hunt

Part of my new adventure has to be the discovery of local brewpubs. It's just how I roll. (LOL.)

To keep myself organized and allow everyone to follow along, here is a link to an online map of the local microbreweries. All the markers start out grey, meaning they are untried/unrated. As I visit each location, I'll change the marker color to red, green or yellow as a rating and add comments in the description section.

Have locations of your own? Let me know and we can add them to the map... for all to enjoy.

Great Brewpub Tour (Map)

Cafe Rio

Think Chipotle Grill done better. Imagine this... start with giant handmade homemade tortillas fresh off the grill.  Then fill with lime-infused rice, fireroasted chicken and black beans. Top with fresh made salsa. Delicious. They are staffed heavily in the kitchen to keep up with the line. This is quick, fresh, yummy and cheap. Just the way a local lunch joint should be.

http://www.caferio.com/locations/costa-mesa-california

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Amazing "Mix" Nachos

Some of the best nachos I've ever had. Fried flour tortillas. 4 kinds of mexican style cheeses and carne asada. Yummy!!

At "Mix" in the lobby of the Hilton Anaheim Convention Center.

Mobile Monte Cristo... one step closer

Mobile Monte Cristo is one step closer to launch. New timeline looks like September.
Check it out....

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/2012/04/danielle-custers-food-truck-project.html

Monte Cristo update.

Our favorite Mobile Food Mogul in the Making...check it out.

http://vimeo.com/39059131

Mobile Monte Cristo - In the News

Danielle and her food truck in the news once again. Looking forward to seeing her live and in person in the near future.

S.

********

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/print-edition/2012/02/17/danielle-custers-food-truck-gamble.html?ana=fbk

Danielle's new food truck - Coming Soon

Big congratulations to Danielle for bringing her dreams to life. I'm so proud of you and can't wait to try your new grilled cheese adventures.

danielle-custer-leaves-taste-restaurant-to-launch-food-truck-monte-cristo-january-2012/

Trade Route Brewery

My next research project - Trade Route Brewery

Enjoying the Joker Ale. Need to find their MangoWeizen. Sounds delish.

Great Breakfast - Maggie's Family Restaurant

On Lake Street in Wayzata, MN, Maggie's Family Restaurant is a local "joint". 8:30 am, we walked into a dining room of locals enjoying their favorite. Their specialty is  the French Toast and it did not disappoint. Soft on the inside but not soggy, crunchy on the edges but not hard, subtle flavor but not too sweet. A drizzle of syrup was the perfect finish. Yum.

5 out of 5.

Lions Tap in Eden Prairie, MN.

Reported to be a great burger joint. Thought it was just okay. Crinkle fries from a bag. Patty size was kinda small. Beer (Heartland Honey Bock and Riverwood Red) was just okay as well.

On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 is best), this gets a 3.

Salmon-chanted Evening (July 9, 2011)

Great fundraiser organized by Tom Douglas. A nice little picnic in the park across the street from Etta's, just North of Pike Place Market. $15 per person with proceeds going to Seattle Arts Department. Yummy salmon, corn on the cob, fresh green beans, etc. Tom was at the head of the serving line, doling out the salmon topped with a tomato chutney. (What's the difference between tomato chutney and salsa? About $5 a plate. HA!!)

Several more dates this summer. Here's a link if you're interested.
Salmon-chanted Evening

Red and Bleu Burger

Angus Burger topped with bleu cheese crumbles and cab sauted carmelized onions. Great flavor combination. No bun necessary. The 1/2 lb ate great with a fork. Perfect match with an ice cold beer.
Time to bust out the BBQ and experiment.

Updated July 2011 - Forgot to cite the source of the yumminess... The cafe at the Luxor hotel. Go figure. 

Recession Relief Saturdays @ Desert Fire in Redmond

Yes, you read that right. $1 Bud Light in the bar during Recession Relief Saturdays at the Desert Fire in Redmond Town Center. They have a short but good list of other Happy Hour tidbits to help fill your stomach while you're watching the sporting event of the day and enjoying those incredibly cheap beers.

Also of note, all you can eat Taco Tuesday's from 5 to 9pm for south of $6. Of course, that night the beers are full price.

Guess you can't have too much of a good thing, eh?

I thought I would post this in case I forget, must be the freakishly nice weather outside that reminded me of this. On a recent "mancation" I figured out an easier way of making good use of a fifth of tequila and not having simple syrup on hand for scratch margarita's (laziness really). This is my take on a frozen version of a lime Rickey. Pre-flight check: blender, ice, tequila and frozen limeade. Pretty simple, pour half a fifth of tequila of your choice, Sauza or better please, into a blender, one can of frozen limeade, equal parts ice and one can of water, blend and you have yourself a delicious frozen beverage that will have you wishing you had bought more frozen limeade! 2 cans for every fifth or bottle of tequila, should make about 10 servings. Cheers!

Homemade street tacos

If my current profession doesn't work out, I might have to figure out how to be a street-food vendor. If todays experiment is any indication, I might be able to make a go of it.

Oversized corn tortilla heated on hot flat skillet until the floppiness is gone. Still pliable enough to fold without breaking but stiff enough for a "crunch" when eating. All without oil. Delish foundation to build from.

Simple filling of a touch of shredded cheese, pollo asado and shredded cabbage. That's all. The pollo asado has been mixed with a spicy adobo sauce and is the only enhancement present. Just a sprinkle, dash and dollop of each of these simple ingredients - customized to individual taste - and voila!! Fabulous food magic. Pair with something cool and refreshing, serve in a wonderful sunny outdoor location. Magic!!

Pine Lake Ale House

Black Raven Scotch Ale and onion rings.

The beer was good - dark and bitter. Only lightly carbonated, the way I like it.

The rings were greasy and bland. A beer batter but not as flavorful as I would have expected. The food here tends to be just okay but it's in a food desert so it's able to stay open. Oh, and the service, while friendly, is slow. Good when you don't have the inclination to leave the hood.

The Rock - Renton

The Rock at the Landing in Renton is one of my favorite hangouts for catching up on piles of work without being at my desk. The booths in the bar are spacious and the place is 75% windows making it a rare and bright bar space to hang out in.

The Suicide Blonde is my favorite beer and paired with the Mozzarella Garlic Bread is just about as close to perfect bar food as it gets. When something more is called for, the dry rub Chipotle Wings are a welcomed addition to the party.

The only (serious) downfall is the very long wait between ordering and delivery to your table. This is going to sound funny but if you're really hungry, this isn't the place for you. We were told that the food is run in batches through the ovens so depending on how busy they are and how backed up, you could be waiting quite a while. We're talking as much as 20 - 30 minutes. The food is good, just be prepared to wait.

Still one of my favorites but I'm very aware of when it works for me and when I should find somewhere else to feed my hunger.

On my list of things to enjoy as the weather gets better. 


The Redmond Two-Step
Equipped with a few tables and a tiny bar, Redmond beer and wine store Malt and Vine (maltandvine.com) doubles as a sipping spot for serious geeks, who wander in on Wednesdays to try the cask of the week. Nearby, visit stellar brewery Black Raven (blackravenbrewing.com); the staff taps a firkin, an 11-gallon cask, every Wednesday at 4pm.