a Burrissimo celebratory giveaway

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Mad Hungry Woman

In honor of the City of Costa Mesa’s 60th anniversary celebrations, Burrissimo has provided a myriad of goodies for my readers to win. One lucky winner will win a wonderful gift basket of goodies while 10 others will win $10 giftcards to check Burrissimo out. Included in the gift basket will be:

·         A pair of 60^th anniversary concert tickets
·         $25 Burrissimo gift card
·         Burrissimo logo cap
·         Bottle of BSting Signature Hot Sauce
·         An order of free Happy Birthday Costa Mesa Zeppoles

An in-store promo taking place at Burrissimo Costa Mesa between June 24-30 offers customers:

A FREE order of Birthday Zeppoles with minimum purchase ($7 minimum).

Use your OC Tastefest 60th anniversary concert tickets on June 28th at 4pm!!

Leave me a comment and tell me why you would love to win this awesome gift pack. Entries end Thursday 20th! Winner announced on Friday 21st! Good Luck!

affordable deliciousness at The Kebab Shop San Diego

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Mad Hungry Woman

I’m on a Mediterranean kick first with Sababa on Tuesday, and now, The Kebab Shop in San Diego. Years ago, I visited the original location of The Kebab Shop in downtown San Diego (found it on Yelp) and remember absolutely loving it. This time, I went to their latest location in Mission Valley and was surprised to find that this is the 6th store!!

This location is in a convenient spot, across the street from Macy’s Home Store at Mission Valley mall and gets good traffic during lunch time! I loved the spits with the meats roasting away in the back.

We managed to try a lot of things like Lamb Doner ($6.99), a nice wrap using flatbread which isn’t overly thick. The meat was moist and flavorful and the combination of the lettuce, tomatoes and sauce was absolutely delicious! And so reasonable!

The Shish Kebab Plates are also awesome and comes with a salad and a side of fragrant basmati saffron rice. Salmon Kebab ($10.99) is seasoned well and great for those who are not wanting meat.

Meat lovers can opt for the Beef Kofte ($9.79), so perfectly seasoned and juicy. A side of dill sauce is served alongside and it goes so well with the meat.

You can also choose Chicken Kebab ($9.79), chicken breast, again, nicely seasoned and very flavorful. There is nothing worse than under-seasoned meat and you will definitely not find that here.

If you didn’t want a skewer plate, then there are rotisserie plates with lamb, chicken or falafel with one hot side and one fresh salad for only $8.99. We had enough sides so we just sampled the meat (lamb to the left and chicken to the right).

I love Falafel ($2.59) and the ones here are light, not greasy and a great choice for vegetarians. I always like to try falafels at a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern restaurant because it is actually not easy to create a well textured falafel which doesn’t end up dense and heavy.

They have lots of Fresh Salads ($3.99/8.99 for 3) — nine of them! Ideal accompaniments to go with your meal or just as is.

Some of my favorites include:

Algerian Eggplant — tender pieces of eggplant with strong flavors including cumin.

Even my friend who I didn’t think liked Tabouli loved it. The parsley salad was finely chopped and very fresh!

The most surprising item was the Macaroni Salad. It was so delicious I couldn’t stop eating it. Don’t laugh, but it had bits of imitation bacon in it, and I really think that’s what kicked up the flavor!

Fast, casual restaurants are the “in” thing these days. You get high quality food at a fraction of the cost and you’re out the door really quickly. I wish we had one of these here in Orange County. There are lots of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern restaurants around but a fast casual place serving such deliciousness is lacking! I would love one in the strip mall down the street, I’d be there all the time! In fact, I’m salivating just writing this post!

The Kebab Shop
1570 Camino de la Reina
San Diego, CA 92108
Tel: 619-491-0279

surprised by the fresh flavorful fare at Sababa

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Mad Hungry Woman

When we first walked into Sababa and I opened up the menu, I was at first skeptical with what I saw. The restaurant is categorized under Mediterranean yet the menu displayed an assortment of items from all over the world.

The outside seating is nice, you can choose from regular tables or sofa seating for a more relaxed feel. The inside lounge area is great for cocktails and bites both around the bar or at the bar tables.

I started out ordering some things for the table which I recognized as authentic. Flatbreads with dip ($8) was exactly what I had hoped for. Grilled flatbread is served with three dips: roasted pepper almond, hummus, and roasted eggplant dip. I loved all three, especially the eggplant, but then again, I am a huge eggplant fan. The roasted pepper almond makes great use of one of the healthiest nuts around.

I love Falafel ($7.50) and the ones here are light and very tasty. They arrived looking on the dark side, but the seasonings include things like paprika which darkens when fried, but when you cut into them, reveal the beautiful colors of chickpeas and herbs. The tahini dipping sauce was delicious accompanied by a simple salad of tomatoes drizzled with balsamic.

Being an eggplant fiend, I especially loved Grilled Eggplant ($8), an eggplant roasted whole and then opened up and topped with tahini, roasted red peppers and tomatoes, served with pita chips. I loved it!!

As we were eating our meal, owner Sagi stopped by our table to welcome us and tell us a bit about his restaurant. It was then everything became clear. He explained his vision for his restaurant of wanting to bring the flavors of his homeland — Israel — and incorporate them into the items everyone is familiar with. I told him I thought the menu looked confused, but now it made sense.

So with that in mind, we went ahead and tried some items my son wanted but I didn’t feel were Mediterranean. Calamari ($9) is tossed in a blend of spices which you will immediately recognize if you are familiar with middle eastern or Mediterranean cuisine. The accompanying dip is made of harissa (a Tunisian chili sauce), lemon and artichokes.

“Nachos” ($9.50) is very unique. Instead of tortilla, pita chips are used, and they are topped with goat cheese, roasted red bell peppers, Kalamata olives, hummus, drizzled with a tahini vinaigrette. The fresh spinach adds both color and freshness to this healthier version of the Mexican favorite.

My son wanted Seared Tuna ($18) and the one here is really interesting. Crusted with za’atar, a very popular Mediterranean/Middle Eastern spice mix, the ahi tuna is seared and served with a mint pesto and lemon aioli dip. Harissa mashed potatoes were just okay, but I loved the simple sababa salad of cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes and mint with olive oil and lemon juice. I’m totally making this at home!!

I absolutely loved the Moroccan ($19), an 8oz piece of salmon pan seared in a vibrant Moroccan sauce with a tomato and red pepper base and served with basmati rice. I brought the leftovers home and after warming up the next day, it was even better and the salmon surprisingly retained its moisture.

Lastly, Shakshuka ($12), a breakfast item which reminds me of poached eggs over ratatouille. Zucchini, tomatoes, roasted bell peppers in a beautiful tomato sauce topped with eggs are baked and when the runny yolks are mixed into the vegetables, creates a creamy delicious dish even vegetarians can enjoy.

Those of you with a sweet tooth, get the Apple Baklava ($7). Unlike traditional baklava, it wasn’t very sweet, which completely appealed to me. Apples raisins and walnuts are encased in phyllo dough and baked. Served with a honey tahini sauce, I would totally eat this again!

I absolutely loved this place and so did my dining companions. In fact, my son wanted to go back again and I wish I was able to when he asked, but it was a tad too far for me on a weeknight. Those of you living in the area or on the weekends are traveling to Long Beach should check Sababa out!

Sababa Restaurant & Lounge
6527 E Pacific Coast Highway
Long Beach, CA 90803
Tel: 562-252-3572

Summer of Sustainability at Slapfish on now

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Mad Hungry Woman

This week, Chef Andrew Gruel of Slapfish launched a campaign entitled “Summer of Sustainability” which runs for six weeks and features a new item each week. Andrew has always been a leader in using sustainable seafood, first on his gourmet food truck, and now, in his restaurant. We were invited in to try all six items all you seafood lovers will be treated to in the next month and a half. (photo courtesy of Mona Shah-Anderson)

Week One (June 3-June 9) going on right now until Sunday features Wild Pacific Albacore Tuna Melt ($9.50) a richly flavored flaked albacore sandwiched between rustic sourdough filled with spinach, cucumber, tomato, and “awesome sauce”.

Week Two (June 10-June 16) which starts on Monday is a BBQ Yellowtail Banh Mi Sandwich ($9.50) a play on the traditional banh mi with fresh baked Vietnamese baguette, picked radish, cucumber, carrots, jalapeno and spiced yellowtail topped with grill sauce. The flavors are intense and addicting and was one of my favorites of the featured items.

Week Three (June 17-June 23) will appeal to those who love mild white fish. Alaskan Halibut Po Boy ($11) is fried halibut in a toasted roll packed with lettuce, tomato and pickled peppers and the most delicious tabasco aioli to boot. I loved the spicy kick of this creation!

Week Four (June 24-June 30) will have me rolling back to Huntington Beach again for this stunning Crispy White Seabass Taco ($7). I couldn’t believe how light this fried corn shell was. It wasn’t greasy or viscous at all. Light and crunchy, the pickled red onion and cabbage, with the flaky fish drizzled with rooster dressing is absolutely perfect!!

Week Five’s (July 1-July 7) Copper River Salmon Hand Pie is more a pastry than a pie. The salmon, avocado and chiles and rolled in phyllo dough and gently fried and served with a tomatillo sauce on the side. The piquant flavor of the tomatillo marries perfectly with the flaky pie.

I wasn’t able to taste Week Six’s (July 8-July14) Baked Carlsbad Luna Oysters (market price) because of my oyster allergy, but it looked marvelous. Topped with a wild mushroom and bacon stuffing and baked, you can order these to your liking — one, two, four, or a dozen!

You have only a few days left to enjoy the wild albacore tuna melt and this week’s giveaway won’t make it in time for you to go, but I highly recommend you just DO IT! I have a $35 giftcard to Slapfish, entries end on Sunday, winner announced Monday. Leave me a comment and tell me which of these six items you would most like to try. You have to leave your FULL name in order for your entries to be valid. Good Luck!

Slapfish
19696 Beach Blvd
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Tel: 714-964-3900

Early Bird’s tasty dinner menu launches tomorrow!

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Mad Hungry Woman

Last week I attended a preview of Early Bird’s new dinner menu which is launching tomorrow night starting at 5.30pm. Chef Frank DeLoach has created small and large plates which rotates seasonally depending on what’s available on the market. Small plates are priced between $7-$10, while large plates will run around $11-$15. The Dungeness crab is market price and requires a one-day advance request at time of reservation.

We started with some salads. Early Season Greens is a palate bursting canvas of white lemon, strawberry, pecans, mint, edible flowers, radish and basil. The dressing is all lemon and you can taste the freshness in each mouthful. Love the textural contrast of all the ingredients too!

Summer Squash was a combination of shaved squash and chunks of green and yellow baby squashes tossed with za’atar and sumac and dotted with slices of preserved lemon and pickled shallots. Crunchy, fresh, tart, just a wonderful vibrant pop in your mouth every time.

I didn’t think I’d like Pork Belly Po’ Boy but the flavors were incredible! Smoked sriracha and B&B pickles gave the sliders a spicy, tart, rich deliciousness so comforting yet so complex in flavor.

One of my favorites of the evening was Salt Cod. I am a sucker for salt and combine that with crispy rice and Thai chiles and all the flavors I love? Well, need I say more? One more please!

Sweetbreads was my least favorite of the night, but strangely, my son loved it. I can never tell if he’d like it or not. I was even afraid to tell him what it was thinking he wouldn’t try it, and when I told him they were brains, he replied “oh, they were good”. That kid always surprises me! Maybe it was the finely diced crunch of the celery, or the hot sauce and ranch that he loved. Regardless, my kid ate “brains” and liked it!! Who woulda thunk?

I saw Poutine go to other tables around me and was afraid we wouldn’t get to try it, but we did. Tender beef cheeks over crispy fries topped with Oregon cheddar and a runny egg, who could ask for more? It was a comfort food lover’s wet dream! This was another winner!

I love fried chicken and if the salt cod wasn’t enough to tempt me, the Twice Fried Chicken cinched the deal. The coating was crispy and had flavors which brought me to my childhood even though when I questioned Chef Frank on the ingredients, there were none which brought my palate to its ratatouille moment. Hmmm, maybe he was lying? Regardless, this is a must order on a return visit.

When Singaporean Chili Crab arrived, I knew it was all over. Early Bird has got me hook line and sinker. I grew up in southeast Asia and chili crab is something I am extremely familiar with. Although this isn’t exactly what you will find in Singapore, Chef Frank’s version is pretty damn good.

The sweet spicy flavors (oooooooooo I’m salivating just writing this up) were too much for the wusses at my table and I ended up devouring almost the entire portion on my own. Oh well, too bad for them because it was incredible. All I wanted was some piping hot steamed rice to eat the remaining sauce with.

We ended with Street Melon, a perfect finish to a 99% perfect meal. The watermelon sprinkled with Mexican chile and lemon spices topped with lime ice and beer emulsion cleansed the palate and didn’t overwhelm our very full stomachs.

Early Bird’s dinner menu is a winner in my book. Simple dishes bursting with flavor, but most of all, familiar flavors which bring me back to a time lost to adulthood. Maybe they won’t be ratatouille moments for you, but it doesn’t matter because good tasting food is good tasting food no matter how you look at it.

Early Bird
1000 #B East Bastanchurry Road
Fullerton, CA 92835
Tel: 714-529-4100

new summer menu items at PF Chang’s

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Mad Hungry Woman

I went to PF Chang’s not long ago with some out of town friends. The menu is always good for a big group since there is always something which is agreeable to everyone.

On this last visit, we went to try the new summer menu items launched recently to celebrate their 20th anniversary.

We started with one of the new cocktails: Long Island Tequila Tea ($9) a blend of 1800 Silver, Reposado and Anejo Tequila shaken with fresh sour mix and topped with Coca Cola. Since I’m a huge fan of tequila, this was naturally the choice. It was delicious and so easy to drink. There is also a rum version of the same thing.

Our first dish was Peking Duck Summer Rolls ($8.95), pieces of duck and salad with julienne green papaya, snow peas and carrots wrapped in rice paper served with a mango jalapeno vinaigrette hoisin sauce. Although I liked the freshness of the rolls, the duck was not coherently dispersed throughout the roll so some bites were devoid of any duck. The sauce on the plate was also a little too strong — good though — but overwhelmed the subtle flavors of the rolls.

The Grilled Prawns with Red Curry Peanut Noodles ($15.95) was a dish we all agreed upon. The grilled southeast Asian prawns were outstanding. Great flavors and perfectly grilled with a nice char. The accompanying chilled noodles were what I had an issue with. The shaved snow peas, bean sprouts, carrots, cilantro and lime tossed into the noodles were crunchy and the red curry-peanut sauce was very flavorful so it was very unfortunate that the noodles were very mealy and doughy.

I wasn’t too keen on ordering the Grilled Swordfish with Pineapple Chutney ($19.95), but our delightful server assured us it was worth the risk. I’m always skeptical with swordfish because most of the time it arrives overcooked. However, I’m glad he insisted because the Asian spiced line-caught sushi grade swordfish was prepared perfectly and not the least bit dry! I also do not like fruit with my proteins, but the pineapple pear chutney turned out to complement rather than overwhelm.

My biggest shocker of all was the Summer Vegetable Quinoa “Fried Rice” ($11.95) wok toasted quinoa with summer sunburst squash, mango, tomatoes, and snow peas topped with a sunny side egg, asparagus and daikon sprouts.

Honestly I wasn’t sure this was going to work, but our server broke up the egg and mixed everything together. It was delicious! The runny egg on top made it even tastier but the textures of the fresh vegetables and the nutty quinoa was a great combo!

Although I’m not into sweets, I let our server twist our arm and order a flight of Sweet Treats ($2.95 each or $7.95 for a flight of 3).

Our flight comprised of a Coconut Upside Down Cake (a seasonal favorite I’m told), Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake, and Blueberry Cheesecake, a white chocolate cheesecake, with fresh blueberry swirls, on a graham cracker crust served with vanilla creme sauce. The latter was my favorite.

Our server was so sweet when I told him the chocolate cake didn’t excite me — he bought us the Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch on his dime. What a sweetheart! This peanut butter crunch with milk chocolate and caramel layered on chocolate brownie cake topped with honey roasted peanuts topped with chocolate syrup and caramel sauce looked immensely decadent and sweet, but turned out really tasty. The textures were great too.

At the end of the day, we had a really great time. Service is always great here and even though there were little misses, on the whole, it was still a positive experience. The new menu items are available at the Irvine Spectrum location now, but will roll out nation-wide on June 19th.

This week, I have a $50 giftcard for one of my readers to win for an experience at PF Chang’s. Leave me a comment with your FULL name (not eligible otherwise) and tell me what you’re most excited about trying from the summer menu. Entries close Sunday June 2nd. Good Luck!

PF Chang’s
61 Fortune Drive
Irvine, CA 92618
Tel: 949-453-1211