one of my faves opens new location

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Mad Hungry Woman

This is my 500th post and it is befitting that I write about one of my favorites! It is no secret I love Veggie Grill. From the very first time I tried them six years ago, I have not lost my desire to eat this absolutely delicious vegetarian fare.

Their latest location in Laguna Niguel is just another reason to give Veggie Grill a try if you haven’t already been introduced to them. I love how each location has its own unique decor while still keeping in tune with its signature style and colors.

I’ve positively had everything on the menu and although 90% of the items I love, there are definitely some that are dearer to my heart than the others. If you are a salad fan, there are lots to choose from starting with the Thai Salad ($9.95). Romaine, cabbage, corn salsa, green onion, mandarin oranges, sesame seeds, cilantro, wonton strips are tossed in a spicy Thai dressing and topped with with either grilled chickin or tempeh.

I love the buffalo wings and you can have them on a salad by ordering B-Wing Salad ($9.95). These deliciously spicy tart buffalo wings are served over chopped romaine, avocado, celery, toasted corn salsa in a creamy ranch dressing. So mouth puckering good!

One of my favorite salads is the All Hail Kale ($7.25 lunch size/$8.95 entree size). Not only is it healthy, but it is so delicious as well, so good that even my son loves it. Marinated kale and red cabbage are chopped into bite-sized pieces and tossed with corn salsa, agave roasted walnuts in a ginger papaya vinaigrette. You can add tempeh or blackened chickin for $2.75.

If salads aren’t your thing then I suggest getting a sandwich. Papa’s Portobello ($8.50) consists of a large meaty grilled mushroom, topped with chopped tomato, basil and garlic pomodoro, caramelized onions, pesto, lettuce, red onion and drizzled with chipotle ranch.

The All American Stack ($8.95) is one of my son’s favorites! Grilled veggie steak, pickles, lettuce, tomato and crispy onion rings topped with thousand island dressing complete this burger.

If you’re a fan of the buffalo wings like I am, then you’ll love the Buffalo Bomber ($8.95) with a crispy chickin’ pattie tossed with spicy buffalo sauce assembled with tomato, red onion, lettuce and creamy ranch dressing. So so good!

If you just want the buffalo chickin on its own then totally order the Buffalo wings ($6.95). These chickin strips are served with celery sticks and creamy ranch dressing and I always order them on every visit.

Chill Out Wings ($6.50) are another favorite. These are the fried chickin strips served with tangy BBQ sauce and chipotle ranch. My son usually orders two serves of this but ends up sharing them with me in exchange for my buffalo ones.

There are also entree style plates such as Crispy Chickin’ Plate ($9.95) is so good you wouldn’t even miss the carnivorous kind. Fried chickin with cauli-mashed potatoes are accompanied by a flavorful porcini mushroom gravy with fresh rosemary and served with a side of steamin’ kale. For me, this is comfort food without the cholesterol!

Blackened Chickin Plate ($9.50) is a nicely charred piece of chickin topped with papaya salsa and served with steamin’ kale and quinoa pilaf. Talk about healthy! This is a totally guilt-free and filling meal.

if you’re not full yet from everything, you can try some of the desserts on offer. The new soft serve — vanilla, chocolate or swirl (with or without Oreo crumble) — is a good choice and kids love it!

Or, the carrot cake is absolutely delicious! None of the desserts are overly sweet which appeals to me!

If you haven’t tried Veggie Grill yet, here’s a chance for you to do it. I have two $15 gift cards to give away courtesy of Veggie Grill. Leave me a comment with your FULL name and tell me whether or not you’ve been before and why you love it, or, if you haven’t, then why you would like to try! Entries end on Friday, May 3rd.

Veggie Grill
27321 La Paz Road
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
Tel: 949-362-9649

Islands is not just about burgers

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Mad Hungry Woman

It’s been a long time since I’ve been to an Islands. It’s funny because even though they are known for burgers, I usually get something else whenever I go with my friends who want burgers.

On this recent trip, I went with my son who loves burgers. We arrived early evening and happy hour was still going on. They have a handful of $5 or under items which are good accompaniments for one or two drinks. I was happy to see they had skinny margaritas and ordered the Margarita Lite ($8.90) which uses Patron Silver, organic agave, fresh lime juice and Triple Sec.

On the happy hour menu, we chose the Cheddar Fries ($3.95) and it was a huge plateful of Island fries covered with melted cheddar and scallions. I kept telling my son to not overindulge in it because he still had a burger coming, but he’s a growing boy and I couldn’t believe how much he was able to pack away!

The Poke ($8.95) a new item on the menu is pretty damn good. Chunks of albacore tuna is tossed in soy, sesame oil, sambal and sits on a bed of shredded cabbage topped with diced scallions and sesame seeds. Loved this!

If you like fish tacos, the Grilled Fish ($10.69/2 tacos) offers the day’s selection of fresh fish on corn tortillas and topped with cabbage, cilantro, diced tomatoes and a house chipotle white sauce. Nicely seasoned albeit the tortillas were a little hard. The ranchero beans served on the side is really good!

My favorite of the night was a new item from their “Local Menu”. Salmon Miso Glazed Bowl ($12.49) is a brown rice bowl with fresh grilled pineapple chunks, bell peppers, red onions, water chestnuts, snow peas, broccoli and scallions. A nice piece of fresh grilled Atlantic salmon is then placed on top making it a delicious and healthy meal. You can also get this in teriyaki or hoisin sauce.

My son loved his Nalu Nalu ($10.85) burger, a new menu item which is only offered for a limited time. This burger is reminiscent of a Philly cheesesteak topped with provolone cheese, sauteed onions, mixed peppers, hot deli pepper rings and lettuce with roasted garlic aioli. I took a bite and it was very flavorful. I’m not a huge burger person but my son devoured it in its entirety. I wish I had such metabolism!!

This week, Islands has generously donated THREE $25 giftcards for my readers to win. Leave me a comment with your FULL name (you won’t be entered if you don’t leave your full name!) and tell me if you’re a burger person or if you’ll be ordering something other than burgers — and why! Three lucky winners will be chosen to win one of those giftcards. Entries close Thursday and winner will be announced Friday. Good Luck!

Islands
(check out full list of locations on the website)
4020 Barranca Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92604
Tel: 949-552-1888

enjoying great burgers at Burger Lounge

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Mad Hungry Woman

For someone who doesn’t eat a lot of burgers, I’ve been having plenty lately and am posting back to back burger posts with Smashburger last week and now, Burger Lounge. I’ve seen it often whenever I’m down in San Diego and my friends would say “let’s go try it” and I always say “next time”. Well, that “next time” has come.

There are several locations and the one we went to is located in the Kensington area. I love the orange hues (one of my favorite colors) and the upscale diner look of the cozy restaurant was very chic and modern.

The menu is simple but caters to everyone’s tastes. I love how they use 100% grass fed beef on the burgers, but also offers turkey and vegetarian options.

The classic is The Lounge Burger ($7.95) with your choice of organic white cheddar or American topped with fresh or grilled onions, lettuce, tomato and a house-made 1000 Island dressing.

Smaller appetites can opt for the Baby Lounge Burger ($5.95) in beef, turkey or vegetarian. They’re smaller, but enough for me if I were to eat it on its own. We tried the Free Range Turkey ($7.95) in the baby size and I thought it was really juicy and flavorful, not at all what turkey burgers usually taste like.

The vegetarian Quinoa Burger ($7.95) suffices in taste but I’d much rather eat a meaty burger so this isn’t for me, but, a respectable vegetarian option.

Right now they are serving the Smokey Wild Boar ($9.95) burger which should not be missed. The pattie is so flavorful and oozing with great flavors we gobbled it all down even though we were so full. The onion rings added a wonderful crunch and the touch of barbecue sauce did not overpower at all.

I’m a sucker for fried sides, especially Onion Rings ($3.99/$4.99), which weren’t too greasy and not overladen with batter.

French Fries ($2.99/$3.99) are my favorite potato item, as I’m not a fan of potatoes, and these were lovely and crispy and I couldn’t stop eating them.

If you’re a fan of floats, do not miss out on the Lounge Float ($4.95) with either Mexican Coke, ginger beer, Fanta Orange or Maine Root Soda. We chose the latter and it was quite delectable and not overly sweet.

The restaurant just added some gluten free menu and gluten free bun is 95 cents extra in either Lounge Burger or Baby Lounge sizes. The quinoa salad is a good gluten free addition to the menu.

I wish there was a Burger Lounge in Orange County. Right now they are only in San Diego and Los Angeles and I’m waiting for the day they open one near me!

Burger Lounge
4116 Adams Avenue
San Diego, CA 92116
Tel: 619-584-2929

Smashburger: a very pleasant surprise

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Mad Hungry Woman

I’ll have to admit, I’m not a big burger kinda gal. I never crave them, but my son does and when Austin and I dine out together, he likes to order burgers whenever he sees them on the menu

When I first heard about Smashburger, I was rather skeptical since there have been a bunch of burger places popping up recently and I’ve not enjoyed most of them. It took me a little while to visit, but after seeing friends post on Facebook of their visits, it was time for me to go try them out myself.

The first thing I noticed was the decor. Colors were warm and the restaurant itself, very inviting for a fast casual establishment. I was told each restaurant possesses something local, and unique to the area the restaurant is in, and this was reflective of the menu items on the board.

The OC ($5.99/$6.99) burger was the perfect example of something local. Baby portabella, aged Swiss cheese, baby arugula, grilled onions and truffle mayo on an egg bun made for a to-die-for mouthful. This is the perfect combo for me — flavorful, rich, juicy — seriously good! I was impressed.

The LA ($5.99/$6.99) had a bit of Asian flair to it. Topped with a runny fried egg, cilantro, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, Japanese steak house ginger dressing and a crispy wonton wrapper seasoned with togarashi on a black and white sesame seed bun was good, but not my thing. The runny egg was awesome though. I didn’t care for the wonton wrapper.

What I really loved was the fact that I could choose a chicken burger instead of a beef one. The Crispy Buffalo Chicken ($6.99) was my absolute favorite. I mean who doesn’t love fried chicken right? Well, if you’re looking for a healthier kick you can opt for the grilled chicken, but for me, it was fried chicken all the way!

A crispy fried chicken breast with Frank’s Redhot Buffalo sauce, crumbled blue cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo is sandwiched between an egg bun. It was just fantastic. I’m salivating just writing this up! Juicy, moist chicken with a light crispy coating, it was absolutely delicious!

I also tried a little of the Fresh Mex Black Bean ($5.99) — a black been pattie made in-house is topped with fresh avocado, cilantro, pepper jack, lettuce, tomato, onion, sour cream, chipotle mayo on a telera roll. A wedge of lime is served alongside ad I highly recommend squeezing it over the pattie. I’m no vegetarian but this was rather tasty!

We also tried some of the sides. Smashfries ($1.99) with rosemary and garlic is a must for French fry lovers and remained crisp until the very end.

Sweet Potato Fries ($2.29) were my personal choice between the two fries. Beautifully browned and were textured well throughout — not soggy at all.

For those looking for a veggie kick, Veggie Frites ($2.99) were quite delicious. We had green beans and carrots — and I’m not even a fan of carrots.

My favorite were the Fried Pickles ($2.29), a really mouth-puckering salty-tart interior surrounded by a crispy exterior. I wish there was more room in my stomach for this but unfortunately, it’s something you have to share with friends.

This week, I have a $25 giftcard courtesy of Smashburger for one of my readers to win. Leave me a message and tell me why you would love to try this delicious establishment. Make sure you leave your FULL name! Entries close on Sunday, 3rd. Winner announced Monday 4th. Good luck!

Smashburger
26541 Aliso Creek Road
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
Tel: 949-716-3855

a farewell to 2012 with a year-end round-up

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Mad Hungry Woman

This year has flown by and now we are at my last post of 2012. Like last year, I end with a run-down of my 10 most memorable restaurants/meals of the last 12 months. On my list are two San Diego restaurants and another, which has made my list two years in a row. Thank you to all my readers who have come along for the ride and I hope you will continue to journey with me as we embark into the new year.

I start my “best of” with a casual spot close to home. Mick’s Karma Bar is a small space offering up burgers, and they only have five on the menu. You can choose from a beef, turkey or veggie pattie with a bunch of different toppings, but that’s it. There is also a fish taco on the menu. Order the strawberry basil lemonade as well, it’s seriously addicting! Michael Schepers, owner of Mick’s keeps everything simple, but it is always absolutely delicious!

I’m a huge fan of Lucca Cafe and its chef Cathy Pavlos. Chef Cathy is the warmest, most hospitable woman I know and her passion for food shines through in her wonderful dishes featuring seasonal produce and using the simplest of ingredients at its prime. I love the Sunday Suppers usually held monthly and features an eating debauchery shared family style.

Last year, I featured Anepalco’s Cafe on my year end list. This year, Anepalco’s Cafe opened its second location at Ayres Inn in Orange and there was never a doubt they would make it onto the list this year. Chef Danny Godinez has taken his breakfast and lunch menu to a whole new level by offering dinner at the new location. His dishes reflect his Mexican roots with his experiences in traditional French cuisine. The result is using French techniques and marrying them with bold Mexican flavors. You’ll have to taste it to believe it.

When Mokkoji Shabu Shabu opened this year, I must say my son and I visited so often that when I received my credit card statement, I was shocked at how many of the charges were from there. Chef/owner Tommy Kim, an alumni of the St Regis Hotel uses his fine dining experiences to create an experience like no other. This is THE best shabu places in Orange County. Once you’ve tasted the difference, and experienced the extra mile they go to make your meal delightful, you won’t go elsewhere.

One of the biggest surprises this year has been a little place in San Diego which offers some of the most delicious food I’ve had in a while. Cafe 21 has an incredible breakfast/lunch menu with fantastic pancakes and even better egg dishes. However, their dinner menu also blew me away with fresh, great quality produce, superb proteins leaning towards a Mediterranean feel. Cafe 21 has become a favorite of mine in southern California and they deserve every bit of success they’re receiving!

On the topic of San Diego, I was pleasantly surprised by Isola Pizza Bar where the pizzas are thin and delicious. Wines are from the owner’s family vineyard and everything they serve is cooked in the oven they imported straight from Italy, including the shrimp dish pictured below.

The Ranch seems to be one of those places where my friends and I go to celebrate something special. Early this year, I celebrated a friend’s birthday here during restaurant week. Then, last month, I celebrated my birthday here with 11 of my friends for dinner. It was a fun-filled evening with delicious food and wine. I returned for a wine dinner a few nights later and that was an absolutely stunning pairing of food and wines. The Ranch remains one of my favorites in Orange County.

This year, The Landmark in Corona del Mar was renovated into a chic, trendy space with new owners and a new chef worthy of praise. Chef Travis Flood, a native San Diegan comes with an impressive resume including Fifth Floor in San Francisco, working under Laurent Gris. The menu is true fine dining style paired with comfort food kicked up a notch or two. Definitely worth a visit.

My new favorite sushi place is Shunka, a little place in a non-descript mall in Costa Mesa. The restaurant serves up beautiful sushi using best quality fish, some of which are imported from Japan. I highly recommend sitting at the sushi bar and ordering omakase and let the chef take you on an incredible ride. Unfortunately I haven’t written up a blog post about Shunka, but this is my go-to place whenever I’m hankering for some top quality sushi close to home!

Last but not least, this fantastic fine dining establishment recently got a new chef and a new seasonal menu. The hand-made pastas are created in house and definitely worth ordering. They blew me away as I haven’t had anything like this since my trip to New York in the fall. Andrea Ristorante offers spectacular views and if you get there at the right time, you can watch the sunset over the Pacific.

Well, that’s it! Thanks to all of you who have followed my blog this year. I love all the comments you leave and appreciate your support and enthusiasm! See you all in 2013 and I hope to bring you more tasty places to visit in the new year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND ALL THE BEST FOR 2013!

Boardwalk Burgers and Fries surprises and pleases

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Mad Hungry Woman

When I received an invitation to check out Boardwalk Burgers in Huntington Beach, my initial thought was “oh, it’s just another burger joint”. Maybe it was because I had no expectations before I arrived, but after tasting what this cute little place had to offer, I must tell you, I’m SOLD!

I’ve never been a huge fan of burgers, although, I do enjoy them from time to time. This was the reason why I wanted to try the Turkey Burger ($5.75 single/$7.75 double) because often, I don’t feel like beef and turkey is a great substitute. The turkey burger here is moist and nicely seasoned. The toppings you choose also changes how your burger will taste. I love spicy so the chipotle and fresh jalapeno slices were the perfect accompaniments.

Austin chose the Signature Double Burgers: Bacon Bleu ($7.50) with lettuce, tomato, bacon, bleu cheese and grilled onions. It was definitely a very tasty burger. Again, the patties were moist and seasoned well. I asked for wheat buns for both the turkey and the double burger, but you can opt for white buns if you choose.

I think one of my favorites was the Signature Sandwiches: Southwest Grilled Chicken ($8.25). Usually, grilled chicken on a sandwich is dry and leathery, not here. The grilled chicken is juicy and comes with all my favorites, lettuce, tomato, bacon, Swiss, chipotle sauce and fresh jalapeno peppers. Simply delicious!

I’m usually not a fan of Philly Cheese Steak ($8.25) but the one here changed my mind. Each sandwich is filled with eight ounces of thinly sliced rib-eye, topped with provolone cheese, grilled onions, peppers and mushrooms. What really impressed me was the quality of the meat and how un-greasy the entire sandwich was, even after sitting there for a good half hour.

Naturally, I could not walk away without trying Favorites: Vienna Chili Cheese Dog ($6) seeing what a hot dog fiend I am. Don’t judge, and don’t try to tell me what’s in a hot dog — I don’t want to know! I just LOVE hot dogs and I’m not too fussy. The Vienna is tasty with a good snap, but the best part was the delicious chili that smothered the dog. When it comes to cheese, you can choose between cheese sauce or grated cheese — I chose the latter.

You wouldn’t come to Boardwalk to eat salads, but should you be here as part of a group and didn’t want a sandwich, then I recommend the Boardwalk Salad ($8.50), a generous portion of romaine lettuce, fresh avocado, tomato, red onion, bacon, your choice of dressing and protein (tuna salad, grilled chicken, chicken tenders). We had the creamy Italian (which I loved) and a raspberry (which Austin loved) but was a tad too sweet for me.

Don’t walk off without some Boardwalk Fries ($2.95/$3.95/$4.95) and the way to eat these (like they do on the east coast) is to douse the fries with apple cider vinegar and then sprinkle Old Bay seasoning over them. I like to do these a batch at a time because it made the fries soggy so I doused and sprinkled as I was eating. Very addictive!

If you’re a milkshake fan, definitely order one of these Shakes ($4.75), you can choose from vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and mint chocolate. They use Dreyer’s ice cream, very rich and creamy indeed!

If you’re here with a picky kid, they do serve Mac N Cheese ($3.75) — the “blue box” kind. My kid added a good sprinkling of Old Bay seasoning to this and honestly, it was pretty good.

The piece de resistance was Funnel Fries ($2.75/$3.75). These taste like funnel cake but were in the shape of fries and OH MY GOD, I don’t even like sweet things and this was absolutely delicious. I would’ve liked only a touch of powdered sugar, but these were pretty amazing!!

Fast casual dining has really kicked up a notch these days and the quality of food available at these establishments is surprisingly good. Boardwalk Burgers really surprised us. My son loved everything and frankly, so did I.

This week, Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries has a $25 gift certificate for one of my readers to win. Leave me a comment and tell me which of these items you will mostly likely try when you visit. Remember to leave your FULL name along with your comment.

Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries
21020 Beach Blvd
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Tel: 714-536-8000