Stay Classy San Diego!!!!

This weekend called for a special blog celebrating my son's 2nd Birthday. The Mathews loaded up and head down south to San Diego, CA - America's Finest City to take my son to the San Diego Zoo for the first time. Since I love to eat we decided to check out one spot we saw on my favorite Food Network show Diner, Drive-Ins & Dives. We stopped into the Studio Dinner - San Diego, CA. This little locale tucked away in Kearny Mesa truly lives up to its name. it literally is an old fashion diner, that has all the movie production props inside as part of the restaurant. Being open 24/7 does help those who might have those midnight cravings without having to settle for IHOP or Denny's (If they are both open 24/7 in your area). After watching Triple D and I saw how much everyone loved the Count of Monte Cristo sandwich, I had to try that one. Who wouldn't love a battered and fried sandwich stuffed with turkey, ham, Swiss & Cheddar served with raspberry preserves...word of advice, bite into the sandwich then take the raspberry preserves and spread it inside...yummy yummy yummy, good in the tummy. This Studio Diner favorite is served with some fries with a little powdered sugar sprinkle on top. If you are a crab cake lover, definitely try the , Maryland Crab Cakes, these three Blue Crab Cakes served with a remoulade dipping sauce. These have been approved by even the finickiest East Coasters...the hostess were great, definitely kept the beverages topped off regularly.

Friday morning we enjoyed the continental breakfast at the hotel before heading off for a day at the World's Famous San Diego Zoo. Now I'm not one for dining at any amusement parks for anything other than a burger, dog or fries. However, I heard from one of my San Diegan friends that if I wanted to enjoy a nice sit down lunch in between watching the Sea Lion show and the Polar Bear Plunge then I should definitely check out Albert's Restaurant - San Diego (Zoo), CA. The restaurant is located in the Treehouse complex next to the gorilla exhibit, Albert’s offers full-service dining where you can enjoy open-air deck seating overlooking a private waterfall. The menu features a variety of unique dishes: appetizers, gourmet salads, healthful pastas, fresh fish, delicious beef entrees, and a children’s menu. Of course this joint came just as advertised. We enjoyed the open-air deck with a direct view of this waterfall while we enjoyed our lunch. I chowed down on the Jambalaya a Creole inspired blend of shrimp, chicken, andouille sausage, onions and peppers in a cream sauce over pappardelle noodles Served mild or spicy, of course I had it spicy, as if there's any other way to eat Jambalaya. The Misses sampled the Tiger Prawn and Fresh Spinach Ravioli sautéed prawns served with spinach ravioli filled with ricotta, romano, fontina and parmesan cheese in a shallot cream sauce topped with sun-dried tomato oil.




Of course the birthday boy enjoyed a lovely cheese pizza...lol. At the end of the day after walking down to the Panda Bear exhibit and then up that massive hill to the Polar bear plunge, the day called for a late afternoon bite for the road home, so we stopped at the nearest 76 station and grabbed some Hostess Cupcakes and water to go!!! Stay tuned for my first Food Blog Challenge to come later this week.

Islamorada Fish Company (Rancho Cucamonga, CA)

Friday night...Date Night with our friends. We decided to hit Lucille's and catch a flick at AMC Victoria Gardens. With Lucille's having a super long wait time of an hour just to get the buzzer to alert us our table is ready. Looking for an alternative we decided to go check out the Bass Pro Shop across the street. We had heard that the restaurant inside was really nice...The World Famous Islamorada Fish Company. Considering the wait time for a party of 6 was only a few minutes we decided to stay. The setting reminded me of Claim Jumpers a bit, until you walk in and see this huge 11.5 thousand gallon saltwater aquarium, that we later found out has to have a certified scuba diver come in and clean it.

There was a small room off to the side that had just been vacated, so we asked if our party could be sat in there and Ryan our host was able to get the room cleaned and cleared for us. My Date Night crew probably isn't your traditional crew of couples hanging out on the weekend. We clown around with the waiters/hostess, we were fortunate to have two cool waiters Ryan and Jacob (Clark Kent). These guys kept the food, drinks and the laughs coming. My boy Jacob also offers tax tips, so bring your W2's LOL. Put it like this we had so much fun we got out table at about 745pm we didn't leave until 20 after closing...hilarious.

We lets get down to the nitty gritty...the food. By this being a Fish Company of course seafood was the majority of the menu, but they did have something for everyone. As we waited to place our order, Ryan and Jacob brought out three bread loafs, not these bread loafs were served with a cup of butter, but the kicker was the sugar on top of the bread. Reminded me of the good ol days making the sugar toast with butter under the stove...c'mon somebody don't act like you ain't never made no sugar toast...we were killing those loafs. Appetizers to get the dining experience rolling consisted of the Spinach and Artichoke Skillet, spinach and artichokes in a creamy blend of cheeses and the hand-breaded tender wild-caught Alligator...that's right I was feelin Crocodile Dundee-ish so I decided to sample the gator...delicious.

Moving on to the main courses. The prices on the menu for all the dishes were very reasonable I think the most expensive item was The Angler @ $18.95. This came with a order of Crab cakes, grilled Mahi and Shrimp. You can have the flame grilled seafood prepared Blackened, BBQ, Roasted Garlic, Teriyaki and Lemon Pepper. Served with fresh veggies and seasoned wild rice. The Catch of the Day is usually one of these six selections: Gulf Snapper, Trout, Walleye, Halibut, Sea Bass and Lobster Tails...I'm sure the Lobster Tails might be more that $18.95...lol Here's my tip on buying seafood...don't be cheap!!! Reason I say this...on our Date Nights each couple tries to see who can come out the cheapest..cheap and seafood don't mix. My B-Law shot for the Ozarks-Style Fired Catfish sandwich... a Po Boy sandwich...not a good choice especially since my boy Q was about to order the same and Jacob told him "The Grouper Reuben" is a better choice for $3 more it offered the fish be fried or grilled on rye bread with Thousand Island slaw dressing and Swiss cheese. the Ozark was just french bread, two strips of fish hand breaded in seasoned cornmeal, lettuce and tomato...bad choice again cheaper, isn't better. Needless to say he wasn't happy!!! Me and my boy Q both had the Full serving of the Creamy Key West Shrimp Pasta. When they brought out this huge bowl I was like "ahhh yeaaa" only to find out it was only half full...but the 10 jumbo shrimps that was mixed into the linguini pasta definitely got me on full quick. Tauntie, had the Islamorada Portofino, blacked tilapia topped with grilled shrimp in a rich, creamy lobster sauce...scrumptious...definately a crowd pleaser of flavor. Lady Bug had the Chicken & Ribs, half rotisserie chicken and half a rack of ribs. Lastly, Cyn-Dawg had the 10 piece Fried Jumbo Shrimp. No dessert for us this night, too much eating and laughing and just enjoying a good time amongst family.

So if your ever in the Victoria Gardens area and you don't wanna wait forever and a day for Lucille's or Cheesecake Factory, dip on over to the World's Famous Islamorada Fish Company inside The Bass Pro Shop...Holla at my boy Jacob aka Clark Kent I'm sure he will never forget us...I'm out like three strikes!!!

Who Wants Sushi???

Ok here's the situation, I love Sushi..I mean real Sushi. I have a small consortium of friends who enjoy it as well. So one of my girls Kaitlyn and I were having a good ol discussion about Fine Sushi establishments in the Riverside area. So I'm gonna give you the rundown on my favorite Sushi spots to hit up. My first experience with Sushi took place when I was in high school and I was tryna impress a certain young lady with my exotic palette for fine dining. I didn't know what I was getting myself into, hell I didnt even know how to use chopsticks, but I made it work. From there it was all down hill.

If you are ever in the CSUN area I recommend stopping at Kabuki Sushi - Northridge, CA on Reseda Blvd (Between Plummer and Lassen). No no no they are not incahouts with the one in Pasadena or Burbank, two totally different spots. Here's a first sign indicator if a Sushi spot is bomb...if the Yellow Tail is readily available and if so then its a 5 star joint. Fresh Yellow tail is the secret to knowing if a Sushi spot is good. I learned that from my Sushi connoisseur Mike Ikata, thank you. Kabuki Sushi ain't no joke..service excellent, prices are very reasonable, you can get Sushi for two for around $40 bucks. Definitely get the Spicy Tuna, Albacore and the Scallop Rolls. Only drawback on this spot is that its a true HIW (Hole In the Wall)..don't try to roll deep there, the wait will be quite long.

Next, sugarFISH - Marina Del Rey, CA on Admiralty Way. The one thing I like about this spot is that its open 7 days a week and is open late. Sushi to me is a finger food that you should be able to roll out at 830 or 9pm and go get a few rolls in ya with a Sapporo. sugarFISH is definitely that spot. This would actually be the spot I would tell any newbie Sushi eater to venture. The "Trust Me" menu is the ticket, it allows you to get yourself immersed into the Sushi culture with some Tuna Sashimi, classics Albacore (2-pcs), Salmon (2-pcs) and Yellowtail (1-pc) , then you step up to the Nozawa Shrimp roll and the Toro and Crab cut rolls (4-pcs each), you can get all of this with Edamame for about $25, not too shabby, plus you are right there on the Marina. For the experience sushi eaters definitely check out the Unagi...it's like butta baby!!! According to my boy Notcher, the Oyster Sashimi is the lick, next time im in the place to be I will down one for you dawg!!! My own personal drawback is the calorie count ont he backside of the menus...If I'm eating sushi, then I don't need to know the calorie intake, I'm freakin eating raw fish, its suppose to be healthy right? I'm not eating M&M Soul Food Turkey Wing dinner with greens, double mac n cheese with two corn muffins that's about 2000 calories right there, but damn good!!! Another eatery for another blogspot as I digress :).

Now that we have left the L.A. area and started to move Eastward back into the hub city of the 951 - RIVERSIDE!!!. I'ma drop some chronic places on that A$$. If you want a frat party-ish atmosphere for eating sushi then you want to hit up Joe's "All You Can Eat" Sushi - Riverside, CA on Magnolia one block west of Van Buren Blvd. That's right "All You Can Eat" for only $20..Ok before you start to knock it, please try it. $20 sushi, is not cheap, old or imitation sushi if there's a such thing. This is down right good ish right here. From the outside your looking at it like "Damn is this building condemned", but once the doors open and you hear the music thumping and the workers dancing around doing "sake bombs". You definitely will have the WTF look on your face, like did I step into a "Hot Tub Sushi Time Machine" Bottom line, Joe's has the best damn Eel and Albacore Nigiri in town. Now don't tell the waiter you want it spicy, because you might need some MOM (Milk of Magnesia) on your way home if your stomach ain't ready for it. Again, don't go to Joe's if you want a quiet prissy sit down dinner, you better be ready for the place to erupt when you walk in with Hellos from the Sushi chefs, you might even have a random someone ask you to take a shot with you. Hell you might even fight a fool or too...definitely an adventure nonetheless.

Sushi Station - (Van Buren Blvd) Riverside, CA you can either hit the one in Orangecrest/Woodcrest whatever it is or the one by UCR, they are pretty much the same spot. The one on Van Buren is bigger and can even accommodate private parties in private rooms. I can't stress this enough I love sushi and in Riverside, were good sushi places are few and far between, this has to get a high mark from me. Gold Dragon Roll, the Habanero Spicy Scallops (Off the hook) and of course the wicked Volcano roll. No matter what rolls or sashimi you get, don't forget to ask for the spicy mayo, its the equivalent to the cherry on top of each bite. I've been in here a few time by myself and have totally dropped about $40 on a plate of Salmon Sashimi, Spicy Scallops and Double Spicy Tuna roll, with Seeweed salad and Miso soup and a soda.

Last but not least is Oishii - (Magnolia Ave) Riverside, CA there's also another in Moreno Valley in the Ralph's shopping center behind Canyon Springs HS. This one I like because they had added on the AYCE Seafood & Sushi as well. They added on another room so now you can eat sushi & seafood while you listen to a live band play for you band heads!! Oishii has a great variety of sushi from you basic spicy tuna rolls to the dynamite and volcano rolls. One particular roll I have become very fond of is the Firecracker Roll - spicy scallops inside, spicy tuna on top...with a mix of wasabi and low sodium soy sauce...XXXplosive. Oishii offers an AYCE menu as well, which is great if you want to indulge on great sushi with friends, however there is a penalty for leaving leftovers...I've never been on that side of the stick so I cant tell you what it is. Another reason why I prefer the Magnolia location...FREE REFILLS on soft drinks...Mo Val, soft drinks are brought to you in a can and each can costs, so if you are not tryna run up a bar tab on soft drinks, hit the Magnolia Ave spot.

Here's a few honorable mention locales:
Sushi Kinoya - Moreno Valley, CA
Cabin Sushi - Riverside, CA
Ooka Japanese - Riverside, CA

Dont waste your time sushi:
Sushi Palms - Moreno Valley, CA

I'll holla!!!

Bandera Resturant (Corona del Mar, CA)

So my familia wanted to take me out for a surprise birthday dinner...I know I know I already wrote about this spot on Facebook..well now I'm adding it to my blogspot. We travelled to South OC to a restaurant that came highly recommended by a coworker of my better half. Bandera, has the feel of that after-work bar & grill spot with a crowded bar and loud music. Don't expect a quiet sit down dinner atmosphere, it ain't happening here. Maybe because we sat right next to the bar, which was planted in the middle of the restaurant, right in front of the main entrance. How is this not a fire hazard I don't know. From what I heard Bandera is suppose to be a spin-off of Houston's. The food defiantly made up for the noise and the cramped eating quarters. We started off with the Dip Duo with Tortilla Chips, which was a very very rich and sharp creamy cheese dip, almost like a Spinach dip, just extra cheesy. Then on to our Caesar salads with these sweet crunch croutons, something different. Next the main course, I had the Aged Prime Rib Slow roasted on the bone with Mashed Potatoes...the Prime Rib was juicy, flavorful, without the excess fat. The mashed potatoes were tasty but needed a little salt & pepper but ya know I made it work.

Since it was my birthday I did get a House Made Oreo Cookie Ice cream sandwich and it was the lick. I heard that the Skillet cornbread is like the staple of the restaurant so the next time I'm in the area I will have to check that out or I could always pull a "Life" and ask someone "Hey, you gon eat yo cornbread"!!! LOL
So it you're down in South OC, near Fashion Island/Newport Beach area stop by and let me know what you feelin?

Thanks

Fish Shack (Moreno Valley, CA)

I got a tip on this new fish spot in Mo Val on Friday so I decided to slide through Saturday afternoon to peep out the scene. Inside the Stoneridge Towne Centre across the lot from the Super Target, under the Clock tower you will find the Fish Shack (Seafood so good, you'll be hooked!). The Fish Shack has been there for over 5 months, you walk in and it reminds me a of a lil spot in Manhattan Beach with all the surf and beach effects not to mention the 3 mounted plasma TVs. First things first, please please don't get this spot confused with your local fast food spot. Nor is it Rubios and it damn sure isn't Taco Bell or Del Tacos. This is a totally different experience. You walk in and either one of my boys Brian (El Guppy) or Ryan (El Tortuga) will give you the rundown on how the Fish Shack works. First up there's a chalkboard listing all of the fishes of the day..that's right fishes, not just one fish. You pick a meal, choose your fish, the cooking style (fried or grilled), choose a side (Get the Mug O' Clam Chowder - California style...delicious).

I hit the Shack on Saturday afternoon with the familia, I had the Beer Battered Fish & Chips (Mahi-Mahi) with a bowl of California Chowder, talk about some bomb-bay chowder. Brian has a New England and Louisiana background, so they defiantly know what they are doing up in there with the spices. The Beer Battered fish isn't all batter and little fish like most places, its all fish lightly battered, my better half had the Voodoo pasta (Blacken chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, peppers tossed in Alfredo) now this Voodoo wasn't no Black Magic, but it did have a deceptive flavor or spices that will open ya up :) We enjoyed our meal, washing it down with two Cokes, but no meal is never complete without a dessert. Now the shack offers a variety of desserts from Key Lime Pie, Cheese cake and a cup of Mandarin Oranges but you haven't tried nothing until you experience the Fried Twinkie or Oreos. I've seen these things on TV before but never indulged myself, but this day I went for the gusto. OMG, I never imagined that golden sponge cake with creme filling could be perfected anymore until it was dropped into a fryer...My head was spinning with pleasure, I know my Dr wouldn't approve, but hey you only live once right!!!

I think I just found my newest fish spot, on my next visit I will have to try this New Orleans Pasta (Blacken Shrimp and sun dried tomatoes tossed in Napoleon sauce) I will need to find out whats this Napoleon sauce..make sure its not bold but short on flavor :)

If you're in The Stoneridge Towne Centre of Moreno Valley for some shopping or paying your T-Mobile bill (across the way) stop in and tell Brian, Ryan and the lovely Candy that Theo sent ya!!! Happy Hour is where you might find me especially during Football season..Big Screen action, fish tacos and brews are never a bad combination.

Cafe Gossip (Moreno Valley)

Today I hit up that Cafe Gossip, its a lil family owned and operated spot tucked away in the Moreno Valley Plaza, not the Mall on Sunnymead. Its a Koren BBQ spot. One of my coworkers, Liza hit me to this spot. I tried it once or twice before when they first opened. Any real food connoisseur, knows trying a new spot when it first opens, is never the same experience later. Today, I dipped through and tried that chicken teriyaki with the shrimp tempura...One word..BANGIN'. THe Shrimp Tempura was fresh and crispy, chicken was grilled right ont he spot, no heat lamps or frozen meat. The Ginger Salad was rather unique, not a big ginger fan, but I cleaned the plate.

The one thing I real dig about this HIW (Hole In the Wall) spot is its uniqueness. They got a Polaroid menu, thats right, straight up Polaroids...nothing tells the truth than a Polaroid insta-matic...Now thats keepin it real. YOu get to actually see what the food will look like, not these Photoshoped menus where you know your food aint gonna never look that damn good. Prices are very reasonable meal came up to a lil over $8.50 for chicken two full scoops of rice, ginger salad, and 3 crispy shrimp tempura...Washed that on down with two cans of Sprite and now I'm bout to be down like Frazier baby!!! Holla at me if you have hit this spot before, or would like to know about "Cafe Gossip - Moreno Valley, CA"