Vitaly: best gelato in the OC
May 6, 2013 § Leave a Comment
Roberta, my foodie partner in crime and Italian gelato expert told me that a new italian shop opened in Costa Mesa last week and that they have the best gelato in the OC. With that recommendation, of course I had to go! And yes, she’s right, it’s amazing. The gelato is so incredibly rich, both in texture and in flavor. I tried the ricotta with peaches and the pistachio and I’m already planning my next trip back :)
Cucina Enoteca: an update
May 14, 2012 § Leave a Comment
I love my iphone pics, but a beautiful restaurant with some of the best Italian food in town deserves a few decent pictures, I think. We started with drinks, and both Drew and I highly recommend the tequila mule. Then it was on to apps, we got the chicken liver pate, which I love and Drew took only 2 bites of. We got the roasted eggplant pizza and the lamb bolognese rigatoni for entrees, both were delicious, highly recommend. And since we were starting a monthlong exercise in no sugar 2 days later, we decided to splurge and share the tiramisu. This is the place I want to go for a real treat, a true date night.
A Morning at the Santa Ana Zoo
May 4, 2012 § Leave a Comment
Last weekend Drew and I joined our friends Teiko and Lars along with their adorable daughter Lena for a morning at the Santa Ana Zoo. It was such a great way to spend a carefree Sunday morning. I think my favorite part was just watching Lena in a brand new environment. It’s amazing to see the little baby from a year and a half ago to the little girl she is now, so aware of her surroundings! The anteaters, though, came a pretty close second. There were also lots of monkeys and birds and while the petting zoo was a little lame, I love that last pic of the goat who was just so desperate to get all the food from Lars :p All in all, Drew and I are probably both super spoiled from having grown up with the San Diego Zoo and the free St. Louis zoo respectively, but this little one is perfect for a toddler. Bonus, it’s not far from The Playground or our favorite haunts in Old Town Orange :)
Umami Burger – Costa Mesa
May 1, 2012 § Leave a Comment
I’ve known about Umami Burger for a long time, but never made it to one of their many LA locations. Now, they’ve finally opened up in OC. It’s in the same spot Valhalla Table occupied and looks like they didn’t change the setup that much, which means it’s a pretty small space. If you want to eat within an hour of arrival, I’d come before 6pm. We ordered the umami burger, the port & stilton burger, the cheesy tots, and an ice cream sandwich. The umami burger was definitely better than the port & stilton, though it was almost too sweet. The cheesy tots were the best! The ice cream sandwich was just so-so (cookie was way too hard, came right out of the freezer). It’s expensive for just burgers, though comparable to The Counter. If you have a hankering, it’s worth a try, otherwise I’d wait and let the crowd die down a bit. In any case, Drew and I agreed, it’s good, but doesn’t hold a candle to Father’s Office.
Shopping and Good Eats at the OC Mart Mix
April 28, 2012 § Leave a Comment
Last summer I started coming to the OC Mart Mix for Portola Coffee. They make my favorite iced mocha. Back then most of the space was still empty but recently, it’s really gotten going. Now there’s a cheese shop, gelato shop, sushi, and waffle sandwich place a la Bruxie. In addition, there’s several interesting shops that sell things ranging from bicycles to clothes to what I call hipster antiques. On Saturdays there’s also a small farmer’s market in the parking lot. The market itself isn’t particularly exciting, but they do also invite several of my favorite food trucks so I might add it to our brunch rotation :) In any case, it’s a neat little place, definitely worth checking out.
