Morsels Bakery Truck...a 2nd helping...

So, I was able to track down the Morsels Bakery Truck again today...oh, how I love the Morsels Bakery Truck. I was tempted to get my favorite cupcake, the Lemon Blueberry, but I wanted to keep my word and work through the menu, and boy, I was not disappointed. Today's choices were the strawberry's and cream cupcake and the lemon raspberry cupcake.

The lemon raspberry cupcake was pretty darn good. It was a tad different than the lemon blueberry, as the raspberry was more of a raspberry puree between the cake and the wonderful cream cheese frosting. You could pretty much put the cream cheese frosting on anything and it would taste good. But, with the light cake, then the raspberry, all topped with the cream cheese frosting, it was a masterpiece. My only complaint was, the raspberry did not come through as much as I would have liked, but it was still a harmonious cupcake, and (I'm not ashamed to admit) I could eat 4 in one sitting.

 
Then there is the strawberry and cream cupcake. It was a nice light vanilla cake, topped with the cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberries, then drizzled with strawberry sauce.  Usually when you get a vanilla cupcake, it can tend to lack flavor, but not at the Bakery Truck's vanilla. You take that nice vanilla flavored cake and top it with pure goodness cream cheese frosting and strawberries, you are going to have an instant winner.

The girls in the Morsels Bakery Truck are always so nice and willing to answer any questions you may have. I love the Bakery Truck so much, I even bought 3 cupcakes to take over to my Uncle's house to pass the word along about how good this truck is. I am already planning what I want to have at my next visit...maybe the lemon coconut or the vanilla raspberry. I may have to get another lemon blueberry to wash them down with!


http://morselsbakingco.com/

Albatros

Visited Albatros the other day...having read so much about it on Yelp, I figured I would give it a try because there can never be too much good Mexican food. Albatros is a small local fast food Mexican restaurant in a little strip mall next to Lake Forest Lanes. The place is pretty bare and undesirable inside, but I am more focused on the food, than the paint color of the walls.

On our visited we had a carne asada burrito, a California burrito, and chips with guacamole and cheese on top.

The carne asada was good, the meat was cooked well and had good flavor, and was in a homemade tortilla. I like more fixin's in my burrito as this was about 75% meat, some onions and pico de gallo. I added some of the green salsa from their salsa bar, and it did add another depth of flavor to the burrito.

Ahhh, the California burrito, how I miss you. This burrito was packed with flavor. It was filled with carne asada, cheese, sour cream and some french fries, and again wrapped in a fresh flour tortilla. You need to come hungry to eat this burrito, because it is definitely a belly filler.

Not realizing how big the burritos were, we ordered chips topped with guacamole and cheese on the side. This could have been a meal in itself. The guacamole was nice and fresh and had good flavor and there were two varieties of cheese for even more flavor.

I enjoyed the food at Albatros, but not the environment as much.  When I return, it will be a to-go order. They have a large and extensive menu filled with everything you could image, I recommend you give this place a try, but make sure you bring cash, as they do not accept ATM or Credit Cards.

Albatros

23591 Rockfield Blvd #G
Lake Forest, CA 92630

(949) 859-9600

Quest for the Best...Looney Donuts

I have driven by this donut store a few times and have wanted to stop in...but life usually gets in the way. However, the other morning, I actually made the stop and was pleasantly surprised.  The employees were very friendly - they actually said good morning to me, and the prices were very good. The 3 donuts below were only $2.60. The store was very clean, and they had a large selection of donuts from which to choose.

 

The maple bar was ok. The cake part was a little denser than some other maple bars I have tried recently. I could tell it was little too greasy, because the after taste was grease, instead of maple. The maple topping, is more like a maple cream (which I prefer), and not a thin layer of maple glaze. It was good, but I would have preferred more maple on top because the maple flavor didn't come through on each bite as I would have liked. Unfortunately, the taste of the grease was too overpowering.

 

 

The chocolate cake donut with peanuts on top, was five stars. The cake part was really moist and cooked to perfection. This donut had more of a chocolate creamy top, that was fresh and loaded - I mean loaded - with chopped peanuts. It is by far the best offering so far in my quest for the best chocolate cake donut.

 

 

The rainbow sprinkle donut was good. The cake part of the donut was fresh tasting, but was a bit dry. The glaze on top was very good though. Even with a drier cake than I would have preferred, the donut had a better overall flavor than the others that I have eaten.  

 

 

Looney Donuts, is a good place to stop for a morning donut. The staff is friendly and the prices are good.  I probably wouldn't order the maple bar again but, with their excellent selection, I will have fun trying all of the other donuts that this little shop has to offer.

 

Looney Donuts

7520 E Chapman Ave # C
Orange, CA 92869

(714) 771-7130

D W Subs & Sub-Zeros

I have been going to D W's for over 20 yrs...I first discovered the place while I was a student at Esperanza High School. Now, I work 2 blocks away and visit for lunch as often as possible.  I get the added bonus of fond memories in addition to the great food.

I always order the Roast Beef Club..it comes with roast beef, lettuce, onion, mayo, bacon, avocado and of course my favorite, the Italian dressing...I love it, love it, love it....In a perfect world, I would be able to buy bottles of this Italian dressing to use at home. Every time I visit, I always say I will try a different sandwich today, but always end up getting my old faithful roast beef club.

Their garlic bread is also a good bet....it's topped with tomatoes and melted cheese and (of course) drizzled with the famous Italian Dressing... The bread is fresh and it comes to you all warm and gooey with the cheese melting on top. Perfection!

The owner, who works behind the counter 95% of the time, still remembers me from high school, and knows my order as soon as I walk in the door...



D W's offers at least 30 different kinds of sandwiches, the pizza sub and bomber are also very popular among those who visit.

I highly recommend this little sandwich shop. You might want to time your visit so that you miss the "rush" as the high school gets out because the kids like to order and then hang around - so it can become a bit crowded.

D W Subs & Sub-Zeros

5031 E Orangethorpe Ave
Anaheim, CA 92807

(714) 779-2618

Quest for the Best...Donut World

I have grabbed some donuts from Donut World a few times and the donuts are always fresh. The employees (I am sure they are actually the owners) could use some customer service training, and the prices seem kind of high compared to a few other donut stores I have visited. In addition, they charged me 49 cents to use my ATM/Visa Card, without even telling me or having a sign that states that there would be a surcharge for debit/credit purchases.  The 3 donuts below were $3.19. But, lets get to the real bottom line, the taste of the donuts.

The maple bar is probably one of the best I have had recently, the dough is light, fresh, and soft. It felt like it was made 15 minutes before I walked in. The maple topping is more of a maple cream, and not the usual thin layer of maple glaze. It is really really good. You get that little hint of grease taste so you know you are eating bad. After eating this donut, I was satisfyingly full. The donut was so fresh, that the maple cream on top was still warm, so by the time I got to work, it was all messed up (which is a pet peeve of mine).

The chocolate cake donut with peanuts on top, was excellent. The cake part was really moist and cooked to perfection. This donut had more of a chocolate fudgy/creamy top, that was fresh and had the perfect amount of chopped peanuts.

The rainbow sprinkle donut was pretty good also. The cake part of the donut was fresh tasting. It wasn't too dense, and it had a good ratio of frosting on top. Nothing special, it is a rainbow sprinkle, but overall a good donut.

If you have a donut craving, I would recommend you stop by Donut World.

Donut World

27672 Santa Margarita Parkway
Mission Viejo, CA 92691

(949) 837-5308

Quest for the Best...Donut Star

Two of my co-workers and I are on a quest to find the best donuts. It is our goal to try every donut store we can find, and see how their donuts stand up to the rest.  The Donut Star in Anaheim, Ca was our first stop on this journey.

I have been eating at this particular Donut Star since high school. The donuts are always fresh tasting, but there's nothing too special about them. The employees are nice and helpful, and the prices seem good compared to a few other donut stores I have visited. The three donuts below only cost me $2.35.

The maple bar is always a good choice because the dough part is light and fresh. You get that little hint of grease taste so you know you are indulging. I am not a fan of donut stores were the cake/dough part is not a little greasy. When I splurge on the calories and eat a donut, I want it to taste that way.  It has a light maple glaze on the top, that always looks prestine.

The chocolate cake donut with peanuts on top, was ok. The cake was a little crispy, like it wasn't as fresh or maybe it was a bit over cooked. But, the chocolate icing and chopped nuts (a lot of chopped nuts) on top were good. It did leave a little bit of a weird after taste though.

The rainbow sprinkle donut was better. The cake part of the donut was softer and fresher tasting. It wasn't too dense, and it had a good ratio of icing on top.

 This Donut Star is always a safe bet, for a good tasting donut.

Donut Star

5031 E Orangethorpe Ave
Anaheim, CA 92807

(714) 779-0662

Morsels Bakery Truck

I was finally able to catch up with the Morsels Bakery Truck this weekend!  I have been looking forward to this moment since the OC Foodie Fest in Aug 2010.

At the OC Foodie Fest, I had the strawberry cream puff. The pastry was light and tasted freshly baked, not overly sweet. There were nice slices of fresh strawberry inside along with a hefty serving of whipped cream, drizzled with a little strawberry sauce. It was one of my favorite items at the OC Foodie Fest.

Today, we caught up the Bakery Truck at SoCo Famers Market in Costa Mesa. Our choices for today were the Lemon Blueberry cupcake and the Strawberry Banana cream puff.

The Lemon Blueberry cupcake was FANTASTIC, with a capital F. The cake was nice and light with a subtle lemon taste. It was topped with their signature cream cheese frosting and blueberries. The cream cheese frosting should be illegal, it is that good. All the flavors went together perfectly. I was tempted to go back and get another one, but figured I needed to exercise a little will power. You can see the before and after pictures.

The Strawberry Banana cream puff was also very good, with the light pastry, fresh strawberries and whipped cream that I remembered from OC Foodie Fest. The banana was a nice little twist to something that I already knew that I liked. I would have liked a little bit more strawberry sauce drizzled over the top, but it was still definitely very good.

So far, my first choice is still the Lemon Blueberry cupcake, but I look forward to tracking down the Bakery Truck again, and eating my way through the rest of the menu. Who knows what my next favorite will be......

http://morselsbakingco.com/

Tom's Farms Old Fashioned Hamburgers

It was nice to be back at Tom's Farms today. When I pulled into the parking lot, childhood memories started running through my mind, bringing a quick smile to my face.

First we decided to fill our empty stomachs so that we could concentrate on shopping, so we decided to eat at Tom's Farms Old Fashioned Hamburgers.

Two of us ordered the bacon cheeseburger. It is a good sized hamburger with bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion. It tasted very fresh, just like a well made burger should. I would prefer the bun to be toasted, but you don't find many restaurants that do that these days. To give the burger a little extra punch, I added the house BBQ sauce to my burger. I love their BBQ sauce, wished I could bottle it up and take it home. It has a sweet first bite, with a nice little kick at the end.

My mom ordered the fish 'n chips and was very happy with her selection. She felt the breading to fish ratio was perfect,  very light and crispy. The tarter sauce and malt vinegar just add to the goodness.

Anywhere I see fried zucchini, I like to give it a try. The zucchini had a nice light batter on the outside. I felt it was slightly overcooked, which made it a bit soft inside, but still good. Dip it in some good ranch dressing and I am a happy girl.

You can enjoy your meal inside, but it is a little cramped, especially on weekends when lines start to form. So we decide to eat outside on the patio over looking the pond, that is lined with mature trees. On weekends they even have a live band playing so you can relax and enjoy your meal.

Tom's Farms is a Corona landmark that started as a roadside fruit stand in 1971. From those humble beginnings has grown a metropolis that includes a hamburger stand, Mexican restaurant, furniture store, kid's park with carousel and train rides. They also have pony rides and a little petting zoo and on the weekends you will find a craft fair.  Another popular stop at Tom's Farms is the candy store. As you walk around you can hear everyone saying, "I remember these as a kid" or " I used to love these". The back of the candy store doubles as a fruit stand stocked with local produce.  To top it off, they also have a Cheese and Wine shop, that has hundreds of bottles of wine, different varieties of beer, a large selection of different cheeses along with homemade breads and pastries. Wine tasting is even offered near the back of the store. One stop satisfies culinary cravings, provides shopping opportunities, distractions for the kids and a bit of nostalgia for Mom and Dad.

Tom's Farms

23900 Temescal Canyon Road

Corona, CA 92883

http://shop.tomsfarms.com/

Sugar Pine Bake Shop

So, I was visiting Big Bear the other weekend and stopped by the Sugar Pine Bake Shop for some morning pastries. The quarter pound cinnamon roll and the blueberry cheese danish were destined to be on my menu for the day. Both were fantastic, and are now on the top of my list when visiting this local bake shop.

The cinnamon roll had a giant spoonful of frosting on top and since these pastries were to go, I was able to heat it up in the microwave for 20 seconds and eat it while it was all nice and gooey, with frosting dripping down the sides. It was such pure goodness, I wish that I would have bought 2 more (or maybe even 3)...There was a lot of frosting, but it was nice and light and had great flavor. I give it 5 stars....

The blueberry cheese danish was also excellent. I have had the regular cheese danish in the past and loved it, but they did not offer them on this particular morning, so I went with the blueberry cheese instead. It was even better than the cheese danish. I do not know how they keep the crust so light and flaky, but it was perfection. Of course I warmed this one up for 20 seconds as well. My motto is that when it is 28 degrees outside, you should be eating warm food. I give this 5 stars too.

I visited the Sugar Pine Bake Shop shortly after they first opened and tried a few sugar cookies, and I am sad to say that I was not a fan. But, then I decided to give them another shot, and I am glad I did. The last 3 times that I have been back, I have had great pastries. I have not tried any other varieties of cookies or the cupcakes yet, but every pastry I have had, has been excellent.

By far the best pastries on the hill.

Sugar Pine Bake Shop

40191 Big Bear Blvd

Big Bear Lake, Ca

http://www.sugarpinebakeshop.com/

Los Golondrinas

When I had my first grown up job, and I could go to lunch anywhere I wanted because it was my dime...I would go to Los Golondrinas a majority of the time. This was 15 yrs ago in San Juan Capistrano..so you can imagine my excitement when I learned that they had opened a new location in Mission Viejo which is much closer to home.

Los Golondrinas has been around for over 25 yrs, and a big part of that success is their homemade tortillas which are made on site daily so that they are soft and fresh.  They also make their own chips, salsa and guacamole daily as well.

Most of the time  I get the Big Dave. It is made with 2 flour tortillas, your choice of meat, plus salsa, beans, rice, cheese, cilantro and tomato. I always get the carne asada...I like the fact that it's chopped in small cubes and cooked, so I get carne asada goodness in every bite. 

I have also had the Chile Relleno burrito...It has a whole chile relleno, stuffed in a tortilla with beans and cheese...It is so good. Personally, I also add some salsa to mine once I get it home, but other than that - it's very, very good.

Another good menu item is the Carnitas Quesadilla. The carnitas is so tender and moist. It was probably the best quesadilla I have ever had. The tortilla was cooked to a perfect golden color, which allowed me to actually pick it up and eat it without it folding over. As you can tell, this one was also very good.

The guacamole is excellent...it has chunks of avocado, onion and cilantro. It is a little on the spicy side, so if you don't like a bit of a kick at the end, get the sour cream instead.

I must give a shout out to the sweet tamales too. Had them for the first time, and thought they were wonderful. The cinnamon raisin was my favorite. It kind of reminded me of bread pudding, nice and sweet, with a good amount of raisins. I really like the texture of the tamale. It wasn't dry, like a lot of tamales you get. I also sampled the coconut and pineapple tamale. This was a nice tamale also, but I have to go with the cinnamon raisin.

The prices for the burritos are very good, but once you add a side of guacamole, chips and salsa, it can start to add up. It's a great fast food type place, but with better quality food. It's not the type of place that you would go for a "sit down" dinner.  They do provide a couple of tables, but most of their orders are take out.  They also provide party-type trays for office parties, special occasions, etc.  Call ahead and they will have everything packaged and ready for you to pick up.

I feel Los Golondrinas is far better food than Taco Mesa, which is also located in Mission Viejo. However, they do need to work on service with a smile.

They have 5 locations throughout South Orange County, so get out there and give it a try..

Big Bear Gourmet Coffee/Teddy Bear's Pantry...

I love the Teddy Bear Pantry.....stopped by there again this weekend to pick up my monthly supply of ground delight! They have over 170 different flavors of both regular and decaffeinated blends to choose from. They use only the finest Arabica beans and feature coffee from all over the world including Hawaii (Kona and Kauai), Jamaica (Jamaican Blue Mountain), South America and Africa. All the coffee is roasted and flavored on-site, so quality and freshness are guaranteed.

Although you can get a cup of coffee there (tea, hot chocolate or apple cider too, if you like), it is not a place where you pop in and get a cup of coffee, like Starbucks or Coffee Bean..It's a place that you go and get your coffee - whole beans or ground - to use at home instead of Folgers etc....The Teddy Bear Pantry/Big Bear Gourmet Coffee has by far the freshest coffee around with none of that burnt smell or taste like Starbucks coffee...At the Teddy Bear Pantry, you can actually taste the flavor of the coffee.

As if the quality of the coffee weren't enough, the customer service is superb.  We stop by about once a month to bring coffee back to Orange County and the same lady is behind the counter and we pick up the conversation right where it ended at our previous visit.  If you can't make it up to Big Bear, you can order online at www.bigbearcoffeecompany.com.  Once you try it, you'll never drink that store bought coffee again!

My favorites are Jen's Blend, Mountain Magic, Highlanders Grog and French Caramel....

Orange Blossom Honey

I have never been one to buy honey...I have maybe (and I mean maybe) bought 1 jar of honey in my entire life, until this past weekend.

While I was at the SoCo Farmers Market in Costa Mesa, I was drawn over by a local beekeeper giving out free samples of her honey. Of course I am not going to pass up a free sample, so I headed her way. The first sample the Bee lady gave me was her whipped honey....It was good, tasted fresh and light with a nice soft texture. But, nothing I just couldn't live without. Then she handed me another sample, this time it was the Orange Blossom honey. It was so good, I had never even heard of orange blossom honey before, but in 1.4 seconds, I was a fan. It has a nice beautiful golden color, with a delicate orange flavor.

I couldn't wait to get home to search the internet for different ways to use the honey.  Use orange blossom honey in many of the same ways that you would use regular honey...drizzled over cornbread, biscuits, baked brie, french toast, or ice cream topped with fresh berries. It can also be added to peanut butter sandwiches, maybe even throw some bananas on there. I can go on and on, but will let you use your imagination for this gem.

I highly recommend the Bee Ladies Orange Blossom honey. Listed below are some local farmers markets the Bee Ladies visit regularly.

Tuesday - Seal Beach 9am - 1pm and Brea from 4pm - 8pm
Wednesday - Fullerton 8am - 1pm and Chino Hills 4pm - 8pm
Thursday - Orange Circle 2pm - 6pm
Friday - Anaheim Hills Kaiser 10am - 2pm
Saturday  - SoCo in Costa Mesa 9am - 2pm


You can also reach them at 714-408-0018 or email at justpeachybees@hotmail.com

Fun fact - orange blossom honey is produced by putting beehives in a citrus grove during bloom.

Redlands Family Restaurant

I love what the Redlands Family Restaurant stands for, good home-style cooking at reasonable prices. Went there for breakfast today, the staff was friendly as usual and the prices are always great. I can see why this restaurant has been around for 25+ years. To me the Redlands Family Restaurant is like the original version of IHOP or Denny's with better quality food and a staff that actually cares about their customers.

My friend and I decided to order three things and have a table smorgasbord. We had the Eggs Benedict (which is a special that is only $6.99 and comes with a good size serving of homes fries), the stack of pancakes (which was only $4.99) and biscuits with thick country gravy (for only $3.99)....All three were large portions, everything was cooked properly, with fast and friendly service.

The Eggs Benedict - eggs were cooked perfectly, when I dug into them, the yolk was dripping down the sides..the ham was nice and thick and had a great smoked flavor. the sauce was good...The only thing I would change is that I would prefer that the English muffin was a little crispier to give it that added crunch.

Biscuits and country gravy - were excellent..biscuits nice and soft..not those day old stale biscuits you get at some places, that feel like they have been sitting in a warming box all week. These biscuits were nice and fresh, with warm country gravy poured all over the top....

Pancakes - they were good..I have had better, but they are just your local diner type pancakes with warm butter spread all over...They add powdered sugar on top which is a nice touch. I do love the fact that they give you a huge thing of syrup..not those little tiny cups where you have to ask for 4 more.

I love going to little local restaurants that have good quality food. Then you add great prices and friendly service..I am sold...So are all the other patrons who range from the local seniors who have been going there for over 20 years, to the local college kids from the University of Redlands that is a few blocks down the road. Stay tuned for part II of the Redlands Family Restaurant post, I will be sampling the lunch/dinner menu.

Redlands Family Restaurant

107 E. Colton

Redlands, CA 92374

Louks Food Truck...

It was at the 1st Annual OC Foodie Fest back in August 2010, when I had my first experience with Louks and it was love at first bite...When I was making my pre-Foodie Fest strategy of trucks to hit, Louks was not in my top 10...But as I was getting ready to leave the Food Fest, I had room for one more truck..That is when I decided to give Louks a try. I am so glad that I did as it ended up being one of my top 2 trucks of the event. I had the chicken gyro that was layered with big chunks of tender chicken, tzatziki sauce, tomato, onion and french fries...Yes, french fries. It was the perfect ending to a great day.

I have been dreaming of Louks ever since, and saw that they were going to be at the SoCo Farmers Market in Costa Mesa today. So I thought I would rekindle my love for Louks. Today, I had the chicken gyro (yes again) and the honey-n-feta fries. The gyro was as good as I remembered with the fresh pita and tender chicken. But, the star of the day was the honey and feta fries. Slightly crispy french fries, topped with feta cheese and warm honey generously drizzled on top. Perfection. I can see why the  fries are a top seller. I was also looking forward to trying their "Louks" (desserts) for the 1st time, but unfortunately they were not ready. It just gives me another reason to plan a date with the Louks truck.

If you are out and about and come across the Louks food truck, I would highly recommend that you stop. They usually have 2 food trucks out, so they can cover a good portion of LA and the OC. 
  
Check  out the Louks website http://www.loukstogo.com/

Dessert Wine - Under $10

Resplendy Muscat de Saint Jean De Minervois........ from Narbonne, in the south of France.

The name of this wine makes it sound very sophisticated and expensive.....however, I found it for under $10 at Total Wines (5 locations in California) and was nicely surprised.  This wine is deep yellow-gold in color with sweet notes of honey, almond and caramel.  I had been searching for a dessert wine that feels like dessert - one that is truly sweet and satisfying.  This particular wine delivered with its rich and full-bodied flavor.

This wine is too sweet to be served with very rich desserts. Instead, pair it with bittersweet desserts, fresh berries, dessert cheeses or a fresh fruit tart.