We were headed to Huntington Beach, and I convinced him to turn off a few exits beforehand so we could avoid some of the traffic off Beach Blvd and still connect to Pacific Coast Highway (and see if there are any hidden gems down the street).  This is what I noted:

* Aloha BBQ - I've chowed at their Costa Mesa locale.  Pretty good spam masubi.  Heard about inconsistency, though.  Hawaiian take-out is expensive or cheap - depending on what else you consider take-out. I think it's just right.

* Kappo Honda - Related to the infamous Honda-Ya in Tustin, I went here years ago for sushi.  Busy as can be, it's hard not to enjoy a traditional Izakaya (Japanese bar).  Excellent for groups needing to please a menagerie of tastes.

* Shin Sen Gumi - There is a ramen entrance and a yakatori entrance.  Choose wisely.  You want lively bar atmosphere, get up and go next door.  For a truly "hole in the wall" experience, look no further.  It's known for their personalized ramen bowls.  Have preferences ready, because it's a lot of work to order.  We sat at the counter and found watching the main cook coordinate all his orders fascinating.

* Janus Bakery - Known for their cranky counter lady and pastries, it is related to J&J Bakery in Irvine.  I am a die hard J&J fan, but walked over here while waiting an eternity for Shin Sen Gumi.  Not bad, but good if you can't make the drive further South.

* Starbucks drive-thru - Only because they are so hard to find in Irvine, I wanted to show how it's pretty much EVERYWHERE else.  Fine, there's one at Sand Canyon/Irvine Center Drive.  It took long enough!

* Market Broiler - Ate at the Orange location regularly at some point.  Lots of mixed reviews.  Kind of my answer to Red Lobster.  Good thing, since the creator came from that chain.  However, I think I prefer The Fish Market or California Fish Grill out of sheer convenience.

* Yogurtland - Another location!  Yipee!  30 cents an ounce for fro-yo!  Can't beat the generous topping selection (fruits, cereal, mochi, lots of sauces) or price.  Enough said.

* Applebee's - This is like those commercials I see on TV for Sonic or Cici's Pizza.  There's never one close by.  Well, here's one, and (maybe) someday I'll go.  Haven't hit one of these since my college days at Cal Poly.  Oh wait, I did go up North with the parentals once.  Not bad.  Better than an IHOP or Baker's Square, imo.

That’s all.  I’m just so excited I wanted to tell everyone.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled obsessive reviews about dining out.*

*Did I mention I’m flying to eat at French Laundry?

Warning:  This is my new favorite restaurant in LA

We drove back from the Bay Area a day earlier than expected, and had absolutely NO dinner plans for a Saturday night.  Highly out of the ordinary for us.  Began looking up numbers for various restaurants in LA since we’d be passing through on the way home.  On a chance, we decided on a place we’ve passed a number of times in the past.  Luckily, there was an opening at 7:30.  We floored it from the back side of the Grapevine and sped past Valencia towards our destination.

At 7:32pm, we stood at the hostess stand to check in.  Our seats were along the back wall, and we asked to be closer to the fireplace.  It looked mysterious to see flames hover above a bed of crystals.  For me, it was also quite warm, as I sat on the banquette side closest to the heat.  We placed our drink order with Ben and surveyed our options.

I was slightly worried at first, as the "First Impressions" were largely devoted to seafood.  I did not spend Good Friday fawning over rabbit and steak only to be denied it a second time.  Their lobster corn dogs intrigued me, as did their mini pulled pork "sliders" with Carolina mop.  Relief came over me as I thumbed to the second page and discovered a section devoted to "Mesquite Grill".  Fish stood its ground in their "Entrees", but I managed to find what I was looking for.

Why is this my new favorite place?  Many, many reasons.  First of all, it is quite sexy and modern inside.  Earthy reds and browns warm things up while the lighting is set high above.  While I’ve only heard of such  entertainment in Vegas, on one wall is a vast selection of wines.  Wine ’fairies’ ascend throughout the evening to retrieve bottles.  The music is moody.  My seat is comfortable.  Service is consistent.  There’s even the classic restroom attendant providing towels as you approach the communal wash area.  All that’s left is the meal itself. 

Our amuse bouche is carpaccio of salmon placed on a tortilla chip and topped with pineapple salsa.  It sat on a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar.  The acidity of the pineapple gave an unexpected burst of flavor to the fish, while the balsamic added a subtle layer of complexity I savored.  Also on the table was a cylindrical offering of mini corn bread squares and tiny biscuits.  After inquiring, we find out the creamy butter is honey whipped, providing the smooth consistency we marveled at.

Our final decision on the starters were the sliders (for him) and the namesake salad for myself.  He loved the sweet ’mop’ sauce, while I enjoyed my deconstructed plate.  In opposing corners were my favorite teardrop tomatoes, halved.  Upper left quadrant featured smoked Nueskes bacon chopped fine and delicate fried potatoes in the bottom right.  Baby spinach evenly dressed in a warm dijon bacon vinaigrette awaited my next move.  I gradually worked my way around, having a forkful of tomato and then a combination of potatoes, bacon, and spinach.  I must confess, I had fun finishing my salad.

He naturally gravitated towards the cioppino with its jumbo shrimp, clams, seabass, and PEI (Prince Edward Island) mussels in white wine broth.  Quite a sizeable portion, I was curious about my meal. 

Food doesn’t make me nervous unless it is either raw or the internal organs of an animal.  Another item to add to  that list is their dry aged Kobe burger.  At 14 ounces, it damn scared me.  The Maytag blue could not take the heat, and nearly disappeared on the breadth of the patty.  My slice of grilled portobello didn’t stand a chance, and mercilessly held on.  The truffle-scented fries tried to balance things out, but it was all about the Kobe.  Medium left just enough undercooked to taste marvelous.  Half would have to wait until Monday lunch.  I knew my fries wouldn’t survive the night, so I took one (ok, many) for the team.

I can’t believe I still haven’t mentioned dessert.  Two items require advance notice due to cooking time, the chocolate souffle and their peanut butter volcano cake.  One of each had to be ordered.  There was also the question of gelato which could not possibly be ignored.  Two scoops of dulce de leche and once of chocolate fudge, please.  What?  They have tea selections too?  Madness ensued as we inhaled Egyptian rooibos infused with flavors of chocolate and vanilla.  I sipped their calming spearmint tisane. 

We were rather greedy with our desserts, as he kept the souffle (and it’s creme anglaise and blueberry couli sauces) to himself.  I gleefully chipped away at my chocolate concoction oozing warm peanut butter.  A quiet scoop of vanilla gelato beckoned for attention, and on occasion it would join in a duet.

We were exhausted from our meal, yet managed to thank Ben for taking care of us as well as shake hands with the manager, Joe.  The modern steakhouse with Southern flair is on our permanent list.

Republic Restaurant & Lounge

650 North La Cienega Boulevard

310.360.7070

therepublicla.com

Easter Sunday.  Home sooner than planned.  Not a whole lot going on today but visiting some friends in their new casa and maybe checking some patio furniture at Beth’s Bad & Beyond (intentional).

The spontaneous one insisted on going to the beach for dinner.  Fantastic weather, I was dreading the 55 and all the stoplights that come with.  It’s been a long weekend already, and wading through any Newport or Huntington street traffic did not help my appetite.

After calling ahead and discovering they would be closing within the hour, we beelined up the 5, towards 22, and made our way towards the marina.  Not having been here before (only living vicariously thru Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives), we scouted the parking lot for signage.  Down the way from Joe’s Crab Shack, we found our oasis.

As I told him, if I was a beer drinker, I would be so down with the Schooners.  Instead, we settled on brekkie.  To start, he tried their daily soup special.  Always a choice between two, he was not a chicken tortilla fan, so instead inquired about their Portuguese (sp?  that’s how the website did it) chowder.  Basically a clam chowder with a tomato base, they add beans and corn.  We jumped at the notion of fresh lemonade, but being the way I am - mine became an Arnold Palmer with a splash of cranberry.

Seating is very casual with faux granite top tables, plastic chairs, and oversized umbrellas shading the crowd.  I liked their cushioned bench seating in the middle.  There’s also some indoor and bar spots, but to make the most of our afternoon we remained outside.  Looking out on the harbor, I was reminded of my stint in Ventura.  Watching a sea of sailboats can be very calming.

Next was a mess, or should I say "The Mess" their infamous scramble of hash browns, eggs, green bell pepper, onion, and ham, then topped with Cheddar and covered until melty with some crisp edges.  To that fine plate I added sour cream and avocado.  No wonder this place gets waits that easily go beyond two hours (fortunately, ours was only 5 minutes).

His sweet tooth fell for cinnamon roll french toast.  Dusted in a snowfall of powdered sugar, and nicely cooked.  He promptly finished that off.  I almost forgot the grilled sourdough that came with the soup and "mess".  Tasty, albeit a little burnt. 

Service was friendly and laid back as everyone else.  I spotted one of the owners chilling by the bar.  Nobody was in a rush to leave, even with umbrellas folding and chairs stacking.  It was Schooner or Later, emphasis on later.

Schooner or Later

241 North Marina Drive

562.430.3495

schoonerorlater.com

It took a friend from 400 miles away to introduce one of the best deals I've eaten.  His name is Sung, and he stated that "seven courses of beef would be about 15 dollars a person".  Fifty?  No, one-five.  Fifteen?  Yes.  This I had to see.

There were 11 of us that night.  Everyone was visiting from the Bay Area, and we had a lot of folks to feed and please.  Now, I only dine in Westminster with trusted dining companions who know where to go and what to order.  I knew we'd be in good hands.  So after a arch aching day of post-Christmas shopping at South Coast, we set the GPS and hopped on the 405.  We were up the street from another Vietnamese haven, Pho 54.  A slight whiff of their meaty broth was absolutely phobulous!

As with your typical Asian restaurant, decor is minimal  However, the dancing Santa by the register and the two motor scooters just inside the main entrance almost competed with the live band onstage.  Seating consisted of large, wedding reception-style rounds and four tops.  The waitstaff smushed one of each table and quickly rearranged placesettings.  Time to indulge.

Course one - Bo Nhung Dam:  Part of the savings comes from their DIY philosophy.  Each end of our party received a small fondue-style setup in which we would dip paper thin raw beef slices for a quick cook.  We'd then proceed to wrap our meat in thin sheets of banh trang (rice paper) with assorted herbs and veggies - - - mostly what you find in pho: mint, cilantro, carrots, etc.

Course two - Bo Cha Dum:  This made one of our dining companions nervous because it reminded her of internal organs.  The only thing I could think of was that the glass noodles the meatballs were rolled in gave it an "internal" appearance?  Garnished with concave shrimp chips, this course had to be sliced up if you wanted to wrap it.  I tried eating it straight, and you know what?  Everything tasted better with the rice paper.  As Sung said, "Everyone needs rice" and this was my substitute.

Course three - Bo Nuong Mo Chai:  Nothing was spicy unless you made it that way, and here's a good example.  Charbroiled and seasoned with five spices, I found myself using the fish sauce a whole lot more than I originally planned.  It had pineapple juice mixed in, and was terrible to try by itself.  My neighbor insisted on straight fish sauce, and it was a noticeable difference.  I could go either way.

Course four - Bo La Lot:  I enjoyed this course.  Maybe because it was wrapped in aromatic leaves and the grilling imparted some of that flavor into the sausage?  Either way, I kept cranning my neck to see if there was more left over.  For 11 guests, we only requested 8 orders, and it was MORE than enough.  Extra bits of meat kept migrating over from the other side, and I couldn't help but keep eating.

Course five - Bo Sate: A blend of curry, pickles, and ginger were cooked into portions of tenderloin and charbroiled.  Somehow the least memorable of the seven courses.

Course six - Bo Bit Tet:  The salad towards the end of the meal.  It was simply assembled, but refreshing nonetheless.  A good way to get my greens in.  Considering everything else was served hot - this was a good way to mix it up.

Course seven - Chao Bo:  Alphabet and stars and beef, oh my!  A miso-like appearance with more depth.  It was not steaming hot, but warmed our insides in preparation for the chilly night ahead.  It was nice to not have to wrap anything.

As Sung predicted, it was about $15/person (after beverages and tip), but I never did see the check.  What a sneaky friend I have.

So if you're reading this, you're either

* looking for a restaurant review

* bored

* responding to my Evite

* wondering what I actually shop for

~ small green colander from Anthropologie

~ plum (dark purple) mary jane crocs from Macy*s - size 8

~ Nike tempo shorts in M (something bright)

~ Thin white athletic quarter (ankle?) socks with cushioning.  Can't find unless I spurge at Nike.  Peds and C9 from Target were nice.

~ Gift cards to Sephora, Cost Plus, Borders (Real Simple Weddings, 7 Spiritual Laws by Deepak Chopra)

~ Renewing my subscription to Real Simple