MORENO'S-OTRA VEZ

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant Sign, Patio Dining, Chips and Salsa, Albondigas Soup, Ground Beef Enchilada with Rice and Beans, Chile Relleno, Chorizo and Cheese Enchilada Plate.

What can I say? We just had to return to Moreno's , one more time, last Saturday night for our Mexican dinner feast. The ladies had their usual Enchilada/Chile Relleno Combination Plate; which was simply delicious as usual. I decided to try something new, the "Chorizo's Enchiladas"-a Moreno's creation. Two Chorizo and Cheese Enchiladas topped with sour cream and served with Rice and Beans. Also comes with soup and two orders of tortillas. This dish was amazingly good! Moreno's has the best Chorizo. I'll probably order this again on our next visit.

Tonight's Moreno's dinner gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys!

ROSCOE'S HOUSE OF CHICKEN 'N WAFFLES

PICTURED(top to bottom): Restaurant Sign, Restaurant, Sunrise, Sunset, Pit Bull, Chicken Wings and a Waffle, Chicken and Cheese Omelet, Half Chicken (all white meat), Waffles.

From Sunrise to Sunset, and from Waffles to Chicken, Roscoe's has really got it all goin' on! Last Saturday we decided it was about time to head back to Roscoe's House of Chicken 'n Waffles in Long Beach for a Chicken 'n Waffle fix. We hadn't been there in a while and we're happy to report they are just as good as ever. Great food, great service and down home hospitality all make Roscoe's a 3TT favorite. The Chicken is always freshly fried and the Waffles served piping hot, with lots of melting butter and syrup.

We started off with our favorite beverages. Sweetie Pie ordered the Sunset (lemonade and fruit punch) and her mother the Sunrise (lemonade and orange juice). I had my usual, coffee and a Pit Bull. When at Roscoe's, I gotta have a Pit Bull energy drink and I decided to try the new Pomegranate/Blueberry flavor. Very tasty but, IMO, not as good as the original.

Sweet Stuff ordered her usual dish, Chicken Wings and a Waffle, and her mother ordered her favorite, Half Chicken (all white meat) and two Waffles (the ladies share). I had the Chicken and Cheese Omelet (with a side of Gravy) and a Waffle. The portions are large, the chicken always tender and fresh, and Roscoe's Waffles are the best!

Today's Roscoe's breakfast gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys.

SideDoor

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant Sign, Restaurant, Prime Rib Chili, Avocado Mash with Pita Chips, Arugula Salad, Fish and Chips, Prime Rib Sandwich, Beef Fat French Fries with Aioli.

We have been enjoying the Five Crowns in Corona Del Mar for years, and decided it was time to try their new SideDoor "gastropub". We have been reading a lot about it and gave it a quick look last time we were in the restaurant. It's very warm and cozy and oozes ambiance, just like the Five Crowns. Great food and good service help explain why it has become so popular. Everything is reasonably priced, so we decided to "graze" the menu.

Sweetie Pie started with the Avocado Mash with Pita Chips and her mother had the Arugula Salad. I started off with the Prime Rib Chili with Fried Onions. All three dishes were delicious, although the Chili could have been a little hotter. The ladies both ordered the Prime Rib Sandwich with Au Jus and Horseradish. The meat was tender, lean and succulent; but a little rare for the ladies liking. I ordered the Fish 'n Chips with Tartar Sauce. Perfectly prepared, delicious and, I feel, the hit of the evening. We also ordered the Beef Fat French Fries with Aioli. The order took seemingly forever to arrive. The server explained the Beef Fat Fries take a long time to cook. But they were very good-fresh, hot and crispy; and the Aioli dipping sauce was very tasty.

Tonight's SideDoor dinner gets two and a half thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys.

CUCINA ALESSA (NEWPORT BEACH)- LUNCH

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant Sign, Restaurant, Mamma Mia Appetizer, Chicken Marsala, Chicken Parmesan, Penne Funghi E Salsicce, Spumoni.

Cucina Alessa is our favorite Italian Restaurant. They have two locations, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. We like the NB location because the parking is easier. The service here is always excellent, and the entire staff very friendly and accommodating. The menu features authentic Italian recipes and everything is always perfectly prepared. The food is delicious, the sauces are divine, the portions are very large and everything is very reasonably priced.

We started off with an appetizer, and decided to share the Mamma Mia-3 meatballs in ragu topped with Burrata Cheese and served with focaccetta bread. It is so good and we never get tired of it. Mamma Mia is the Best!

Sweetie Pie ordered her favorite dish- The Chicken Marsala (with a side of pasta substituted for the spinach and potatoes). Her mother also ordered her favorite dish- The Chicken Parmesan with penne al pomodoro. I am quite fond of the Lasagna Napoletana (with mini-meatballs), but decided to try something new today-the Penne Funghi E Salsicce (penne pasta with Italian Sausage and mushrooms in a porcini and arugula cream sauce). They have the best Italian Sausage, but it's the delicious cream sauce that really makes this dish stand out. I think it's my new "fave"! We were all very full, but decided to split one dessert 3 ways. We ordered the Spumoni- four flavors of gelato with a raspberry glaze and a chocolate drizzle. Very refreshing, and tasted even better than it looks!

Today's Cucina Alessa lunch gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys!

EL MATADOR- CHAPTER THREE

PICTURED(top to bottom): Restaurant, Taco/Enchilada Combination Plate, Ground Beef Sope, Chile Verde Burrito-Wet, Shredded Beef Taco.

Saturday night we were in the mood for Mexican again. We hadn't been to El Matador in two months, and decided it was time to return. The food and service are always good here, the portions large and the prices reasonable.

The ladies both ordered their favorite-The Ground Beef Enchilada/Shredded Beef Taco/Ground Beef Sope Combination Plate. I decided to try the Chile Verde Burrito (Wet) and a Crispy Shredded Beef Taco. I can tell you, that Burrito was one of the best I've ever had; and if you know me at all, you know I've had a lot of Burritos!

Tonight's El Matador dinner gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys!

JOE'S ITALIAN ICE AND ICE CREAM- CHAPTER THREE

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant Sign, Joe Lattis, Orange Cream Twist.

After our day at Disneyland on Saturday, we couldn't resist stopping at Joe's again for a little treat. The ladies both ordered a Joe Latti (Strawberry and Mango)- Italian Ice layered with Soft-Serve Ice Cream. I had an Orange Cream Twist-Orange Sherbert and Ice Cream. Really hits the spot on a warm summer day! This summer we're hangin' with Joe.

Once again, Joe's gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys.

STORYTELLERS CAFE AT GRAND CALIFORNIAN HOTEL/DISNEYLAND

PICTURED(top to bottom): Characters, Restaurant Sign, Fruit Plate, Eggs Benedict/Omelet/Ham/Bacon/Sausage, More of Same, Mickey Mouse Waffles and Pancakes.

We decided to start off our day at Disneyland with breakfast at the Storytellers Cafe inside the Grand Californian Hotel. They have a great Breakfast Buffet and the Hotel opens right onto Downtown Disney and Disneyland. Talk about convenient! It's a very fun place with great food and a steady stream of Disney characters parading through the restaurant.

We all ordered the Buffet, with made-to-order Omelets, Eggs Benedict, Scrambled Eggs , Ham, Bacon Sausage, etc. They have a great fruit and salad selection, and a wide variety of pastry and dessert items. And, if you ask your server, Mickey Mouse Waffles (our favorite) and Pancakes are available. The only problem we had was....too many choices!

Today's Storytellers Cafe breakfast gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys.

RASCALS TERIYAKI GRILL- CHAPTER TWO

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant Sign, Restaurant, Teriyaki Chicken/Chinese Chicken Salad Deluxe Combo, Same Dish with All White Meat Option, Chili Cheese Dog, Chili Cheese Fries.

We hadn't been to Rascals in quite a while, and the ladies were in a mood for Teriyaki Chicken, so we headed for our local Rascals in Long Beach (www.rascalsteriyaki.com/). Rascals makes the best Teriyaki Chicken and their Chinese Chicken Salad is excellent. I also enjoy the Teri Burger and the Curry Chicken; and have been wanting to try the Chili Cheese Dog. As usual the food was good, the service excellent, and the restaurant very clean and inviting.

Sweetie pie ordered her usual Teriyaki Chicken/Chinese Chicken Salad Deluxe Combo, and her mother had the same dish with the All White Meat Option-a very generous portion of very tender sliced chicken breast. I had the Chili Cheese Dog and an order of Chili Cheese Fries. Both were great! Their Chili is surprisingly good and the portions large.

Today's Rascals lunch gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys!