THE BEACH HOUSE

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant Sign,View from Outside Restaurant, Fruit and Pastry Plate, 3 Meat/3 Cheese Omelet, Bacon and Eggs, Granola Crusted French Toast, Laguna Omelet with Turkey Maple Sausage Links, Fingerling Potato Skillet.

Saturday morning we decided to drive down to Laguna Beach for breakfast at The Beach House. We hadn't been there for a few years, and we remembered the view being great and the food good. Well, the food is still good, and reasonably priced, and the view fantastic (but not from our table). However the service was a little off today.

We were seated promptly, but had to wait a long time for our server to arrive to take our order. Then we had to wait a long, long time for our order to arrive. Our coffee was served in glass mugs because they ran out of regular coffee cups. We were served cream and sweetener for our coffee, but were told they ran out of spoons and were offered a straw to stir the coffee. Our complimentary fruit and pastry platter was half the size of neighboring tables. When we asked for more cream for the coffee and more syrup for our French Toast, we got a dirty look. It seemed our server was having a bad day, and didn't really want to be there at all.

Sweetie Pie ordered the build-your-own Omelet with Bacon, Ham and Sausage and three cheeses. Her Omelet was big and beautiful, and perfectly prepared. Could have been a little hotter, but she thoroughly enjoyed it. Her mother ordered the Bacon and Eggs, which arrived at the table over done and cold. Very disappointing! I ordered the Laguna Omelet with Crab, Avocado and Brie and a side of Turkey Maple Sausage Links. The Omelet was delicious and perfectly prepared, but the Turkey Sausage was bland and dry.

The Fingerling Potato Skillet, which comes with the meal, was very good and came to the table fresh and hot. We also ordered the Granola Crusted French Toast to share, which was very good, but maybe a little too sweet. It was made with cinnamon-raisin bread, and with the granola, syrup and fruit topping was a little too busy.

With better service, our meal would have been a much more enjoyable experience. Today's Beach House Breakfast gets one and a half thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys.

ORIGINAL FISH COMPANY- CHAPTER FOUR

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant Sign, Restaurant, Caesar Salad, New England Clam Chowder, Dover Sole, Columbia River Wild Salmon, Cajun' Fries, Chilean Sea Bass, Chocolate Mousse Pie.

We were all feeling like having fish for dinner, and we hadn't been to the Original Fish Company in over two months. Since it's our favorite place for fresh fish, we decided "it was time". Consistently good food and service, combined with reasonable prices and nice ambiance, keep us coming back.

The ladies both decided on the Caesar Salad (with extra dressing on the side) to start off. We feel their Caesar Salad is the best around; and they don't skimp on the salad or dressing. I ordered the New England Clam Chowder and was not disappointed. I had forgotten how good it was (we used to order it to-go in quarts). Soup or salad, you can't go wrong at the Fish Company. The complimentary warm bread is also excellent.

We're now ready for our fish. Sweetie Pie chose the Dover Sole Meuniere with butter, lemon and parsley. It was tender and cooked perfectly; and quite a generous portion. Her mother had the Wild Columbia River Salmon, and was delighted. She is the salmon queen, and very particular! So you've got to know, it was very good salmon! I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass and a side of their spicy Cajun Fries. The Sea Bass was fresh, tender and glistening; and with a superb flavor. I prefer skinny fries to "steak fries", but these were very good-fresh, hot and very spicy.

  

We couldn't leave without trying one of the great desserts on the menu. We decided to share the Chocolate Mousse Pie. It was delicious, with a great crust, and dense without being too sweet. A heavenly ending to a great meal.

Tonight's Original Fish Company dinner gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys!

LAS BRISAS- BREAKFAST BUFFET CHAPTER TWO

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant Sign, View from our table, Omelet with Bacon and Eggs Benedict, Omelet with Sausage and Eggs Benedict, Omelet with Sausage and Bacon, Beef Enchiladas and Eggs Benedict, Spinach Quiche, Tortilla Casserole and Beef Enchiladas, Waffles, Bread Pudding swimming in Vanilla Sauce, Waffle with Sausage and Strawberries, Fruit.

Sweetie Pie informed me that California eggs are now safe, and that Las Brisas uses only California eggs. So we decided it was time to head down to Laguna Beach for another all-you-can-eat bargain Breakfast Buffet. We arrived early (8am) and were seated at a very nice table with a great view. Our server was pleasant and very attentive.

We started at the made-to-order Omelet station, where they have three Omelet chefs who keep the line moving and who make great Omelets. I had mine with Bacon, Sausage, Ham, Chorizo and Cheese. They also have a wide selection of veggies to chose from. Then we went on to Eggs Benedict, Beef Enchiladas, Bacon, Sausage, Spinach Quiche, Tortilla Casserole. Everything was hot, fresh and delicious.

Next round we moved to the Waffle Station, where the waffles were coming out fresh, hot and crispy. We chose from a selection syrup, butter and fruit toppings. Whipped Cream was also available. Then to the Bread Pudding and Rice Pudding table. We chose the Bread Pudding, topped with their great Vanilla Sauce. We just love their Bread Pudding. We finished with a plate of fresh fruit.

Today's Las Brisas Breakfast Buffet gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys!

NEWPORT RIB COMPANY

Pictured (top to bottom): Restaurant, Cornbread, "The Combo"- Baby Back Ribs, BBQed 1/4 Chicken(white), Brisket and Louisiana Hot Sausage, Chili, Baby Back Ribs and BBQed Boneless Chicken Breast, Louisiana Hot Sausages, Baby Back Ribs and BBQed 1/4 Chicken (dark).

Sweetie Pie has been telling me we should try the Newport Rib Company for a long time now. We drive by this place a lot and it looks like a very nice restaurant. The menu looks great and the price is right. So Friday night we went to check it out. It's very nice inside, with large comfortable booths and good "feng shui". The staff is very friendly and the service was excellent. Our server was very attentive and helpful.

We were started of with complimentary Cornbread, which was fresh and still warm, and great with butter. Sweetie Pie decided to try The Combo (Baby Back Ribs, BBQ Chicken, Brisket and a Louisiana Hot Sausage) with a Baked Potato and Cole Slaw. Her mother ordered the Chicken and Ribs with a BBQ Boneless Chicken Breast Upgrade, a Baked Potato and a bowl of Chili. I ordered Chicken and Ribs with Mac and Cheese and French Fries, and a side order of Louisiana Hot Sausages.

WOW! It was a lot of food coming to the table, but we wanted to give the menu a good grazing; and BBQ carries well. The ribs were excellent- perfectly prepared, tender and meaty. Their BBQ sauce is very good and our server brought us extra. Every one's chicken was also very good- tender, succulent and cooked perfectly.The Brisket was surprisingly good, but for me the Louisiana Hot Sausages were the best- big and just "spicy hot" enough. We all shared the Chili. It comes with onions and cheese on the side and is definitely worth repeating. Every one's sides were great- Baked Potatoes were big and ordered with butter, sour cream and chives (on the side, of course). The Mac and Cheese was nice and "cheesy" and the French Fries were perfectly seasoned, hot and fresh.

The portions here are large, and we had a lot of food to pack up. What we didn't eat, we took home for lunch tomorrow. We didn't leave a thing behind!

Tonight's Newport Rib Company dinner gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys!

MATADOR CANTINA

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant and Sign,  Bacon-wrapped Streetdogs, Cantina Rolls, Tres Taco Platter, Tequila Lime Baby Back Ribs, Chile Verde Burrito- Wet.

Saturday we were in the Fullerton area shopping for furniture and decided to stop for dinner at Matador Cantina in Historic Downtown Fullerton. It's a cozy and charming restaurant and we had heard the food was very good. The menu looked great and since we were in the neighborhood, we figured we'd give it a try.

We started off with chips and salsa, and then two appetizers- The Cantina Rolls and The Bacon-wrapped Streetdogs. The Cantina Rolls were very good, but it's those Streetdogs that we'll always remember. Spicy and delicious; definitely worth repeating!

Sweetie Pie ordered the Tres Tacos Platter with two carne asada and one chicken taco. Surprisingly, the chicken was better than the carne asada, but both were very good. Her mother had the Tequila Lime Baby Back Ribs with Sweet Papas Fritas and Cole Slaw. The ribs were perfect, tender fall-off-the-bone style and with a great BBQ Sauce. The Sweet Potato Fries were also excellent. This little lady is the consummate critic when it comes to sweet fries, so you know they were good! I ordered a Wet Chile Verde Burrito. A HUGE burrito, packed with tender pork and a great sauce. Too big for Burger Boy today, so I packed half up for lunch tomorrow.

Today's Matador Cantina dinner gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys!

THE COUNTER

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant, Trio of Sweet Potato Fries/Onion Strings/French Fries; Chicken Breast Burger with Swiss Cheese, Black Forest Ham and Double Avocado; Chicken Breast Burger with Blue Cheese, Bacon, Avocado, Red Onion and roasted Corn/Black Bean Salsa; 2/3 LB Burger with Double Brie, Bacon, Avocado and Grilled Onions; Same Burger assembled.

In our ever continuing quest for a better burger, we decided to try the new Counter location in Newport Beach for a "Custom Built Burger". The ladies had been to the Irvine location a while back, and remembered the beef being a little lacking in the flavor department (bland and boring). But Hey! Everyone deserves a second chance.

The restaurant was clean and inviting, and the service superb. Our Custom Built Burgers ended up being a tad pricey. They charge for everything- we were even dinged fifty cents each for extra mayo! The bacon and avocado portions seemed a bit skimpy, but overall the food was good.

We started off with the Trio of Sweet Potato Fries, Onion Strings and French Fries. The Sweet Potato fries were truly awesome. The Onion Strings were also very very good. The French Fries were "pretty good", but next time we"ll make it a Duo.

Remembering their earlier experience, the ladies both opted for the chicken breast meat option and both were pleased with their choice. The chicken was tender, moist and cooked perfectly. Sweetie Pie's Black Forest Ham was a little too salty, but went well with the chicken and Swiss Cheese. Her mother's was also very good. The Blue Cheese was excellent, but it could have used more bacon and roasted corn/black bean salsa.

I was feeling lucky, and decided to gamble on the beef option-2/3 LB and cooked medium rare. Kicked it up a notch with double Brie Cheese, Bacon, Grilled Onions, Avocado and lots of Horseradish Mayo. Custom Built for Burger Boy by Burger Boy. I really liked it-no leftovers here!

Today's Counter "Burger Experience" gets two thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys!