BLAKE'S PLACE- REVISITED

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant, Apricot Chili Glazed Chicken Wings, Onion Rings, Baby Back Ribs-Full Rack, Baby Back Ribs (again), BBQ Chicken and Baby Back Ribs.

Blake's Place

2905 E. Miraloma, #3

Anaheim, CA 92806

(714) 630-8574

www.blakesplacebbq.com

We just couldn't stay away from Blake's Place. We were so impressed on our first visit, that we just had to return to see if they could pass our "consistency" test. Well, they did, and then some. It was even better the second time around.

We decided to share the Apricot Chili Glazed Chicken Wings (with Ranch and Bleu Cheese Dressing). They were fantastic! We love that Apricot Chili Glaze. They are available in five different glazes, ranging from BBQ to Spicy to Extra Hot and Spicy. We're betting they are all good- just like Blake's great BBQ Sauce. Of course we also had to share an order of Onion Rings. Blake's are the best!

Sweetie Pie and her mother both ordered a full rack of Baby Back Ribs, just as they had vowed to do after our first visit, and were glad they did. I repeated my first order, and got the Baby Back Rib and BBQ Chicken Combo- to me the perfect plate.

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

RUBY'S DINER-SOUTH COAST PLAZA

PICTURED (top to bottom): Ham and Cheese(less) Omelet, Ham Steak(Bone-In???) and Eggs, Breakfast Sliders.

Ruby's Diner

Costa Mesa-South Coast Plaza

3333 Bear Street, Suite 120

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

(714) 662-7829

www.rubys.com

We were headed out to the SCP Mall early on a Saturday morning, and decided to stop by the recently remodeled Ruby's Diner for breakfast. Well, the new decor is decidedly un-Ruby like. It kind of loses it's identity and some of the special charm we have grown accustomed to at our favorite Ruby's Diner locations in Corona Del Mar and Long Beach. To make matters worse, the service was off the mark today and the food preparation was not up to the high standards we have come to expect from Ruby's.

Sweetie Pie ordered the Ham and Cheese Omelet, which could have been good, but was missing the Cheese! Her mother ordered the Bone-In Ham Steak and Eggs, but actually received the smaller Ham and Eggs dish (smaller Ham, no bone). Both ladies' potatoes arrived cold. I ordered the Breakfast Sliders, which looked great in the menu picture and looked great when we had seen them at another location. Not so today. The rolls were small and wizzened, the bacon was fatty and the "melting cheese"-not! The Sliders looked like they had been assembled by a young child.

Today's Ruby's Diner breakfast gets one and a half thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys.

AT LAST CAFE

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant, Portobello Mushroom with Polenta Appetizer, Beet Salad, Three Cheese Mac-N-Cheese, Center Cut Pork Chop, Brick Chicken, Lamb Three Ways, Bananas Foster Cheesecake.

At Last Cafe

204 Orange Avenue

Long Beach, CA 90802

(562) 437-4837

www.jmchefcatering.com

We read in OC Weekly magazine that "Every city should have a chef like John Mclaughlin, who at his At Last Cafe cooks gourmet food but charges diner prices". We love a good bargain almost as much as we love good food. So we decided to check it out for ourselves, at last.

We made a reservation for Friday lunch and got there early, just as they were opening the place up. We were promptly seated at a nice table, and the service was excellent. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable; and the menu is "as advertised"- delicious gourmet dishes, good portion sizes and everything value priced. In addition to the regular menu, there are great daily specials posted on the specials board.

Sweetie Pie and I decided to split the Portobello Mushroom with Polenta Appetizer (from the specials board). Delicious and worth repeating; and in a great sauce. Her mother had the Beet Salad (also from the specials board). It had a great vinaigrette dressing and is among the best she's had ( she is the "Beet Salad Queen"). We also decided to share a half order of the Three Cheese Mac-N-Cheese, which we had heard was not to be missed. Again, we were not disappointed. It is also available with ham or chicken added.

On to the Main Dishes. Sweetie Pie ordered the Brick Chicken, which is half a chicken, flattened and grilled under a brick. It's one of their signature dishes and it's really good. Her mother had the Center Cut Pork Chop with Apple Herb Stuffing (and a heavenly glaze). A large pork chop which was tender and succulent. (Next time, she would like to order extra Apple Herb Stuffing on the side). I ordered the Lamb Three Ways, which is Lamb Chops, a Lamb Patty and Lamb Sauce (also from the specials board. Ya gotta love that specials board!). I love lamb anyway, and this chef really knows how to cook. His sauces are truly divine.

Well, we didn't leave anything behind! We were all full, but decided to split one dessert. At our server's suggestion, we decided to try the Bananas Foster Cheesecake (from the specials board). OMG! What a treat. We were told the Chef's wife makes all the Cheesecakes, and we're betting they are all good.

We could come back here again and again! Today's At Last Cafe lunch gets three thumbs way up from the 3 Tubby Tummys.

BLAKE'S PLACE

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant, Garlic Bread, Baby Back Ribs and Pulled Pork, Baby Back Ribs and BBQ Chicken Breast (boneless), Onion Rings, Baby Back Ribs and BBQ Chicken, Banana Pudding, Peach Cobbler.

Blake's Place

2905 E. Miraloma, #3

Anaheim, CA 92806

(714) 630-8574

www.blakesplacebbq.com

We're always looking for good BBQ. So, when we saw Blake's Place in Anaheim listed in the OC Register's Best Of 2010 issue as "critic's choice" for best BBQ, we decided to check it out for ourselves. It's located in an unlikely industrial part of town, but the cafe is clean and inviting. The service is excellent, and the staff is very friendly and helpful. The food is simply out of this world! We agree with the Register's critic- Best BBQ in The OC!

We each ordered a combo plate that included Baby Back Ribs, and all agreed Blake's are the best we've ever had. They were big, tender, meaty and lean; cooked to perfection with Blake's fantastic BBQ Sauce. Sweetie Pie also had the Pulled Pork, her mother the BBQ Chicken Breast (boneless) and I the BBQ Chicken; all of which were great!

The sides we ordered were all very good, and included Mac & Cheese, Sweet Potato Fries and Cole Slaw. But we saw a plate of Onion Rings at another table, and felt we had to try them. OMG! Blake's are the best Onion Rings in the world. The coating is divine, and they arrived at the table freshly fried and piping hot.

We decided to try a couple desserts. The Banana Pudding was good, but the real star was the Peach Cobbler-served hot with Whipped Cream.

We saw a plate of Chicken Wings go by to another table, and vowed to return again to try them and to order lots more of those great ribs.

Today's Blake's Place BBQ dinner gets three thumbs way up from the 3 Tubby Tummys!

GOURMET CAFE AND PIE COMPANY

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant Sign, Ham and Cheese Omelet, French Toast, Bacon and Eggs, "Jimmy's Sandwich", Link Sausage Side.

Gourmet Cafe and Pie Company

5350 Katella Avenue

Los Alamitos, CA 90720

(714) 995-8930

We hadn't been to the Gourmet Cafe in quite some time, and felt it was time to return. The food has always been very good here, the portions large and the prices reasonable. Also, we were craving their fantastic French Toast!

Sweetie Pie ordered her usual Ham and Cheese Omelet, and her mother had her Bacon and Eggs (over hard). Both had Cottage Cheese on the side, and they split an order of that great French Toast we came for. I ordered "Jimmy's Sandwich", which is bacon, eggs, cheese, avocado and potatoes on grilled sourdough. For me, this is the perfect breakfast sandwich ( I order the potatoes on the side; makes it much easier to pick up and eat). I also had a side of Link Sausage (major YUM- big and hot).

The service was excellent today, the food just as good as it's always been ( and the French Toast divine!)

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

FIVE CROWNS

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant, Ravioli, Crab Cakes, Prime Rib, Roasted Goose, Potato Crusted Salmon.

Five Crowns

3801 E Pacific Coast Highway

Corona Del Mar, CA 92625

(949) 760-0331

www.lawrysonline.com/fivecrowns

We were looking for someplace nice to have dinner on New Year's Day, and decided on the Five Crowns in Corona Del Mar. The food is consistently good here, as is the service and ambiance.

We started off with appetizers. Sweetie Pie decided on the Ravioli, her favorite appetizer, and it did not disappoint. Her mother ordered the Crab Cakes, her favorite. Five Crowns has the best Crab Cakes in town. I had the Shrimp Cocktail- big, fresh and delicious.

For her entree, Sweetie chose the Five Crowns Cut Prime Rib, their signature dish. It was lean, tender and cooked perfectly. Her mother had the Potato Crusted Salmon, perfectly prepared and delicious, as usual. I decided on the Traditional Holiday Roasted Goose. Although it was good, to be perfectly honest it was not as good as their Maple Leaf Farms Roasted Duckling ( one of my favorite dishes). The Goose was a little tough, and hard to get off the bone.

Tonight's Five Crowns dinner gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys.

PDC-II

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant Sign, Ham and Cheese Omelet, Eggs Benedict, California Omelet, Sausage Patty Side.

Pacific Dining Car

13190 West 6th Street

Los Angeles, CA 90017

(2130 483-6000

www.pacificdiningcar.com

What better way to start off the new year than at our favorite breakfast dining spot, the Pacific Dining Car. It was a beautiful morning, and traffic driving into Los Angeles was "holiday light". We got there early and felt like we were opening the place up (although they are open 24/7). As usual, the service was excellent and the food fantastic.

We started off with the Buttermilk Biscuits (freshly baked) and Rye Toast (with blueberry jam). Sweetie Pie ordered her usual Ham and Cheddar Cheese Omelet,  very big and perfectly prepared. Her mother had her favorite dish, Eggs Benedict (with no English Muffin), beautiful and also perfectly prepared. Oh, and they both had Cottage Cheese on the side (good for them). I ordered the California Omelet, which is Bacon, Avocado, Swiss and Cheddar Cheese (but no Tomatoes in mine), with Lyonnaise Potatoes and a giant Sausage Patty on the side. They make their own Sausage, and it is my all-time favorite.

Our first meal of the New Year was simply delightful, and the PDC gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys!

DENNY'S

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant, Double Cheeseburger, Double Cheeseburger, Swiss Mushroom Burger.

Denny's

7490 Edinger Avenue

Huntington Beach, CA 92647

(714) 847-4736

www.dennys.com

We can hardly believe it ourselves, but we actually visited a Denny's this week. We were out and about and craving a quick burger fix, and somehow wound up at Denny's in Huntington Beach. We hadn't been to a Denny's in about twenty years, but figured we'd give them a shot.

The service was mediocre at best. It was a slow evening, but our server was busy chit-chatting with co-workers while our orders sat ready, waiting to be served. The ambiance was less than enticing. But the food was actually pretty good.

The ladies both ordered the Double Cheeseburger. It was HUGE, made with two large hand-formed patties of tender flavorful meat. I ordered the Swiss Mushroom Burger, not quite as big, but very tasty. We all had the "seasoned fries" (59 cent up-charge), which were very good.

Tonight's "burger experience" gets one and a half thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys.

LIGHTS AND LUCCI'S

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PICTURED (top to bottom): Lucci's Deli Menu, Garlic Bread, Lasagna, Chicken Parmesan, Paradise Pasta, Meat Balls, Cookies, Christmas Lights.

Lucci's Deli

8911 Adams Avenue

Huntington Beach, CA 92646

(714) 962-7998

www.luccisdeli.com

We were planning on spending the evening exploring for pretty Christmas lights in our "extended neighborhood", so we decided to order take out from Lucci's Deli in Huntington Beach. We had never been there, but their ads looked good, the prices were reasonable and they are close by. So, we figured we'd give them a try.

The Garlic Bread looked good, but could have used a little more garlic and butter. The Lasagna was just excellent. It was rolled, rather than layered; and just brimming with meat and cheese, and had a great tasting sauce. The Chicken Parmesan was pretty good, but not memorable (a little thin on the chicken breast). The Paradise Pasta ( with chicken, broccoli, basil, olive oil, garlic and Romano Cheese) was just ok. It really needed more chicken and Romano Cheese. The Meat Balls were magnificent- tender, flavorful meat and a great marinara sauce. The cookies were prettier than they were delicious.

Today's Lucci's Deli Take Out dinner gets two thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys!

We found some beautifully decorated houses on our self-guided tour, and have included pictures of some of our favorites.