DG BURGER (DAMN GOOD!)

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant Sign, DG Burger with Fried Egg, Bacon and Cheddar Cheese, DG Burger with Avocado, Bacon and Cheddar Cheese, French Fries with Chipotle Aioli and Roasted Garlic Sour Cream Dipping Sauces, Sausage Sandwich (Grilled Garlic Sausage with Roasted Peppers on a Semolina Hoagie).

(Posted by Sweetie Pie)

DG Burger

South Coast Plaza

3333 Bristol Street

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

(714) 361-4264

www.charliepalmercm.com

Our road to DG Burger was a long and arduous path paved with a serious bump in the road at Capital Grill for OC Restaurant Week.  But I digress as that is quite a lengthy and boring story.  For what the Tubby Tummys were rewarded with that day was a fun and "yummy" lunch at DG Burger at Charlie Palmer's in South Coast Plaza.  As I'm sure you are all aware, DG Burger is Charlie Palmer's (CP) casual gourmet burger "joint" next to his more formal, and by the way delicious, restaurant in Bloomingdale's.

DG Burger has a limited menu that includes their "house" burger with cabbage, tomato, red onion, and DG sauce on a semolina potato bun.  Additional toppings include a fried egg, bacon, cheddar cheese and avocado.  In addition there are Citrus Glazed Skewers (grilled beef or chicken with grilled marinated vegetables), a Sausage Sandwich, Fries and two salads.  Drinks include two flavors of milk shakes, various soft drinks, beer and wine.

Burger Boy chose the DG Burger with a fried egg, bacon and cheese.  My mother had the burger as well with bacon, cheese and avocado.  I followed suit.  We all shared the fries with the chipotle aioli and roasted garlic sour cream dipping sauces.  Burger Boy decided to add the Sausage Sandwich which is a grilled garlic sausage with roasted peppers on a semolina hoagie.  My mother and I split the chocolate shake.  

Our verdict on all of our choices:  Fabulous.  The burgers were flavorful and perfectly enhanced by the various toppings.  The fries arrived at our table piping hot and the dipping sauces were just divine.  Sausage was good.  But the burgers were the star of the show and will surely prompt a return visit ASAP.  One final thought about the chocolate shake-it was simply wonderful.

All in all, DG Burger lived up to the mountain of "hype" and press it has received since its opening, and it is well deserved.

The 3 Tubby Tummys give DG Burger a resounding three thumbs up!!!

BREAK OF DAWN- REVISITED (2011)

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant, Tempura Eggs, Cinnamon Bun, Omelet ( Bacon, Ham and Sausage with Cheddar and Mozzarella Cheeses), Eggs Benedict ( with Smoked Ham and Asian Pesto Hollandaise ), Skillet ( Roasted New Potatoes, Bacon, Cheddar Poached Eggs, Guacamole and Chipotle Sour Cream ).

Break of Dawn

24351 Avenida De La Carlota

Laguna Hills, CA 92653

(949) 587-9418

www.breakofdawnrestaurant.com

We discovered Break of Dawn last year, and it quickly became one of our favorite breakfast spots because of it's wonderful eclectic menu full of original creations that you just don't find anywhere else. Also, the service is consistently excellent, the staff is always friendly and the prices very reasonable.

I decided to start off with the Tempura Egg Appetizer- two perfectly poached eggs in a light, crispy tempura batter that melts in your mouth. The ladies decided to split the Giant Cinnamon Bun, which came to the table sizzling hot in an iron skillet, and topped with a mountain of real whipped cream and sliced toasted almonds (pure heaven on a plate!).

Sweetie Pie decided on the Omelet with bacon, ham, sausage and two cheeses. It was cooked perfectly, and was big and bursting at the seams with meat and cheese. Her mother ordered her favorite Break of Dawn dish- The Benedict ( or Green Eggs and Ham )- Two Poached Eggs, Grilled Potato Bread, Tender Smoked Ham and Asian Pesto Hollandaise. Delicious as always! I decided to try something new. I love the Mac and Cheese and the Meatloaf, but have been wanting to try the Skillet, which is Roasted New Potatoes, Bacon, Cheddar Poached Eggs, Guacamole and Chipotle Sour Cream. I saw one go by last time, and had to find out if it was as good as it looked. It was!. ( The Duck and the Foodie  are calling my name for next time ).

Today's Break of Dawn breakfast gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys!

ROCK'N FISH

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant Sign, Restaurant,  Hibachi Teriyaki Chicken, Oak Grilled BBQ Pork Ribs, The "D.Z." Burger.

Rock'N Fish

422 South Coast Highway

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

(949) 497-3113

www.rocknfishlb.com

We saw Rock'N Fish reviewed in the OC Register, and decided it looked like a fun place to try for lunch. It's located on the second floor above the new Tommy Bahama Boutique and Grill in Laguna Beach. We were seated right away at a very nice table with a fabulous view of the Laguna coastline. The service can best be described as adequate.

We decided to share two appetizers. The Popcorn Shrimp were great. Good sized shrimp freshly fried in a wonderful beer batter and served with a spicy remoulade and cocktail sauce. The Jumbo Lump Louisiana Crab Cakes were not so great; rather average-too much filler not enough "lump crab".

Sweetie Pie Ordered the Hibachi Teriyaki Chicken. She found the Teriyaki sauce way too salty and the chicken to have a "processed" texture which she found unpleasant. Her mother had the Memphis Style Oak Grilled BBQ Pork Ribs. They were "fall off the bone" style, like she enjoys, but the BBQ sauce was rather boring and had a "commercial" quality to it ( needed more of a spicy kick ). I ordered the "D.Z." Burger: Angus Beef, Applewood Bacon, Gruyere Cheese and Mine Shaft Blue Cheese with caramelized onions on a French roll with baby lettuce, tomato and garlic aioli. The meat came to well-done and was rather dry (needed a lot more of that garlic aioli); and the bun was bland and ordinary.

The Spicy Mac N Cheese was creamy, but needed more cheese. The Sweet Potato Fries were mediocre and needed a dipping sauce ( other than ketchup ).

Today's Rock'N Fish lunch gets one and a half thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys.

LASHER'S

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant Sign, Restaurant, Garlic Shrimp, Maryland Crab Cakes, Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops, Cranberry Glazed Meatloaf, Double Cut Pork Chop, New Zealand Rack of Lamb, Apple and Caramel Bread Pudding, Chef's Chocolate Cake.

 Lasher's

3441 East Broadway 

Long Beach, CA 90803

(562) 433-0153

www.lashersrestaurant.com

We had been to Lasher's once before, and enjoyed it so much that we decided to return to celebrate my birthday. I made the reservation and requested the same table we had the first time ( the "fireplace table") for our birthday celebration. I was told they would try to honor the request, and at the least we would have a table close to it in the main dining room.

We were the first to arrive when the restaurant opened. Our host opened up what appeared to be a closet door, and seated us in a small, hot room off to the side. Imagine our dismay when the next party to arrive ( a couple, stating it was their first time there) was seated in the main dining room at the fireplace table we had requested. The entire evening, we felt like we were being rushed. Our entrees arrived before we could finish our appetizers. The dessert menu was placed in the middle of the table before we finished our entrees. They tried to whisk away my coffee cup before I had finished even half of it. Before we could finish our desserts, the server set the check on the table and blurted out "may I take care of that for you sir?" before I could even get my wallet out. Talk about a "bum's rush"! We were outside in the parking lot 90 minutes after arriving.

On to the food. Sweetie Pie started off with the Garlic Shrimp appetizer, which was excellent. Her mother ordered the Maryland Crab Cakes, which were in her words "average". I had the Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops, which were quite tasty but a little smallish. For her entree, Sweetie Pie repeated her dish from last time- the Cranberry Glazed Meatloaf, because it was "so good". Her mother had the Double Cut Pork Chop- roasted and served with cinnamon-apple glaze. Also, the same thing she had last time and worth repeating. I decided to try the New Zealand Rack of Lamb ("full rack"). I ordered it medium-rare, but it arrived well-done and charred on the outside, rather fatty and, quite frankly, the puniest full rack I have ever seen. For dessert, the ladies split the Apple and Caramel Bread Pudding. I had the Chef's Chocolate Cake ( with a scoop of vanilla ice cream ). The desserts were pretty good, but would have been better if we were given time to enjoy them.

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