CORNER BAKERY CAFE-SOUTH COAST PLAZA

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant, All-American Scrambler, Commuter Croissant, Baked French Toast, Anaheim Panini, Year of the Rabbit-Chinese New Year Display.

Corner Bakery Cafe

South Coast Plaza

(Inside the mall next to Bloomingdale's)

(714) 966-2404

cornerbakerycafe.com

We headed out Saturday morning to The Wyndham Hotel in Costa Mesa to try the Breakfast Buffet at their Terra Nova Restaurant. Much to our surprise, we were informed that it had been discontinued last summer. ( It is still advertised to this day on their website! ). So, we went across the street to the South Coast Plaza Mall for a quick breakfast at the Corner Bakery Cafe. They have good food, good service and everything very reasonably priced. The portions are smallish, so we each ordered two entrees.

The ladies each ordered their two favorites: The All-American Scrambler (scrambled eggs, applewood smoked bacon, oven roasted breakfast potatoes and sourdough toast) and the Commuter Croissant   (stuffed with scrambled eggs, applewood smoked bacon, sliced tomatoes and cheddar cheese). I decided to try the Baked French Toast and Eggs (cinnamon-swirled brioche bread baked in vanilla custard and served with scrambled eggs and bacon) and the Anaheim Panini (eggs, bacon, tomatoes, green onions, avocado and cheddar cheese grilled on sourdough).

It was all good, and now all gone! So we decided to walk off our breakfast with a stroll through the mall, and got a picture of the beautiful Year of the Rabbit-Chinese New Year Display.

Today's Corner Bakery Cafe "rescue breakfast" gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys!

SLATER'S 50/50

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant, Vampire Dip, Onion Strings and Sweet Potato Fries, Bacon Mac N' Cheese, 2/3 LB 50/50 Burger with Swiss and Blue Cheese, 1/3 LB 50/50 Burger with Swiss and Gruyere Cheese, 2/3 LB Signature 50/50 Burger (Fried Egg, Avocado Mash, Pepper Jack Cheese and Chipotle Mayo).

Slater's 50/50

6362 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road

Anaheim Hills, CA 92807

(714) 685-1103

www.slaters5050.com

We were in the mood for a new burger adventure, and were intrigued by the Slater's 50/50 "Burgers by Design" concept. The 50% Beef/50% Bacon patty sounded very interesting, and the design your own burger gourmet toppings sounded like fun. So off we drove to Anaheim Hills for an early lunch. We arrived at 11AM when they open, because we heard it often gets very busy (and by the time we left the place was packed). We are happy to report that Slater's lived up to our expectations. It is totally "as advertised"!

We started off with a couple of appetizers. First the signature Slater's Vampire Dip, which we had heard is not to be missed. We agree. It is a garlic, cheese and artichoke dip; and it is out of this world. A definite must! Next we tried the Bacon Mac N' Cheese, which was not bad, but could have used a lot more cheese. Then, to go with our burgers, we ordered the combination Beer Battered Onion Strings and Sweet Potato Fries. Both were excellent, and we enjoyed the Chipotle Mayo Dip. However, we were a little ambivalent about the pumpkin based dip that comes with the Sweet Potato Fries.

Burger Time! Sweetie Pie choose the 1/3 lb. 50/50 with Imported Swiss and Gruyere cheeses, Red Onion, Double Tomato, Sauteed Mushrooms and Chipotle Mayo. Her mother decided on the 2/3 lb. 50/50 with Imported Swiss and Danish Blue Cheese, Red Onion, Tomato, Sauteed Mushrooms, Garlic Aioli and Blue Cheese Dressing. I opted for the 2/3 lb. Signature 50/50 ( topped with a Fried Egg, Avocado Mash, Pepper Jack Cheese and Chipotle Mayo). In addition to the 50/50, they also serve Beef, Turkey, Chicken Breast, Veggie, and "Fire" Burgers.

The burgers were all fresh, hot and delicious. And BIG! There was a little mix-up in the kitchen, however. Sweetie Pie's burger came on my White Brioche Bun, and mine came on her Honey Wheat Bun. But, no big whoop. We were so excited about our burgers, we didn't realize the mistake until later.

Today's Slater's 50/50 lunch gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys!

KATELLA DELI-REVISITED

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant, Complimentary Pickles, Zucchini Walnut Muffin, Blueberry Muffin, Chef's Salad, Corned Beef and Cabbage, Fried Chicken with Broasted Potatoes.

Katella Deli and Bakery

4470 Katella Avenue

Los Alamitos, CA 90720

(562) 594-8611

We have loved the Katella Deli for quite some time. Whether it be for take-out, dine-in, the great deli case or the wonderful bakery, the food is consistently good, everything value priced and the staff warm and friendly. The place is always busy, but usually no waiting as there is plenty of good seating. We decided to dine in on a Saturday night, and were promptly seated at a nice booth.

We opted for Muffins in lieu of the Bread Basket. The ladies both chose the Zucchini Walnut Muffin and I had the Blueberry Muffin. Like everything from their bakery, the muffins were freshly baked and delicious. Sweetie Pie decided on the Chef's Salad (with extra Ranch Dressing on the side). Her mother chose her favorite dish- Corned Beef and Cabbage with Carrot Salad and Noodle Kugel (we all love that Noodle Kugel). I had the Fried Chicken Dinner with Steamed Vegetables, Broasted Potatoes and a side of Gravy. I usually don't get excited about potatoes, but those Broasted Potatoes were excellent (especially good dipped in gravy)! The chicken is fried to order and takes a little extra time-but well worth the wait!

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

THE SNOOTY FOX

PICTURED ( top to bottom): Restaurant, Ham and Cheese Omelet, French Toast, Bacon and Eggs, Snooty Fox Breakfast Plate (3 Eggs, Bacon, Ham and Sausage).

The Snooty Fox

23028 Lake Forest Drive- Suite F

Laguna Hills, CA 92653

(949) 770-7761

We are always on the hunt for new breakfast adventures. We had read several reviews (most of them good) on The Snooty Fox, so we decided to drive down to Laguna Hills to check it out for ourselves.

The place was packed on a Saturday morning, and there was a short wait for a nice table. The service was good. The staff is friendly and energetic. The portions are good sized and the prices very reasonable. The food however was just OK; nothing bad, but nothing really special either. For example, the Hash Browns and "Those Potatoes" (seasoned hash browns) were both pretty good, but did not live up to the raves. I also ordered a side of the "not to be missed" Gravy and found it to be very bland and boring.

Sweetie Pie ordered the Ham and Cheese Omelet with Hash Browns. Both were pretty good. Her mother had the Bacon and Eggs with Hash Browns. She found the bacon to be too salty. They split an order of the Deep Fried French Toast, which was kind of plain and ordinary and also did not live up to the rave reviews. I ordered the Snooty Fox Breakfast- 3 Eggs, Bacon, Ham, Sausage and "Those Potatoes". The Sausage was way to bland for my taste, and the Ham was kind of dry and lifeless. "Those Potatoes" were pretty good, but the disappointing Gravy could not help them.

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

MORENO'S- LUNCH ON THE PATIO

PICTURED (top to bottom): Patio Fountain, Albondigas Soup, Steak Fajitas, Ground Beef Enchilada, Chile Relleno, "Chorizo's Enchiladas".

Moreno's

4328 East Chapman Avenue

Orange, CA 92869

(714) 639-2181

www.morenosrestaurant.com

It was a beautiful Friday morning. The sun was shining and we were feeling like Mexican, so we decided to head over to Moreno's for lunch on the patio. We arrived early and were able to be seated at our favorite table by the patio fountain. We hadn't been to Moreno's in months and had forgotten how much we enjoyed the beautiful surroundings, the great service and the wonderful Mexican food.

After our Chips and Salsa, we had Albondigas Soup and then on to our entrees. Sweetie Pie ordered the Steak Fajitas, served with Guacamole and Sour Cream and the freshest  hand-made corn tortillas you could ever ask for. As usual, the fajitas were tender and delicious. Her mother ordered her favorite combination- a Ground Beef Enchilada with a Chile Relleno ( on a separate plate!). Moreno's makes the best Enchiladas, and their enchilada sauce tastes just like we feel enchilada sauce should taste. I ordered the "Chorizo's Enchiladas"- a Moreno's creation. It is two chorizo and cheese enchiladas topped with sour cream ( I substituted guacamole this time ). The spicy chorizo is cooked just right, so that every fluffy bite melts in your mouth. It is one of my all-time favorite Mexican dishes. Although I do dearly love the Chile Verde Burrito-Wet , as it is served here at Moreno's. The ladies both love the Crispy Shredded Beef Tacos here also.

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

NICK'S PIZZA

PICTURED (top to bottom): Restaurant, Garlic Bread, Split Pea with Ham Soup, Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza, Pizza Slice, Eggplant Parmigiana, Meat Ball Side, Italian Sausage Side, Dessert Card, "Spumoni Wedge" (?). (Photo credits: Sweetie Pie)

Nick's Pizza

2300 Harbor Blvd.

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

(949) 722-7566

www.nickspizzapasta.com

We were all in a mood for pizza and decided to head over to Nick's Pizza in Costa Mesa. Nick's is one of our all-time favorite places for pizza. Orange Coast magazine recently named Nick's one of the 20 best pizzas in The OC; so we decided on an early dinner to beat the crowds. The place was a lot busier than usual, but we were able to be seated right away at a very nice table. Understandably, they seemed to be a bit understaffed and we had to wait longer than usual to have our order taken. We were brought a basket of hot fresh Garlic Bread while we waited.

Sweetie Pie's mother ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana Entree, which comes with soup or salad. She opted for the Soup of the Day- Split Pea with Ham. It was thick, rich and flavorful. The Eggplant Parmigiana is layers of breaded and fried eggplant baked in marinara sauce with basil, parmigiana and mozzarella. Sounds good and tastes great, because Nick's knows how to cook it.

Sweetie Pie and I decided to share a large pizza with double cheese, sausage and pepperoni. The pizza was fantastic, as usual; and served piping hot, fresh from the oven. Sweetie Pie also ordered a Meat Ball Side and I had a Side of Italian Sausage. Both were wonderful and almost a meal in themselves. Needless to say, we had enough leftovers to take home for lunch the next day.

However, we decided to order the Spumoni Wedge from the dessert card on the table. When asked about the "Spumoni Surprise" that she bought to the table, our server replied "That's how it comes". When we asked where the pistachio ice cream was, she replied "it's in there". She seemed a bit harried and we felt like scolded children. The dessert was good, just not what we were expecting.

Today's Nick's Pizza dinner gets three thumbs up from the 3 Tubby Tummys!