Chicken Fried Steak with some ZIPPP!

Chicken fried steak is one of Jennifer's favorite dishes. She tries it at just about every restaurant we visit. Last night we made it at home. I say we made it because I put the eggs and flour together for breading and she cooked it. What a TEAM!!

Anyway, I wanted more flavor in the steak itself. I remember Paula Deen saying that she added hot sauce to her fried chicken batter. So I tried something new. I didn't get any pictures and I wish that smell-o-vision and tast-e-vision from the 5o's and 60's had become a reality, until then you'll have to try this one on your own. Let me know what you think.

Chicken Fried Steak

4 cube steaks
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic salt
ground black pepper
kosher salt
Tabasco sauce
vegetable oil

You'll need two shallow bowls or pie tins to prepare your breading.
In one bowl, crack your eggs, add tabasco sauce to taste and mix well.
In the second bowl, add flour, paprika, garlic salt, black pepper. Mix seasonings throughout flour.
In large skillet cover bottom of pan with vegetable oil and heat on medium flame.
Salt and pepper cube steaks on both sides.
One steak at a time, place it first into the egg mixture and coat well and then coat in the flour mixture. (TIP: To minimize mess, use one hand for the egg mixture and the other for the flour.)
Once oil is hot, place coated steaks into pan.
Cook til golden brown on each side (4 to 5 minutes).

New Year - New Posts

It has been a long time since I last posted. Sorry for checking out for so long, but I am back. Look for my review of RA Sushi at the District in Tustin tomorrow.

Besides just talking about restaurants, I will now start covering new recipes we try at home. This should make for some fun times and experiments while Eating Around!

New Sushi Restaurant in Orange, CA - Ginzaya Sushi

Jennifer and I love sushi!!! The other night we were looking for a place close to home to eat while a realtor was showing our condo - a whole other story. There were the usual places we could have gone, Chen's Panda for the best Chinese, the Fish House for great, fresh seafood or any of the chains. At first we had settled on the Fish House, on the corner of Chapman and Newport. As we pulled into the strip mall in which it is located, we noticed that Ginzaya, which had been under construction for some time was finally open.

We decided to try it out. We weren't disappointed. The restaurant itself has booths, tables and a very large sushi bar. We chose to eat at a table. It is very clean - it should be since it is new. The people were all very nice.

They had an excellent choice of sushi and sashimi on their menu as well as other Japanese choices. We ended up having a rainbow roll, spicy tuna roll and a crunchy shrimp roll for our appetizers. I really loved all of the rolls. They were full of flavor, fresh and well made.

For dinner Jennifer chose the two item combo with teriyaki chicken and tempura. I had the two item combo with spicy chicken and tempura. The teriyaki chicken was average - a sliced chicken breast with teriyaki sauce drizzled on it. The tempura was light and full of flavor. The spicy chicken was very good. I compare it to General's Chicken that you find at most Chinese restaurants. It was loaded with onions and had a sweet and spicy sauce. The portions were good and their steamed rice was also very good.

The service was so so. Our water glasses were not refilled promptly, we had ordered a side of edamame, which didn't come until we were done with our entrees (we think the waitress forgot) and really didn't stand out.

Overall, I would give the restaurant a 3.5 out of 5 rating. It is definitely worth trying if you are in the area. You can find Ginzaya at 7522 E Chapman in Orange. They don't have a web site yet.

Dining out in Orange County - Zagat Style

Zagat just released their Top 100 hotel restaurants and two of them happen to be in Orange County. I haven't dined at either of them, but I can see an opportunity to take my sweetheart out. Jenny I hope you are reading this.

OC Register - O.C. hotel restaurants make Zagat's top 100

Get the full Zagat Top 100 Hotel Restaurant list here.

Dining Delicacies at Mickey D's

Oh I can only believe that the McDonald's suits are gathering in their board room to determine how to stop this. Apparently, some McDonald's employees have Wolfgang Puck aspirations and are using company time to create fast food fare beyond the ordinary. I say good for them. I for one am tired of the same old burger or chicken nuggets. I relish the thought of something other than a vanilla, chocolate or strawberry frozen milkshake. I think I sense a fast food revolt!!!

reveries magazine - McBruschetta

Starbucks as McDonald's

Finally Starbuck's is getting it. For the masses that don't want to get their fat butts out of their cars (that would be me in the morning) to get a cup of java, they are making a move to add drive throughs to 350 of the company owned stores that they plan to open in 2006. Some say that they worry about Starbucks becoming McDonald's and cheapening the experience. Others say that it's about time that Starbucks catered to the car loving masses like Dunkin' Donuts has done for a long time.

For those of you with stock in this company, you should look out for the increased costs of doing business this way. Starbucks says that it takes 4 people to run just the drive through. Doh, the accountants are pulling their hair out.

I say let me get my venti peppermint mocha and get to work. Oh how sad Jennifer and I are to see the holidays go away and this most excellent of coffee drinks go away also. I does give us something to look forward to next holiday season.

reveries magazine - Starbucks as McDonald's

A New Beverage Trend - Artisinal Cocktails

Not to be out done by chefs and restaurants looking for new trends, many bars are looking to lesser known liquors for new flavors or going back to the drinks that your grandparents once drank. Called artisinal cocktails, these new drinks are looking beyond the quality vodka and tequila being touted by the big boys and looking for the smaller batch mom & pop liquor makers or to the quality of the other ingredients used in your drink. From making their own bitters and vermouth to using lavender infused gin, the bar scene is looking to tempt your taste buds with something new.

Are you tired of a simple screwdriver or margarita? Try out any one of these new - old drinks. Cheers!

reveries magazine - Artisinal Cocktails

Rosine's - A Hidden Gem in Anaheim

Rosine's Rotisserie and Grill is a small restaurant located in a strip mall off of Weir Canyon Road in Anaheim Hills. Jennifer, my fiance, introduced me to the wonderful food they have to offer at a picnic that we had late in the summer this year. Just before Christmas, we decided to go out for dinner one night, and in need of another garlic fix (check out the earlier review for Garlic Jo's and you will understand just how much we love garlic.)!! Rosine's is known for it's rotisserie chicken and it's famous garlic sauce.

First of all, the place was packed. We waited about 30 minutes wait to get a table, and there really isn't adequate waiting space. They have a bar that you can have a drink at while you are waiting, but even it was packed. The place has great energy and ambiance, and has that buzz that you find in a great restaurant. The wait staff was polite and professional. Although, it did take a while for us to get a wine list after having to ask for one when we were seated. After that point, the service was excellent.

The food is definitely the champ here. Rosine's has received many awards and mentioned in several publications, including a review in Zagat's. Jennifer was wanting the rotisserie chicken - you can watch it cook from the front of the restaurant - and the garlic sauce. I know that I keep repeating myself, but if you knew how good it is, you would keep repeating it to yourself as well!!!

• We started off with pita bread, an order of their garlic sauce and shared a bowl of their lentil soup. I think that they make their own pita bread - it was warm, chewy and delictable. Their lentil soup was terrific. It was made with red lentils in an onion broth. It was very creamy and had an excellent flavor.
• Our wine for the night was a gewurztraminer - Kuentz-Bas 1998 – Alsace. It was the first time that Jennifer had tried a gewurztraminer. She likes pinot grigio and rieslings, so I thought that she would like it. It turned out to be a bit too sweet for our dinner, but was very good. We didn't leave a drop in the bottle.
• Dinner for both of us was the half rotisserie chicken. An excellent value at $9.50 per person, including 2 sides. Their chicken has a golden crusty skin with terrific flavor. The meat is moist and tender. It really is the best rotisserie chicken that I have ever tasted, and when you eat some with the pita and garlic sauce, you get a great smile on your face.

Overall, dinner including wine cost us only $75 including our wine and a generous tip. Not bad for a great meal and wonderful service. This is definitely in our to 5 places to eat. If you have a favorite at Rosine's, email me to let me know. Jennifer and I are always looking for new dishes to try, although the chicken is hard to beat.

Get Your Garlic Fix Here

So do you like garlic or do you LOVE garlic? For anyone in either category that lives near or is going to visit Orange County, CA, you need to make Garlic Jo's in Corona del Mar a must stop for dinner. The restaurant is very easy to find and is located on the PCH at MacArthur. I actually thought this restaurant was a lot larger when looking at it from the outside and on their web site, but it is not that big. It has about 15 tables and a bar area. The decor is clean white with hanging bunches of garlic and chile peppers. The wait staff is fantastic, quick to fill your drinks and always there when needed. The kitchen was small, but very clean, and opens out to the restaurant. It would be a great place to go out with a group of friends or a romantic dinner.

Now onto more important things, like the food. It was too die for. I was there with my fiance and a family friend. The restaurant came highly recommended from members of my future in-law family. Thanks Micah and Amber!!! We had a really difficult time making decisions on what to get. First thing you should know is that if you don't like garlic don't go here, but if you do read on. The garlic bread is a baguette of chewy white bread topped with their crushed garlic spread, no butter and garlic sprinkles here. You will definitely want more of the bread. Our waiter was a great help in making recommendations. Second thing you should know is that they offer a section on their menu that is called "Recommendations for 2". Basically, the price is your entire meal from garlic bread and salad to your entree and side dishes. It really is enough food for 3 people if you add another meat entree to the mix. Here is what you get:

• Garlic Bread - 2 pieces. As mentioned above, the bread is heaped with a crushed garlic tepanade. WOW!!!
• Carpaccio (scallop or albacore. This was described to us as Italian Sushi. We didn't try this, but definitely will next time) or Salad (spinach & garlic salad, thai style salad, mexican salad or chef salad) We opted for the spinach & garlic salad. This salad was fantastic. It wasn't super fancy, but was SUPER flavorful. The garlic soy sauce dressing was not overpowering. The highlight were the toasted garlic chips on the salad. I loved them. The waiter tossed the salad and served it to us.
• Original Pizza (Choice of: garlic pizza, thai chicken pizza or yellow chili pizza) We were going to chose the garlic pizza, going for the all out garlic assault, but thanks to the waiter we ended up trying the thai chicken pizza. This was our favorite of the night. The pizza crust was lighter than a tortilla shell and crispy, shaped in a square. We were hesitant at first because of the big slices of red chiles on the pizza. We all tried the first bite with the chiles on, but in the end only one of us was able to make it through the pizza including the chiles. The sause is a sweet garlic sauce with a kick. This was an amazing dish. It could easily be an appetizer.
• Garlic Rice or Pasta (Choice of: garlic fried rice, mozzarella & roast garlic spaghetti or Mexican pepperoncino pasta) I wanted the garlic fried rice, but was out voted so we chose the mozzarella & roast garlic spaghetti. While this was not a highlight of the dinner, it was done well. The pasta had small balls of mozzarella mixed in and the tomato sauce was light. The dish was basic but good.
• Choice of entrees: Original Garlic New York Steak, Original Garlic Chicken Dinner or Grilled Fish Dinner (choice of ahi or salmon). We had a rib eye steak and the original garlic chicken. The rib eye came out on a sizzling cast iron plate cut into strips so that it is easy to share. Cooked rare initially, it cooks more the longer it sits on the plate. If you want it to stay rare, pull it off quick. The garlic chicken came out cut in strips also and was the table favorite for its garlic infusion. All of the entrees came with mashed potatoes, which quickly became roasted garlic mashed potatoes when the waiter squoze a full head of roasted garlic into each one, and steamed vegetables.

Not that this all wasn't enough food, we decided to have dessert. We didn't come all of the way to miss the sweet things that garlic is used in also. While not as spectacular, the desserts were good. We had the chef's choice dessert platter with chocolate cake, garlic tiramisu and garlic ice cream. The tiramisu had a slight garlic flavor to it, in the end was the least favorite of the choices. The garlic ice cream was wonderful when combined with the chocolate cake.

The price for the entire dinner depended on your choice of meat, but ran from $50.90 for the chicken to $64.45 if you upgraded your steak to the tenderloin filet. An excellent value and more than enough food for 3 people. All in all, this is definitely destined to remain a favorite on our list.

Here is a link to another review of Garlic Jo's from OC Metro, a food and entertainment weekly, here in the OC.