Solita Tacos & Margaritas is a casual “little sister” Mexican eatery of “SOL”

Matt Baumayr, Rich Howland, and Executive Chef Deborah Schneider are not newbies to the restaurant scene. They also own SOL Mexican Cocina with locations in Newport Beach, CA and Scottsdale, AZ. Known for their authentic Mexican cuisine that was inspired by their travels through Mexico and vast array of tequilas, SOL was just yearning for a “little sister” to share its love of Mexican food. In December 2013, Solita opened in the Bella Terra Center in Huntington Beach, CA. It’s a neighborhood, casual Mexican eatery featuring bold, imaginative dishes along with traditional favorites including an all-weather patio, indoor/outdoor bar, and take out service. Their indoor bar is beautifully lit to showcase their wide selection of tequilas.

Let’s take a look at some of the Specialty Drinks:

Solita House Margarita is made with 100% blue agave Agavales blanco shaken with house made sweet & sour, a splash of fresh orange juice and Triple Sec. It can be served frozen or on the rocks. This had a balanced flavor, not too sweet and not too sour. The tequila was very smooth. Thumbs up, way up!

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/solita-tacos-margaritas-is-a-casual-little-sister-mexican-eatery-of-sol

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

HopScotch isn’t “child’s play” when it comes to scratch food and handcrafted cocktails

Rob Marshall, Bryan Gonzales, and Mario Marovic have revitalized the Downtown Fullerton restaurant scene with their innovative college town concepts of Matador, Wild Goose, and Commonwealth Lounge. In November 2012, HopScotch opened with the widest assembly of specialty whiskeys in Orange County with over 100 different varieties from single malt Scotch to small-batch and single barrel Bourbons. Mixologist, James Wood (now lead mixologist at Scott’s Restaurant in Costa Mesa), started up their handcrafted cocktails menu making whiskey not just a gentlemen’s drink but a palatable, hip mixer. Yes, they are known for their selection of whiskey, but they also have an excellent scratch kitchen creating craft American cuisine headed by Chef Cody Storts. No canned or processed foods are in this kitchen – only fresh from the farm produce and fresh meats.

In November 2013, HopScotch started a Weekend Seasonal Brunch Menu. On the menu, I saw the word “scrapple” and I was in food love. Let’s take a look at some of the menu items I tried:

Crispy Pig Ears is served with roasted Fresno coulis and lime. These are amazing! I’ve had pig ears before off of a roasted pig and just love the crispy texture and roasted flavor. HopScotch’s version is cut into strips, fried to crispy perfection and tossed in a seasoned salt mixture which matched perfectly with the porky flavor. The roasted Fresno coulis was a little spicy, but comfortable, with a sweet, roasted flavor that paired well with the crispy pig ears. This would be perfect as a snack during happy hour or shared as an appetizer before brunch. Warning, they are addictive so try not to fight over the last strip! Thumbs up, way up!

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/hopscotch-isn-t-child-s-play-when-it-comes-to-scratch-food-and-libations

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Wafflette Café makes an “impression” in Foothill Ranch, CA

Francisco Izawa, owner of a few restaurants in South Orange County including Chile Fresco and Maison de Pho, was searching for his next restaurant venture. With his childhood upbringing in Europe and Japan, he was introduced to many different food cultures. While in France, Gaufres a la Flamande are a specialty just like crepes. After recipe development, a waffle recipe was conceived, but not too sweet so it would work equally well in both savory and sweet applications. Wafflette Café http://www.wafflette.com/

 opened on December 8, 2013 with tasty waffle sandwiches and sweet treats. Utilizing his Japanese heritage, the waffle is very light. It reminds me of my childhood with very light breads and desserts from the Japanese market. The menu is a fusion of American flavors with European and Asian influences and cooking techniques. Francisco and his staff are always super friendly and can help you with any questions you might have about the menu.

Organic Flavored and Sweetened Iced Teas come in flavors like strawberry, mango, guava, and mixed berries. We tried the Guava Iced Tea. Admittedly, I’m not a big tea drinker, but the tea was sweet and had a light, refreshing flavor. The guava was a nice blend and an excellent pick-me-up on a warm day.

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/wafflette-caf-makes-an-impression-foothill-ranch-ca

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Quick Leftover Creations...

I needed to whip up something quick for dinner. I grabbed the Costco fish sticks from the freezer and baked them in the toaster oven. Then, I layered some leftover Pineapple Chimichurri from the Living Coastal cookbook I had just tested. Topped it with an easy over egg with a sprinkle of California Rancher Monterey Seasoning. The creamy yolk worked surprising well with the fish sticks and the chimichurri added a refreshing kick.

Product Review: CBTL’s Americano Machine

If you read my previous article, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s“Trade Up Your Cup 2” at Angels Stadium of Anaheim, the story of this product started in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday, September 29, 2013. Even after hours of waiting in line, CBTL’s Americano Machine was well worth the wait.

The outer packaging was very sturdy and kept the Americano Machine in pristine condition during transit. With machines like this, it is best to use distilled water to keep the water lines clear of mineral deposits that may clog them over time. Read the instructions carefully before using it for the first time. There is a priming process that it needs to go through before you make your first cup of coffee. I suggest doing it the night before as it may take a little time than you have available if you plan on making a travel mug of coffee before work. In comparison to the Keurig machines, the Americano Machine is much louder. I like that there are adjustable height levels for the base depending on the coffee cup size you are using, but I felt that the bottom level had the best support. So if you’re using a smaller cup, you might want to hold it up to the dispensing tip so the coffee doesn’t splatter on your counter or the machine. I also like the self-contained capsule storage drawer that collects the used capsules. When it gets full, just pull the drawer out and dump it into the trash. You may want to wash out the drawer as there will be residual coffee that may drip out of the pods. Purchase includes a 1-year limited warranty. Thumbs up!

To read more, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/product-review-cbtl-s-americano-machine

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Michelle haut Chocolat retail boutique now open in Costa Mesa, CA

Michelle Pontius trained at the International Culinary School Art Institute and began her chocolatier career making ¼ lb, gold wrapped, rose-salted turtles with caramel and pecans and ghost pepper salt-dusted dark chocolates. Michelle has also showcased her chocolates at the Oscars and even Teri Hatcher’s (Desperate Housewives) Celebrity Yard Sale. On November 14, 2013, Michelle haut Chocolate http://www.michellehautchocolat.com/ opened its first retail boutique in The OC Mix at SOCO. The OC Mix is an excellent location for shoppers to peruse different areas ranging from clothing to artisan products to eateries. Michelle haut Chocolat http://www.michellehautchocolat.com/ uses only the finest ingredients from 73% bittersweet Belgian chocolate and packaging direct from Italy which is made from Lokta plant, a renewable plant grown in Nepal.

Let’s take a look at some of the haut items:

Le Grande Dome (Rose Salted Caramel) is a handmade buttery caramel with toasted pecans layered in 73% Belgian chocolate. It weighs in at ¼ lb and is gold wrapped and gift boxed. The buttery caramel was silky smooth with a creamy, buttery flavor unlike any caramel I’ve tasted. It wasn’t as salty as I would have imagined, but great nonetheless. It matched dreamily with the chocolate to provide more depth in flavor. The pecans added a crunchy texture and nutty flavor to the mix. I love this and almost didn’t want to share it. If you decide to get one, get two! You’ll thank me later. Thumbs up, way up!

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/michelle-haut-chocolat-retail-boutique-now-open-costa-mesa-ca

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva