The food in this post were provided by Mountain Mike’s Pizza
but the opinions expressed here are my own.
Earlier this summer I had the opportunity
to try Mountain Mike’s Pizza for the first time. My pizza-geek friend,
Charmaine, had tempted me with tales of this fantastic pizza place years ago
when she lived up in NorCal. Now, there are 9 locations in SoCal for us to
enjoy. There are many ways to enjoy your meal at Mountain Mike’s Pizza.
If it is your first
time, I would suggest the All-You-Can-Eat Buffet. Not because it is all-you-can-eat,
but it is a great way to try different pizzas and get some salad veggies too. Plus,
at $7.99 for lunch and $8.99 for dinner, it’s a bargain! Kids, 10 and under,
are only $5.99! Watch the video above to see what is on the buffet. Next time
you want pizza, you’ll know what to order.
Have a group that just can’t decide on one pizza? Mountain
Mike’s can make a half and half. We ordered Chicken Club (creamy garlic white
sauce, chicken, bacon, diced tomatoes, and green onion) on one side and on the
other, Garlic Tuscan (traditional red sauce, Louisiana hot sausage, salami,
black olives, garlic, green onion, and sundried tomatoes). I just love pizzas
with white sauce! Tomatoes can cause problems for me, so I try to avoid it as
much as I can (as a food writer, it’s hard). The white sauce is creamy and
garlicky (I could handle more). The pizza really resembles the flavor of a
chicken club sandwich with the chunks of chicken and smoky, salty bacon. The
green onions add a nice refreshing zing. The Garlic Tuscan is the hubby’s
favorite (not just because he’s part Italian)! He just loves meaty pizzas. The slightly
spicy sausage, salami, and olives exude savory flavors while the green onion
refreshes the palate and the sundried tomatoes add a bit of sweetness.
Snowy Alps is my favorite pizza! It starts with creamy garlic
white sauce topped with pepperoni, mushrooms, black olives, sausage, green
onions, and diced tomatoes. It combines my love of the garlic sauce with a
meaty pizza. I didn’t mention it before, but I also love their traditional
crust. I don’t like it too thin and I need to be in the mood for a thick crust
(because it just fills you up). Mountain Mike’s has perfected the thickness compared
to the ratio of toppings.
If you read the headline, Mountain Mike’s has new and
improved bone-in chicken wings, the perfect complement to their pizzas and just
in time for football season! You can choose from 4-piece, 12-piece, and
24-piece orders. You can also choose from four new sauces: Frank’s RedHot®
Buffalo, Frank’s Stingin’ Honey Garlic, Frank’s RedHot Sweet Chili™, and KC
Masterpiece®Original Barbecue.
My favorite is the Frank’s Stingin’ Honey Garlic! It is
sweet, garlicky, and balances well with the chicken wings. The sweetness also
balances with a savory pizza like the Snowy Alps!
Frank’s RedHot Sweet Chili tastes exactly like the sweet
chili sauce you would get with lumpia or eggrolls. The outer crispiness of the chicken
wings matches perfectly with it.
Frank’s RedHot Buffalo is exactly how a buffalo wing should
taste like. The initial inhale of vinegary aroma and the spiciness of the sauce
is the perfect experience.
KC Masterpiece Original Barbecue is an old faithful favorite
because everyone loves barbecue! It has a nice balance of smoky and sweetness.
Craving dessert? Chocolate Chip Pizza Cookie is the way to
go. It reminds me of the Tollhouse Cookie Bars my mom used to make when I was
little. Tastes like homemade with the buttery richness, brown sugar sweetness,
and warm, gooey chocolate chips.
If you love pizza and chicken wings, head to your nearest
Mountain Mike’s Pizza and enjoy great food and watch the game!
The food in this post were provided by Las Brisas but the
opinions expressed here are my own.
Since last year, Las Brisas is my
go-to spot for breathtaking views of Laguna Beach and a great foodie
destination. With our lingering summer weather in SoCal, there is more time to
enjoy the warm weather. In June, Las Brisas unveiled a new patio menu where the
items are prepared in its outdoor kitchen. From an operations standpoint, it
makes good sense to utilize the outdoor kitchen with staff dedicated to the
patio. It frees up the main kitchen to stay on top of their dining room guests’
orders. The patio menu is as chic as the dining room menu with amazing “pub
meets Mexican coastal cuisine” feel.
Let’s take a look:
Passion Fruit Mai Tai is made with Cruzan white aged rum,
myers dark rum, orange curacao, pineapple juice, and passion fruit. I love Mai
Tais and this passion fruit version just
puts it over the top for me. It reminds me of home.
Guacamole made with avocado and topped with
pico de gallo and cotija cheese. It has a creamy flavor with slight chunkiness from
diced avocado. The cotija cheese adds a nice saltiness while the pico de gallo
brightens the palate with sweet tomatoes, zingy onion, and refreshing cilantro.
Skillet Nachos are fresh tortilla chips
topped with pepper jack cheese sauce, black beans, Brisas sauce, pico de gallo,
and cotija cheese. You can also add chicken tinga or short rib for an
additional charge. We got it with short rib and it adds a nice beefy flavor and
just melts in your mouth.
Taco Trios are three tacos served with your
choice of black beans, fries, or side house salad. You can choose from ahi
tuna, short rib, roasted portobello, and chicken tinga. We tried the short rib.
It is guava and guajillo-braised beef topped with avocado, pico de gallo, and
cotija cheese. These are the most tender and tasty beef tacos I’ve ever eaten.
The beef is tender and just melts in your mouth. The condiments refresh the
palate but that short rib is truly the star!
Brisas Burger is topped with Nueske’s bacon,
roasted green chiles, charred scallion aioli, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato
atop a brioche bun and served with battered fries.
Grilled Salmon is served with roasted
tomatillo sauce, fingerling potatoes, and charred asparagus.
Ahi Tuna Burger is seared ahi tuna patty
topped with charred pineapple-mango relish, chipotle aioli, and served with
battered fries. If you love burgers but just don’t feel like beef, this ahi
tuna version will knock your socks off. I like how they made a course chop of
the tuna like tartare, formed into a patty, and seared the outside. It is so
much easier to eat than if it was a whole tuna steak.
A new dinner menu was unveiled in September
which has several staple menu items, revamped dishes, and brand-new entrees and
sides.
Some parts of the dining room have been updated with a beautiful
oceanic, underwater feel.
Let’s take a look:
Fried Calamari is topped with pepitas, lemon
zest, chile flakes, and served with romesco aioli. The calamari are perfectly
fried with a crispy exterior and tender interior. The play of slightly sour and
slightly spicy is a nice touch. I also enjoyed the crunchiness of the pepitas.
Chicken Mole is epazote marinated chicken
served with mole negro and topped with pico de gallo.
Branzino a la Plancha is served with pine
nuts and heirloom tomato relish.
Panko Crusted Ahi Tuna served with grilled
pineapple-mango salsa and guajillo sauce.
Prime New York Steak is served with grilled
scallions, maldon salt, and Las Brisas steak sauce. I normally do not order
this cut of steak, but I craved beef. I love this steak. The marbling is
beautiful and is the most tender New York steak I have ever had. Even at rare,
it is juicy and full of flavor.
New Zealand Lamb Shank is braised in pozole
rojo, topped with pico de gallo and served with flour tortillas. If you love
lamb like I do, you need to order this! The braise removes some of the gaminess
from the lamb and makes the meat so tender. You don’t even need a knife as it
just falls off the bone. Plus, if you like bone marrow, the shank has a nice
helping inside. Ask for an extra straw to pick it out or just suck it out.
Can’t go home without dessert!
Mixed Berry Tostada is an almond Florentine
shell with vanilla ice cream topped with agave glazed berries. It is a light
end to a meal and comes with an edible bowl!
With the fall/winter holidays heading our way, Las Brisas is
the perfect place to celebrate. This is also a great time to secure your
company holiday parties as well!
