Thursday, January 2, 2014

Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards unleashes unbridled spirit in Templeton, CA

Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards, named for the wild mustangs that used to roam the hills above the vineyard, has been an icon since 1983 as California’s Central Coast luxury winery. California’s Central Coast is the largest American Viticultural (science, production, and study of grapes) Area with home to 360 wineries. Since Day 1, practicing sustainability has been a part of the process – weeding is done by their Barbados sheep and Floyd the llama, recycling winery wastewater for irrigation; planting covering crops to attract beneficial insects, control erosion, and increase nitrogen in the soil; mixing grape pomace (solid remains of grapes after pressing) with manure to produce high-quality compost; and providing homes for owls who patrol the vineyards for rodents and other pests.

2012 Chardonnay process began with grapes picked in the early morning to ensure coolness and delivered directly to the press to gently squeeze the fresh juice. After settling in a tank overnight, the juice was moved to another tank for yeasting – 70% went into new and neutral French oak barrels to attain a full and creamy mouthfeel associated with sur lies (leaving the wine in contact with its lees or yeast particles) stirring and 30% in stainless steel to accentuate the bright citrus and apples notes. The Chardonnay was aged for nine months before blending (97% Chardonnay, 2% Verdelho, and 1% Malvasia Bianca) and bottling. Aromatics experienced were clean, lemon, and pineapple. Flavors experienced were green apple, citrus, and smooth with a touch of sourness. Possible food pairings would be aged cheese, citrus-marinated chicken, and grilled salmon. Thumbs up!


Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Monday, December 30, 2013

Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop’s New Cocktail Menu in Costa Mesa, CA

With two successful Costa Mesa locations under their belt, Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop debuted a new cocktail menu – unique cocktails made with wine-based liquors and house made ingredients. With flavors that remind you of the holidays or a warm, winter day in Orange County, the bar staff has just the right libation to wet your whistle.

Let’s take a look at some items on the New Cocktail Menu:

Cranberry Noir contains Leese Fitch Pinot Noir, cranberry juice, vanilla extract, lemon zest, sea salt, and sparkling soda. It had a light flavor - creamy vanilla aroma on the nose and floral finish. The lemon zest added a zingy flavor. I found the cranberry flavor was too subtle as the pinot noir took over the palate, but had a beautiful deep magenta color. Thumbs up!

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/greenleaf-gourmet-chopshop-s-new-cocktail-menu-costa-mesa-ca

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop on Urbanspoon

Sunday, December 29, 2013

OC Food Diva: Leftover Creations

OC Food Diva: Leftover Creations: Here are some leftovers creations I made over the Thanksgiving holiday: Jalapeno Spam, Chopped Green Beans, and Egg Breakfast Tacos ...

Leftover Creations

Here are some leftovers creations I made over the Thanksgiving holiday:

Jalapeno Spam, Chopped Green Beans, and Egg Breakfast Tacos

Hawaiian-Style Corned Beef Patty (made by my mom) with sunny side egg.

Quick Strawberry Shortcake - Pound cake, whipped cream, and sliced strawberries.



Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Scott’s Restaurant and Bar serves up Winter 2013 Crafted Cocktails in Costa Mesa, CA

Scott’s Restaurant & Bar has been part of the South Coast Plaza experience for 24 years offering sustainable seafood and prime-aged steaks for theatre attendees and shoppers alike. Honestly, I haven’t been to Scott’s since the mid-1990s while I was dating my future husband. As I entered, I noticed that the name had changed from Scott’s Seafood to Scott’s Restaurantand Bar. The entry was as beautiful as I remembered with the tropical flora and then the formal welcome as you enter the reception area of the restaurant. The newest member to the Scott’s Restaurant family is lead mixologist, James Wood. James brings his award-winning experience and passion about mixology to create and craft cocktails that are approachable, yet sexy and sophisticated.

Here’s a peek at the new Winter 2013 Crafted Cocktails Menu:

Blossom contains Templeton Rye (whiskey), St-Germain (Elderflower liqueur), Noilly Prat (French vermouth), and whiskey barrel bitters. By itself, it was very strong and masculine in flavor. But when paired with the Scott's Burger (served in slider form for the tasting), the flavor actually changed to caramel and citrus which complemented the beef, Havarti cheese, and homemade pizza dough bun. Thumbs up, way up!

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/scott-s-restaurant-and-bar-serves-up-winter-2013-crafted-cocktails-costa-mesa

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Scott's Restaurant & Bar on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Veggie Grill serves 100% plant-based food in a casual atmosphere along the West Coast


It started in 2006 when T.K. Pillan and Kevin Boylan formed a partnership to create a new restaurant that offered great-tasting, convenient, feel-good food. Along with Chief Foodie Ray White, they hoped to show people how delicious and enjoyable plant-based food could be when prepared correctly. Veggie Grill is also taking advantage of the fresh, local seasonal produce so entrees will always feature the freshest and most sustainable products available during any season. 

 Harvest Bowl is Field Roast sausage, herb-roasted veggies, super grains, porcinis, mushroom and miso gravy, and hemp seeds. The Field Roast sausage, even though it was vegetarian, had a familiar texture and sausage-like flavor. I loved the herb-roasted vegetables, but I think the root vegetables need to either be roasted separately or roasted longer as they were a bit undercooked. The rest of the vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, and zucchini) were perfectly roasted. The super grains gave it a hearty, nutty flavor. The kale added a refreshing green flavor. Thumbs up, way up!


Bombay Bowl is herb-roasted veggies, super grains, steamed kale, cannellini beans, cilantro/green curry sauce with coconut milk, almonds, and hemp seeds. As with the Harvest Bowl, the root vegetables need to be roasted longer. The green curry sauce was mild and complemented the taste of the vegetables. I liked the contrasting textures from the soft cannellini beans and the crispy almonds. Thumbs up!


Herb- Roasted Veggies is on the Sides menu -- a seasonal selection of herb-roasted root vegetables, squash, mushrooms, and red onions. Again, the root vegetables need to be roasted longer, but the rest of the vegetables were al dente. The mushrooms absorbed the flavors from the herbs and acted as the "salt and pepper" for the vegetables. This is a great vegetable side option instead of fries.


Mexi-Mini is a Mini Wrap with a taco blend, Mexican spices, avocado, lettuce, and spicy sauce. The aroma from the wrap was just like a burrito you would get at a fast food restaurant from the spices. The texture was similar to chicken but a little softer. If you are familiar with sesos (brains) in Mexican cuisine or a tofu burrito, the texture is very similar to that. The flavor isn't very spicy and could be a little hotter. Interesting for a snack concept but not for dine in. I would suggest ordering some sides if you plan on eating this for a meal.


Buffalo-Mini is a Mini Wrap with Buffalo Chickin’ tender, lettuce, and ranch dressing. It has a really good buffalo flavor, just spicy enough. The Chickin’ tender has a texture just like that of a chicken nugget or patty and even looks like chicken when you bit into it. But again, interesting for a snack concept but not for dine in. I would suggest ordering some sides if you plan on eating this for a meal. I also think that this buffalo chickin’ would work great on a salad. I’ll have to try the B-Wing Salad next time. Thumbs up, way up!


BBQ Tempeh Plate is organic blackened tempeh, caramelized onions, house-made BBQ sauce, super grains, and cole slaw. Tempeh has a very different texture and flavor that you may not be accustomed to. This is definitely for the hard core vegetarian. Truthfully, I had a really hard time eating this. I prefer the other “protein” styles better. The house-made BBQ sauce was really good with sautéed onions. The cole slaw was refreshingly creamy and the currants added a nice sweetness to it.


Quinoa Power Salad is Quinoa + Kale Salad, avocado, fresh fennel, cannellini beans, carrots, almonds, currants, mint, citrus dressing, and hemp seeds. This salad was light and the mint added a refreshing flavor. It was hearty from quinoa. The avocados they use are very cool and creamy, almost like the ones we have in Hawaii, with a buttery flavor. I would add the Chickin’ protein to this one as well. Thumbs up!


Chocolate Pudding Parfait is made-from-scratch pudding, topped with chocolate sauce, crushed cookies, and walnuts. I heard the carrot cake is awesome, but due to my allergies, I wasn’t able to try it. Instead, I tried the Chocolate Pudding Parfait and it was very good. Almost a cross between a pudding and a mousse, it was silky smooth, yet had a rich chocolate flavor like a gourmet mousse. The chocolate sauce intensified the flavor and the walnuts and cookies added a crunchy texture. Thumbs up, way up!

Try Veggie Grill for your next meal! 

Atmosphere: 5 out of 5 stars
Décor: 4 out of 5 stars
Service: 5 out of 5 stars
Food: 4 out of 5 stars

For more information:
22 locations and counting on the West Coast – Find one near you
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Sunday, December 1, 2013

The 10th Annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival: The Grand Tasting, Part 2

Ready to read more about the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival’s The Grand Tasting!

Uptown Tavern, owned by the Verant Group, Robert Jones, and David Cohen, opened in 2012 with Chef Dana holding down the fort in the Hillcrest district of San Diego. They served Persimmon and Pineapple Halo Halo with condensed milk caramel, avocado ice cream and pistachios. OMG! Best Halo Halo ever! Avocado ice cream! Yes, avocado is a fruit and matched perfectly as a creamy, cool ice cream. The shaved ice added a contrasting texture. The persimmon and pineapple added a tangy, sweet, refreshing flavor. This was the best dessert item at the festival. Reserve your table today!


Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Uptown Tavern on Urbanspoon