Vicki T.'s Profile

Pssst...meet me at the Playground in 15 minutes!

Ohhh!  Are we going to play on the swings?  Play a "friendly" game of four square?
Nooooooooot exactly - we're going to eat!

For those who foodligiously followed The Great Food Truck Race in 2011 (season 2), you may catch a glimpse of a familiar face at The Playground.  Jason Quinn (alumni partner of the Lime Truck) had so much character in him that a limited truck did him injustice.  With a delicious vision, Quinn expanded his palette appeasing dishes into the heart of Downtown Santa Ana.

As often as kids make and break friendships during recess, the Playground keep foodies on their toes by changing the menu on a weekly basis.  Whilst dining, an euphoric nostalgia may trickle over you as sightings of colorful chalk phrases sprawl across the walls and the Ms. Pacman machine in front of the restaurant are spotted.  Not fond of the flashback to your grade school days?  Wash it down with one of the plentiful craft beers available.  

Although the dishes may change on a weekly basis, there are some favorites that mange to mark is territory as a regular on the menu.  The signature burger at the Playground can best be described (to me at least) as the love child of Father's Office delicate flavors and Umami's generous size, and then some.  Also, like many froufrou'd burger these days, I don't think that customization is permitted to the Playground burger.  Not that I'm complaining though, the burger was delicious.  The Gruyere cheese, light spread of a slightly sweet mustard (and I think something that tasted like a fried egg?) coated the monstrous patty perfectly.  As you can see, this burger is HUGE.  So huge, that when I showed a picture of it to my Mama, she responded, "No wonder you keep saying that you have to go run."  That's right, straight to the point - just like pulling off a band-aid with one yank.

I'm not a huge fan of rich beers such as Guinness, but the Bootlegger Black Phoenix beer was delicious!  A medium rich stout, the Black Phoenix had bold flavors of coffee and chipotle fence for my taste buds with each sip.  The only advice I have is to drink this fairly quickly.  Once the temperature of the beer drops, the chipotle will become more and more apparent.  Drink it fast unless you like a little sizzle to your beer!

It amazes me how many twists and turns a hamburger can take.  Slater's facelifts a classic that has been the foundation of all backyard BBQ's by dressing up and dousing it out with eccentric toppings.

Some friends and I met up for lunch one Sunday afternoon at Slater's.  After a short thirty minute wait, our party was seated right behind the hostess bar - giving us a central view of the joint.  Tummies grumbling, our party began to scan through the varied ways that a burger can be froufrou'd up.  With everything sounding quite mouth watering, we all decided to order something different so that we can quarter up and share.  Our party ordered the: 50/50, Burger Carbonara, Peanut Butter & Jellyousy, a customized burger, and the combination plate to share.

The Peanut Butter & Jellousy was definitely an interesting and delicious concept!  Who would have thought that combining two classic favorites would conjour up such a palette rewarding winner?  The strawberry jelly was a perfect touch of sweetness to offset the savoriness of the burger patty.  As for the nuttiness of the peanut butter, I think it complimented very well with the smokiness of the thick cut of bacon.  Fair warming: this is quite a messy burger, so don't forget your wet naps!

My other favorite was the 50/50 burger, which also reminds me of a clash between two American classics: bacon & egg breakfast plate with a traditional burger.  Just imagine the sensation of consuming each classic on its own and then quickly combining it with the other - yea, that's what this burger is about.  What seals the deal on this marriage is the hint of spiciness from the chipotle mayo and the pepper jack cheese.  It's like the dash of Tabasco (or Tapitio) that you drizzle onto almost every meal (don't deny it!)  Mhmm!

After speculating many mouthwatering pictures from my Facebook newsfeed, I decided to stop by Joey's one Friday evening to pick up dinner for the fella and I.  Around 6:30, I phoned in my order (the take out special of a whole rack of baby back ribs, approx. $24).  Surprisingly, my order was ready for pick up about twenty minutes later.  I paid and drove back to the fella's place, starving and ready to dive in!

My first bite into the ribs was quite pleasant - tender, smokey pieces easily pulled away from the bone with a gentle tug.  The fella, unfortunately, did not have a similar experience.  His rib was overcooked, chewy, and dry on the outer edges, decreasing in chewiness as you got closer to the center.  I, unfortunately, had the same experience on my second piece.  I ate it with a slight resentment for all of the reviews who dared to compare Joey's to Phil's from SD.  You all misled me! :(

With a whole rack of ribs, we had more than plenty for a second meal, but it wasn't anything that I was looking forward to.  Thankfully we had a lot of BBQ sauce to help moisten the ribs!

Have you ever glanced over a menu and had the urge to order practically everything, but resisted because you otherwise would have a plethora of to-go boxes to take home?  Well, thanks to small plate servings such as dim sum and tapas, adventurous foodies can now have their cake and eat (all of) it too!

This past weekend, a few friends and I trekked over to Sin City to celebrate a dear friend's twenty-seventh birthday.  After checking into the Vdara Hotel (which is simply gorgeous in a minimal and contemporary fashion), we taxied off the Strip and arrived at Firefly to meet with some new friends for birthday dinner #1.  Since some of us skipped on breakfast and/or lunch, the ladies and I got a tad carried away with ordering.  But hey, we were planning on sharing.  And you know what they say, sharing is caring!

Amongst the extensive tapas offered, our entire group of seven probably ordered about a quarter to a third of the list (there were so many plates in rotation during dinner that I might have forgotten an item or few.)

*Tuna Tar tare
Smoked Salmon Toast
*Stuffed Dates
Sausage Plate
Thai Beef Salad
Stuffed Peppers
*Manchego Mac N Cheese
Fried Calamari
*Steamed Mussels
Lobster 'Escargots'
*Ham & Cheese Croquetas
Steak & Mushroom Skewers
Crispy Duck Roll
Paella
*Flavored Mojitos

* = personal favorites

Although all the plates were delicious, I had a few noteworthy items that I wanted to spotlight.

Stuffed Dates: It's been a few days since our tapas dinner yet I can still taste the delicious flavors of the dates.  The bacon that wrapped around the date & bleu cheese was cooked perfectly - slightly crispy but still chewy enough to enjoy each bite.  The sharpness of bleu cheese was a wonderful compliment to the sweetness of the dates, all enhanced with a red wine reduction glaze.

Steamed Mussels:  I'm not a huge advocate of mussels, but these were pretty darn tasty.  No, not because of the mussels itself, but because of the aromatic coconut curry sauce that it basked in.  Coming from a Southeast Asian background, I have a strong appreciation for cuisines that infuse coconut into its entrees as well as desserts.  The concoction was so good that we were all dipping our bread into the sauce, long after the mussels cleared out.

Ham & Cheese Croquetas:  I absolutely love the chicken croquettes at Portos Bakery (Burbank, CA) and never failed to order some when I'm dining elsewhere.  The smokiness of the Serrano ham and the buttery texture of the melted Manchego cheese was a match made in food heaven.  If we didn't already have a quarter of the menu sprawled out on our table, I would have suggested ordering seconds!

I was extremely surprised at the serving portions of each tapas plate.  After my last experience at Viva Madrid (Claremont, CA), I anticipated on having to pick up a snack on the way back to the hotel.  Luckily, that was far from the case at Firefly.  The portions were generous and sufficient to share amongst the seven of us.  Also, if a pitcher of mojitos is on your list, I would suggest the Mango flavored one - delish!

Would it be wrong of me to say that I want to come back to LV just for Firefly?

One of my favorite things about Tustin, other than visiting one of my dearest girlfriends, is the delectable strawberry croissant pastries at Cream Pan.

The croissant is light and air, flaky upon each bite.  As you break through the layers, you'll eventually hit the jackpot and meet the creamy center.  The cream is light and flavorful, but not so sweet that you would only want to finish half of the pastry.  That is the great thing about each aspect of the pastry,  nothing overpowers or masks another feature.  I promise that even the most controlled and composed Yelper would not be able to refrain from inhaling this pastry!  

Since sharing = caring, I bought a box of six pastries to take home and share with the fella.  For a little over $8/box, it was a great bang for my buck since each pastry alone is about $2.30.  

Feeling indulgent?  Go ahead, inhale one.  I double dog dare ya!

I used to LOVE this gym back in the day!  It was open and airy and the classes were great (especially the boot camp and kickboxing)!  However, once I moved, I decided to switch to 24 Hr. Fitness do to proximity.  Now that my membership had expired, I decided to look into LA Fitness again by signing up for their free week trial.  

After spending 20+ minutes talking to a sales rep, I was already ready to get up and leave.  Even before I was able to check out the facility again, I was being "encouraged" to sign up for a membership.  I kept on telling the rep that I would like to try it out and think about the cost before I make any commitment.  Unfortunately, that message didn't register in his mind because he tried at least three times to get me to sign up.  I understand that its his job to reel in new clients, but making me feel like I HAD to sign up in order to redeem my trial was ridiculous.  

About 30 minutes later, I was finally released from captivity and went about to do some cardio.  As I went up the stairs, I looked around in disbelief that this place has hardly made any changes.  The machines were semi-outdated, the TVs were still your old school analog boxes, staff members were just lounging around chatting with friends, and it was super crowded - even at 9pm!  I know LA Fitness can't control the population, but the other three factors were a shock to me.  For a gym that charges members initiation fee AND at least $30/month, you would think that they are generating enough revenue to upkeep their haven with better products and services.  

Completely dissatisfied, I didn't bother going back to this LA Fitness location for the rest of my trial period.  24, what was I thinking to even doubt you?

After seeing how gorgeous my friend's haircut turned out, I decided that I give Mimi's Hair Salon a try.  Since I normally opt for just a trim and re-layer, I often head over to a Super Cuts or Great Clips to get the job done.  However, my last visit left me sporting a ponytail for days.

I perused through trusty Yelp and read a lot of great reviews on Mimi's Hair Salon.  Mimi & Francis both appeared to be the snippers with the magic fingers, so I made an appointment to meet with Francis later in the evening.  Upon meeting, Francis greeted me with a warm smile and led me to the sink for a wash.  When we finished, she led me to her chair and began prepping me for a cut.  I grew a bit anxious as I waited because she still hadn't asked what I wanted to do with my hair.

After a few silent moments, Francis made eye contact with me in the mirror and asked what I would like.

"1.5 inches off the bottom, re-layer around the face, and side bangs, please."

"Good choice.  Your layers have grown out and aren't framing your face anymore.  Let's get started!"

I felt at ease while chatting with Francis.  She naturally combed, snipped, and did her thing as I went on and on about my day.  What I really liked about her was that she took her time, not at a glacial speed, but enough to make you feel pampered and not rushed.  For once I didn't leave a shop wondering what my hair looked like if they had slowed down a smidge.

For $25 ($20/cut + $5/tip), I'm more than willing to go out of my way to have my future haircuts by Francis!

Last Friday evening, our party of four ventured into West Hollywood to dine at the one of the many restaurants captained by multi-Michelin starred chef, Gordon Ramsay.  After watching a number of episodes of Kitchen Nightmares, I admired how passionate Ramsay felt towards all things culinary and how he treated the kitchen like it was a temple.  So you can imagine how excited I was to see that two of his restaurants were listed for dineLA, Los Angeles' version of Restaurant Week.

Upon arrival, I was excited about our dining experience.  The entire restaurant was nicely decorated with vintage style couches, semi-circle booths, gold laced chandeliers, and wide open windows, personifying a European Mad Men style atmosphere.  For those lucky enough to be seated by the window, a beautiful view of the well-lit city awaits for your awe and admiration.

We were graciously greeted by our server who opened the evening with his small talk spiel.  Initially, everyone was very friendly and accommodating, faintly reminding me of the amazing service I had at Bouley.  Upon ordering, our group contemplated about also ordering a bottle of wine from the wine list.  Overhearing our contemplation, the server strongly suggested that we all order the wine pairing with our meals.  Not fancying the idea of paying an additional $35/each with our meals, our party opted to share a bottle of wine instead.  This must have been a deterrent factor for our server and staff because the service quickly grew slower as the night progressed.  

I ordered the Short Rib Risotto as my appetizer and couldn't wait to dive in when it arrived.  However, my anticipation quickly ceased when I experienced difficulty cutting through my short rib.  The thick piece of short rib was semi-rubbery, resisting an easy slide of the knife.  The risotto was creamy and flavorful due to the mascarpone & Parmesan mixture, but was a bit undercooked as it was hard and lumpy in some servings.  My friends who ordered the Grilled Kingfish Sashimi with sauteed foie gras said that it was (sadly) the only favorable item of the evening.

For my main course, I ordered the braised pork belly with sauteed scallop.  I had high hopes that the main course would forgive my sub par appetizer, but I was once again, proven wrong.  The scallop was cooked to perfection, leaving it moist and succulent to taste, but that was all it had to offer.  The braised pork belly was tender, but may be best if braised a bit longer to have the flavors emanate within.  Unfortunately, there was no 'Wow' factor in my entire dish, not even in the sauces!  Maybe, just maybe, they saved the best for last?  Well, they were saving something and it wasn't our time!  My party waited at least twenty minutes after our main courses were cleared off before our dessert arrived.  We waited for so long that the party next to us (who sat after we did), had already polished off their desserts and were about to leave!  Another few minutes passed and our desserts were finally served.  My Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch with Salted Caramel ice cream was rich, decadent, and had a nice touch of savory from the ice cream.  Unfortunately, the dessert alone was not enough to save the complete dissatisfaction from dining at the London West.  

DineLA is the prime opportunity for restaurants to put their best foot forward, providing food advocates everywhere a sample of what is there to offer.  I read recently that Kitchen Nightmares is picking up its fifth season with Fox networks.  Perhaps Ramsay should take a short hiatus from the show and focus his time and (yelling) energy on his own restaurants.

Do you ever get those random hunger pains where you feel like you can eat practically everything in sight and STILL be hungry?  Well, Roscoe's Famous Deli will definitely take care of your angry tummy.

The fella and I stopped by Roscoe's one afternoon for lunch.  I wasn't that hungry so I opted for a small soup and (half) sandwich combo whereas the fella ordered the Ruben combo.  Goodness, EVERYTHING comes in a large serving, even the water!  The mug holds enough water that, unless you're recovering for sodium overload, you will not need to ask for refills.

My turkey sandwich was HUGE.  There were layers upon layers of fresh turkey slices, veggies, tomatoes, the works.  The sandwiches here at Roscoe's are the kind where you have to smush down a bit as you take your bite otherwise everything comes falling out.  My chicken tortilla soup was so delicious that I almost didn't want to share it with the fella!  Fresh strips of tortilla, a dollop of sour cream topped a well seasoned chicken soup.  Mmm, I wish I can go back to it right now!

Stop by if you're HUNGRRYYYY or if you want a good portion of leftovers for the next day!

Failing to catch the LA Metro Arts tour, a visiting friend of mine and I quickly searched on Yelp for a place to grab brunch.  The Grand Cafe was only a couple miles away from Union Station so we quickly skedaddled on over.  

Located within the Omni Hotel, I found street parking (yay for free parking on Sundays!) close by and just walked on in.  The Grand Cafe offered the option of choosing the breakfast buffet for $20.95/person or of the various breakfast items for its set price.  Initially, I contemplated on just doing the buffet since the price difference was only a few dollars, but decided to just choose a breakfast entree instead.

My friend ordered the Chicken Hash ($15) and I ordered the Eggs Benedict ($16).  Both entrees were fairly similar in that it included a side of hash browns, poached eggs, and breading (muffin vs. toast.)  I think the only dollar difference was that I had some slices of ham and hollandaise sauce.  So, if you're not that hungry, then save yourself a buck and give the Chicken Hash a go.  Overall, the meal was like most other breakfast meals - tasty and satisfying!