Sukhraj "Suki" B.'s Profile

Pairing up a food event with a marathon is a brilliant idea. Before any race, runners are told to "carb up" so while eager racers grabbed their swag and marathon info; they also had any opportunity to sample the best of what OC restaurants had to offer along with a celebrity chef challenge, live music, and free flowing booze. Weather held up for the two day taste fest.

I took the opportunity to attend Saturday afternoon with my food loving fanatic friend Anne Marie of the OC Weekly. After walking around and taking in the scene, I knew I wanted a hearty bowl of pasta and perhaps that's because I was channeling my dormant running side and suddenly feeling nostalgic. My choice for the afternoon was the arrabiata pasta from Antonello's . The small bowl was enough to satiate my craving for pasta and make me feel like a runner again and part of the race even though I wasn't running. The rest of the day was spent cheering our chef friends Raya Belna and Michael Harris as they competed in the celebrity chef challenge, and then fabulously topped off with a scoop (for my +1) and a cone (for me) of Lola's Cookie Monster ice cream. Fashioned after my favorite Cookies and cream, the Cookie Monster goes a bit further with an addition of chocolate chips and graham crackers.  It was an amazing way to end the day at the OC Tastefest.

It was a cold night in Laguna Beach, at least I felt it was. We stopped here for coffee and dessert just before they closed.

Since they were closing, I couldn't get a specialty drink. I had to take whatever was left on their burner which was a poor mistake because it wasn't very good and who knows when it was brewed. The extra creamer and sugar didn't make up for the taste so I merely drank it to stay warm.

The boyfriend decided to indulge in a snickerdoodle cookie that didn't look appetizing and surprise, surprise it wasn't. This place is cheap for coffee and baked goods but in the end, cheap only goes so far if the food and drinks aren't good.

While out and about touring OC for food and fun, I turned to my foodie partner in crime and excitedly said "isn't there a new cupcake shop opening soon somewhere in Irvine?" Much to my delight, Casey's Cupcakes was having their grand opening that very same day so we made a mad dash after some happy hour hot dog and fries because that's how we roll.

Yelp and other clues told us it was located near the Trader Joes in Woodbury however you can't quite miss the obviously pink shop and decor. I'm not exactly a fan of hot pink but I can appreciate the cute decor here and the amazing packaging of these carefully crafted sweets. We approached at the softest hour of the opening and stood in line for a few minutes while I browsed the menu scrambling to make my decision before my turn was up at the counter and alas we approached the golden moment. It was either the sassy strawberry or the razzmatazz raspberry. Decisions, decisions. The devil on my shoulder known as my sweet tooth made the choice for me softly whispering "raspberry." You see, I have a strong desire for anything raspberry. It's my weakness and now you know.

Taking a cush pink seat by the window, we tore into the signature cupcake (a steep price of $3.50 each).  The raspberry cake left us wondering where the raspberry was. Perhaps hidden? Or missing? The purple/reddish tint promised something remotely raspberrish but we tasted none. The cake portion nonetheless was moist and the Tahitian vanilla bean icing did not disappoint which is a plus for this cupcake fanatic. We will be back to try other flavors and see how they fare.

I love dollar book stores and books in general. This place is conveniently located at the mall and has a fair amount of books but don't expect to find everything. Books are not exactly organized. For example, everything with the same alphabet is just sort of haphazardly shoved into one spot which makes it hard to find a book by one author but oh well. If you're willing to spend some time to dig around and find what you're looking for, knock yourself out. I wanted a bit more organization but it's not exactly a library or a chain bookstore. It just is what it is and it's super cheap so there you go.

I have been a AAA member for a while now. I've got my insurance, road side etc all through them. Recently, I discovered they offer DMV services which was awesome and saves me time from having to actually visit the DMV.

The staff here is very accommodating and they keep the lines moving. I went here to take care of some DMV stuff and was given all the proper forms to fill out and a comfy area to take care of my paperwork. It was all processed right then and there. I love convenience and this place definitely has it.

Hello? Anyone home?

We walked over here for dinner because we were nearby and unfortunately the guy in the back didn't notice. We could have walked out with a few bags of chips and some drinks and he still wouldn't have noticed but instead we decided to stand around for a bit until he finally came out and took our orders.

My sammies were just as I like them. His customer service skills were adequate. He was mainly interested in getting back to whatever he was doing back there. Oh well. So glad we got taken care of and got some dinner that night.

Convenient and cheap. Their drive thru is 24 hours so what more could you want?

We ordered everything off the $1 menu and ate dinner like princesses. The cinnamon roll twist things were a bit too sweet for me. The tacos and fries hit the spot though. Other than that, this is just good late night grub or drunk food. I don't normally go here though. Just when I'm in the mood for fast, cheap, quick, and easy or drunk.

I first learned about Cosi while traveling to Chicago. There was one near my hotel. It was convenient to walk there if I just wanted a soup or salad vs some 5 star meal somewhere.

Then, I found out Cosi was coming to CA to an area near me so one day I took the BF there before a beer tasting event. It seemed appropriate to grab some brunch first before getting drunk.

I ordered their tuscon pesto chicken with a house salad. The portions are just right and both items are flavorful. Served on a hearty bread, the sandwich doesn't fall apart and the chicken is flavored perfectly and the pesto spread just adds a great note to it all. It's the perfect dinner or lunch portion and we had enough carbs to absorb some alcohol.

Located at the Metro Center, this is a perfect way to end a day of shopping. There is plenty of seating but they really need more booths. I also love their iced tea selection. It varies from the standard iced tea.

While walking down Balboa Island, I pulled out the trusty Yelp app to find us a place to eat. This came up so we ventured in to try it.

Service is fast and friendly. We were seated in comfy booth and ordered the garlic bread. It probably could have used more garlic. The pizza and salads on the menu looked more appetizing than the pasta dishes which is unfortunate because I love a good Italian pasta however I settled for a plain fettucine alfredo anyway. It wasn't bad. The additional chicken I added didn't compliment the dish much as it wasn't seasoned and I really wish I would have asked for some veggies to be added instead. Oh well.

Lesson learned. Next time I think I might order something else. Overall it wasn't a bad place to check out.

I can't remember what day we came here. Probably a Friday or Saturday night but I know I expected it to be busy but it wasn't. We were seated right away and asked for our drink orders. I had something with strawberry and raspberry. I wasn't disappointed and neither was my BF with his dirty martini and olives.

After browsing the menu, I settled on the Santa Fe Chicken BBQ with a side of their mac 'n' cheese. I was irritated that fries weren't a normal staple with a sandwich. That was another side I had to order but luckily the BF ordered those so I snagged a few. Not my favorite. The mac 'n' cheese however was delicious. The sandwich itself was a bit of a let down. The next day as a leftover it was great.

Other than that, this place isn't very memorable. There's nothing that would bring me back or wanting more. Maybe the mac 'n' cheese though and a drink.