Mother's Day with Mrs. Knott

Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant

8039 Beach Blvd.

Buena Park, CA 90620

714-220-5080

  The family decided to spend Mother's Day at Knott's Berry Farm. The lines in the park were not too bad and we ended up on every ride we wanted to ride. It was eventually time for dinner and being Mother's Day I asked my wife were she wanted to eat and she proclaimed "I want chicken!" So we walked to Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant. The wait was not too long for being Mother's Day about twenty minutes. We took a few minutes to look over the menu. Each adult dinner was $16.95 and the little one's meal was $8.95. Because we are season pass holders we got a discount so the total cost with drinks and a tip was about $70.

  My daughter got the kids fried chicken meal which included jello to start the meal. The main course was two fried chicken legs, mashed potatoes and gravy with a side of corn. The kids meal finished with a scoop of ice cream. All the adult meals start with a choice of cherry and rhubarb or chicken noodle soup, a salad, the main dish and choice of dessert. My son got the chicken pot pie, my wife got the fried chicken dinner and I got chicken and dumplings.

  My daughter was into this dinner, she gobbled down both chicken legs and most of the sides. When I asked her if she liked the chicken she nodded while continuing to eat. It was nice to see her eat her dinner and not have to constantly ask her to finish. Too bad I can't order from the kids menu because this plate of food would have been enough for me.

  My son methodically cut his chicken pot pie into pieces and finished just about all it. He said the pie was loaded with chicken and veggies. He said the crust was crisp and flaky. He also said the pie was very filling due to the thick sauce binding all ingredients. This pot pie was as large as small dish and covered in chicken gravy. My son told me that he did like the pot pie but next time he would probably order something different.

  My wife got her fried chicken and loved it. Typically we get this chicken to go and it is just not the same as eating in the restaurant. By the time the chicken gets home the steam has done its work to make the skin soft and soggy. Eating in the restaurant the skin is golden brown and delicious and stays crispy. The chicken it self is moist, tender and cooked perfectly. We had a happy MamaKaster on our hands! My wife's only complaints was that she did not like the gravy on the mashed potatoes, she thought it tasted too floury.

  I love the fried chicken at Mrs. Knott's but decided to try something different on this visit. The chicken and dumplings stood out to me and it is something I strive to find a good rendition of. The dish had two dumplings on each side and the middle was piled with chopped white meat chicken. The dumplings reminded of the biscuits they serve but with some seasonings in them. The dumplings were dense yet crumbly and easily cut with a fork. The chicken was moist and flavorful while the gravy really added a boost of chicken taste. Every fork full I moved was full of dumpling, chicken and gravy. This felt more like a plated meal then a soup or stew which was different then almost all other chicken and dumplings I have had in the past. I did enjoy my food but I think next time I will stick with the tried and true fried chicken dinner.

  

  All in all the family was happy with our meal at Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant. We all had full bellies and for a theme park dinner the price was fair. I am all for trying new things and sometimes trying new things leads to wonderful new discoveries. However in this case the discoveries were good just not mesmerizing. I am very glad I tried something new and can say the chicken and dumplings were good but next we eat here I will get the fried chicken and stick with what is some of the best fried chicken in SoCal.

Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant

Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant on Yelp
  

Birthday Dinner

P.F. Chang's China Bistro

61 Fortune Dr.
Irvine, CA 92618

949-453-1211
 

  It was my sons birthday and just like every year he gets to pick where the family eats. P.F. Chang's is a popular pick in this family so that is where we went. We went to the P.F. Chang's at the Irvine Spectrum because they recently remodeled and added new items to the menu. We ordered California rolls and heirloom tomato and Thai basil salad to start the meal. For our main course dishes we ordered Mongolian beef, grilled swordfish in pineapple chutney, Korean BBQ stir fry and a child's order of crispy honey chicken. These are not our typical menu selections, but I wanted to try some of the new menu items. With drinks this meals was about $86.

   The starting dishes came to the table and I went for the tomato salad first. This salad was made with heirloom tomatoes, avocado, Thai basil and finished with a ponzu dressing. The tomatoes were plump and juicy, the avocado was creamy and rich, the basil and ponzo were a little kick to the taste buds. With my first bite of this salad I got a little bit of everything, in an attempt to make the perfect bite. The basil was prominent but the freshness of those tomatoes came through with the tang from the ponzu. I thought it was a great way to start the meal.

  I am not huge fan of sushi or rolls of any type. These were ordered mainly for my wife and son but I did try one so I could comment on them. The rice was sticky and sweet. The small pieces of avocado and cucumber added texture. The seaweed added a tiny bit of saltiness to the roll and the crab was tender and not fishy. It was the best California roll I have ever personally had before. My sample of California rolls not being huge am I not sure how much that means but I did like it and would try it again. My son really liked them and ate most of them to himself. He discovered that with one of the dipping sauces provided to us that the roll was even better.

  

  My daughter got the kids sized crispy honey chicken. She really likes this chicken and ate almost every piece. She said the honey sauce was sweet and the chicken was really crunchy. The hostess offered my daughter some child's learning chop sticks and my daughter loved using those. She was grabbing chicken, dipping it in the honey sauce and munching down with out hesitation. I was glad to see that she was enjoying her meal because sometimes it can be difficult to find something she likes. Unless it is a cheeseburger and fries.

  

  When we go to P.F. Chang's we always share the main dishes so we all got a little bit of each. I tried the swordfish first because this was something I had never had before. When I first tasted the swordfish it had a real grilled flavor to it which made me think beef. The texture of swordfish was firm yet still flaky. As I continued to eat the swordfish a slight ocean fish taste started to come through but not anything that was overpowering or off putting. I was surprised how much I liked swordfish. My dad has told how much he likes it for years but not being a seafood eater I have never ordered it. Looks like I just may have to expand my pallet and try swordfish again. As for the rest of the family my wife also liked the swordfish and my son devoured almost the entire piece. It was a hit with us.

  

  The Mongolian beef was awesome as always. This is a staple for us when we visit P.F. Chang's and never disappoints. The beef it self is tender but has some kind of coating on it that makes it a tiny bit crisp. The onions work perfectly with the sauce and beef. The Mongolian sauce is sweet but not cloyingly sweet. This dish did not last long at our table and will continue to be an easy choice for this family.

  The Korean BBQ stir fry was another new item for us and the menu describes it as Korean-style chicken stir-fry with red peppers, onions and green beans in a sweet, spicy red chili sauce topped with a refreshing summer kimchi slaw. That sounded good to me but I got the spicy red chili sauce on the side. Not being a chili head I wanted to try this dish but not burn my mouth with heat. For me being able to control my level of heat was best and allowed me to still taste the chicken without reaching for drink after every bite. The pieces of chicken were coated in a batter that made the chicken crisp on the outside yet moist on the inside. The chicken was tender and cooked just right. The onions were barely cooked so they remained firm. The green beans appeared deep fried which made them delicate. The spicy sauce was spicy by it self but when dipping the chicken in the sauce it helped to cut through some of the spice but the heat still got me if I dipped too much. I did enjoy this dish and if you're a chili head I am sure you will really like it!

  

   The new menu items at P.F. Chang's were enjoyable and the family walked out of the restaurant with full bellies and satisfied. P.F. Chang's is one of a few places that we celebrate special occasions at and with these new menu items it will continue to be a family pick. As of right now I believe the P.F. Chang's at the Irvine Spectrum is currently the only local location that serves these new menu items. I would recommend you check these new items out and if they branch to other P.F. Chang's then this family will be able to expand our menu choices the next time we patronize one of their locations.

P.F. Chang's China Bistro 

P.F. Chang's Irvine on Yelp
   

A Quick Lunch

Cuca's Mexican Food

26676 Portola Pkwy, Ste. E

Foothill Ranch, CA 92610

949-472-8227

  It's not something I do often but last week I went out to lunch with co-workers. One of them suggested Cuca's Mexican Food, none of us had been there before so it was new to us all. The menu at Cuca's is small but there are a few specials to choose from. There is also an option for  you to make a combo plate or you can do like I did order individual items. I ordered the carnitas burrito and a fish taco, these two items with a drink cost me a little over $10.

  I started with the fish taco. The fish it self was not breaded or deep fried. The fish was light, flaky and moist. The cabbage was crisp which added good texture to the taco. The sauce on the taco was flavorful but it did not have any spice to it. The salsa added the spice and a squeeze of lime added the perfect amount of acidity to the taco.

  The burrito was wrapped tightly and stuffed full of carnitas, beans and salsa. The carnitas was most of this burrito, which I really appreciated the fact that Cuca's does not skimp on the carnitas. The meat it self was tender, moist and it had a good pork flavor. It was not overcooked and flavorless like some place can do to carnitas. The beans and salsa complimented the meat nicely. This was a burrito that could satisfy any carnitas lover.

  I was very impressed with Cuca's Mexican Food. I had never heard of this restaurant before that day but have already recommended it to other co-workers. The food was good and the prices were reasonable. The service was nice and the food came out quickly. All those things added up together equal a quick lunch that will not put a major dent in your wallet and keep you going for the rest of the day.

Cuca's Mexican Food 

Cuca's Mexican Food on Yelp 
  

Dessert for Breakfast

Orange Cafe

1608 E. Mayfair Ave

Orange, CA 92867

714-633-8698

  I was flying solo this week after getting the oil changed in my car. I was hungry and bored so I checked Yelp for breakfast places. Orange Cafe came up almost on top and I had read a few other blogger reviews on it, so that made it an easy choice. The restaurant is small and can fill up very quickly. I must have gotten lucky because I was able to sit right away. I looked over the menu and almost got the corned beef hash and eggs but then I saw vanilla bean creme brulee french toast. Creme brulee being one of my favorite desserts it was my pick. The order came with eggs and bacon or sausage, I went with one and one.

  I got my eggs scrambled and they were fluffy, light and cooked just right. The bacon was crisp and not greasy. The sausage was full of flavor and snapped when bit into. This was a great start to my breakfast that was only $9.95.

  The star of this meal was the creme brulee french toast. This was a classicly cooked french toast but instead of syrup it is served with a creme brulee sauce. All I can say is Oh Em Ge! This was some of the best french toast I have ever had. The french toast it self was not soggy by any means and had a slight toast to it. This made the bread very easy to cut with a fork and I could taste the flavor of this soft bread. The creme brulee sauce was drizzled over the four slices and Orange Cafe also provides an extra small cup of this sauce with the caramelized sugar top. Breaking the sugar top and pouring this liquid goodness all over the french toast made this an over the top breakfast. As rich as this sounds, it was not. In fact this sauce was just the right amount of sweetness.

 

  My wife was not happy that she did not get to try The Orange Cafe so I know we will be back and I am 100% okay with that thought. The service at Orange Cafe was super friendly and speedy. The menu prices were reasonable for the portion size. My plate of food was on point and the flavor was amazingly good. I would say without a doubt you need to get yourself to Orange Cafe and try this place out.

Orange Cafe on Yelp
 

An OK Vacation

Oklahoma Vacation Eats

  So the family took a week vacation to the state of Oklahoma to visit family. While there we enjoyed many home cooked meals from Granny we also had the opportunity to try a few places while on the road.

  After we spent some time at the Oklahoma City bombing memorial. We stopped at The Spaghetti Warehouse. My wife's aunt said this was a "must stop" while in the area, we all agreed and headed over there. I ordered the fifteen layer lasagna, this lasagna was loaded with meat, cheese, sauce and noodles. The meat was present but not a huge factor in flavor. The ricotta cheese was creamy while the tomato sauce was acidic. The noodles were cooked al dente and piled high. I enjoyed this stacked meal and the family also enjoyed their meal.

  A few days later we were at a local mall to go see the new Oz movie. While there we stopped at a restaurant called The White Buffalo. Looking over the menu here it reminded me of Red Robin with a few additions. While glancing over the options I saw that they serve a Monte Cristo sandwich and that was an easy choice to make. My only experience with a Monte Cristo is from Disneyland and have been trying to find a Monte Cristo outside of Disneyland, with no luck. If anyone points me in the right direction for such a sandwich I would appreciate it. Anyway back to The White Buffalo version of this deep fried delight. The sandwich it self was made with pieces of turkey and sliced ham. For me this made the sandwich too clunky. The bread it self was a bit mushy but overall it was an okay sandwich. Maybe I am just spoiled from Disneyland, but it just wasn't even a close comparison.

  On our second to last day in Oklahoma I really wanted to get some BBQ but I was bloated from all the previous home made meals. We were looking to get pizza but eventual ended up getting BBQ after all. There was this small BBQ stand on the corner of a local street in Walters, OK called Smoke Wagon Barbeque. This was a small stand that really looked more like a tool shed but the smell of smoke filled the immediate area. I ordered the combo plate which, as with all good BBQ places, it came with a little bit of everything. The brisket was charred and smokey, the pork was tender and the chicken was still moist. The added BBQ sauce really took this meat to greatness. The hot link was not spicy hot but full of spicy flavor. My only gripe about Smoke Wagon was the beans and potato needed salt and pepper. If I ever get back to Walters this place will be on my to eat list.

  There were a few other places that we went to but nothing worth writing about. I really did enjoy my vacation and I think I gained at least five pounds. The home cooking from Granny was top notch and something I will will not soon forget. The restaurants the family visited were good and we all were happy but I was glad to finally be home and not have a stuffed belly 24/7.

The Spaghetti Warehouse on Yelp

White Buffalo on Yelp

Weekday lunch

Urban Grill and Wine Bar

27412 Portola Pkwy, Ste. D

Foothill Ranch, CA 92610

949-340-2055

  A few co-workers of mine have been going to Urban Grill and Wine Bar for lunch and then  bringing back food to the office. They rave about the food every time they eat lunch there and the food has always smelled really good. Based on these many missed lunch opportunities I finally took myself over there for lunch. The lunch menu has many tasty looking options and I was torn between the turkey sandwich or the burger. I asked my waitress and she said the burger was the choice. So the burger is what I went with, and with a lemonade to drink the bill was about $16.

  I ordered the LaFrieda Burger for $12. It is a blend of short-rib and chuck for the patty that is cooked to your desired temperature. It is then covered in aged cheddar, crispy onion strings, lettuce, dill pickles, tomatoes and special sauce. The burger comes with a choice of fries or a house chopped salad. I went with fries. The burger it self was was so moist that the juices were dripping all over the plate. The flavor of the meat was nothing but pure beef. The sour dill pickles really came through which I fully enjoyed. The crispy onion strings and lettuce added a nice crunch while the tomato added to the overall juice factor and a bit of sweetness. This was placed between two soft buns that were lightly toasted. The fries were thin, crunchy and season perfectly.

  This burger didn't stand a chance. I devoured this burger in minutes and was full for the rest of day. I was so satisfied I wanted to nap after this burger. I am always looking for the classic all American backyard burger and the LaFrieda Burger nailed it. I could not have asked for anything more in between those buns and would not have wanted anything less. The chiefs at Urban Grill and Wine Bar got this right, plain and simple. I would easily recommend anyone near Urban Grill get over there and order this burger without hesitation because you will not be disappointed.

Urban Grill and Wine Bar

Urban Grill and Wine Bar on Yelp