The most delicious lunch eatery in Sun Valley is Cristina's Restaurant. I was so torn about getting the linguini with creamy mushroom sauce, but felt I didn't need the carbs. So we opted for the heirloom tomato and burrata salad and the asian chicken salad. We decided to splurge our extra calories we saved on a bottle of chilled cougar crack. Our cute waiter who served our usual choice of pour Cristina's Restaurant, 520 2nd Street E, Ketchum, Idaho
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Java is the best spot in Ketchum to get a cup of joe. There are four locations around Idaho and even one in Connecticut! The breakfast looked absolutely delicious. I hear the avocado toast is absolutely to die for as well as their blueberry stuffed muffins. Rumor has it owner Todd Rippo was the target of many women's crushes in town. Very charming personality and always had a warm smile when you walk through the door. A must go to when in Ketchum, Idaho. The years have been merciful to Todd Java has locations in Boise, Twin Falls, Ketchum, Hailey, and Westport, CT
www.javabowlofsoul.com The OCWino went on a girls trip, so McCall and myself decided to take a little jaunt to Irvine for a delicious treat! The Sandwich Club in Irvine sells bahn mi and other asian dishes, however these girls were more interested in dessert. The specialty we drove up Laguna Canyon for is called Shaved Snow, which is shaved ice that tastes like ice cream. Topping possibilities are endless, but you can never go wrong with a little chocolate and condensed milk. The best part of this dessert is the consistency. It almost looks like soft dog hair, but it is icy, creamy, and melts in your mouth! Sandwich Club is located at 2700 Alton Pkwy, Set 125 in Irvine
The OCWino went on a two day road trip with her friend Lori Bassler Hayes up to Sun Valley. Below is a little photo journal of all the shenanigans and misdemeanors that occurred in the Mojave desert. Initially we planned to spend one night in Lake Tahoe, but due to a wrong turn on interstate 6, we ended up in the lovely town of Ely with only one hotel room to spare. It didn't have the glitz, but it was waay more adventurous with many laughs along the way. Although Selanne Steak Tavern is known for their delicious cuts of steak, we decided to try out their ever so talked about pours. However for once we abstained from the cougar crack on the menu and go hard. After all, you can always tell a good restaurant by their cocktails. The OC Wino kept it classic with a kettle one martini. It was pretty standard as far as martinis go. Our bartender Justin was darling and recommended the Husker Du as a lighter cocktail for our tech girl Shelby. It was absolutely delicious. Not too sweet, not too sour, and just strong enough. Try coming from 5-6pm on Sunday through Thursday for Happy Hour!
Selanne Steak Tavern 1464 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach This is quite a crew that runs a terrific restaurant in Laguna Beach. It is my go-to spot. There is owner Maro, executive chef Deb, and Stefan, who makes sure we are well served at every meal. Maro, who is originally from Argentina, has a real feel for the grill. Chickens are on a spit and he supplies the most delicious cuts of meat. My favorite is the skirt steak with chimichurri sauce. The only way to order it is rare or medium rare. It comes with a green salad to balance out the meal. I am sort of a creature of habit there. My favorite starters are the mushroom empanadas and roasted edamame and shishito peppers. They are absolutely delicious. For some reason, I never get tired of this great simple restaurant. I can walk in for lunch or dinner, get a great seat at the bar, and leave with a satisfied palette. They are open for lunch and dinner, and have been known to cater a party or two for me. Maro also offers great food to be picked up if you want food to bring to a concert in the park or on a beach picnic!
Maro Wood Grill 1915 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA Open every day except for Mondays Really, Zoolu's owner Michael Leech needs to stop talking about retiring. He just revamped the restaurant and really has the best food in town. Some Lagunatics go to Lumberyard, others go to Mandarin King, and some even venture to get wild and go to Watermarc. However these spots are boring and not full of the flavors, energy and small town charm like hot spot Zoolu. It has been a favorite of mine since I reunited with owner Michael after 30 years. It is now truly our go to spot. We love sitting at the counter and watching him and Francisco work your magic. They work on such a small grill and yet what they turn out is truly fascinating and genius. My favorite dishes include the artichoke, calamari, soft shell crabs, and of course, the ginormous half of a swordfish. Mccall is obsessed with the chocolate cake. I prefer being waited on by the wonderful Peter and Renee. Best part? The oversized wine pours. Michael really does run an amazing local hot joint. If he eases up on the Diet cokes, Zoolu will be around forever.
FMI: Cafe Zoolu, 860 Glenneyre Rd, Laguna Beach Another lucky night with Ms. Pearl! We decided on Mozza Newport Beach, a go-to spot of the OC. Transplanted from Los Angeles, this delicious italian pizzeria has delicious appetizers and even more phenomenal pizzas. Nancy Silverton started with the concept in Los Angeles on Highland and Melrose. Starting with the Pizzeria Mozza then later launching the Osteria Mozza and completing the trifecta with Chi Spacca, Silverton decided to bring the concept to Newport Beach. It truly is a go-to spot for both locals and tourists. Grace is our adorable server who helped us pair our wines with our ridiculous amount of food choices. Ms. Pearl asked for specifically since she was hosting the dinner. It is a must to start with a dirty martini. They come with smooth bright green olives that taste like butter. Seriously, it's the best martini in town. My favorite starters on the menu are the meatballs, bone marrow, and my new favorite Shishito Peppers with Mozzarella cheese. To cleanse your palette, the arugula salad is a delicious respite before you order your massive amounts of pizza. My favorite pizza is the white pizza with the fennel sausage. My son's favorite is the meat lover and my daughter's favorite is the margarita. Some like to sit at tables, I prefer the bar. Particularly the wine bar or the pizza bar. I also understand that their whole roasted chickens are to die for, however I've been too full every time to even try them. It's great to try their many desserts. Going with a crowd lends you the capacity to sample so many delicious flavors. Bar none, their Buffala Mozzarella is so delicious with their bread baked in olive oil. The haricots verts and the shishito peppers are new additions to the menu, however they kill it with the addition of the addition of buffala mozzarella. You definitely need to do a spin class a day after, but it is a great to spend a meal with friends. Reservations are requested. We ended our meal in a secret location drinking limoncello to settle our stomachs and top off the evening.
Mozza Pizzeria at 800 West Coast Highway, Newport Beach, CA FMI: Find their website here We headed back to LA to try out The Factory Kitchen. Again this is located in the Arts District of Downtown. This restaurant is located in an old fish packing house. It has cool cement pillars which keeps the warehouse intact. It is a fairly large restaurant, which is open for both lunch and dinner. Restauranteur Matteo Ferdinandi and Chef Angelo Auriana share their vision of bringing fresh and locally sourced ingredients to their delicious menu. This team knows how to put traditional Italian fare in your face. It was absolutely off the charts delicious with a very friendly staff to guide you. I will most definitely try it again for dinner. Rumor has it, they might be opening another restaurant. And what an amazing menu. We started with the Mandilli di Seta, a handkerchief pasta with lingurian almond basil pesto. It completely melted in our mouths with each bite. Our next totally ridiculous thing we ate was the Focaccina Calda di Recco al Formaggio Tradizionale. This was a very thin double layer italian quesadilla made with crescenza cheese, wild arugula, and again the ligurian olive oil, baked in a wood burning oven. Wonder where these Italians are from? Next was the Catalana Salad, which has mediterranean octopus and pinzamonio vegetables in a champagne vinaigrette. Truly an OC Wino's favorite pick.
Check out our day below! FMI: http://anaheimpackingdistrict.com
Anaheim Packing District is located at 440 S Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92805 |
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