Crab Cooker

The Crab Cooker is an old-fashioned place in Newport Beach (2200 Newport Boulevard). It has crabs, fresh caught fish, scallops, shrimp, and clam chowder, and it serves seafood with a choice of coleslaw or tomato salad, with mashed potato.

I could not decide between scallops or shrimp, so the waitress recommended that I try a skewer with both! My dad had the catch of the day. Both came out super fresh, and the wait staff are super competent, calling you "honey" in a kind of grumpy but friendly way. The place was busy, but the service was fast.

All their decorations are super funny, with signs like "solid gold rib from a solid gold whale" or "the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." We sat under a full-size stuffed shark! Maybe it was plastic. 

There's a counter up front where you can buy fresh seafood, and even the chowder, to go.

I think this place is outstanding! It's affordable, fresh and healthy, and delivers awesome simple food with great service.

double header!

Sorry for the delay - I have been on vacation in Mexico! Today, I'll update you on the two restaurants I went to since I got back: China Garden, a dim sum restaurant in Irvine (on Jeffrey); and Cafe Beau Soleil, in Newport Beach (in Fashion Island). One was good, one not so good!

China Garden has dim sum on weekends. It's usually pretty full. This time, we did not have to wait long at all because we got there earlier than usual, around 11. Don't order the soft tofu! If you don't have a sauce on it, it's plain - but with the sauce it's way too sweet. I can recommend the congee - it's a rice gruel, nice on a cool winter day. The shrimp dumplings were okay, but the deep-fried shrimp wrapped in seaweed was better. Some dishes were not great, and we even sent one back... Don't over-order, because often there will be something good coming by when you're too full! We haven't ordered anything from the menu there yet. Definitely get some greens.

We went shopping in Fashion Island, and ended up waiting forever for the food we ordered at the French cafe in American Rag. The soup was okay, the quiche of the day was very cheesy and soft, but the shrimp fettuccini was excellent. They have nice big salads, but not really what you expect. My mom had a coffee, which the bill calls "black gold"! Weird. The bored water took ages to turn on the heater, or bring water, or bread, or menus, or stop by at all (even though we asked). I ended up getting myself a menu! When we got there, it was mostly empty - but soon all tables were full, and the kitchen was overwhelmed. My mom ended up going inside to complain... Not kid-friendly, either.

Your fearless reviewer giving a thumbs up to a strawberry creampuff at Joan's Deli on Third Street in LA.

three reviews in one!

I'm going to write about three restaurants in one post. I've gotten behind on my reviewing and I need to catch up! The first one is Chakra , a kind of fancy Indian restaurant in University Center in Irvine. I went there with my mom for lunch because they have an all you can eat buffet (self service) for $14.95. It sounds like a great deal and it is. But don't order bottled water because they will bring you the kind that costs $7.00 a bottle. I had the lamb kurma and the coffe tiramisu for dessert. All the tikkas and kurmas have very clear spices and distinctive tastes. It is a little dark inside, but comfortable. I was the only kid eating there. I think there are more kids on the weekends for their brunch.

Next, I went to lunch at Z'Tejas in South Coast Plaza. Z'Tejas specializes in Southwestern cooking. Before our food came, we got a little pan of corn bread with whipped butter in a cast iron pan. I had salmon marinated in miso with grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes. They only put a little sauce on the salmon and put the rest on the side of the plate. My mom had pecan encrusted grilled chicken in a spinach salad. Mine was delicious and my mom liked hers as well. We sat near the bar, but not at the bar. We could watch two different football games.

Today, we went to Las Brisas which is right on the ocean in laguna beach. I had great fish and chips served in a paper cone like an ice cream cone with two places on the sides to hold condiments. It is a Mexican restaurant that specializes in seafood. My mom and dad shared a grilled ahi burger. The guacamole was okay and cost $11.00. Ask for only salsa. Otherwise, the view was beautiful, the fries were crisp and my fried fish was fresh, tender, light and not oily or greasy!

Chakra and Z'Tejas were kid friendly, but there were some people at Las Brisas who were not.

Katz's Delicatessen

My dad and I went to Katz's Deli in New York City! When you come in, you get a ticket. Then you get in line at different stations. They have a long menu - we had a Reuben sandwich, and a cold Tongue sandwich with pickles. The tongue had a lot of muscle meat, and we used hot mustard with it. Everything is made there, even the mustard. The Reuben was delicious, the combination of brisket and sauerkraut was yummy. There were a lot of pictures on the wall, and the place was full! The service is fast and grumpily friendly. The owner came to our table to chat with us! I recognized him from the pictures on the wall. He said Katz's had been around for 121 years! I mentioned that we read about it in the newspaper. He said they get a lot of good press. He wanted to know where we are from, and what we had ordered. He was impressed that I like tongue! We saw servers with big platters of steaming meat. The owner complained about the use of the word "deli" and told us there are few places like Katz's left. Everything you order is marked on your ticket, and you pay on your way out. It was very good, but not cheap. We thought it was worth it, and we were very full!

chow or eat

Eat Chow is a small, slow, but very good American place. It opened recently in Costa Mesa. Their menu is online; I recommend the fried green tomatoes and truffle parmesan fries. My mom's cuban sandwich was excellent, along with my dad's Reuben (if there's one on the menu anywhere, he has to have it...). I had the fish tacos. They were very spicy but good; I couldn't finish the black beans that came with them. However, there were some fish pieces that were not cooked enough for my taste. Their desserts are made fresh daily and are different each day. They also have T-shirts and hoodie if you want a souvenir; and they have gift cards. You can add some things to your salad. They have soups of the day and a turkey chilli soup. My parents each enjoyed a nice beer (Peroni, Chimay). We went for a really early dinner, but even at that time they had slow service (my dad says everything came out nice and hot though). They have a different big menu for breakfast. The space is small, and connected to a clothing shop on a street corner, with more parking behind the building.

Good for Groups: No
Parking: Street, Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Good for Kids, Outdoor Seating, No Reservations
Delivery: No, Take-out: Yes, Waiter Service: Yes
Kid friendly☺*4
Quality ψ*4

places to go

My mom showed me an article in a newspaper that lists the 50 best foods and where to eat them. I have not been to most of those restaurants, of course, but I do know three places mentioned in this article: Chez Panisse, which this article calls the best restaurant in the world; the stands at the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market in San Francisco; and Konnopke's, which is one of the oldest Currywurst places in Berlin.

I think they should have mentioned Din Tai Fung as well, which is the best Taiwanese dumpling restaurant in the world (we ate there in Taipei, Shanghai, and LA; and I blogged it here already). And for roast chicken, I think they should have mentioned Henne, in former East Berlin, which only offers milk-roasted chicken with salad and beer.

Of the 50 places mentioned in the newspaper, my dad is going to take me to Katz's deli in New York, and my mom wants me to try another place in New York, The Little Owl, during fall break! That way, I can soon say I have seen ten percent.