Napa Rose - Anahiem

It was Saturday night and we had a double date. Didn't know any good "in between" establishments from Irvine to Whittier, so why not the Magic Kingdom? I love the fact that valet is comped when you park at the Grand Californian for hotel dining. One less thing to fuss about. We arrive slightly ahead of schedule and decide to crossover into Downtown Disney for a quick stroll. Downstairs at Catal looked packed, and there was a line just to be seated at Uva Bar. I love reservations. Back at the hotel we glide past families milling around Storyteller Cafe (pretty decent buffet, btw) for their name to be called. Once through the Napa Rose entrance, I sense the calm Craftsman-style beckoning me to be seated. Katheryn and Michael arrive minutes after, and we are ready to begin. As much as I would normally get into great detail about the music and decor, I'm opting to spare the details for once (and only one time) and discuss the spread at our table. Our guests brought a bottle of sparking wine as a belated present, so we promptly asked for it to be chilled. Our bubbly server noted that it would complement the Seven Sparkling Sins starter to share. Was that a tongue twister? Three servings were thus ordered, and we awaited its arrival. We were blown away by the results. Savory spicy beef cucumber roll, curried crab taco (his favorite), Ahi "Tatiki" hand roll (Kathryn's fave), tarragon lobster relish, potato pancake with citrus cured salmon (my favorite), "BBQ" fried oyster, and grape leaves stuffed with pheasant and preserved lemon. It was a stellar start. The entire Winter menu is lovely. If not for our "sins", I could've easily craved the grilled quail stuffed with hearth roasted portobello mushroom. It came with creamy stone ground polenta and sunset chili-toasted almond mole. A twist on wine country "Caesar" featured grilled romaine hearts with a golden garlic balsamic vinaigrette. What about some scalloped Yukon golds with Gruyere, leeks, and applewood smoked ham? Mmmmmm. The Vintner's Table tasting menu wasn't a unanimous decision, so we went our separate main course ways. Jack adored his Roasted Shells of the Sea. An array of sweet shrimp, pink scallops, little neck clams and Mediterranean mussels in a light crab broth flavored with Meyer lemon, garlic, and coriander. The variety was incredible, and those scallops had an unexpected presentation of still being attached to their shell. Clearly a winner. Kathryn chose the cashew crusted "Tai Snapper" with tempura fried shrimp over fried Himalayan red rice with pineapple and tangerine-coconut vinaigrette. Her silence was all the acceptance we needed to convince us she was enjoying dinner. Mike and I were on the same wavelength as we both ordered the bacon wrapped "maple leaf farms" duck breast with wild coastal mushrooms and dried apricot pecan conserve. What a savory sensation. Full flavored and satisfying, I could not ask for more, except perhaps the dessert menu. Dessert was a bit of a blur, as we (again) all had our preferences. Our server, Rashelle, provided some insight. I must say, I had what was probably the best cheese plate. Ever. There were seven (7!) varieties, each with a detailed explanation of its flavoring and origin. Would you believe me if I told you it was $16? It trumped the chocolate truffle cake and creme brulee. This post would be ridiculously longer if I could find that detailed explanation. Napa Rose inside Disneyland's Grand Californian Resort 1600 S. Disneyland Drive Anaheim, 92802 714.956.6755 (hotel) or 714.781.DINE (Disney Dining reservations) Website

Ohana Hawaiian Island BBQ

Hey Brah! Howzit You like go grind? Fo sure Every time I enter a Hawaiian restaurant, pidgin English starts running through my head. It brings me back to spending a few summers during my childhood in Hawaii visiting my relatives. Even when I go back to Hawaii now, it just takes a few minutes to pick up on the familiar sing song rhythm and inflections that is pidgin English. Unbeknownest to me upon entering, Ohana Hawaiian Island BBQ is a small chain of restaurants, not nearly as well known as L&L BBQ or Zippy’s. Upon a little research, most of their restaurants are either in Central California or Northern California with a few locations sprinkled throughout the southland. The chain originated on the Big Island in the city of Waimea in 1973. They have slowly franchised into California using those same recipes. The menu is fairly small but has all of the usual suspects: Kalua pork, Mahi Mahi, chicken katsu, spam musubi and kalbi ribs. I can usually judge the quality and authenticity of a Hawaiian restaurant by their kalua pork. The main staple at any luau, it should be smoky and salty in flavor, juicy and fork tender in texture. Placed upon a bed of cabbage, it is a local plate icon. The look of the kalua pork is appealing as it looks juicy and shreds very nicely. The familiar scent of smoke was missing though. Tasting it was even worse. There was absolutely no salt and no hint of smoke anywhere to be found. Smokey the Bear would gladly pronounce this dish as a non-fire hazard. It tastes like it was just boiled or braised in water, shredded and served. The mac salad was drenched in mayo, although the rice was cooked well. Another staple of Hawaiian cuisine is saimin. I ordered the chicken katsu saimin. I was pleasantly surprised when the dish came in two containers; one for the saimin, and another container for the chicken katsu. This separation of ingredients prevented the chicken katsu from becoming soggy from being immerged into the soup. Unfortuantely, the noodles were terribly overcooked and very soggy. What’s even worse, is that it tasted like packaged S&S Saimin that you can buy at Marukai. The soup base tasted like a combination of the seasoning packets of S&S Saimin and Top Ramen. The chicken katsu was very cruncy on the outside, and the chicken was tender and moist on the inside. It was a little greasy, but right when I thought things had been salvaged my bubble burst. The oil that the katsu was deep fried in tasted very old and stale. Hoping to bring back a childhood memory, Ohana Hawaiian Island BBQ was unable to do that. Instead, it felt like I had just arrived to the islands, headed straight to the beach and got hit by Jaws in Maui landing me in the hospital for the remainder of my vacation. As I was leaving, I thought to myself this isn't "Ono" it's more like "OH-NO"! Ohana Hawaiian Island BBQ 2170 E. Lincoln Ave. Anaheim, CA 92806 (714) 778-9889

Monte Cristo Sandwich Blue Bayou

Years ago I took a trip to El Paso, Texas to visit relatives. One of the most exciting things I talked about when I returned (other than the incredibly cheap happy hours) was the Monte Cristo Sandwich. The sandwich is stuffed with ham, turkey, and cheese, dipped in batter and deep fried. After given a dusting of powdered sugar the glorious concoction is then served with strawberry preserves. For years I had been trying to track down a Monte Cristo Sandwich as good as the one I had in El Paso. I located one at the Jolly Rogers Hotel in Anaheim and it was good, but not great. I tried to get one at The Tartan Room in Orange, only to discover that they only serve 'em up on the weekdays from 11:00-2:00 (which is when I'm usually at work). Imagine my surprise when someone told me that the best Monte Cristo Sandwich is served at The Blue Bayou restaurant in Disneyland......you know that restaurant you see when you board the Pirates of the Carribean ride. I had a hard time believing that, seeing as I've never had a good meal at Disneyland. I haven't had time to make it down to the theme park lately, but was pleased when I found a recipe in the Orange County Register last week! It's simple and delicious. Here's the recipe... Monte Cristo Sandwich Blue Bayou Batter 2/3 c. water 1 small egg 1/2 t. salt 1/8 t. white pepper few drops yellow food coloring 2/3 c. all-purpose flour 1 3/4 t. baking powder Place water, egg, salt, pepper and food coloring in a bowl and using an electric mixer, mix well at low speed. Add flour and baking powder and mix until batter is smooth. Chill. Makes enough for 4 sandwiches. Sandwiches 8 slices white bread 4 slices turkey (1 oz. each) 4 slices swiss cheese 4 slices Pullman ham Make 4 sandwiches, putting cheese between hand and turkey. Cut into fourths and put a toothpick through each quarter. Final Preparation: soybean or vegetable oil for frying Confectioners' sugar currant jelly or strawberry preserve Recipe Heat about 6-inches of oil to 340F in a fryer. Dip sandwiches in batter to cover all surfaces. Deep fry sandwiches until golden brown, turning as needed. Remove from oil, take out toothpicks, sprinkle sandwiches with confectioners' sugar. Serve with currant jelly or strawberry preserve and fries. Blue Bayou is located in New Orleans Square in Disneyland (the moonlit dining terrace that overlooks Laffite's Landing, entry to the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction)