Since 2008, the barrel-aged craft beers of The Bruery have been delighting Orange County drinkers with punny names and carefully planned, tasty brews. What started off as a project by Patrick Rue who got interested in brewing and decided to forego a career in law turned into an operation that steadily grew. The original stomping grounds were just about twice the size of a modest administrative office and tucked away in a parking lot in Placentia but as the consumer base expanded, so did The Bruery which is now considered the biggest barrel aging and biggest barrel conditioning brewery in the nation with six warehouses to boast about. At any point in time, they house at least four thousands oak barrels!

So where does Bruery Terreux fit in? This space with a large tasting room is dedicated to producing farmhouse-style wild ales and sours. We hopped onto the opportunity to take a free tour of the establishment that opened July 8th and after Josh, our #bowtietourguide, went over the safety issues and distributed certified safety goggles, we and a few others were on our way.


Wildly Traditional Bière

Because Bruery Terreux (named for its French translation as "Earth") focuses on wild and sour ales, it had to be a separate production house from the original Bruery spaces; cross-contamination is tricky when you deal with sours and can often ruin beers not intended to become sours. We learned a bit about how the common beer styles (stouts, lagers, etc) are relatively young in the grand scheme of brewing history, sitting at just a few hundred years old, while Belgian styles and others that depend on wild yeast like at Bruery Terreux have been around the longest. What propelled The Bruery to this fashion of brewing was when their Oude Tart (Flemish red ale aged 12-18 months in red wine barrels) received multiple high-level awards and recognition. Despite sours taking more time, dedication, and risk, they do have a strong fan base. For Bruery Terreux, their ales must be aged at least 6-12 months in barrels and make use of the wild yeast brettanomyces (called Brett by brewers).

After some branding background, we gathered in their fermentation room which was filled with steel fermenters and thousands of barrels ranging from 59-gallon wine barrels to 88/120-gallon puncheons to the behemoth 7,750-gallon foeders. Not on premise? A mash tun and kettle which means that Bruery Terreux is not technicallya brewery; rather, it's a fermentation space that gets wort from the other warehouses and brings those to their tasty, beer-y forms in a few weeks' to months' time before the long aging, fermenting process. Josh pointed out that beers in the Bruery Terreux brand are, at minimum, a year old.


Part of the tour did have interactive components as we tasted two types of beers made at Bruery Terreux and sniffed our way around various covered flasks of bacteria. The strains of brettanomyces (lambicus and claussenii) got their rounds through the crowd of us as did lactobacillus and the overall blend of each type (smelled like cherry pie!). We also explored the differences between wooden fermenters (the foeders at Bruery Terreux) and steel fermenters, learned the various hoop names for barrels and the risks for pressure building up, and examined the bottling machines that get together the delicious brews everyone loves. I'd love to share more but where's the fun in that? You'll have to take 30 minutes out of one of your days soon to join the charismatic and informative Josh on a free tour of the place, and ask all the questions you want answered.


All the talk of beer had us hankering for our own libations. The extensive tap list in the tasting room section of Bruery Terreux featured brews from both brand lines and very reasonable prices per taster in a flight. We decided to focus mostly on the sours available but couldn't resist a few stouts in the way. Expect $1-$2 per taster which is plenty if you're doing a full five-rack as we did. The wide seating area inside opened up to an even bigger patio with access to the rotating food truck parked outside, a smart move for anyone wanting to stay a while and try several varieties. We ended up leaving with hefty bottles of their Share This: Coffee and Or Xata alongside the newfound knowledge about the new space.

Find Bruery Terreux at 1174 N. Grove St., Anaheim, CA and make sure you get your free sneak peek into how they do things there.

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos available on Facebook here.

She told me there was a place nearby that did a cheese "omakase" she had been eyeing. I looked down at the enormous and deliciously smothered al pastor burrito in front of me and said, "Let's do it." The burrito would have to be boxed up. I had barely gone through a third of the monster before my stomach was reaching for the towel to throw in but I couldn't reach that point. Not before I experienced this cheese spot. My friend said it was called Chizu, and I smirked at the Japanese styling of the name.

I had to ask how there could be a cheese omakase if cheese isn't a native product of Japan but when we entered the establishment, we could see that Chizu was designed to represent that look and feel. It was set up like a sushi bar inside with bar seating around display cases of various cheeses. Multicolored paper cranes were the accents sitting above each case, and a modest display of sakes and bottled beers lined the shelving behind the counter. We eagerly stared at the hunky cheese chunks and sat down to experience what Chizu had to offer. The verdict: cheese heaven.


Is it foolish to be so enamored by what essentially is just a cheese shop with an expert behind the bar? Were we romanticizing these rinds too much? Who cares? It was an intimate experience that allowed us to focus our attention on the wheels at hand. Separated by what we assumed to be rind types, the cheeses tempted us from our vantage point at the bar. There was just one couple in the restaurant at the time but the limited seating would have still kept Chizu small had it been at full capacity. The options we had for omakase (letting them put together the choices) were $25 for 1-2 people, $35 for 2-3 people, $45 for 3-4 people, $60 for 4-6 people, or writing down how much you want to spend total. It was customizable, and after we shared what some of the cheeses we already liked were, they went to work to pick the best pieces. In the meanwhile, we could have chosen food pairings such as their Salami Board, Duck Board, Quince Paste, and Olives but opted to do the cheese straight.


We each went with the $25 choice with the intent to share. My friend's spread was:

• Casatica di Bufala, Water Buffalo, Italy ($4 - bloomy rind, yeasty, sweet, custard)
• Their explanation: Because this cheese is made from buffalo milk, it is aged longer than a lot of other cheeses and is therefore firmer. It has a naturally bloomy rind and is flash-pasteurized for 15 seconds at 145°F.
• Our reaction: The rind was crunchy and hard while the main part of the cheese was semisoft with a creamy mouthfeel. It paired superbly with dried blueberries.
• Camembert Le Pommiers, Cow, France ($4 - bloomy rind, mushroom, butter, broccoli)
• Their explanation: Camembert is usually mass produced so its fragile texture becomes rubbery and flavor becomes secondary to production. This one is made low and slow so that it would maintain its natural consistency. 
• Our reaction: The description note of "broccoli" made so much sense as the cheese was very "funky" in flavor. It paired well with tomato jam and was very smooth.
• L'Amuse Gouda, Cow, Holland ($5 - firm, salted brown butter, cocoa, crunchies) 
• Their explanation: This Gouda is aged for two years in Holland and gets its color from annatto seed. Don't eat the rind on this one as it was covered in wax. Protein crystals have developed in it because of the long aging process.
• Our reaction: It had a taste that resembled a milder aged sharp Cheddar, and its hardness was accentuated by the protein crystals. It's definitely a great hard cheese.
• Carbicharme, Raw Goat, Belgium ($5 - washed rind, sweet, funky, umami) 
• Their explanation: This style used to be done by Trappist monks so was taken care of very carefully. Today, it comes from a co-op in Belgium where people raise the goats healthily and work together. The flavor is quite unique. 
• Our reaction: This was definitely unique with a little bit of woody flavor to it. No wonder it's one of their favorites!
• Wrangeback, Raw Cow, Sweden ($5 - alpine, sharp, caramel, nutty) 
• Their explanation: This cheese comes from Sweden and is similar to Cheddar in taste and texture. It's the oldest Swedish cheese type from the country and considered alpine (the source cows are herded up the mountain throughout the year to make sure their feed is consistently great)
• Our reaction: There were crunchy protein crystals in this that highlighted its nuttiness; we brought this out even more so when we enjoyed it with candied almonds.

My spread was beautifully put together too and brought back a cheese I hadn't had in a long time but loved when I first tried it:

• Grand-Mere Adrienne Tomme de Chevre, Goat, France ($5 - bloomy rind, fudgy, tangy, bright)
• Their explanation: In translation, it means the goat cheese of grandmother Adrienne. This cheese's rind is naturally formed but before the mold comes up, the rind is coated in smoky oak ash to give it a distinctive coloring.
• Our reaction: Calling it ashy is no joke. The rind gave it a very unique, smoky flavor and the cheese was pleasantly smooth, fully coating the mouth in its creamy brightness.
• Idiazabal, Raw Sheep, Spain ($3 - firm, lightly smoked, slightly gamy, caramel) 
• Their explanation: As a Spanish sheep cheese, Idiazabal is a good cousin to Manchego which you (Minerva) liked. In addition, its origin is cool. Spaniards would age this in the attics of their homes and when they would light fires, it would lightly smoke the cheese. Now as a DOP-protected cheese, every cheese has to be lightly smoked to be given this name.
• Our reaction: This is one that I've had before and really, really enjoyed then. Both of us had to save a portion of this to finish the night with because its slight smokiness and savoriness had us wanting more.
• Sartori Raspberry Bellavitano, Cow, Wisconsin ($3 - washed rind, raspberries, brown butter, sharp)
• Their explanation: This is an American cheese from Wisconsin that has been washed in a raspberry lambic. A lot of cheeses are washed in beer and sometimes saltwater but this one is done with a lambic; this gives a sweeter taste that is complementary to the body of the cheese.
• Our reaction: Wow. The raspberry flavor really shone through not just in the scent of the cheese but with each bite. It went beautifully well with candied hazelnut and the meadowfoam Willamette Valley honey we had. Because of the strong berry taste, the cheese could have just been dessert on its own.
• Capra Stagionato, Goat, Italy ($4 - washed rind, funky, creamy, coconut) 
• Their explanation: We know this one is from Italy but information about it is actually hard to find. 
• Our reaction: This has quite a musty rind and a tartness typical of goat cheese but somewhat stronger.
• Chiriboga Blue, Cow, Germany ($6 - blue, lemon curd, dense, buttery) 
• Their explanation: Though you don't favor Blues, this is a Blue you need to try. It is not overpowering and balanced in its creaminess and "Blue" flavor. Eat it with the cherries.
• Our reaction: If Blue cheese were like this one, we'd definitely have more of them. This cheese went very well with cherries and candied pecans. It had the characteristics of a Blue cheese without too much of the funky pungency; it also melted in your mouth effortlessly.

To make sure that my friend got to try it too, I chose a slice of Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk, Cow, California ($6 - washed rind, pungent, bacon fat, creamy) because I knew it to be a wonderful cheese that should be had.

Overall, what a fantastic experience at Chizu from the expertise to the variety to the ambiance. Not only were there plenty of flavor profiles to cater to but the eatery also had origin stories for the cheeses without being pedantic. I'm certainly one who enjoys learning and tried to ask a lot of questions about how the cheeses are made and how rinds are defined. If you're interested in giving Chizu a try, find them at 1126 SW Alder St, Portland, OR 97205 in downtown and maybe even pop on next door to the Multnomah Whisk{e}y Library too.

Photography by Minerva Thai. 

"When I dip, you dip, we dip..."

Oh, not that kind of dipping. Though I'm sure they wouldn't object too much if you started dancing out of joy at Yojie Japanese Fondue. Downtown Santa Ana has just welcomed a new kid on the block in the form of Japanese cuisine and hip design. Yojie Japanese Fondue is a franchised restaurant that allows for local flair to shine through, and the location in Santa Ana has taken advantage of this with their layout and inclusion of local artists' work. If you're wondering what Japanese fondue is, the group refers to their shabu shabu and sukiyaki that way - the interactive dining experience of "cooking" your food yourself in a hot pot set on an inlaid burner.


Located right next door to the infamous Yost Theater, Yojie can be a fun pre-show dining experience or even after-show as it is open late in the evenings. Think fresh, quality ingredients and fun interaction while at dinner. They also have quite an array of sake to choose from and cocktail menu (not available when we visited). The seating wraps around the whole restaurant from front to back in bar-style with sleek, natural overtones likely to accentuate their ingredient choices. If you're interested in art, you'll be happy to know that local artists' work line the walls and eventually purchasable features will be showcased.


We were invited to preview the restaurant just moments before the grand opening. When it comes to options at Yojie, one choice is to go "swish swish" (shabu shabu) by cooking your protein and vegetable selections in boiling water before dipping those in the savory sauces they present. This seemed the more health-conscious route as it is simple but still flavorful depending on how you wish to dip each bite after it's cooked. The other option is sukiyaki which lets you cook your proteins and vegetables in a premixed "broth" made of a combination of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. This style also presents diners with a fresh egg for additional dipping. Duc went this way as it is the sweeter of the two options.

The wagyu beef slices we both got with our meals were so marbled, we almost didn't want to cook them at all. However, they did perfectly release their fattiness into the broth and add a great mouthfeel to the vegetables already brewing in the pots. I also appreciate the generous amount of vegetables with each meal! The experience ended with raindrop cakes, a recent fad among dessert-seekers these days. Personally, we would have been just dandy ended with our tender wagyu beef and more of that sesame-based dipping sauce!

Find Yojie at 303 N Spurgeon St, Santa Ana, CA 92701.

Photography by Duc Duong. More available on Facebook here.

Healthful, balanced, and flavorful - traits sought by many menus. It looks like BRIO Tuscan Grille is shooting for the trifecta themselves with the introduction of their new Moderno menu, an incorporation of modern flair to classic, traditional dishes. The recent shift has introduced 13 new entrees to the restaurant's repertoire along with options based on diner habits; for example, shared plates and multi-course choices are now more readily available for guests. We were recently invited in to the Irvine Spectrum location see what new dishes BRIO had prepared for the Moderno menu as well as how they might have tweaked the community's favorites.


To give their appetizers a look-see, our picks to begin were their staple Calamari Fritto Misto ($11.95 - peperoncini, aioli, pomodoro) and new Chef's Seasonal Bruschetta ($11.95) which, this time, was inspired by caprese salads and featured fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. The times that I have had their calamari still proved the consistency of BRIO to deliver their fried squid with a great crunch and well-paired sauces. The bruschetta came out on a wide board and enticingly presented. They were hefty morsels that featured fresh tomatoes and basil per bite; we enjoyed the brightness of flavors.


For entrees, Duc turned to one of the new seafood options: Crab Crusted Salmon ($22.95 - roasted vegetables, farro, quinoa, lemon vinaigrette) with a side from the Moderno menu as well - Sicilian Cauliflower (capers, peperoncini, pine nuts, breadcrumbs). We had been curious what it would mean to crust salmon in crab, and what came out could be described as a flattened crab cake on top of thick salmon. The two together were hearty and placed atop the always-filling farro, made for a balanced and satisfying dish. We also enjoyed how well the cauliflower was roasted, the tart pops of flavor from the accompanying capers, and the crunch from breadcrumbs. It's a side dish you shouldn't neglect.

My own choice was their Fresh Catch of the Day ($MARKET - chef's select) which was a halibut that evening topped with some roasted tomatoes and peppers. I paired this with their Roasted Tomato Basil Fettuccine (fresh pasta, roasted garlic, Reggiano) and the addition of a single Jumbo Lump Crab Cake (+$6.95) only to realize later that the same crab mixture was in Duc's pick. The fresh catch that day was very simple at just a lone piece that was slightly dry but fair. With the fettuccine, the offering became more wholesome, and the inclusion of a crab cake was a welcomed addition for its flavor and overall weight.


Though we were hitting our stomach limit, one thing I always remembered about BRIO was that they have tempting desserts in small enough shareable sizes to justify trying one. They bring out samples to view of each type so you can determine what fits your fancy. We opted for their Caramel Mascarpone Cheesecake ($3.95 - anglaise sauce, vanilla whipped cream), a luxuriously smooth and rewarding dish that makes you want to keep digging into it. If you're interested in chasing down the Moderno menu yourself at the Spectrum, visit BRIO at 774 Spectrum Center Drive, Irvine, CA 92618 next to the Del Frisco's Grille and Nordstrom.

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos available on Facebook here.

Whiskey, whisky, risky. However you want to spell it, source it, sniff it, taste it, you can find your fancy at the Multnomah Whisk{e}y Library in Portland. We missed coming here on our first visit to the city but my next venture out there pushed this to a top priority. I have just been recently learning (past handful of years) about the spirit but once I walked into the Library, I was floored by the volume showcased and the quickly-crushing realization that I knew absolutely nothing about whisky. And these walls only featured the types that made their quality control cut! It was undoubtedly impressive, and I'd rather liken their whiskey menu to a tome than any menu.


Before one walks into the main room, a few steps of dimly-lit wooden, creaky stairs set the mood. Will you soon step back into time a la Hollywood style? I timidly opened the large door to find brick walls, hushed conversations, plush leather booths, and bottles and bottles of captivating spirits lining shelves along more than one wall. A slide ladder had been installed to allow the bartenders to scale the many choices to select from - a library indeed. As a single adventurer, I got a seat at the bar under the knowledgeable care of Kyle and spent the next who-knows-how-long flipping through menu pages to see what was offered. A crisp, balanced, Old Fashioned ($11 - Old Forest Signature, Demerara, angostura bitters, and Peychaud's bitters) was tiding me over as I explored the selections - the best I've ever had actually.


When I finally arrived at a decision, it was really not my own but my confidence in Kyle's expertise. He suggested a flight and gave a varied selection to expose my palate to comparisons between styles from which I made an additional choice thereafter. I also followed my drinks with food as the library does offer a menu put together by Chef Ben Grossmann. Beef Tartare ($16 - anchovy, dill, mint, flax seed, and potato cracker) was a veritably fine starter, properly fresh and balanced by the pungency of salty fish and strong herbs. Knowing that I was intimately involved with glasses of alluring spirits, I had to add on a rich order to combat alcohol content - the Mac & Cheese with Braised Oxtail ($15 - three aged cheese and strozzapreti) did the trick and was luxuriously savory in its own right.


The poisons of choice that evening were Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey, Balvenie 12 Year Old Doublewood Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Sour Mash Bourbon Whiskey, and Glenfarcas 12 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky. A proper analysis on each, you will not find here as I am still a beginner explorer of whiskies but know that Kyle made fabulous choices to demonstrate stylistic differences and shared detailed information about each pour. It is an experience you have to immerse yourself in on your own, and it was apparent that this will be a frequent Portland stop whenever I'm in the area.

If you are heading that way and have more than yourself in your party, I'd recommend a reservation. Find Multnomah Whisk{e}y Library at 1124 SW Alder St. Portland, OR 97205.

Main photography sourced from Multnomah Whisk{e}y Library.

Have you indulged yourself into the frozen yogurt trend yet? If not, you might want to if you are a Nintendo fan. Yogurtland has powered up with Nintendo to present some character flavors that might tempt your tastebuds. We've tried a few that have been releasing the past few weeks, and they certainly have their appeal.

Whether it's Mario's Chocolate Gelato, Luigi’s White Chocolate Pistachio, or Toad’s Rocky Road that bring your tastebuds into the Nintendo adventuring universe, you can be excited about several aspects of this promotion. For one, there is an ongoing sweepstakes that refreshes every week that can win you a grand prize of a Wii U system and one free year of Yogurtland desserts!


If you don't manage to win, you could still snag the perk of a Nintendo-themed spoon with every purchase whether you get Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Bowser, or Princess Peach. From July 1st to September 8th, you can indulge in the flavors released on special dates and collect all of the limited edition spoons. Additional examples of flavors include Gooba's Iced Coffee, Yoshi's Honeydew, and Donkey Kong's Banana Cream. Check them all out at www.yogurt-land.com during this 10-week promotion.

Images courtesy of Yogurtland.

The highly anticipated Los Olivos Marketplace in Irvine opened a few months ago near Irvine Spectrum, bringing with it some beloved businesses and a gem that grew its loyal followers from a first location in Dana Point - Angelina's Pizzeria Napoletana. We were invited in to try out their brunch menu but fell in love with the way that Executive Chef Sandro Nardone approaches the entire menu, not just his pizza. While there were some dishes that certainly portray his creative freedom as a chef, for the most part, the array of food at Angelina's is true to southern Italian cuisine and reminded me of the summer I spent in the country itself. The focus on ingredients' true beauty and inherent goodness made for simple dishes that stood proudly delicious in their own right.


Before you approach the menu, however, you are met with a sophisticated interior design that makes one wonder if they really stepped into a pizzeria or a fine dining restaurant. Earthy oranges and seafoam turquoise accents gave color to the mixed media furnishings and walls. Artistic light fixtures and expansive windowed walls contributed the brilliance of natural light (with a little help) and washed the restaurant with an open air feeling. If you explore further towards the back, you'll spot the 900°F almond-wood-burning ovens outfitted with glazed deep blue and gray tiles. Frankly, the restaurant is beautiful, and we hadn't even seen the menu at this point yet.

"The biggest thing in the United States is the use of butter; we use very little of that. All my dishes are based on original flavors so we use extra virgin olive oil. It gives ease to digesting and allows ingredients to show. I try to get chefs to cook with olive oil because to me, that's number one in the world. I could just live on olive oil and bread. Going back to being simple is the best."

We spoke with Chef Nardone openly about how he composes his menu and praised the refreshing lack of novel-length dish descriptions. His own experience as a chef has been built upon the philosophy of simplicity and sincerity, trusting in the techniques of old and adherent to the beauty of traditional; as he puts it, "old people are never wrong." Some restaurants do try to load up on flavors and ingredients on one plate, masking what the focus point of the dish actually is, but at Angelina's, this is not the case.

"What I'm trying to do is something easy with high-end ingredients where you can taste what your eating. That's my philosophy."

We cheers-ed to that sentiment with a Bellini ($6) off the brunch menu, seasonally apt with a white peach base.


If I could have found the stomach real estate, I would have had every one of the salads on Angelina's menu because each of their descriptions tempted me for various reasons. Most importantly, they were apparent in their balance of flavor profiles and highlighting of rich produce. We landed on the Angelina Salad ($10 - wild arugula, fennel, orange, pine nuts, Gaeta olives with pits, and Sicilian white raisins) and Insalta di Polipo e Gamberi ($18 - grilled octopus and Mediterranean shrimp with wild arugula, roasted potatoes, red onions, and heirloom tomatoes drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemons). The namesake salad was composed mostly of the wild arugula whose peppery nature played well with thinly shaven fennel and juicy orange slices. The olives were slightly distracting as they had not been pitted but because of their bold flavor, this practice of spitting out the pits once you got to one gave the moment a necessary stopping point to let the brine wash over your mouth. It certainly was a simpler salad than the second one which ultimately was my favorite for the meal as both the octopus and shrimp were grilled to perfection. They were complemented very well by 1/4" cubes of roasted potatoes which added a lovely texture to each forkful, and of course, heirloom tomatoes made for bright bites.

We also augmented the start with their Capesante su Carpiccio di Mango Aria di Lime e Pepperoncino ($32 - pan-seared scallops on mango carpaccio, vanilla extra virgin olive oil, and pepperoncino) which had a very intriguing description at first glance. Chef Nardone did create this one entirely as it is not a traditional Italian dish, and its conception was meant to represent summer. The sweet crispness of thinly sliced mango was tart and playful, uniquely brought to the forefront of your palate once the spicy pepperoncini hit your tongue. The heat of the pepperoncini spun out a pleasant buzz in the mouth without being painful, and the inclusion of "air of lime" as foam presented the slight bitter zestiness of the citrus.  All of those pieces were married together by the large, perfectly seared scallops that were seductively soft and rich in natural flavor. What a delight of a dish.


A chef first and foremost, Chef Nardone intended to make a high-quality pizzeria when he first started that had respect for ingredients and tradition. Having had family in Orange County whom he visited frequently, he found the area severely lacking in good pizza so wanted to meet that need with perfection but not the presumptuous feeling of a three-star Michelin restaurant.

"This is the way pizza should be done. I didn't invent it but it's straightforward. This is pizza from the 1500s/1600s. I have tried to change the dough fermentation to get it to be lighter and easier to digest for people BUT I didn't invent anything."

As you might have experienced, there are multiple styles to pizza. Angelina's features Neapolitan pizzas which means that it needs to be made in a certain manner with certain ingredients (fine wheat flour, San Marzano tomatoes, etc) and cooked in a particular way (60-90 seconds through a high-heat wood-burning oven, typically ~900-905°F). This results in a thin pizza pie with an elastic, bubbly crust topped with a few ingredients. We love the style and what is produced by blasting such a creation in high temperatures.

The first option we tried was because of the brunch menu - their Breakfast Pizza ($14 - Mozzarella di Bufala, egg, and choice of sausage, guanciale, or spinach) on which we chose guanciale. This personal-sized pizza comes with a house side salad which was very tasty on its own as a combination of mixed greens and light vinaigrette. Aside from the expertly formed dough, the pizza found great favor with us because of its use of such rich cheese. You can taste the difference in a Mozzarella made from buffalo milk - it is creamier by far and much more luscious; melted in a quick-fired pizza, its silkiness felt just right with the savory runny egg and salty, crunchy guanciale.

The Diavola Pizza ($16 - choice of mild or spicy salame Napoletena-style, Mozzarella di Bufala, San Marzano DOP pomodoro sauce, and fresh basil with pepperoncini oil on spicy salame choice) with spicy salame came out much larger than the breakfast version, featuring the glory of heat associated with diavolo sauce. Again, the type of Mozzarella used on the pizza made a world of difference in how every piece came together but their umami-laden pomodoro was what stood out to me. Savory-sweet, tangy, and rich, the San Marzano base is a treasure.


Now when we thought we were done, we realized that we were wrong because Angelina's also takes pride in its desserts. An interesting one to end with if you don't want to dive into that deep end of the menu is to cap off your meal with their Cocoacchino ($6). As coffee tends to round out Italian meals, this one plays on the custom and adds in the element of Nutella, the hazelnut chocolate spread that Europeans know and love. The mug is coated in the decadent spread before espresso is added. Put this one in your books as a must-try.

Other treats that morning included a Nutella Pizza and Tiramisu. Whereas the menu does have a Nutella calzone as part of the breakfast section of brunch, this pizza version of Nutella loving allows for sharing (you really have to) and seeing the entire spread laid out. Slices of strawberry and banana make it less cloying, and the generous scoop of vanilla ice cream unsticks the slices from the back of your throat from all the chocolate. Surprisingly, it wasn't too sweet of a dessert and therefore a good option for a large party. It was enjoyable but the tiramisu was on a definitively different level.

"Real tiramisu doesn't have liqueur so I make it without. I made it the same way as we make it there and don't add sugar to the espresso. We use the sugar already on the ladyfingers. In the beginning, people told me that everyone wants the sweet stuff but I said no. You have to educate people."

Every component of the tiramisu was balanced. Many restaurants fail to keep the iconic dessert from becoming soggy but Angelina's has made their tiramisu into a piece of art. The right ratio of espresso to ladyfinger to mascarpone to cocoa powder to even powdered sugar graced the black slate that arrived. You, dear reader, need this in your life.

As a whole, we cannot stress enough how much we did enjoy our time at Angelina's; I felt my face light up as we spoke to Chef Nardone and tasted his food because it made me think fondly back to my time in southern Italy and reminded me of why I love the Italian cuisine and culture. If you need to find this sincere establishment, they are located in the Los Olivos Marketplace at 8573 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, CA 92618. We also hear that they are up for "Best Italian" in Orange County for the upcoming Golden Foodie Awards so if you enjoy them, a vote should probably be thrown their way for that honor.

I'm excited to return to see more of their menu. We had gone in for their brunch hours (Saturday & Sunday from 10AM-3PM) but they do do full lunch and dinner throughout the week. If you're interested in the brunch though, there is an a la carte menu but their Social Brunch seems quite the steal as well - for $30 per person at a two guest minimum, you can do a family-style meal with choice of one pizza for the whole table, two entree plates, and a shared carafe of bellini or mimosa. If that's not a great way to start your weekend, I'm not sure what is.

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos available on Facebook here.

(Today's post is written by Duc Duong)

Lately, I've been on a jerky making kick and most recipes call for liquid smoke to add that smoky flavor. I felt liquid smoke had too flat of a flavor profile. So, I opted for recipes that call for smoked paprika because resulting batches would get not only the smoked flavor but also sweet (with a tad of spicy) flavoring from the paprika.

Just like with saffron, I wanted to understand this ingredient better since I use so much of it in my own beef jerky marinades. Initially, I was only familiar with three types of paprika: the regular kind, the smoked kind and the 2006 film.

Here's what I've learned about paprika the spice!


Paprika is a spice made from air-dried fruits/pods of the chili pepper family of the species Capsicum annuum. It can range from mild to hot, and flavors also vary from country to country but almost all the plants grown produce the sweet variety. The sweet paprika is mostly pericarp (the fleshy part of the fruit) with more than half of the seeds removed. Hot paprika contains some seeds, pod, and stalks. Counter to what I expected, the hotter a paprika happens to be, the less red it will be. By far, the hottest paprikas are brown to yellow in color, and coloration is a great way to distinguish powdered paprika varieties.

Regular or plain paprika
Most of the paprika sold in grocery stores is simply labeled "paprika." Its origins may be Hungarian, Californian, or South American, and it is sometimes mixed with other chilies like cayenne. This paprika tends to be neither sweet nor hot and is a suitable garnish for things like deviled eggs or wherever you want some color.

Spanish paprika (better known as pimentón)
Paprika in Spain goes by "pimentón" and it ranges from sweet to hot:

• dulce (sweet and mild)
• agridulce (bittersweet and medium hot)
• picante (hot)
• pimentón de La Vera or smoked paprika (deep, woodsy flavor)

(In Spain's La Vera region, farmers harvest and dry the chiles over wood fires, creating pimentón de La Vera. It could only be called "pimentón de La Vera" if it's from this region; otherwise it would be simply be "smoked paprika" which is not as valued as pimentón de La Vera)

The Hungarian varieties are more robust and considered superior. The Spanish varieties are sweeter and milder. Most tables in Hungary are set with salt and hot paprika (not black pepper) shakers. Hungarian agricultural authorities fiercely guard their plants and seeds and twice as much acreage is devoted to peppers as any other crop.

Due to the favorable climate and geographical conditions, Hungarian paprika has a bright red color and a distinctive rich flavor that allowed Hungary to become one of the leading paprika producers in the world.

The eight grades of Hungarian paprika are

• Special quality (különleges) - the mildest, very sweet with a deep bright red color
• Delicate (csípősmentes csemege) – color from light to dark red, a mild paprika with a rich flavor
• Exquisite delicate (csemegepaprika) – similar to delicate but more pungent
• Rose (rózsa) – pale red in color with strong aroma and mild pungency
• Pungent exquisite delicate (csípős csemege, pikáns) – an even more pungent version of delicate
• Noble sweet (Édesnemes) – bright red and slightly pungent (the most commonly exported paprika; usually marketed as Hungarian sweet paprika in the US)
• Half-sweet (félédes) – a blend of mild and pungent paprikas; medium pungency
• Strong (erős) – light brown in color, the spiciest paprika

I also looked a little bit into growing and making your own paprika. Turns out it's more time efficient to let the professionals do what they do best. You basically need to start growing your paprika crop a year before you want the powder. Other than the growing time needed, the air-drying and actual yield qualifies more as a fun home project for educational purposes but not something to do regularly.

So there you go! Next time a recipe calls for a specific type of paprika, you'll know the difference! Personally I want to try some genuine pimentón de La Vera in a future jerky marinade. Cheers!

All photographs were sourced from Wikipedia's public media domain.