Food, music, crafts, and a fun crowd - how do you not come back to the A Taste of Greece Festival the next year? I first visited them last year for a media tasting preview and came back this year with some media bucks to spend; my thanks to Moxxe PR for setting that up! I still had Duc in tow but also brought along another friend to get the most out of the experience. Since we visited during Friday, the first day of the three-day event, it wasn't as busy as I am sure it got later on. However, it still gave us a great sense of the festival, and this time, we even ventured to join in on the crowd activities. More on that later! This year was their 35th and as always, it was hosted on the beautiful grounds of St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church (the hosts, of course) in Irvine.


We met some of the festival volunteers, particularly the ladies of the pastries section. Isn't that the favorite part of the festival anyway? The whole inside of the building is lined with rows and rows of tasty Greek desserts protected behind clear plastic display cases. It's a good thing they have protection because guests would surely grab frantically at the loving desserts. Also, instead of just watching the flaming cheese booth this year, we decided to finally get some of the Saganaki (Fried Greek cheese flamed with Brandy). Not only is it an entertaining show to see the cheese light up but it is also a preview into just how amazing the cheese was. We savored every bit of it before moving on to other goodies.


They had a variety of food that pleased the eyes and noses (and mouths later!). Want to know what tempted guests as they walked around? You had calamari, chicken souvlaki, dolmathes, Greek pizza, gyro, keftethes, lamb chops, loukaniko, loukoumathes, pastitchio, saganik, spanakopita, and tyropita for savories. There were plenty of drinks too and desserts inside and out (baklava sundae anyone?). If for some reason you weren't interested in eating your heart out, you could tour the church or watch dancers and cooking demonstrations during Saturday and Sunday.


We managed to get our hands on their Spanakopita, Pastitchio, Greek Feta Fries, Loukaniko, and Gyro. All were excellent and filled us generously with Feta. Most notable among our group of three was the Pastitchio, a Greek "lasagna" of sorts, which got a sauce this year on top that brought everything together more cohesively than our taste of it last year. I found the fries to be nicely crisp and flavored though its crumbled Feta inclusion required a fork's use.


This year, we decided we ought to join in on the dancing. The tents under which live music played and dances happened were avoided last year due to both of our lack of coordination but when at the Greece festival, do as Greeks would and dance! We joined hands with strangers and learned how to move rapidly around in a circle with the crowd. Pictured above is me with my friend Thomas because Duc kept bumping into it, hah! After burning off our meal, we wandered around and checked out the crafts which featured Greek and non-Greek style objects. If you are curious about attending next year, I highly encourage you to take some time out of your day just to check it out. It ran from June 21-23 this year and will be held on a similar weekend next year.

Photography by Duc Duong.

923 E 3rd St #101, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (Neighborhood: Downtown - Arts District)
Pricing - $/$$ | Dining - Casual, Hipster Chic | Cuisine - American (New), Gastropub
http://eatdrinkamericano.com


I first heard of eat.drink.Americano from one of my friends who visited during a "Yelp's on Tap" event. It's a tad rare for you to find me venturing into LA primarily because of the traffic getting there from OC and the whole (lack of) parking situation. However, he raved about this place constantly so we decided that I had better check it out. I found it on a corner of a rundown brick building right in Arts District of downtown LA. It's charming from the outside, and I could tell from the worn metal gears-and-pulley decor above that door that I would be entering a steampunk/"reclaimed" type of place. After all, we were also in the Arts District and hipster chic clientele would not be a reach to guess at.


I walked inside and loved it. Reused glass bottles, chalk art and varied typography, old lamps hanging via thin metal arms and baring their rad filaments - how could I not enjoy this place? The interior design had a vintage feel to it with plenty of industrial decor, dim lighting, and setup just like the brick studio space it was with a "loft's" kitchen exposed to the diners. Not only did the whole environment speak to me but the food was so great that I came back not too long afterward. So yes, this review will cover two visits' worth of fare; I swear I'm not THAT greedy of an eater!


So one of the times that we went was for the American-O Craft Beer Week pairing on 05.08.13 at $22/person. I believe the portions were slightly smaller than you'd normally find them on the menu but for $22/person at three courses, it was a steal! I'm pretty sure the beers alone were worth that much. So yes, we started off with The Bruery Mischief with Classic Ceviche (fresh caught red snapper with peppers and choclo in a spicy citrus marinade). I must commend them for their pairing choices for this first course and all the following ones because they complemented each other so well. The bubbly brightness of the Mischief fit perfectly with the citrus notes of the fish. I found the snapper to be just the right texture for a ceviche, and the citrus marinade naturally "cooked" its edges just enough to accomplish that. The vegetables used gave a contrasting crunch to the softness of the fish and was well welcomed.


To hit us with creativity and a yearning for comfort food (that was quickly sated), the second course consisted of Stone Levitation with The Pilgrim (slow roasted turkey, stuffing, corn foam, and cranberry sauce). We could not help picking up a conversation after putting the first bite into our mouth about Thanksgiving. The Pilgrim embodied it so well but with plenty of fun and none of the heaviness that follows the traditional holiday meal. It was the corn foam that delighted us for its frothy corn essence, and it was the stuffing that made us close our eyes in tasty nostalgia. The small dabs of cranberry sauce creeping up the side of our shallow bowls gave enough tartness to the wholesome and juicy turkey meat to balance out the entire dish. Fabulous job, eat.drink.Americano!


The last course of the pairing menu was their Oskar Blues Old Chub with Braised Oxtail Slider (slow-braised oxtail sliders with Fontina cheese, wild arugula, and juicy mayo). My friend had waxed poetic about this slider, and I trust his judgment. While ordering it on any other given day will yield you two of these sexy sliders, this pairing menu granted us one but it only needed to give us one to win our hearts. I dare say this may have been the best slider I've had in my life. Someone remember this day as the day I wrote this; I (half) hope that I will continue to rescind this statement as I find more and more orgasmic food. I think it was the cheese smothering the wild arugula that really sealed the deal. Not only was the slow-braised oxtail oh-so-succulent but the additional flavors really married it all together into a handheld heaven. Our waitress afterward convinced us to order her favorite, the Soft Shell Crab Sandwich ($12 - served with wakame seaweed and saffron aioli on an English muffin), which ended up being the perfect palate cleanser after the hearty oxtail since the crunchy whole soft shell crab had a refreshing seaweed salad on top. I can see why this would be a favorite too.


The first time I had come, we had a light meal of just two items and two beers but even those were fantastic. We first ordered their Steak Tartare with Mustard Ice Cream ($13 - filet mignon with housemade Dijon mustard ice cream served with sliced bread) which was very good in execution and design because the ice cream kept steak cold as a tartare needs to be. The mustard's natural spiciness gave nice highlights to the tenderness of raw beef, and I just loved the concept of making a Dijon mustard ice cream in general. That was followed up quickly by the Mushroom & Eggs with Bread ($12 - Shiitake, Oyster, & Crimini mushrooms sauteed in housemade demiglaze with poached egg and sliced bread), a dish so savory and saucy that bread seemed too holey to hold it all. There was a generous amount of mushrooms (though I wasn't sure if all the listed mushrooms were represented evenly), and the poached egg was a good touch. I enjoyed the sprinkling of microgreens on top too for some color to the dish. Overall, I'd have to say that eat.drink.Americano is surely to become one of my favorite places to dine, and its intimacy would make it the perfect spot to drop by and talk about ideas instead of people.

Photography by Duc Duong and Minerva Thai.

There's something about soup that draws me in every time I have it. Throw in noodles of any sort, and you'll find it on top of my list of most craved-for dishes. I remember that my mother made soup for us just about every meal together whether it was as a starter or the entree. It's a comfort food and considering how often I would get sore throats (cursed I tell you!) in my teen years, I relied on soup to feel better. Chicken noodle soup was one of those that I could more easily attain though as I did not have the know-how to make what my mom could. I sought it frequently at restaurants or asked people to bring it by when I was feeling under the weather but as I have found over the years, it's hard to beat making dishes yourself. I finally got around to crafting this completely from scratch the other day because I had a bag of mirepoix in the freezer that I had stuck in before and needed to use. It was excellent and a much better way to have some without wondering what went into it at some restaurant. With this, the chicken stock was not added but made in the process of making the soup itself.

Step 1: Ingredients (yields 3-4 servings)

• 2 medium onions, diced
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled & diced
• 2 tbsps rosemary butter
• 2 chicken breasts, full bone-in with skin
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 quarts water
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorn
• 4-6 oz pasta of choice (wide noodles, rotini, etc)

Step 2: Prepping ingredients
Dice all vegetables as needed (can use pre-prepared mirepoix mix if desired). Sweat in a large pot with rosemary butter (how to make it here) on medium heat. When the vegetables have softened but not gotten to the browned stage, you can add in all remaining ingredients except for the pasta. The water should barely cover the top of the chicken breasts. Bring to a boil.


Step 3: Creating the base
Once the soup has boiled, reduce to low heat and let soup simmer with the lid on for 1-1.5 hours. Make sure to skim the top every once in a while for fats that rise. The chicken breast will certainly make this a leaner soup but the inclusion of its skin gives a richer fattiness that will show itself in the soup's flavor but you don't have to drink it all down. After the simmering period, remove chicken breasts and shred by hand (when it has cooled enough); remove skin. You will most likely only use only 1/2 of a breast's worth of meat. Reserve the rest for future usages. Skim soup again before adding meat back in.


Step 4: Finishing
Approximately 7 minutes before serving, add in the pasta and let it cook. Turn off heat. Remove bay leaves and skim one more time. Serve soup with freshly cracked black pepper if desired. Enjoy!


Photography by Minerva Thai.

The summer solstice is going to bring more to you than just warmer days. Hopscotch Tavern in downtown Fullerton is releasing their summer cocktail menu tomorrow, June 21, and it is tasty. We had a chance to give it a try on Tuesday before Hopscotch's own "appreciation preview (of sorts)" the next day where fans of the tavern could sneak a peek and sip of the seven new concoctions. It was nice to be able to taste these before the hubbub and find out something about Hopscotch that we hadn't known before - more on that below!

1534 Adams Ave. Ste D, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Pricing - $ | Dining - Casual, To-Go | Cuisine - Italian
www.burrissimo.com

It feels like everyone's been to Burrissimo lately but me. What's all the buzz? You're going to take the build-your-own concept and put it in with Italian food? Well that sounds good to me. Italian used to be my favorite before I started realizing I could (generally) cook a lot of it myself. However, it's still great to have it every once in a while when I get a craving but don't have ALL of the ingredients. Besides, I still love all the types of veggies used in Italian food. Burrissimo became a lunching spot for some friends I was catching up with, and it sure did fill us up!


When you stick the word "fresh" in your name, you better be sure of it. I think Burrissimo took it to heart because their display of toppings, sauces, soups, and breads was excellent. The countertops were easy to see behind glass coverings, and looking even further back, you could see the huge, neat bins of beautiful produce. Walking in, there are signs to explain what to do as well as paper menus up front. You basically have a choice of getting a Burrissimo (angel hair pasta, grill item, fresh vegetables & sauce wrapped in organic Italian flatbread), Pasta Bowl (angel hair pasta, grill item, fresh vegetables & sauce), or Chopped Salad Bowl (Romaine & mixed greens, grill item, fresh vegetables & dressing). Grilled items will determine the final price of your meal though the price range is only $6.49-7.99. Items included Vegetarian, Chicken, Crispy Chicken, Meatballs, Steak, and Salmon. Good array! Sauces are either warm or cold depending on the type of entree you were getting. They are: Pomodoro, Diavolo, Alfredo, Red Pepper Pesto, Zesty Parmesan, and five Salad Dressings.

If we really must get into the gorgeous and clean trays of toppings you could choose from, this post would run long but some key items of note were their freshly shaved Parmesan, peppadew peppers, sundried tomatoes, Italian corn, ratatouille, and even roasted garlic. Talk about taking care of the customer! You'll have to visit yourself to see what else there was. Our service was very accommodating and friendly throughout.


The sodas are fairly straightforward and standard until you reach the Italian sodas of which you can opt for pomegranate, strawberry cream, and wild grape. I tried the pomegranate and wild grape but found both a little on the sweet side with plenty of artificial coloring. My cup was stained by the grape! Another Burrissimo-branded product that was marked there was their hot sauce which really did have a kick to it but didn't strike me as too memorable in flavor.


With two other friends present, I waited until they had made their picks before going for the last of three options. That way, we could all see how the different entrees worked. My friend's pasta bowl was quite large and heavy, and she stacked hers with meatballs, corn, olives, pomodoro sauce, and a few more I can't recall. I had a bite, and it was generally okay. Considering that Burrissimo is a fast casual joint, I'd say the freshness was great. My order was a salad with grilled chicken (lemon, rosemary, & garlic) topped with peppadew peppers, olives, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and their red pepper pesto (apparently their most popular). I really enjoyed the dressing and the peppadew peppers! However, perhaps they could have eased up on it a little bit because by the end, my lettuce was soggy. Additionally, it seemed difficult to find my chicken's flavor underneath the slew of pesto.


My friend ordered the Burrissimo with heapings of ratatouille, diavolo sauce, and crispy chicken. I took a bite from this. The flatbread was pretty nice and subtly herbed. I liked the chicken in this wrap but don't know how it would hold up without any sauces with it. The vegetables were fresh and bright inside.


Just for good measure, I also got their Zeppoles which are Italian doughnuts with raspberry dipping sauce and vanilla icing. These were heavily dusted with cinnamon sugar (maybe a bit too much?) but very well made inside in terms of dough. I enjoyed the inner dough more than the coating and definitely in the raspberry over the vanilla. I think if you're interested in getting these but are not completely sure, you ought to look for deals such as their in-store promo from June 24-30 this year which will give you a free order of zeppoles with a $7 minimum purchase (easy peasy with the price range of the food!). Overall, a decent meal for its price range with plenty of fresh ingredients and variety of vegetables; the service and staff there were excellent. I'd probably stick with the pasta bowl or salad bowl if you want to stay on the lighter side.

Another promotion that Burrissimo is running currently is in conjunction with Costa Mesa's 60 & Fabulous Celebration. They have given me the opportunity to give away to one of my readers a "Happy Birthday, Costa Mesa!" prize pack and to ten of my readers a $10 gift card. The prize pack will include:

• A pair of 60th anniversary concert tickets (for Friday, June 28 at 4pm)
• $25 Burrissimo gift card
• Burrissimo logo cap
• Bottle of BSting Signature Hot Sauce
• An order of free Happy Birthday Costa Mesa Zeppoles (house made Italian donuts served with a choice of raspberry dipping sauce or vanilla icing).

Enter through the Rafflecopter widget for your chance to win! The giveaway will run until 6/25/13 at 11:59pm PST. A winner will be contacted upon winning and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is drawn. Runner-ups for the giveaway will be awarded a $10 gift card to try Burrissimo out.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Photography by Minerva Thai.