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Archives for 2014
Javier’s Cantina and Grill: Elegant Mexican Cuisine and Rare Tequilas
October 23, 2014 by
Javier’s Cantina and Grill offers elegant plates of Mexican cuisine paired with rare tequilas. Chefs from various parts of Mexico use only sustainable seafood to craft such entrees as sautéed wild, Mexican white prawns, shrimp stuffed enchiladas, and quesadillas filled with Dungeness crab. Chefs also top center cut Angus beef from Nebraska with a light chipotle cream sauce and sautéed onions and serve natural chicken with avocado sauce and cotija cheese.
You can pair your meal with a selection of tequilas including silver, aged, and rare tequilas. The restaurant features close to 100 tequilas, many of which mix well into Javier’s hand shaken margaritas. The drinks are served on the rocks by the glass or pitcher. You can enjoy your meal inside a warm setting decorated with dark wood tables, a stone wall, and a giant tree growing from the center of the restaurant.
Javier’s Cantina and Grill
45 Fortune Drive
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 872-2101
www.javiers-cantina.com
www.yelp.com/biz/javiers-cantina-and-grill-irvine
How to Make This Year’s Halloween Party Your Best Ever
October 16, 2014 by
So you’ve decided to throw a Halloween party at your home, but where do you start? Luckily, a spooky Halloween theme offers an almost endless list of decoration and refreshment ideas to make your party a ghoulish good time. Here’s just a bit of inspiration.
Severed Finger Invitation [marthastewart.com]
Give your guests a fright before the party even starts by sending them a severed "finger" in a box as a party invitation!
Spiked Witch’s Brew [celebrations.com]
For refreshments, serve a black cauldron filled with a spiked punch that looks like witch’s brew. You can even make it “smoke” by adding dry ice to the cauldron.
Monster Face Paint [marthastewart.com]
Entertain the little ones at a Halloween party by setting up a face painting station. Even if the party isn’t a costume party, they’ll love to wear their new monster face around all night.
Mad Scientist Party [rachaelraymag.com]
If you prefer to go all-out with a unique theme, a mad scientist party is one that your guests probably haven’t seen before. Decorate with beakers and test tubes, don a white lab coat and a wild wig, and turn your kitchen into a laboratory filled with experimental refreshments.
It’s a Grind: Enjoy Coffee in Anaheim
October 9, 2014 by
With gourmet coffee and baked foods in a comfy environment, It's a Grind is one cool coffeehouse.
The coffee is top-notch fair trade stuff, with many beans of different depths. The service is highly-regarded by regular visitors, and the baristas use their expertise well in making fine hand-crafted espresso drinks like lattes and mochas. There are also non-fat yogurt smoothies and a wide selection of iced drinks for when you want something refreshing. If you'd like to grab a bite to eat while you're here, you can pick up a pastry or bagel, too.
Fans of fine coffee will have much to celebrate at It's a Grind. Check out the website to learn more about this Anaheim coffee shop!
It's a Grind
1035 N. Tustin Avenue
Anaheim, CA 92807
(714) 632-9922
http://www.itsagrind.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/its-a-grind-anaheim
Honda-Ya: A Japanese Restaurant in Tustin
October 2, 2014 by
Izakaya means “a place to eat, drink, and sit comfortably.” In Japan, it’s roughly similar to a pub: simple food, straightforward drinks, and reasonable prices—a place to shrug off tradition and relax.
Don’t look for chef “performances” or wild menu items at Tustin’s Honda-Ya, just unpretentious decor, home-style food, and lots of good sake. From sushi and sashimi to tebasaki, yakitori, pork belly, and udon, locals can’t praise the big menu enough. Service is fast and efficient, but be prepared to wait; Honda-Ya gets packed, especially on weekends. However, we hear it takes just one visit to become a regular!
Check Honda-Ya’s site for hours, menus, events, and other locations.
Honda-Ya
556 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 832-0081
www.izakayahondaya.com
www.yelp.com/biz/honda-ya-tustin
Don’t Miss the Lunch Specials at Gen Korean BBQ House
September 25, 2014 by
Regulars say that Gen Korean BBQ House stands out for atmosphere and service. If you’ve been to the three other locations, you know what to expect in Tustin: slick, comfortable, traditional-meets-modern decor and staff that anticipates your needs before you ask.
There are no complaints about the food, either. Regulars call the menu fresh, tasty, and traditional, pleasing ex-pats, newcomers to Korean cuisine, and even kids. Add reasonable prices, outstanding lunch specials (all-you-can-eat for $14.99) and deep happy hour discounts, and you’ve found a new spot for your date or business meeting.
Check Gen Korean BBQ House’s website for hours, menus, and specials.
Gen Korean BBQ House
13741 Newport Avenue
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 505-1800
www.genkoreanbbq.com
www.yelp.com/biz/gen-korean-bbq-house-tustin
Today’s Imponderable: Why Can’t Oil and Water Mix?
September 18, 2014 by
You’ve likely heard the expression “like oil and water,” and you may have even witnessed this strange phenomenon firsthand if you’re an avid baker. Although it is fairly common knowledge, do you really know why oil and water can’t mix?
The main reason why these two liquids can’t mix is because they’re too into themselves—literally. Water molecules are very attached to one another and though they usually mix with other liquids, they’ve met their match with oil, which is also very attached to its own molecules. In more scientific terms, water molecules are polar in nature and can only dissolve other polar molecules. Because oil is non-polar, it cannot dissolve in water. This causes the two liquids to almost seamlessly separate, and the oil then floats on top because it has a lower density than the water.
In nature, you can observe this phenomenon on water birds or animals like beavers. Their oily coats and feathers repel water, which keeps them warm and dry in the winter!
Why Oil and Water Don't Mix [Science Project Ideas]
Why Oil and Water do not mix? [Let’s Talk Chemistry]
Mixing Oil and Water [Science Experiments for Kids]
Santa Ana Zoo: “Home of the 50 Monkeys”
September 15, 2014 by
For an attractive admission price, the Santa Ana Zoo opens up the worlds of Africa and India through their variety of resident animals. The Santa Ana Zoo is known as home to 50 monkeys, at the request of their founder in 1952. Now spanning 20 acres in a spot not too far away from Coventry Court Apartments, the zoo is also home to exotic creatures housed in plush recreations of their natural climates. Favorite exhibits include Tierra de las Pampas, featuring native South American animals in their natural grassland environment, and Amazon’s Edge, a waterfall habitat for howler monkeys and various birds. Exhibits stress education in addition to conservation, with a number of endangered monkeys calling the Santa Ana Zoo home. The zoo also offers a number of additional educational programs for visitors and school groups. Adults and families can get up-close education by traveling on a Wild Safari through the zoo.
Santa Ana Zoo
1801 E. Chestnut Avenue
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 835-7484
The Catch: Catch Fresh Seafood and More in Anaheim
September 4, 2014 by
A range of dining options is offered at The Catch, with menu items varying from burgers, to steaks and seafood, all right in Anaheim.
Get your appetite primed with a tasty starter like Maine Lobster On a Stick with sweet corn truffle cream, Sizzling Hiramasa Sashimi with sushi rice, crispy shallots & tobiko caviar, or Castro Valley Artichoke with herb vinaigrette & lemon herb aioli. Seafood entrees feature taste tempters like Legendary Chilean Sea Bass with ginger carrot puree, lemon butter & spicy sesame tomatoes, Pan Roasted Alaskan Halibut with stir-fried snow peas, shiitake mushrooms, & young bok choy, and Chipotle Glazed Cedar Plank Skuna Bay Salmon with roasted pepper yellow corn relish & chipotle herb glaze. Beef fare includes a 32-Ounce Tomahawk Chop Ribeye, and an 8-Ounce Filet Mignon.
The Catch
2100 E. Katella Avenue
Anaheim, CA 92806
(714) 935-0101
http://www.catchanaheim.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-catch-anaheim-2
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