PurpleDingo99

So, I've spent my summer as a waiter for a little restaurant which has only been around since December. The owners don't really know the town at all and this has been their first restaurant, so they've basically been experimenting as they go. I just gave my two weeks, as I'll be going back to school soon, but I still want to see the place succeed. So, I'm posting here just to see if anyone on the Gullet has wandered in yet, and (more importantly) if they have any comments to pass back to the chefs. I've been working with them to try and work the bugs out, but it's been tricky. If anyone is interested in dropping by, give me a reply or whatnot so I can make sure you get treated right. In the meantime, if anyone wants to check out the joke of a website: http://www.piccolacasarestaurant.com/index.html .

I present the bacon corollary: http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/stove_ownership.png My roommate occasionally throws on a whole pack at two in the morning. Either I'm around or the smell wafts up to my room, which leads me to come down and cook some for myself. At that point, might as well call some people over... Viola! The bacon party!

Actually, I was trying to use up a box of focaccia mix that somehow got up into the cupboard. Ended up being the perfect crust for keeping that barbecue sauce in. Hey, I'm in college.

First of all, I really have to give that pork and cabbage dish a shot now. It looks amazing right now. Anyways, I had barbecue pulled-pork stromboli with roasted acorn squash. Really good this time, but I can expand on it.

Glad you had a great meal! Definitely glad you skipped Wildfish, I had an awful meal there about a year ago. Next time give marche moderne a shot! ← Yeah, I only found one favorable review online, and it was written right at opening. The user reviews were particularly dismal. I think he just wanted to stay there and drink for a bit more than anything. Hopefully he finds his way down here before the end of the semester, because I'm trying to transfer up to Berkeley but I really want to try Marche Moderne. Oh Egullet, why must you always introduce me to such great things which I cannot even begin to afford? ← MM actually has an excellent lunch deal which I believe is around $20 for three courses. Can someone confirm? In any case, that is a phenomenal deal that you may want to take advantage of. I think it would be worth forgoing a few pints at the bar one night, no? ← I still got another nine months, so that's more like ten bottles of Two-Buck Chuck to me.

Your meal sounds lovely. Perhaps the next time he gets to the area you might be able to wend your way inland a ways to Yorba Linda and try a meal (lunch or dinner are both excellent) at Blue Agave Southwestern Grill. This is not a traditional "Mexican" restaurant but it is very, very good and many of the dishes are unusual and beautifully presented. Menu ← Those platings are outrageous! They look like something out of a family restaurant, but they sound amazing. For those prices, I just might be able to haul a group of college kids out there next time someone has a birthday. I guess I was expecting something like The Blue Agave in Pleasanton California (not 10 minutes from my house- http://www.blueagaveclub.com/blueagave.html .) Perhaps Pleasanton has the 'classier' establishment, but I already like your recommendation better.

Glad you had a great meal! Definitely glad you skipped Wildfish, I had an awful meal there about a year ago. Next time give marche moderne a shot! ← Yeah, I only found one favorable review online, and it was written right at opening. The user reviews were particularly dismal. I think he just wanted to stay there and drink for a bit more than anything. Hopefully he finds his way down here before the end of the semester, because I'm trying to transfer up to Berkeley but I really want to try Marche Moderne. Oh Egullet, why must you always introduce me to such great things which I cannot even begin to afford?

So, my dad tried to talk me into Wildfish in Newport (he happened to have a meeting nearby directly before) but I pulled up some pages on it and talked him out of the place rather quickly. He's a sucker for good Mexican (who isn't?) so Taleo became the easy sell. The guacamole was worth the hype (note to self: use more of cilantro) and the entrées did not disappoint. I had the shrimp enchiladas with yellow mole and a bit of quasi-chimichurri sauce tucked in, which had a surprisingly refined texture. He had camarones de mojo de ajo, which, with a multitude of sides, looked perhaps more American-Mediterranean than Latin American. Whatever the inspiration, the culmination was a rich and balanced dish. No complaints on the edible end. The wait staff and decor, along with the food, really drove the chic-but-accessible image home. Really, the only problem either of us had was finding the place (I had a map, he had a GPS, and we both still had to drive around!) All in all, it was a perfectly enjoyable dinner. Thanks for all your suggestions, and hopefully he starts visiting more often.

My dad is coming into town tomorrow and I'm trying to think of something really unusual for dinner. Nothing too high-end (The Hobbit, I digress, is right about the corner) and nothing too cheap (I am a college student trying to squeeze a decent meal out of his dad, after all. ) Anything from Orange to Newport is fair game, although he won't be on the road until 6:00. So, Dana Point is really out (though it sounds like there's some good eatings down there.) Currently, my fall back is the Agora Churrascaria in Irvine. So, any ideas?

I think it's pretty self-explanatory from here on out. I found this on neatorama.com: http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008...-hong-kong.html Personally, I almost want to try the Sweet Potato Mousse one. Almost.

I finally saw a place on Tustin Ave near Palmyra called El Taco of Orange. Still in the same city but not exactly "just down the street." Is this the place you are talking about? Since it looks like a well-maintained business on a major street I'm guessing that it is not the same place. If so, please let me know. I'm still waiting to check it out. ← Sorry for the slow reply. That's the place alright. I completely forgot about the place since my original post, but apparently one of my friends ate there and lived to tell the tale. Edible, but nothing special. Sadly (as you said,) it's not quite as shady as I remember it either. Anyways, I'm living with a hive of roaches in La Veta now, so I think my standards have fallen a bit.

"balsamic twice-baked mushrooms with a durian puree" this thing is amazing.

My favorite way is to send a fearless busboy (Ie- myself, when I rarely get such a privilege) to start clearing off everything. First, take the tips. Then, take the glasses. Then, wipe off the table. Then throw the customers away.

I don't know about the rest of the country, but it's common knowledge around here that the best Mexican food comes from the shadiest places. Down the street from my college (in Orange, CA) is perhaps the shadiest Mexican restaurant I have ever seen. Appearances aside (a glorified roach-coach with a cluster of crappy tables under a tattered awning) the place is called El Taco. The reason I mention this place, however, is the fact that this place proudly offers 69 cent "beef" tacos. Personally, I wouldn't touch the place with a ten foot pole but all my hometown friends think I'm nuts. So, would you eat at El Taco?

Obviously that is a state-specific question. In California, liquor licenses alone sell on the open for upwards of $80k. The transfer process is that the new applicants have to apply, a sign is placed on the restaurant's window for 30 days, and a thorough background check is done on all the major players in the business (owners as well as investors, depending on the percentage invested). The interruption in service would only happen if the new owners take possession of and start running the business without the ABC having approved the liquor license transfer, but usually the escrows coincide and it is rarely an issue unless there are back-ground problems with one of the principals. ← Well, I told Clementine and it turns out she sold her old liquor license (yes, this is Northern Cali) for $16k only a couple of years back. Man, did she ever kick herself when I told her that $80k figure. The lease has four years on it (yes!) and I could see the place moving to a bigger suite by the time this one expires. So, that's perfect for the time being. We have a mutual friend with a strong law background (but without ever getting licensed) who should be free in a couple of weeks to help evaluate the books, so that's all dandy. Right now, I'm considering buying into the place a bit because my current stock portfolio is doing diddly. Just waiting for my broker to get me my new password so I can evaluate that. We'd probably do something like buy 10% in, 10% net profit out, 10% final sale. In return for what seems like a biased investment, I would help out with marketing (which is more one of my strong suits than hers) and some of the unusual logistics (right now, I think she should add Wi-Fi for all the wandering businessmen who end up there. However, I had to explain to her what Wi-Fi is!) Will update as things progress.