Some of my favorite tasty places to eat

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ThirtySomethingWEquity

Active member
BB.Q Chicken is pretty great, love the spicy galbi sauce (and it's not too spicy).

Angelina's pizza in Irvine is phenomenal, maybe only bested by Mozza in Newport Beach. I eat here way too much.

Hakko's Katsu is one of the few places I feel like I get a good deal these days. It's not cheap but they have big portions so it's worth it.

Sal's Pizza is probably my favorite chain pizza place when I don't want to spend time waiting for Angelina's or pay $25 for a small pizza.

Ozen Sushi is great, and very reasonably priced compared to so many other sushi places. If you want some good rolls without paying through the teeth, it's a good option.

Water Grill is probably my favorite upscale place, though I do feel a bit like i'm paying for the very cool atmosphere to some degree.
 
For me, Uoko for sushi, Houstons for general dining, Capital Grille for steaks, Taco Mesa for mexi, Greek Islands for gyro/falafel
 
OCtoSV said:
For me, Uoko for sushi, Houstons for general dining, Capital Grille for steaks, Taco Mesa for mexi, Greek Islands for gyro/falafel
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Never been to Capital Grille for steak. How does it compare to Mastros, The Ranch, Bourbon Steak, or A Restaurant? Those are all my top steak places.
 
ThirtySomethingWEquity said:
Never been to Capital Grille for steak. How does it compare to Mastros, The Ranch, Bourbon Steak, or A Restaurant? Those are all my top steak places.
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CG is the best of the chains IMO and they have an awesome bar setup for eating and watching a game - best one in OC IMO. We used to have a Bourbon Steak at Levi's Stadium pre-COVID and it was my favorite for both personal and business dinners. The one at Monarch Beach is good. I also like Salt Creek Grille up the road. Need to try the Ranch and A Restaurant.
 
OCtoSV said:
CG is the best of the chains IMO and they have an awesome bar setup for eating and watching a game - best one in OC IMO. We used to have a Bourbon Steak at Levi's Stadium pre-COVID and it was my favorite for both personal and business dinners. The one at Monarch Beach is good. I also like Salt Creek Grille up the road. Need to try the Ranch and A Restaurant.
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I recently had one of the best NYs of my life at this place in Los Gatos - can't recommend enough if you're ever up here
https://diodeka.com/dinner-menu/
 
ThirtySomethingWEquity said:
Never been to Capital Grille for steak. How does it compare to Mastros, The Ranch, Bourbon Steak, or A Restaurant? Those are all my top steak places.
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I'm still a fan of Mastros, but I feel like it's been going downhill over the years, been going since 2004/2005. Been to The Ranch, and A, but the Ultimate Steak Dinner at Trust in DTSA is better that all the above. $225/person all you can drink wine, about 5/6 courses of various cuts of steak and about the same # in sides/apps/desert. Well worth it if you've never been.

We do a lot of steak ourselves now since my group of friends eat a lot of red meat, but we can't do the sides as well as Trust. Recently did a Picanha, harder to find the cut unless you know wholesalers, definitely different than what we normally do.

Australian Wagyu is fatty enough, better than prime and not as expensive as A5. The A5 can be too rich for some people, good for tasting though at the end, but best bang for your buck is the Iberico IMO.

Outside Skirt --- Australian Wagyu Ribeye --- Iberico Secreto --- Japanese A5 Ribeye

Steak.JPGSteak2.jpg
 
akkord said:
I'm still a fan of Mastros, but I feel like it's been going downhill over the years, been going since 2004/2005. Been to The Ranch, and A, but the Ultimate Steak Dinner at Trust in DTSA is better that all the above. $225/person all you can drink wine, about 5/6 courses of various cuts of steak and about the same # in sides/apps/desert. Well worth it if you've never been.

We do a lot of steak ourselves now since my group of friends eat a lot of red meat, but we can't do the sides as well as Trust. Recently did a Picanha, harder to find the cut unless you know wholesalers, definitely different than what we normally do.

Australian Wagyu is fatty enough, better than prime and not as expensive as A5. The A5 can be too rich for some people, good for tasting though at the end, but best bang for your buck is the Iberico IMO.

Outside Skirt --- Australian Wagyu Ribeye --- Iberico Secreto --- Japanese A5 Ribeye

View attachment 9411View attachment 9412
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I mostly eat steak at home grilled over hickory. Saratoga Meat and Fish up here has Oregon Painted Hills beef, the best retail meat I've had. When Whole Foods has dry aged NYs (mostly ribeyes these days) Hopefully someplace in OC carries it. Given how much real Wagyu I've had in Japan (recommend Yamato in Ginza for great quality/value) I'll pass on the Aussie and American wagyu.
 
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ThirtySomethingWEquity said:
BB.Q Chicken is pretty great, love the spicy galbi sauce (and it's not too spicy).

Angelina's pizza in Irvine is phenomenal, maybe only bested by Mozza in Newport Beach. I eat here way too much.

Hakko's Katsu is one of the few places I feel like I get a good deal these days. It's not cheap but they have big portions so it's worth it.

Sal's Pizza is probably my favorite chain pizza place when I don't want to spend time waiting for Angelina's or pay $25 for a small pizza.

Ozen Sushi is great, and very reasonably priced compared to so many other sushi places. If you want some good rolls without paying through the teeth, it's a good option.

Water Grill is probably my favorite upscale place, though I do feel a bit like i'm paying for the very cool atmosphere to some degree.
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I feel like I'm in the minority of people who don't care for Angelina's...I haven't been in a while so maybe I need to go back and try a different pizza. If you like good pizza, Centro in Old Town Tustin is great and Folks in Costa Mesa is also great. Also, I remember you saying you live in LF. If you want some good old Italian American style pizza, Biagio's is good. Been going for 20 years.

Shhhh don't let the Hako secret get out :ROFLMAO:. Hidden gem in Irvine for sure. I used to love Sootha Coffee in that center too but it's been replaced with The Mugs which I haven't tried yet.
 
Stop posting steak porn--I think you doubled my cholesterol level 🤤

akkord said:
I'm still a fan of Mastros, but I feel like it's been going downhill over the years, been going since 2004/2005. Been to The Ranch, and A, but the Ultimate Steak Dinner at Trust in DTSA is better that all the above. $225/person all you can drink wine, about 5/6 courses of various cuts of steak and about the same # in sides/apps/desert. Well worth it if you've never been.

We do a lot of steak ourselves now since my group of friends eat a lot of red meat, but we can't do the sides as well as Trust. Recently did a Picanha, harder to find the cut unless you know wholesalers, definitely different than what we normally do.

Australian Wagyu is fatty enough, better than prime and not as expensive as A5. The A5 can be too rich for some people, good for tasting though at the end, but best bang for your buck is the Iberico IMO.

Outside Skirt --- Australian Wagyu Ribeye --- Iberico Secreto --- Japanese A5 Ribeye
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There's a place in Lake Forest called Bri Baru that I'd like to try, but they only serve meals during dinner time. Since I'm only in Irvine during work hours, I usually don't stay for dinner. Would appreciate if someone would check this place out and report back:

Also looking to visit soba izakaya minami in Laguna Hills this month as alternative to Fukada.
 
This place is called Brio Brio during the day and is an outstanding Japanese style kissaten with decadent breakfast items. Next time we're down I'll hit it up when it transforms into Bri Baru.
 
momopi said:
There's a place in Lake Forest called Bri Baru that I'd like to try, but they only serve meals during dinner time. Since I'm only in Irvine during work hours, I usually don't stay for dinner. Would appreciate if someone would check this place out and report back:

Also looking to visit soba izakaya minami in Laguna Hills this month as alternative to Fukada.
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I've recently discovered Brio Brio (the daytime bakery prior to Bri Baru) and have been twice. I can't speak for Bri Baru, but Brio Brio serves quality stuff (from bakery to coffee to sandwiches to salads). My only gripe is it's kind of expensive for what you get. The sandwiches/salads are $16, pastries (their variety isn't huge) is $4.50-5. Their japanese bread loaf is $16. I'm interested in trying Bri Baru.

If you're into fresh whole bean coffee, I recommend Mameya roasters in Laguna Niguel. They're a Japanese roaster. It's not really a coffee shop, so don't go in expecting espressos and lattes. They have a variety of bins of unroasted beans you can pick (or blend if you want), and then they'll roast it to your desired level on the spot (15-20min). It's a cool experience and prices are not outrageous ($18 for 12oz of their Mameya blend) for the freshness you're getting. Bri Baru uses Mameya coffee, I think (at least they have Mameya business cards in their store).

I've been to Soba Izakaya Minami once and remember it being good. I equate it more to Tanakaya (in Tustin) than Fukada, but I think it has more variety than Tanakaya.
 
momopi said:
On subject of Japanese bakeries, I recently found out that Okayama Kobo Bakery (https://www.okayamakobousa.com/) in Anaheim also owns Lagu Cafe (https://www.lagucafe.com/) by John Wayne airport.

Personally, I prefer the bread from Okayama Kobo vs. Onigiri at Lagu.
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Lago was supposed to be a pop-up, but it's been there for a few years now; hopefully it's permanent at this point. Don't have to wait in that long Anaheim line for the Matcha Sea Salt Cold Brew anymore.
 
momopi said:
There's a place in Lake Forest called Bri Baru that I'd like to try, but they only serve meals during dinner time. Since I'm only in Irvine during work hours, I usually don't stay for dinner. Would appreciate if someone would check this place out and report back:

Also looking to visit soba izakaya minami in Laguna Hills this month as alternative to Fukada.
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You should go for breakfast or lunch when it's Brio Brio. Bri Baru is a brand new concept they're trying and I haven't had a chance to give it a try yet. Their pastries are good and they have my favorite matcha drinks that I've had. Prices are a little steep, but it's good. The miso pork salad is one of my favorite underrated items from there.
 
akkord said:
I'm still a fan of Mastros, but I feel like it's been going downhill over the years, been going since 2004/2005. Been to The Ranch, and A, but the Ultimate Steak Dinner at Trust in DTSA is better that all the above. $225/person all you can drink wine, about 5/6 courses of various cuts of steak and about the same # in sides/apps/desert. Well worth it if you've never been.

We do a lot of steak ourselves now since my group of friends eat a lot of red meat, but we can't do the sides as well as Trust. Recently did a Picanha, harder to find the cut unless you know wholesalers, definitely different than what we normally do.
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I'll have to try Trust @ DTSA. For Picanha steak cuts you might have better luck at Argentine shops like the butcher counter at Gaucho Grill (Buena Park), or El Gaucho Meat Market (Anaheim?). The Butchery in Costa Mesa & El Toro Meats in Lake Forest may also provide special orders ($$$).
 
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