Dee Deems Deemer’s Dee-sappointing

Ha! I crack me up.

 

Soooooo, I had lunch with an old friend last weekend at a place called Deemer’s American Grill. I’ve been here before and it was damn tasty so why wouldn’t I want to go back?!

 

My first time there I had the BLT and it was super yummy so this time called for something new, the Californian burger. This burger has Monterey Cheese, Avocado Relish, Tomato, Baby Spinach, and Herb Aioli. Sounds good, right? Check out the shot:

 

 

Doesn’t look too bad. But let’s go back and really take a look at each ingredient.

 

Monterey Cheese, mild flavor but not bad to snack on. Avocado Relish, sounds different in a good way, relishes usually pack a punch of flavor, in this case, you would expect a hint of savory, but avocados... unless seasoned at the very least with salt, are actually very mild flavored, same with spinach. Tomatoes are standard, but I refuse them in my burgers and sandwiches. Now the Herb Aioli, oh how I love Aioli’s – they always compliment unhealthy foods so beautifully. BUT mayo with herbs blended in... still pretty mild flavored, not like a Lemon Dill Aioli, or a Chipotle Aioli, nay just some herbs in mayo...

 

All 5 elements were mild flavored; mild with mild, with mild, with some mild thrown in for good measure, and a little more mild in case you didn’t have enough.

 

Shit was bland! I had to use my friend’s BBQ sauce to jazz it up and actually attempt to finish it. Not to mention the bread completely fell apart.

 

Go there (bet you weren’t expecting that) and try something else, the customer service is actually really good and the place is always immaculate. Like I said before.. the BLT was damn good! So there’s hope for the other menu items.

 

/Spit out the Californian

/Swallow something else!

 

- Dee

A Dish So Nice They Named it Twice

Shabu-Shabu. That’s right, twice.

I was introduced to Shabu-Shabu back in 2003. How I ever lived without this is a mystery to me. – Did that rhyme?! Shabu-Shabu literally means “swish-swish” for the way you cook your meats/veggies by swishing it around in boiling water.

Shabu-Shabu is served with your choice of meats, and a dish of veggies which consists of Napa cabbage leaves, tofu squares, carrots, spinach, seaweed, green onions, and Udon noodles for your soup at the end (more on this later). It also includes two dipping sauces, a Ponzu (citrus soy sauce) and a Goma (sesame sauce) – you can season up your sauces with some minced ginger, minced garlic, and sliced green onions, don’t forget the hot drops! Just one in each sauce should do the trick. Top it all off with a bowl of rice.

What place do you go to for some pretty damn good Shabu-Shabu you ask? Well, California Shabu-Shabu in Costa Mesa of course! Great service, even better food.

Check it out:



I had the Regular (8 pieces) Choice Beef with brown rice and about 4 glasses of the most delicious Iced Green Tea I’ve ever had. Look at the beautiful Beef and super fresh veggies!





*Nom Nom* Right?!

So once you’ve gone through your meats (or veggies for you non meat eaters – no judgment!) and rice and sadness sets in at the thought that the meal is over... Think again! They surprise you with a bowl of soup base! You simply spoon in some of your boiling water, which has been seasoned with all the yummies you’ve been swishing in it, add the noodles, and whatever other veggies you might like and voila! Udon soup. It’s pretty awesome.



That was mine and I already want more.
This place is goooooooooooood. Go there, experience it, love it, love me for telling you about it, and then go on living your newly improved by California Shabu-Shabu life.


/Swallow It!

..and swallow some of that Iced Green Tea too, hell yeah mutha trucka!

I know, I’m a dork. You love it.

- Dee

A Loco Kind of Night

A few nights ago, it was decided that Chef, H1, and I would venture to Taco Loco in Laguna Beach for dinner.

I’ve been coming here since high school and I always, without fail, order the same exact thing.

Behold, the Blackened Mushroom & Tofu Burger:



We also decided to all share an order of the Calamari Nachos:



*Yum*

Side note: Watching Wipeout while trying to write a post is not smart.. That shit is distracting dude! But I digress.

I am a full blown meat eater (as I’m sure you’ve picked up on from previous posts), but I have ALWAYS ordered the Blackened Mushroom & Tofu Burger, it’s THAT good. Whole wheat bun, mustard, mayo, ketchup (sounds weird, but it really works!), shredded lettuce, guacamole, spicy sauce, and mushrooms  and tofu seasoned with Cajun spices. This burger comes with a side of tortilla chips which is also topped with spicy sauce. Every flavor and texture in this burger works together so well it’s honestly surprising. Who would think that mixing mayo, mustard, ketchup, guacamole, and spicy sauce would actually work?! It does my friends, it does.

The Calamari nachos are yummy too! The squid isn’t fried, per se. It is made with strips of Calamari steak which are lightly breaded (very lightly) and pan seared. The rest is pretty standard, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, spicy sauce, and of course the chips. It’s Dee-lish.

/Swallow them!

- Dee

Claim you’re a doctor and you’ll end up needing one. :(

Forgive me for not writing sooner. I’ve had one hell of a weekend..

I had intended to write a snazzy post on how you can all call me Dr. Dee now as I successfully managed to wrap my own sprained finger all by myself! Observe:



Popsicle stick & medical tape is all you need to be a Dr.



I know from personal experience that paying a $20 co-pay to have the Dr. tell you that you have a sprained finger and the only thing they can do is the “Buddy System” isn’t worth it. So why not do it yourself right? Gotta tell ya though... I highly recommend having a second set of hands help you with this, but like I said.. I’m a pro so I did it all by myself! Aren’t ya proud mama?!

While taking these pics (because of course I was going to post them up and show you all) I realized that I looked very much like a jackass. Sorry to all who have hurt a finger in the past, but really this “Buddy System” nonsense makes us all look special in one way or another. So I thought why not add some flare?! No need to look completely lame, make it worse with some lace!Yeah! And this is what came of that:





I’m a fashionista now! Designer Dee! I like it. Now, Yellow is not a “quiet” color by any means, but it was all I had and it’s better than tape and a popsicle stick. See.. I’m resourceful too!

The funny thing about this injury was when I woke up and couldn’t move my finger (no idea how it happened, I swear!) my first thought wasn’t, “how am I going to do my normal job on Monday?” Nay.. It was, “Shit! My Blog!” Priorities, pfft. Who needs ‘em.

So..... That was Saturday, then 5:30am on Sunday came and guess who woke up with a crazy case of Food Poisoning??? You guessed it! This chick. Now, I’m not gonna tell you not to eat at the Chick-fil-A in Tustin, but.. all I can say is, I won’t be returning. I swallowed it, and my body gave me no choice in spitting it back out. TMI – I know, my bad. So featured below was Sunday’s meal, yes one. That’s all, unless you count a teeny bit of Pho broth before bed.

Meal of champions.. and a dog who refused to get out of the shot because there was food within 7 miles of her presence. /Fatty



That would be knock off Grape Flavored Pediatric Electrolyte drink with a rice cake topped with PB&J while reading The Stand. Hell yeah, that didn’t come back up and was delicious to swallow down.

Finger’s feeling better, stretched it out a little and it works again. Tummy’s better too, damn fast food.. never again I tell ya!

...Still dehydrated and feeling hung over from the incident.

More swallowing to come. -Shit that sounds bad.. even to me.

- Dee

Shake*Shake*Nom*Nom

Hey ChickaDee’s and Chickadoo’s! Today’s post is brought to you by Dee a la Thursday.

Breakfast: BORING! Skipped it and had coffee since I had to attend an offsite company event. >.<

***

Lunch was a surprise birthday lunch for a team member at Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria at Downtown Disney. Once upon a time, long long ago, Dee ventured to this restaurant after a long day at Disneyland with my then bf (we can call him DB – I’m sure you can all figure out what that stands for). DB ordered a pizza with white sauce, artichokes, garlic, and something else – that pizza was magical. My lunch yesterday.. not so much. I ordered the Penne Con Pollo, featured below for your viewing pleasure.



Let’s take a closer look:



Pasta was dry, Chicken was dry, sauce was too watery.. whaaaat?! How does that happen?! I get it, the sauce sucked up all the moisture from everything else in the dish.. sneaky sauce!

PS – it was bland.. This is where the title comes in... I shook shook salt on it, then shook shook pepper on it, and THEN I shook shook some red pepper flakes on it. Taste, then repeat about 4 times. No bullshit. My team was in awe at how much salt I put on it. It was SOOOOOO bland! Ugh. I’ve discovered recently (although it’s always been suggested) that places who don’t put any condiments on the table, or don’t offer them at all, tend to be the best, most innovative, and tastiest and don’t need anything added anyway! Later on, I checked it on Yelp and the place only had 2.5 stars.. I should’ve checked it first. Ridick.

/Spit it Out.. All of it.

***

Dinner!!! Oh Dee-licious dinner!! Nom-sational - hands down. Yoshi’s Sushi in Yorba Linda was the place. This place is what sushi dreams are made of. So fresh, so flavorful, SO worth the drive.



We started with the Albacore Delight, or Dee-light as I’d like to refer to it as. California Roll (I hate these, but this is worth it) with seared Albacore up top, marinated onions, and green onions, all doused in an amazingly sinful garlic butter sauce.. This thing doesn’t even need to be dipped in soy sauce, it’s perfection in 8 pieces.

/Swallow It



Then followed the Crispy Spicy Tuna. I am a sucker for Spicy Tuna. This was actually pretty cool. Crispy/toasted sushi rice, a slice of jalapeno, and Spicy Tuna with a sprig of fresh greens. The sauces below were sweet, tangy, and spicy. The textures in this dish are insane, first you get that crunch from the toasted rice, then a crisp burn from the jalapeno, followed by the soft texture of the spicy tuna.. It worked, oh yes, it did.

/Swallow It

Next came Salmon Sushi:



Check out that marbling.. OMG my mouth is watering just looking at it. Simple, yet Dee-lish. Big pieces of fresh Salmon topped with marinated onions and Ponzu sauce, and yeah.. there’s rice under there.. somewhere.

/Swallow it down!

What’s next do you ask?! Well, here we go!



“Sea Snails?! WTF??!?!?!?” That was literally my reaction, I tried a few, but they’re a touch bitter. Not like Escargot at all.

/Spit it Out – Unless you’re into that sort of thing.

To help get rid of that last doozy we ordered some Kirin and Tempura Shishito Peppers:



Don’t be fooled! These peppers aren’t spicy at all! They have a very fresh essence to them, crunchy to bite into and they hardly need a thing, they are sprinkled with a little salt and that’s it. The sushi chef took the peppers, torched them a little bit, stuffed them with a tuna mixture and fried them up in a Tempura batter. So good!

/Swallow it.

It got better though! (Okay, yes, I ate a lot, but it was Sushi! (I have a sick obsession with the stuff. It’s like my version of crack!) Besides, I ate for the sake of the blog..
See guys! I DO care.



Snapper Sushi with Yuzu. *NOM* That little smidgen of green stuff on top of the fish packs such a punch of flavor, I might suggest not dipping this at all – if you can handle that. The Yuzu is citrusy, salty, savory goodness, pair it with that fresh slice of Snapper and you’re good to go.. Almost.

/Swallow it!

Last, but not even close to least:



The beautiful Star of Red Snapper. Slices of fish, dotted with hot Sriracha sauce, soaking in Ponzu. Yes.. that’s how you end a good meal.

/Swallow it

This place has great service and fresh food. No reason not to try it.

*Nom*Nom*Nom* This satisfies the Fat Kid in me.

- Dee

A Dee-Licious “BELT” with a side of Don’t Thai This!

This fine Tuesday morning I ventured into the office café, today was a breakfast sandwich day. I ordered a Chef JJ specialty.. what I’m told is called the “BELT.” Now.. I’ve decided to boycott the name, but that’s neither here nor there. (I think it’s a BLEACT) Check this out.



Now really... Tell me that isn’t a thing of pure beauty. It is hands down Dee-Licious! (Like what I did there? That’s right..) This BLEACT -as it shall henceforth be known- consists of Bacon, Lettuce, Egg, Avocado, Cheese, and Tomato. Every flavor came through individually yet blended together soooo nicely. I added the sliced bananas, because who doesn’t like swallowing some banana in the morning? ...get your mind out of the gutter.

/Swallow It!!! Over and over again!

***

I saw this mid-day in our shipping department and just got way too excited not to share it. Embrace your inner fat kids people!!

    

***

Dinner -
My Chef and I decided to eat at the local Thai restaurant, Tasty Thai. He ordered his favorite, the Green Curry with Tofu and Brown Rice and I decided to try something new, the Crying Tiger (isn’t that a snazzy name). We’ve been eating at this restaurant since we moved to this area 6 years ago and it’s always been tasty. Ha! Did it again!

This time however, not so much. Observe, the Crying Tiger – Grilled beef on a bed of lettuce, cilantro, and “house sauce” with a side of rice.




Looks good, right? Don’t be fooled, here’s what happens after you get through the top few pieces of beef.. I’ll admit, this is a smart tactic, hide the shitty part of the meal under the good part.



Yes my darlings, that is dry ass over-cooked meat. Not okay, but wait! There’s more!!!



That would be pure fat. You know... “Trim the fat” isn’t just a saying!!! I’ve also chosen to rename this meal the Fat Ass Drying Tiger.

To add to it, the waitress said “please” after every single line. LITERALLY. “Would you like a drink, please?” “How is everything, please?” “Here is your drink, please.” “Thank you for coming, please.” ...Are you effing kidding me?! It was awkward at first, then funny, then annoying, then I was completely done with it. Honestly, what. the. hell.

/Spit it Out, Please.

***

PS - I went to the Apple Store this evening, and spammed the macbooks and iPads with my blog page. LOL! Spread the word! I'm taking over the world one swallow at a time.

-Dee

5 Guilty Pleasures.. and definitely some swallowing!

So on Sunday after 15 episodes of Season 1 of How I Met Your Mother (yes, I’m new to the show.. and this is guilty pleasure number 1), and 3 loads of laundry my sisters invited me to have lunch at the Lazy Dog Café and I accepted.

Now.. Lazy Dog is pretty cool, the atmosphere is reason enough to go, but to add to that the service is always great and the food has yet to disappoint.



   

I had the Grilled Cheese (guilty pleasure number 2) with Cajun Fries and a side Wedge Salad with Ranch. To wash it down, Red Sangria… a pitcher of it (guilty pleasure number 3). Easy on the judgments, I shared this pitcher with my two sisters, we’ll call them H1 and H2 – no need to name names yet, you and I just met.

  

The Grilled Cheese was worth the swallow! Perfectly melted cheddar, gouda, and jack cheeses on perfectly toasted parmesan sourdough.. Nom Nom Nom – my inner fat kid jumped at this option.

I’ve only had the red sangria once before here and it was so good I’d probably go back just for it and nothing else; so this time, we ordered a pitcher. I effing love this stuff! (PS – I have a foul mouth, sorry if I offend)

I’m not saying this place is phenomenal, but for a “family friendly” restaurant (which I make a point to avoid) it’s not too shabby.. and I ALWAYS swallow!

/Swallow it

***

Sooooooo.. Later on.. My husband and I (let’s call him Chef.. he is anyway, it’s appropriate) had dinner plans with another couple at a place from his childhood called Zubies Dry Dock. Holy cow.. I was the only one who had never been there out of the 4 of us, but wow. They said this place was kind of a dive, and it was. Not in a bad/gross/dirty way though, it was actually kind of cool, you could just tell it had quite a few years under it’s old ass belt. The kind of place you happen to come across when shopping at a Goodwill in a crappy little shopping center.

They had options from Prime Rib to Filet Mignon to Pizza to Seafood! (so it had to be good..... right?!)





With every meal ordered here you get amazingly soft bread rolls.. (guilty pleasure number 4) They’re delicious. ‘Nuff said.

My meal? The King Crab Legs of course! (you guessed it! Guilty pleasure number 5!) This included 1lb. of King Crab Legs with “vegetables” (code for corn), a giant baked potato, and a trip to the salad bar (which I opted out of except to top my potato). Needless to say, the portions are huge.. this was enough food for two, and of course I didn’t finish it all – which for me, is surprising.

I did swallow this, but to be honest, it was just mediocre. I’d probably only go back for the bread rolls.. which isn’t going to happen.

Sorry Zubies Our good company made the trip worth it, but I’ve had much better seafood.

/Your call... I’d probably lean towards Spit it Out.

***


- Dee