Get it while it lasts, folks.  The final curtain call for The Hidden Kitchen in its current incarnation at the Rooster Cafe will be February 20th.  

Dr. Jeff Dobkin, one of the principals behind the project, wrote the following entry on their blog yesterday:

Next Phase

As those of you who have dined with us know, our current situation/location was/is only temporary.  We continue to search for a space that we can call our own, one where we can flex our creative muscle a bit more (but not too much!): a few more options for dishes, lots more wine, etc.  To this end, we have decided that February 20th will be the final day of service for The Hidden Kitchen at The Rooster Cafe.  Keep coming back until then and make sure that we have your emails addresses, etc. so that we can get you info about our permanent location. 

We have had a blast and thanks to Jack at the Rooster for his willingness to share space.  We look forward to better, but not necessarily bigger, things.

Ciao

Jeff

So there you have it: there's not much time.  And when you consider that it's only open for dinners Thursdays and Fridays, that means you have a total of 14 days to act.

Hopefully the foursome (Jeff, Julie, Jason and Holly) will transition to their own place soon after.

If you still don't have any idea what I'm talking about, read my full review HERE, and then get a reservation already!!!

Recently, I noticed that California Shabu Shabu is opening up another location in Costa Mesa, next to the Shark Club.

What's REALLY interesting here isn't the fact that the Fountain Valley staple is expanding, but that they have an honestly-written blog that details the day-to-day travails of setting up a restaurant.

Negotiating the use of the shared parking lot with Shark Club, various permit problems, and "all the bad juju that was flowing (their) way" are all chronicled with great aplomb by its writer -- a person named Len.

But in one revealing post, Len writes "again I will spare you the details so I can refrain from grabbing the plastic knife from my take out lunch and raking it down the length of my arms repeatedly."

And then there's this DOOZY:  Mistaken for burglars, they were almost arrested while working on their property by the Costa Mesa police department!!!  Guns were drawn!  They were handcuffed!  And, most importantly, hilarious pictures were taken.

For me it's a fascinating and often funny look into the frustrations, hard work, dangers, and hidden minutiae of starting up a place.  For its writer, I bet it's a good way to vent.

Remember Crepes de Paris? They used to be at the Irvine Spectrum a few years ago. Then they migrated to Brea's Irvine Spectrum low-rent equivalent, Birch Street Promenade (they have two other outlets elsewhere).

Now they're back in town. And of course, the site of the resurrection is at Diamond Jamboree, which wouldn't be the first time the plaza has taken in an Irvine cast-off.

The last one was BCD Tofu House, if you recall.

When it opens, Crepes de Paris, will be between 85 Degree C Bakery and Capital Seafood.

Was doing what everyone else was doing last Saturday: shopping.

Well, that's not true.  I was with someone who was shopping.  And it was while I was waiting for her at the shoe department that I noticed this odd sight you see to the left -- a line to get a seat at Nordstroms' Cafe.

Well, at least it was odd to me, because if hunger struck while I was at SCP, I wouldn't have even considered Nordstroms' Cafe.

Yet, there they were -- shoppers lined up a dozen people deep.

So, I'm curious.  I really am.  If you were one of these folks, what did you have?  And more importantly was it worth that line?  And the prices? 

On a related note, Macy's is on the verge of opening their "Signature Kitchen" this week.

If you remember, that's the one that will feature menu items from Iron Chef Cat Cora, Marcus Samuelsson, and Nancy Silverton.

If you don't recall, here's my post on it back in September.

This week, The Reg's Candace Shih -- who seems to live at South Coast Plaza -- reports that it was supposed to open yesterday but got delayed.  She did provide a link to their menu.

I include it HERE.

This one, I just might line up for.

We have great tipsters*. Jerry de Vera is no exception. He sent me these pictures of his sighting, and it's a big one: A new location of Wholesome Choice, that Persian-market-cum-Whole-Foods-cum-International-Food-Court.

He writes:

"I noticed construction at this former Albertson's on my way to a Vietnamese restaurant located a few doors down. It's located in Anaheim Hills at the corner of Imperial Highway and La Palma, just north of the 91 Freeway."

"I am a big fan of the Irvine Wholesome Choice, but living in Yorba Linda makes the trip a bit of a drive."

"However, their website does not mention a future location. Web queries on a second or future location also turned up negative. So I am excited but a wee bit doubtful."

Doubt no more Jerry! Doubt no more!

Following his tip, I contacted the Wholesome Choice business office and confirmed that they are indeed, opening a new store in Anaheim Hills.  And what's more, it's slated to open at the end of February.

I can already smell the sangak baking.

*If you, dear reader, would like to let us in on a new discovery, please e-mail me (elmomonster75@yahoo.com) or Gustavo.

The Laguna Beach Independent reports that David Wilhelm -- who quit the Culinary Adventures empire he built from the success of his Laguna Beach restaurant, Sorrento Grille -- will be back at Sorrento's helm. 

On Tustin's Newport Blvd., there are already several Indian businesses. Masala Bowl, an Indian fast-food joint that has franchise aspirations, started here. India Sweets and Spices is across the street, offering cheap vegetarian lunches and groceries. And if you veer off Newport Blvd. into its tributary of El Camino Real, you'll find Laxmi Sweets & Spices, another Indian restaurant/grocery store hybrid.

Seven months ago, India SpiceMart opened on Newport Blvd. But because it's hidden behind a Carl's Jr., it's impossible to spot if you weren't actually looking for it -- which is why I didn't notice it until today.

Also today I spied another new place called Radhika Sweets and Spices, which is about to open next to Haveli. When it does, that will make at least four Indian grocers in this area alone. We're still far off from seeing another Pioneer Blvd. in Artesia (that's where Little India is), but I think it makes Tustin's Newport Blvd. even more interesting, no?

Okay, so maybe now -- just days after the National Bureau of Economic Research officially declared we are eyebrow-deep in recession -- isn't the best time to talk about a $75 per person Christmas Eve feast at the ritziest of French restaurants, located on the highest wing of South Coast Plaza called "The Penthouse". 

The revolving door of eateries continues.  According to the Capistrano Dispatch, the space that the recently departed Rendezvous occupied in San Juan Capistrano's train depot is being developed by the people behind Gemmell's of Dana Point.

It's full steam ahead at The District in Tustin, despite the failing economy.  Bistro West and Marmalade Cafe are close to being done. 

For Bistro West, this will be the second location.  The original is a few miles south, in Carlsbad.  

For Marmalade Cafe, this will be the tenth.  The first hailed out of L.A.

Bistro West is opening sometime this month.  Preview dinners are happening this week for a few invited guests.

Marmalade is debuting in February.

This is all very good for The District (although probably not very good for The Winery, which is sandwiched in between the new entrants), but in looking at the menu, I'm not seeing much to distinguish the two from each other.

Take a look:

Bistro West's Menu

Marmalade Cafe's Menu

Each has a similar roster of pizzas, pastas, meats, sandwiches, salads.  Maybe it's just me, but on paper it seems I'm lookin' at twins, separated at birth, now re-united.  If anyone's tried any of the other locations of these restaurants, please chime in and answer this question:  Is there anything to get excited about here?

Fresh & Easy will mark its first year in business with the debut of its 100th store, opening at 1207 South Euclid Street in Fullerton, this Wednesday, November 12th at 10:00 a.m.

Although I am impressed with its achievements (as well as curious about its selection of cheaply priced organic produce), I am left with one question: With 100 stores already in existence, how did Tustin, Irvine, and Costa Mesa get left out?

If you take a gander at this Google map of its current locations in O.C., you'll notice the strange dearth of F&E's where this food critic usually trods.

What gives F&E? Where are you when Irvine/Tustin/Costa Mesa needs you most? Whole Foods (a.k.a. Whole Paycheck) won't be that hard to beat in this economic climate.

UPDATE: Got a nice and enlightening e-mail from one of the nice folks at F&E, who happened to be reading this post and the discussion that followed. Here's what she said:

I can’t tell you how much we have learned from everyone’s candid remarks.

I read your blog this morning on “Stick a Fork in It” and I wanted to send you a quick email to answer your questions about the locations you were interested in – Tustin, Costa Mesa and Irvine.

By no means have we avoided looking into these areas. In fact, we are very actively looking at properties in all three neighborhoods. Due to the economic situation in the US the property markets have been heavily affected, creating a rather difficult environment to secure property. Some properties have been significantly impacted by foreclosures and some shopping center developments have outright stopped, which may slow us down a little in our original plans to expand in that area.

Needless to say, we are still exploring many options in all three of those neighborhoods, so don’t count us out yet! Also, we don’t announce store locations until we are absolutely certain the property is secured – that way we don’t promise anything we cannot live up to.

So….that is the long and short of it! If you have a specific location you are thinking that a F&E would work for you and your neighbors, by all means let us know! http://www.freshandeasy.com/locationSuggestions.aspx

Two more places put their sign up at Diamond Jamboree.

First, there's Greek Islands Cuisine. If the name sounds familiar, it's because they already have a food stall at the Main Street Plaza Food Court, also in Irvine. Their new store in Diamond Jamboree will be significantly bigger. It will be a bonafide restaurant and neighbor to BBQ Chicken.

The other is called Balcony Grill and Bar. Not "bar and grill", but "grill and bar". More specifically: a yakitori grill, since they will serve those ever-popular skewered sticks of meat -- a staple at izakayas Honda Ya, Kappo Honda and Shinsengumi.

But here's where it gets kind of odd: According to their parked website, it will also serve English afternoon tea and will be open late, serving cocktails until 2 AM.

I only mention the last part because it's located on the second level of the shopping complex, with a flight of winding steps that lead down to the courtyard. Last call will be interesting to watch.

I've never met Ben Dayhoe, but as C. Montgomery Burns would say: "I like the cut of his jib."

The blogger chronicles his life living in Santa Ana's Santiago Street Lofts and is the man who started The Santa Ana Pub Crawl. He calls it his "little sociological experiment designed to change the perception of Santa Ana in the eyes of those who have never stepped foot in our town."

The first outing was six months ago; the next one is tomorrow. It starts at 5 PM, and participating restaurants include some of Santa Ana's finest: Memphis, Proof, Bistro 400, The Crosby, Jason's Downtown, The Gypsy Den, Tommy Pastrami, and Original Mike's.

Ben writes: "Each restaurant or bar will be featuring specialty drinks and one night only "Pub Crawl" prices. Pick up a "Crawler Card " at one of the participating locations for a chance to win prizes. Just be sure to stop by each location that night and get your card stamped, then turn your card in after you've hit all of the stops to be entered to win."

Check out www.santaanapubcrawl.com for more details and be sure to read Ben's tips for optimal enjoyment of your booze-guided tour of Santa Ana.

I mentioned in the Tokyo Table review that ran a few weeks ago that Ajisen Ramen is coming to Diamond Jamboree. Now, they've put up a few signs that gives away the location. It will be directly across Guppy Tea House, next to a beauty salon, and the first store you'll encounter on your right as you enter from Alton.

Here are a few facts about the chain:

- Originates from the Kumamoto prefecture in Japan, with over hundreds of stores throughout the globe, including five in the U.S -- there's one in Fremont and Temple City, California.

- Specializes in tonkotsu style ramen (murky, milky pork broth), which the Singapore branch of the company claims "can help to prevent aging!"

...so not only does Tokyo Table have to worry about competition, so do O.C's. plastic surgeons!

Tim and Liza Goodell (of A Restaurant and others) has a plan for the space vacated by Ristorante Max in Newport's Westcliff Plaza. Early next year, they're going to open their third outlet of 25 Degrees there. The other two 25 Degrees already in operation are in China and L.A.

I haven't been to either. But something struck me as familiar when I took a look at their menu. Is it just me or does the "Build Your Own Burger" section, with the list of toppings and sauces, sound a lot like The Counter's concept?

The folks at The Retreat inside The Spa at SCP are hosting a Quentin Tarantino Costume Party tomorrow, Saturday October 25th, starting at 8 PM. The sushi-chef/rock-star Cody Requejo should be there, and since they're cookin' burgers, I'm sure Dave Mau will be too. He's the place's grill master after all.

On the menu are Jack Rabbit Slim Style Burgers, fries and some "pretty fucking good milkshakes". The milkshakes aren't five dollars though -- they're included the cost of admission along with the rest of the meal. Tickets are $15 if you get it presale, $20 at the door.

It will be poolside, and there will be a DJ spinning tracks. I'm thinking Kool & the Gang and Dick Dale are sure bets. Tomoyasu Hotei's "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" is probably a lock too.

The catch is that if you attend, you must dress like a Tarantino character. God forbid someone shows up as The Gimp.

Tomorrow, the newly formed Orange County Restaurant Association will have it's first mixer at the Manhattan Supper Club in Orange. Admission is $20 for OCRA members and $30 for non-members. Admission fee covers appetizers, soft drinks and one specialty cocktail. Guest receive a 15% discount on food and drinks if you wish to purchase additional items.

It'll be cash at the door, but if you want to RSVP, you can do so here.

Rumbi Island Grill, a concept that describes itself as "tropical fast casual dining", is slated to open fifteen locations in Orange County in its push into California. About five or six are planned to be operational by 2009. No word on where the exact locations will be. Rumbi has existing stores in Colorado, Arizona, and Utah.

From their website, the focus isn't just Hawaiian island food, but stuff inspired by Bali and Jamaica -- anything that conjures up paradise in the minds of mainland Americans.

There's kalua pork, but also Jamaican jerk, and mahi-mahi seasoned with something called a "Volcano Spice Blend". Though the one item that got my attention was their "Kahuna Burger". One of my all time favorite movies is, of course, Pulp Fiction.

I don't cook much, but I still love browsing through cooking supply stores. Sur La Table is such a place, filled with gadgets I'll never use, at prices I can never justify paying. But again, it's fun to browse.

A new one will open up at the Irvine Spectrum soon -- the second in OC -- occupying the space vacated by The Sharper Image, which was also another place I loved to window shop, if only to ask the perennial question, "Who buys this crap?"

Of course, the answer to that is: practically nobody.

Irvine's Veggie Grill is slated to open it's second Irvine outlet at The Irvine Spectrum, fellow food-blogger Brekkie Fan told me. The original, across from UCI, has become the darling of local vegetarians and omnivores alike, thanks to one of the co-founders of Costa Mesa's Native Foods.

As Brekkie Fan succinctly puts it, "tempeh is the new chicken"; and soon those whose who stream out of Edwards Irvine Spectrum can have it in lieu of Johnny Rockets.

I've always thought that Orange County's been Yogurtland's turf. Case in point: The Pinkberry over at The District seems so eerily quiet while the lines at Yogurtland's original Irvine location are consistently and perennially long.

When they opened a new Tustin store, near Haveli on Newport Ave., even that location saw hordes of people.

Now there's one slated to open across from UCI* (which I am sure won't do anything to the lines anywhere else), and others including Tustin Marketplace and the Northwood neighborhood of Irvine.

What they need to do though, is open one up at the Irvine Spectrum, where Pinkberry seems to be doing well.

Let's settle it once and for all people: I want to see a fro-yo battle royale which ends in spilled blood...er, berry juice.

And yes, I'll be rooting for the home team.

*Special thanks to my source, who wants to remain anonymous for his own protection, for the picture and the tip!

Score one for the little guy!

Fellow blogger and foodie Brekkie Fan sent me a note that the Starbucks at Newport Ave. and Main St. in Tustin is going to become the second outpost of Kean Coffee.

Kean -- as all caffeine junkies already know -- is Martin Diedrich's indie coffee house; The one he built from scratch in Newport Beach after he sold his much-beloved local gem Diedrich's Coffee to the Starbucks empire.

Well now that more and more Buckies stores are folding, (Hmm, I wonder why fewer people are willing to pay $5 for coffee nowadays) this news seems sweetly karmic.

Brekkie Fan even got the scoop from Martin Diedrich himself.

"I did meet Martin today while at Kean," she writes.

"He served me my quiche. We got to talking, and it's an interesting story. The spot they will be occupying (slated for a January opening) is actually the site of his original Diedrich Coffee. How very full circle/karma-like is that?"

Orange County's going to be home to a restaurant by an Iron Chef. No, not Batali. No, not Morimoto either. It's Cat Cora -- the lone female Iron Chef.

But first, let me clarify that the planned restaurant -- called CCQ for Cat Cora's 'Que -- is actually going to be paired up with Nancy Silverton's La Brea Bakery and a burger bar by Marcus Samuelsson. Not only that, all three will be housed together inside the Macy's at South Coast Plaza.

Also, according to QSR Magazine, she'll be sharing seating, staff, and the kitchen with the other two concepts.

If all goes to plan, CCQ's expected do riffs on all kinds of BBQ, not the stuff you'd find just about everywhere now. Caribbean jerk and Argentinean chimichurri, for example.

Though I'm not sure what the restaurant will actually look like, judging from these details, I'd have to guess it'll be some sort of food court hybrid. But don't sigh just yet. At least it's something. Just be glad it's Cora and not Bobby Flay.

I just saw the latest Indiana Jones at a second-run cinema. It cost me $2. It was worth exactly that. Before the flick, I had dinner. It was $6.

Clearly, the people at Village Roadshow -- the Australian entertainment company -- did not have people like me in mind when they envisioned their Gold Class Cinemas, a luxury $35-a-seat movie theater planned for three Southern California locations next year, including at Costa Mesa's Triangle Square.

What do you get for the money? Reclining chairs decked out in suede, a personal attendant, and the chance to see the same movie that's playing at the local cineplex for a 350% markup.

If you think that dinner and wine is included in the ticket price, you'd be wrong. Check out their menu, which include these gourmet options:

Hot Dogs
Spicy beef mini hot dogs served with chunky chips, tomato relish or dijon mustard
AU$15

Traditional Fish and Chips
Lightly battered fish fillets, thick potato chips and tartare sauce
AU$22

Though the prices and items above are from their theaters in Australia, even if you converted it to U.S. dollars, you're looking at quite an expensive night out.

The ArcLight, the Landmark or the Bridge in L.A. already offer this kind of premium theater seating with some success. But Triangle Square? Really? Remember NikeTown? Virgin Megastore? If Phil Knight and Richard Branson couldn't make it there, what makes these Aussies think they can do any better?

Looking for an excuse to finally check out the new Anaheim GardenWalk? Their free and outdoor Garden Party Music Series starts tomorrow, Saturday, September 6th and will continue every Saturday until the 27th.

Click HERE for the schedule and more details on the acts.

Even if you've seen their slate of restaurants before -- Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., California Pizza Kitchen, Cheesecake Factory, McCormick & Schmicks Grille, P.F. Chang's and Roy's Restaurant Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine -- free entertainment is free entertainment.

Also, the center will see Bar Louie Tavern & Grill opening on Wednesday, September 10. After it, their list of fine dining tenants looks to be complete.

Faithful reader (and master chef at a golf club I can't quite remember right now!) Steve Reush wrote in yesterday with exciting news: Ruben's Panadería will reopen soon with new owners. The Fullerton institution served thousands of Mexican familias' pan dulce needs, baking crumbly conchas, snappy cochinitos (gingerbread cookies shaped like a piggie), sweet empanadas, and some of the best bolillos outside of France. "As one of the busiest panaderias in North O.C., the new patrons will have a goldmine if they run it correctly," says Reush. "Hopefully, they will make the
Bolillo/Jalapeno/Cream Cheese bomb." The last bit referred to a Ruben's creation: a hollowed-out bolillo stuffed with the aforementioned ingredients that every panadería shamelessly pirated. Will write soon with a field report...

Good things do happen in Irvine, even if it's going to make traffic even more hellish. It's called Diamond Jamboree Center, a sprawling shopping complex you might have seen being built on the corner of Alton and Jamboree Rd.

So far, just the signs are up. Finishing touches are still being made. But already you can tell, this is going to be interesting. I'm rubbing my hands as I type this. (Well, not at the same time, obviously.)

First there's H-Mart, a Korean grocer. And then Tokyo Table, what looks to be a serious Japanese restaurant, featuring ishiyaki, food cooked tableside on a hot stone. BBQ Chicken, an outlet of the Korean-style fried chicken chain (think Popeye's but with kimchi) is also coming to town.

A Taiwanese bakery called 85°C Bakery Café promises gourmet coffee and pretty cakes. Capital Seafood, a Little Saigon and Rowland Heights institution is also slated to open.

And I didn't even mention Guppy Tea House (boba milk teas and such) and Chae Bahn (Korean cuisine) yet.

If it all goes to plan, the traffic will be worth it.