Double D BBQ

So .... my dad just retired and he designed a full size , fully functional train BBQ.
It has a smoke pit that can cook about 100 tri tips and a BBQ that can cook about 60 racks of ribs.
Its basically like a food truck and disneyland had a baby!!
We do farmers markets, private parties, large events, BBQs, weddings ect. and we do some of the best BBQ I have ever been a part of . I have tried BBQ in the famous Lockheart Texas and in the Carolinas and we definitely can compete.
Double D BBQ does brisket, pulled pork, st. louis ribs, and tri tip, we also do a little bacon wrapped pork tenderloin and smoked chicken. You can find DDBBQ on facebook and twitter so please jump on board.
you can catch the D-train in full effect @195 downtown grill in Anaheim on thursdays and fridays and try this BBQ for yourself.

Drink of the Week (the DONKEY PUNCH)

1.5 OZ OF BACARDI DRAGONBERRY RUM
4 WHOLE STRAWBERRIES MUDDLED
FILL WITH HOUSE MADE LEMONADE
SHAKE AND STRAIN OVER FRESH ICE
GARNISH WITH A STRAWBERRY

Chapter One (the modern local) in Santa Ana

Ok so I went out with a friend of mine for a quick drink tonight in santa ana,  When most people think of santa ana they think "cholos" and lowriders but this city used to be an amazing city with amazing architecture like that of portland, oregon.  The stigma of santa ana and anaheim are bad and this is a reason why it doesnt thrive as much as it should . But let me be the first one to tell you that THINGS ARE CHANGING!.  Within walking distance there are 5 great bar/restaurants, and they have an amazing artist district.  Tonight we decided to check out Chapter One!

The place has a great gastropub/library feel. There is outdoor seating that surrounds the restaurant if you want to people watch or enjoy the summer air. Parking is not an issue, they have a parking lot for the restaurant and also a parking structure across the street.  Chapter One was opened by a guy who previously was a partner at another Gastropub in the Orange Circle called Haven.

DN Tip - A Gastropub originated in england in the 20th century.  Gastropub refers to a bar and restaurant that serves high-end beer and food.

So my friend and I immediately go to the hand crafted cocktail menu which is stellar.

I end up getting the Druid and he gets the brown suga.  The Druid was made with the knott 

which is an amazing whiskey , a hint of thyme and some other deliciousness.  The brown suga 

had a tequila base but finished very smooth with a hint of brown sugar and spice.

We were both starving so we ended up getting two appetizers , the stuffed squid and the 

scallops. The stuffed squid had great texture , fresh squid stuffed with green olives, sundried 

tomatoes and mushrooms finished with  a deep fried coating. The dipping sauce was as tomato coulis that tasted like a light, freshly grated salsa.

As for the scallops, a small portion and did not pop with flavor.  Scallops can be an amazing 

dish if done right but this one was average.

As we got down to the main course, there were many options to choose from, we chose the 

duck breast , mac and cheese (duh) and the Italian Burger.

The duck breast dish was great , very different in flavors than your typical duck dishes . It 

was served with a fresh waffle and strawberry reduction.  All the flavors paired well except for I

it might have needed a little heat (spice).  The Italian burger was great, italian spices, large portabella marinated and juicy, a crispy parmesan saucer that was 6 inches in diamater that gave a great crunch and a basil aioli that was light but packed with flavor. The Mac and Cheese was on point. An all time favorite of mine and probly everyone else in the world!!  We all know  Mac and cheese has been done so many times and in so many ways but few can make a great one.

This mac had all the great rich truffley flavor with a hint of of pearl onions and smokey bacon and was topped with a panko crust.  As we finished dinner a live jazz band was playing and it was absolutely the best end to a good meal and a long day.  There are not that many places like this in northern orange county so if you are around , it is a must see.

If you do visit Chapter One …… please visit Lola Gaspar which is a neighboring bar  / restaurant I will review next!!

DN Suggestion - If you live in orange county ...... a must see

FOOD -  4/5

SERVICE - 4/5

DECOR 4/5

MENU - 4/5

Dinner with the Boys @Fig and Olive

So its date night with the boys after a day of golf at the wilshire country club.
We had just heard about a new restaurant opening call Fig & Olive on Melrose in WeHo.
We were all in our golf gear and were a little skeptical about dress code but we said whatever ..... whats a little peacocking gonna hurt anyway.
DN Tip - Peacocking is like when a male peacock uses his feathers to attract a mate, peacocking involves using a man's clothing and adapting his behavior in an over the top and flashy manner, for the purpose of attracting women.
As soon as we walked in , we felt the eyes burning us.  Fig and Olive is def. a new L.A "Scene" place.
Models at the bar , models in the dining room , models serving the food. I think every server had colored eyes lol.  It took a while to get a table with a reservation,  but the people watching was fun. We ran into Sean McNamara from nip/tuck and a few other b-list actors. I love watching these struggling actors from New Hampshire pretend to be hot from across the bar when they really serve tables and have $20 in there bank account. classic!!
Our table was finally ready and we were starving . So after a gander at the amazing menu of small plates I decided to order just about everything on the first page......
The cheese plate - an amazing assortment of Fromage de Chevre(Goat), Gorgonzola Dolce (Cow),Robiola (Cow/Sheep), Fontina (Cow), Manchego (Sheep), Pierre Robert (Cow) which was accompanied by a complimentary trio of house made olive oils and fresh bread. hence the fig and OLIVE.
Then came the Crostini's
Bresaola, Goat Cheese, Black Olive crostini- my favorite, classic Mediterranean flavor with smooth goat cheese.
Prosciutto, Ricotta, Fig, Olive, Walnut crostini
Shrimp, Avocado, Cilantro, Tomato crostini
Crab, Avocado, Cilantro, Pine Nuts crostini
all of the crostini's were great.
next was a trio of ceviche
Branzino Lemon Ceviche, Salmon Ceviche and Crab Tartar.  All had great flavor but they didnt blow me away.
The beef carpaccio with Filet mignon, 18 year old balsamic vinegar
baby arugula, parmesan and truffle oil was a DREAM! the best I have ever had. So many different flavors that all played together like a symphony.
After the first courses were done we ordered a cocktail and took our time to talk and be guys. We must have told the waitress to leave us alone like 5 times.
DN Tip - (Try to go out and make it ALL about the boys, a tuned in focused conversation, ya know ... like girls do) stop having rubber neck every time a girl walks by. trust me , the outcome will always benefit you!

When it was time for the Main Course we had ....
Rosemary Lamb chops - these were no ordinary lamb chops, they were insanely tender , not an ounce of gameyness and finished on  maybe a charcoal grill ?... amazing flavor.
Filet Mignon- Cooked to perfection medium rare, prime beef that melted in your mouth.
Roasted Veal Chop (on special) - Ok now this thing was the best veal ever!12 ounce chop with seared in juices cooked medium and the sides of fluffy buttery mashed potatoes and roasted and marinated whole tomatoes were a complete dish.
The thing I really liked about the food presentation was that they were covered , like room service in a hotel but cooler! and when they opened it at your table not only was the food at a perfect temperature but the aromatics of the tyme and rosemary filled your senses.

dessert?? not a chance , way too full and sweets don't mix with more cocktails..... but I will take an expresso because coffee is for closers! and some sambuca to settle my stomach.
DN Tip - Sambuca is a liquor made from star anise,
In  Italy it is common to serve neat Sambuca with 3 coffee beans (Sambuca con la mosca (literally, "Sambuca with fly". It  is said that the beans represent health, happiness, and prosperity. The original meaning of the 3 beans was to signify the Christian Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
- and guys, this is an awesome ice breaker !!

After dinner we all had the same reaction and views on the restaurant .... a flawless menu from start to finish and a great vibe.
Every date night is different in its own way , so treat them with respect and give them your full focus and attention. Boys need to be boys, so call up your close friends and enjoy a good meal , conversation and your favorite cocktail.

FOOD - 5/5
SERVICE - 5/5
DECOR - 5/5
MENU - 5/5

DN SUGGESTION - GET THERE, ASAP

Parking - some street parking , I would valet
Fig & Olive
8490 Melrose Pl., West Hollywood (310) 360-9100
figandolive.com

Date Night with the G/F

Its date night with the girlfriend....

So the lady and I head to Lazy Ox Canteen in Downtown L.a (little tokyo).

My g/f lives in downtown L.a so this was a place she has been wanting to try for a while.

Date Night  Tip - ( guys ... pay attention to the little things , listen for subtle hints of what your lady wants, it pays back 10 fold , and suprise her when you do it , they LOVE suprises!)

When your driving to this place, you have to drive by skid row and look at a bunch of bums and crackheads but DONT be alarmed, its just L.A .... just lock your doors and drive a minute longer because the food is definitely worth it.  There is street parking and also a small parking lot so parking is not an issue here. We had a reservation and it was a great idea because this place was packed on a Tuesday with not one table available.  The decor was awesome, the walls were exposed brick with dim light and candles and a huge chalk board menu that changed with the  weekly specials. There was a good high energy vibe of happy people eating good food and enjoying each others company. 

Lazy Ox starts out each table with a small bowl of home made spicy (corn nuts)  that are really tasty and addicting, I must have asked for more 3 times. Lazy Ox has a set menu and also the chalk board menu with specials that are very eclectic.  The lady and I always have to check the Wine List and Specialty cocktail list b/c thats how we start to judge a good restaurant...if they put good time into these menus , they will surely put the time into great food.  We both had a glass of Torrontes/Viogner from Argentina , a fun white wine that we like to pair with seafood and fried foods and now its on to the first course.

Whats a Viogner?? -Viognier is a very full-bodied, yet soft white wine grown throughout the world. Viognier is one of the aromatic wines, like wines such as Muscat or Riesling. 

For our first small plate we started with the bellwether farms ricotta fritters w/saba and saffron honey, these things were like a fried cloud of heaven.  smooth warm ricotta ,light fried batter with a honey dipping sauce that tasted like butter.

Since we were sipping on some white wine, we decided to run with the yellowtail dish that was one of the best small plates we have had in a while .... fresh yellowtail sushi cubed with cilantro avocado and citrus paired with a crispy golden brown homemade hashbrown. ....and yes i thought the same thing ...sushi and a tater tot!!! but when you eat them together the textures do a crazy number in your mouth . Amazing!!!

DN TIP -( Try new things, when your on a date w a girl she will love it when you take control and look like you know what your doing, be adventurous!)

The lady and I have a motto we eat by "lets see where it takes us" .... meaning , we just order one appetizer or small plate at a time and see where it goes,  depending on your mood or how full you are or what wine/ cocktail your enjoying , YOU have the right change your mind and eat WHATEVER the hell you want , WHENEVER your want.  You make the rules!!

With that being said, we were starting to get full so we decided to share one main course if we wanted to get dessert and we almost ALWAYS have to get dessert because my lady has a sweet tooth your would not believe or understand.

I really love burgers so we decided to get the lazy ox burger and pair it with a red wine called singularis from portugal  with notes of plum, ripe red pepper and spice. The lazy ox burger was spiced right and cooked medium rare which made it taste so juicy and had an amazing texture. The spicy wine paired well with the burger.

DN TIP - (if your going to get red meat dont ever order it well done, you might as well go to carls jr. and the chef is probubly saying F%$$$ this guy)  

The bun was a soft and buttery brioche and paired perfectly with the burger, and as for the green peppercorn mustard well...I got on the side because I absolutely hate anything that has to do with mustard unless its cooked off.

For dessert we were torn between two, vanilla panna cotta or the trio of sorbet.

I always give my beautiful g/f the choice of dessert so we got the trio or sorbet .

From my italian blood , I must have an expresso or grappa or sambuca after dinner 

....sometimes all three lol

The expresso and sorbet arrived and each flavor was amazing. 

Grape, Mango, and Vanilla. The grape was by far our favorite. It had the taste of a fresh grape with a hint of cream and a smooth texture.

As the meal came to an end we sat back in our chairs and took a  deep breath, stopped and smiled at each other and thanked God for another great date night experience and another meal with the one you love.

DN Tip - ( if you love someone , TELL THEM.. everyday !!)

 

 

DATE NIGHT RATING 

FOOD - 5/5

SERVICE - 4/5

DECOR 4/5

MENU 5/5

DN SUGGESTION - A MUST TRY

Lets get started

Date Night with Drew is a blog that will take you around the globe and explore the wonderful world of culinary arts and how I interact and entertain different date nights with my girlfriend , a boys night out or dinner with grandma. You will experience everything from table preparation, how to order off a menu and what to wear.
Stay tuned as we travel around the U.S and the world trying some of the most interesting restaurants and bars.
There might even be some video blogs on how to cook and make craft cocktails to impress your friends.