The Best Things We Ate in Southern California This Month
Crantastic Turkey Sandwich – Stell Coffee & Tea Co., Redlands
This hot- or cold-pressed sandwich is a good way to get your turkey fix if Thanksgiving dinner just isn’t enough for you. It features a thick layer of cranberry sauce, bacon, and tomato for $13.65. It comes with a side such as chips or pasta salad.
Mango Apple Pie – Apple Alley Bakery, Julian
It’s officially that time of year when the pie is the go-to dessert, but let’s face it, pie is good year-round. I love a fruit pastry, which puts this particular dessert in a special place in my heart. This mango apple pie is a wonderful treat from the Apple Alley Bakery in the cozy town of Julian. The bakery serves the best pastries, including pie crust cookies (also a favorite of mine), and other sweets like tarts and cinnamon rolls. The cinnamon apple complements the mango flavor so perfectly that you’ll want to order a whole pie to-go. Do it without hesitation.
Spicy Fusilli – Jon & Vinny’s, View Heights
Chances are if you’ve heard of Jon & Vinny’s the first dish that comes to mind is their spicy fusilli pasta. It’s become a staple dish and fan favorite for a reason. The creamy sauce goes well with the corkscrew pasta shape, and the result is maximum flavor. My friend and I chose to go here ahead of Sabrina Carpenter’s sold-out concert at the Kia Forum. I was pleasantly surprised how quickly we were able to get our meal and make it on time to the show, and it was nice to have some quality food for the same price as what I would’ve paid for a pretzel and water inside the venue.
The Best Egg Sandwich – The Butcher’s Daughter, West Hollywood
When my friend and I stumbled upon the Butcher’s Daughter, I had no idea that it was a vegetarian restaurant, different from a vegan spot because they make dishes with real egg and cheese. When we walked in my eyes wandered to a nearby table where they’d just gotten their food. Immediately, I knew I’d be getting the meal. It turned out to be the “best egg sandwich,” a dish I would argue did live up to the title. The sandwich is simple and to the point: eggs, kale, avocado, cheddar cheese, harissa mayo served on sourdough bread. I also chose to add their rice paper “bacon” to the sandwich out of curiosity, and when you bite in, you definitely pick up on the bacon-like smell, taste, and crisp. However, if you eat the “bacon” separately, you can definitely tell it is not bacon. Also, many of their vegetarian dishes can be made vegan.
The Remi Cruz Bowl – Sweetfin, Studio City
Living in Southern California we have our fair share of local spots that you can get great quality poke from. There are a few small chains I love, such as 8 oz. Poke in the San Fernando Valley and Poke Tiki in Newport Beach. Another favorite is Sweetfin, which now has 14 locations in Southern California. My go-to is typically a custom bowl with tofu as the protein, but recently, they partnered with lifestyle creator Remi Cruz. I wanted to try the “Remi Cruz Bowl” more so out of curiosity, but the second and third time I got it within the same week was because I was truly craving it. The bowl is sushi rice and salmon with a truffle sriracha mayo sauce, with avocado and cucumbers, topped with an eel sauce drizzle, crunchy rice noodles, and wasabi furikake. Tip: if you get it to go, ask for the crunchy rice noodles on the side so they maintain their crunch.
Wagyu Denver Steak – La Vaquera, San Juan Capistrano
River Street Marketplace, San Juan Capistrano’s new, roughly 60,000-square-foot retail and food hall project, finally opened with a slew of restaurants slowly launching. Its biggest standout so far is La Vaquera, Acme Hospitality’s wood-fired eatery, which offers a menu filled with ranchero-style meats, crudo, and more. For my inaugural visit, I selected the 10-ounce Black Hawk Farms wagyu Denver steak, cooked medium (medium-rare is a rule of law under which I no longer abide) and accompanied by a fittingly muted compound butter so as not to take anything away from the cut prepared by chef Aaron Zimmer. The results? Glorious. Hardly the overwhelming slab I had feared, the steak proved tender, perfectly seasoned, and one of the best steaks I’ve had in years. Bonus points go to the space, designed by Doug Washington, replete with soaring ceilings and airy yet intimate surroundings. Another notch in the South County town’s accelerating reputation as one of California’s best food destinations.
Carne Cruda – La Vaquera, San Juan Capistrano
The hand-chopped steak tartare plate at La Vaqera was everything a tartare should be: intensely flavored, tender, buttery, and light. Studded with Black Hawk Farms wagyu beef, pickled red onions, pumpkin seeds, and topped with a jammy, hot sauce-cured egg yolk boasting an ochre hue, the starter dish featured 61 Hundred’s grilled heirloom blue corn sourdough. (If you’re not down with such carnivority, La Vaquera also has a fish version.) The onions and pumpkin seeds come less than a mile away from the Ecology Center, while the bread hails from another local, Karlo Evaristo, who calls San Juan Capistrano home. The carne cruda is just one of many dishes I’d like to return to taste at San Juan Capistrano’s new ranchero-inspired eatery inside the new River Street Marketplace.
Heirloom Blue Corn Sourdough – 61 Hundred Bread, Santa Ana
Karlo Evaristo, founder and baker of 61 Hundred Bread, started his cottage enterprise at home in 2019. A few years and many plaudits later, he opened his first brick-and-mortar space in Santa Ana last week, where he bakes loaves galore – most notably, an heirloom blue corn sourdough that’s as tasty as it is beautiful. During a recent visit to watch the lauded baker at work, he sliced open a freshly baked loaf. By itself, it’s sublime: a crispy and slightly chewy exterior provides the perfect foil for the fluffy, light interior. Gilding the lily, he offered me a sundried tomato-infused compound butter and chili oil to anoint the bread. Also joining the starchy joy are his croissants that he makes in-house. Evaristo will also make tortillas for his neighbor, Le Hut, Heritage Barbecue’s new concept set to open soon.
Vegan Ramen – HiroNori, Irvine
My usual order at this noted ramen joint has been the tonkotsu ramen. Opting for something different this month, I swung in the opposite direction by ordering the vegan ramen, a lighter take that comes with sesame miso broth, broccolini, tofu, corn, bean sprouts, soy meat, baby kale, and chili oil. I’m glad I did; the vegan dish offered me an equally complex and satisfying moment. It’s hard to go wrong at this Irvine favorite, but vegan ramen should be a must for anyone, from ravenous carnivores to level-five vegans. I did, however, decide to desecrate its vegan tenets by opting for a jammy egg addition. Oops. Also of note: The crispy rice with spicy tuna, highlighted by eel sauce and a slice of jalapeno, came in a close second of the night.
Doughnuts, including one inspired by a strawberry Pop-Tart – Crafted Donuts, Fountain Valley
In an era rife with maximalist doughnut overload, sometimes it’s good to go back to basics – and sometimes it’s absolutely not. More is more – bring on the oddities and wild creations, please. Take, for example, the recent trip I made to Crafted Donut in Fountain Valley. With a friend in tow, we decided to grab a few fried treasures for our regular book club meeting. Our ransacking included a s’mores doughnut topped with a graham cracker square and marshmallow, a Cookie Monster in electric blue with cookie crumbs and chocolate drizzle, a requisite maple-and-bacon number (psst, maple doughnuts are best when unadorned by cured pig product), and, best of all, a rectangular doughnut inspired by a strawberry Pop-Tart. The fluffy doughnut centered with a healthy ribbon of strawberry jam will have me heading back to this spot when I crave my next fix.
Conclusion
The best things we ate in Southern California this month were a mix of classic dishes and innovative twists. From savory to sweet, there were plenty of options to satisfy any palate. Whether you’re in the mood for a hearty steak or a sweet treat, there’s something for everyone in Southern California.
FAQs
Q: What is the best thing to order at Stell Coffee & Tea Co.?
A: The Crantastic Turkey Sandwich is a must-try at Stell Coffee & Tea Co.
Q: What is the best vegan option at HiroNori?
A: The vegan ramen is a great option for those looking for a lighter take on traditional ramen.
Q: What is the best doughnut at Crafted Donuts?
A: The doughnut inspired by a strawberry Pop-Tart is a unique and delicious option.
Q: What is the best thing to order at La Vaquera?
A: The Wagyu Denver Steak is a standout option at La Vaquera.
