San Diego: Cafe 222

I promised that we would do more San Diego posts this year, so here we go.

Cafe 222 located in downtown San Diego, near the Gaslamp District in the residential District. Since 2003, Cafe 222 has been a winner of the Golden Medallion for Best Breakfast. According to their website, owner Terryl Gauve took the proceeds that she made from a made-for-television movie to open Cafe 222. Learn more about Terryl Gauve, here. It's a very interesting read.

Anyhoot, what drew me to this place was it's feature on the Food Network show, 'The Best Thing I Ever Ate". Iron Chef Bobby Flay raved about a dish called Peanut Butter and Banana Stuffed French Toast. Sounds pretty gooey to me, but I like gooey and I love french toast. Aside from ordering foie gras and a mojito, my breakfast item hands down is french toast.

When we first tried to dine here on the weekend, the place was packed. It was the afternoon I was leaving to San Francisco so we had to pass and come back another weekend. The time finally came last weekend when I actually woke up on time before 11am. We didn't want to arrive during the lunch rush hour so we got to the cafe around 1pm. We were fortunate enough to find parking and didn't have to wait long at all, maybe 10 minutes.

The cafe is located on the corner of 2nd and Island Avenue. The place seemed small from the outside but there are a number of tables and bar stools inside. We opted to stay inside since we weren't sure when the rain would be rolling in.

As soon as we were seated, a server came by to greet us and gave us some time to look over the menu. I already knew what I was ordering but I took a quick glance at the other items and wanted to order more. We settled for an item each and agreed to come back for more next time.

We started off with fresh orange juice. By the time we were half way done, our food arrived. Here's what we ordered.

The Mexican - $9.75

Chiles, tomatoes and cheddar topped with Mexican gravy, green onions, cheddar, and sour cream. Served with tators and toast.

Loved the colors on the plate and the mexican gravy gave the eggs a bit of a fiesta kick. Overall, nice. Not my first choice in breakfast selection but Marc managed to eat it all.

Peanut Butter and Banana Stuffed French Toast - $7.75

Wheat bread, peanut butter and bananas grilled until brown and topped with powdered sugar.

Whoa, nice presentation with the peanut butter oozing out from the sandwich. The only thing healthy about it is it's on wheat toast? You must drudge the sandwich in syrup, alone its a bit salty for my tastes. Add the syrup and everything is all gravy. Who doesn't like peanut butter? I'm not a banana fan so I didn't care for it so much. Overall, good. Something different for a change.

We plan to come back in a few weeks to try the other items on the menu such as: Pumpkin Waffles, Biscuit Benedict, and the Madame Croaked.

Cafe 222

222 Island Avenue

San Diego, CA 92101

619.236.9902

Website: http://www.cafe222.com

Honolulu: Sunday Brunch at Orchids

Orchids at the fabulous Halekulani hotel on the Island of Oahu is known for its legendary Sunday Brunch buffet.

With picturesque views of Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head, this is why Orchids is one of the best brunches on the island.

Orchids is situated in one of five buildings surrounded by lush gardens and open courtyards. We actually had trouble locating the right building but if you head toward the ocean and look for the signs, you'll find it in no time.

Even though I booked reservations 6 months in advanced, yet I still managed to screw up the reservation. I booked it for one diner instead of two. The staff was so friendly and accommodating that they even seated us an hour early.

We were seated in the covered patio overlooking Waikiki Beach with views of Diamond Head. We sat at the table for a few minutes before indulging ourselves at the buffet. This is what I call being on 'vacation'.

The buffet was sectioned off into five table areas: Carving table and main entrees, pastries, soups/salads/sushi/cheeses, desserts and ice cream bar. I tried to take photos of everything that we ate but some items were not 'picture-worthy' so I left those out.

Halekulani Popovers

A popover is a hollow bread-like roll that is crispy on the outside and moist in the hollow inside. This one is an island favorite at the Halekulani since 1917, it was served with orange marmalade.

Chicken Apple & Portuguese Sausage, Crispy Bacon, Eggs Benedict with Scottish Smoked Salmon and White Rice

Toro Poke, Ahi Tuna Poke, and Tako Poke

Fruit Soup

This was a fruit puree with a texture similar to apple sauce. Interesting and sweet with the cubed mangoes. A nice transition from savory to sweet.

Haupia and Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries

Mocha Ice Cream with Candied Macadamia Nuts

Halekulani Coconut Cake

The highlight of the meal was the infamous Halekulani coconut cake. It is a three-layered sponge cake with a coconut-flavored custard filling and coconut flakes. It is frosted with whipped cream and coconut flakes. Mmm! Simply delightful. Want the recipe? Find it here.

Afterthoughts: For $55 per person, the service and food is in line with other buffets in San Diego. The only difference is the service is exceptional and the views are spectacular. I think the dessert table was the clear winner here as the assortment was quite impressive. I should have done a dessert tasting rather than tasting varying items from each table. Total dining time: Two hours (roughly 8 plates). Luckily for us, we walked here so by the time we got back to our hotel, we weren't as stuffed.

Would we come back? Yes, definitely. I need to tackle the entire dessert table :)

Things to know:

• Serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Brunch buffet served on Sundays. Reservations are recommended. Online at Opentable or call 808-923-2311.
• Price Range: $$$; $55 per person.
• Parking: Hotel valet parking available. Ask for validation from the hostess.
• Request a seat in the covered patio area for views of Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach.
• Halekulani Coconut Cake: For $145 you can have the hotel ship the cake frozen via Fedex.

Orchids

The Halekulani Hotel
2199 Kalia Rd
Honolulu, HI 96815

(808) 923-2311

Website: http://www.halekulani.com

Las Vegas: Bouchon

On the morning of our anniversary, we stopped by Thomas Keller's Bouchon for brunch. Bouchon has two other locations in Yountville and New York. The one in Vegas is located at the Venetian Resort and Casino. This restaurant is hidden in the Venezia Tower which you have to take a special elevator to get to.

Once you find the elevator, you will take one flight up. As you step out of the elevator, you walk into a whole new world of luxury. You will see these elaborate fresco paintings on the ceilings along with decorative chandeliers and marble throughout the area. To get to the restaurant, you head down a long hall way which the restaurant is located near the end.

We got to the restaurant fairly early around 9am. There were only a few diners there so we were seated immediately. The dining area had a French bistro-feel with vaulted ceilings and lots of natural light coming through the windows. You have the option to be seated inside or on the patio.

While we waited for our server, we were given a small portion of the EPI Baguette. This is the same one that you'll find at their bakery downstairs near the casino floor. According to their website, it is a classic Parisian baguette, shaped to resemble a wheat stalk. They use a Poolish which is a yeast-based starter made from equal parts of flour and water. It imparts a nutty aroma, open texture and crisp crust. The accompaniments were butter and an orange marmalade which were tasty.

Whenever I see "beignets" on a menu, we have to order it. I'm a beignet kind of gal (move over donuts). That day they had a special for raspberry beignets which were basically a fancy version of a raspberry-filled donut topped with granulated sugar. Also tasty, but I wish they served more than two pieces.

Now comes the main entree. If there was ONLY one thing you had to order here then it would be the Chicken & Waffles. This was the only reason why we came here. Don't get the corn beef hash or the eggs benedict. You must order the Chicken & Waffles, period. I know that says a lot for Chicken & Waffles but the chicken is not fried and it is probably the best darn rotisserie chicken I've ever had. I love it as much as KFC. It is definitely finger-licking good. The bacon & chive waffles were delicious as well. Nice and light. It held the vanilla syrup quite well.

Overall, the chicken & waffles were yummy. Bouchon in Vegas is known for brunch. If you need a variety of choices, go to a buffet.

Things to know:

• To get to the restaurant look for the entrance of the Venezia Towers toward the right of the Venetian registration desk.
• The entree prices are quite expensive and range from $12-$33.50. Chicken & Waffles are $25.00.
• Bouchon does not take reservations for brunch. Get there before 10am to avoid the crowds. Brunch is served between 7am to 2pm.
• A full description of the kitchen and decor can be found on eG Forums.

Bouchon

The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino, Venezia Tower

3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Suite 10101

Las Vegas, NV 89109

702.414.6200

Website: http://www.bouchonbistro.com/

Orlando: Dexter's at Thornton Park

A few months ago we spent a week in Orlando, FL for the first part of our 2 week honeymoon. I wanted us to experience some local cuisine so I did some research on some of the best Brunches in Orlando. Based on various website reviews, I found Dexter's at Thornton Park. We arrived at around 11:30am and the line was out of the door (a good sign). You have the choice of regular seating, eating at the bar or outside. We opted for the regular seating since it was a bit humid outside and I wanted to watch what was on their huge LCD screens.

While we were waiting (about 30 minutes), I was scoping out what some of the diners were having. I saw crab cake eggs benedict, waffles, and chicken and biscuits. Once we got a table, I took a quick glance at the menu and it was a bit different from what was on their website. There were so many dishes to choose from. I went with my gut instinct and ended up getting the Dexter's Eggs Benedict. Marc got the Jambalaya since he loves Creole/Louisiana type of food. I also got a strawberry mimosa. OMG! The mimosas were delish plus they were only $2.50. I think I ended up having 3 (2 strawberry, 1 mango). I wasn't driving, of course!

While we were waiting for our food, I noticed the line outside started to get longer and the atmosphere was sort of like a college pub. It was a bit noisy and the diners looked to be in their 20s and 30s.

Both entrees were very good. The eggs benedict came with spinach, tomatoes, smoked turkey on French bread with a lava mustard hollandaise sauce, miniature potato pancakes, and fresh seasonal fruit. I always hate it when English muffins are tough and hard to slice into. I liked how it was on french bread and it was soft and light. Since I was more involved in my dish, I didn't bother tasting Marc's jambalaya. He said it was good so I took his word for it. Even though this place is a bit far from the theme parks, it was well worth the drive.

What to order:

• Everything looks good on this menu, you can't go wrong.
• Dexter's Eggs Benedict - $9.00
• Chicken Tortilla Pie
• Mimosas are a must have! For $2.50, it's a steal. I love the strawberry mimosa.

Things to know:

• Street parking. You're better off parking at the parking structure behind the 7-Eleven which is about 3 blocks away.
• Small bathrooms. Marc told me there isn't a wall when you walk in so diners can literally see you when the door opens.
• Arrive around 11am, lines start to form after 11:30am.

Website: http://www.dexwine.com/tp_menu.html