Max Brenner, Las Vegas

Anyone up for a little road trip? Oh boy, I am but unfortunately Vegas is not in the cards for me. But if you are heading to Fabulous Las Vegas you must hit up Max Brenner's. It is in the Caesar Palace shopping mall right across from the 3 story H&M (a double plus if I do say so). Max is a chocolatier so the whole restaurants theme is chocolate which was a dream. The menu incorporates chocolate into most of the dishes, for example, I had the Brenner Burger. It has Max's secret bbq sauce with lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese and a vidalia onion ring on top. But it comes with waffle fries dusted with chili and cocoa powder (see chocolate) with this yummy chili/mayo dipping sauce. Oh I die just thinking about it!! Then of course is dessert and let me tell you, the menu is a book. There is so much to choose from it makes your head spin, but I did finally settle on something, the Banana Split Waffle. It has vanilla bourbon ice cream, milk chocolate truffle and caramelized rice krispies. So wipe the droll, and head to the City of Sin for some sinfully delicious food. ;)

My dinner. Sorry it is only half the burger...it was so good that I made it halfway through before I realized a picture was in order.

Dessert... Yes I did share this, but I didn't want to!

Cost: $$

Here is the link so you can check-out the menu for yourself and get directions.

http://www.maxbrenner.com/branches.html

Legends

This place is not as fancy as the last few, but it is still really good!! Legends is a 50's style burger joint in Upland and Glendora, CA. I always love their burgers but to be honest there are 2 things that keep me coming back for more, and at especially odd hours! It is their mozzarella sticks and rootbeer freeze. Pure heaven!! These are my late-night go to, you know when you have to have something fatty and greasy but so so good, well Legend's is it. So trust me, order a rootbeer freeze and then write me to say thank you. :)

The Donut Man

If you are ever in Glendora you must stop for a donut. The Donut Man is located right on Route 66 (Foothill) and they make the most divinely fresh donuts. They are open all night and on any given Saturday there will be a line wrapped around the building. 
Hubby's favorite is the Strawberry donut which is seasonal, but I die a little inside every time I have the Tiger Tail. I am a girl who loves donuts and cannot get enough. I would eat them everyday if I could and The Donut Man is the guy who makes me say, "Calories be damned!!" :)

This is the Strawberry Donut....yummy

See it isn't a fancy joint, but they get the job done

The Tiger Tail, twisted glazed and chocolatey goodness. Grrreat!

Update!!!!

So silly me, I just remembered that they also have a Duke's in Huntington Beach. So for those of you out that direction, check it out!

http://www.dukeshuntington.com/

Isn't that view gorgeous?

Duke's in Malibu

When Hubby and I used to live in the Valley (Woodland Hills to be exact) we loved to travel into Malibu for this yummy, romantic spot. It is right on the beach and it offers ocean views in their dining room and at their Barefoot Bar.

The Barefoot Bar is exactly what it sounds like, a place to kick off your shoes and enjoys drinks on the sand. The menu offers burgers, sandwiches, fish tacos and appetizers. I love their Lava Flow (virgin, of course) which is pineapple juice, coconut syrup & strawberries.

Hubby and I usually would enjoy dinner inside, which we found to be more romantic and date-nighty. We would start with the Crispy Coconut Shrimp and the Claypot Chicken Spring Rolls, which are stuffed with goat cheese *sigh.* For my main dish I always got the Prime Teriyaki Sirloin which is perfection with a side of Sweet Potato fries dipped Spicy Banana ketchup. Hubby would get fish (which is super fresh) or the Mango BBQ Ribs. Ahhh, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

So head down to Malibu for a special night and you will feel like a movie star. At least, I always pretended I was one. ;)

Front Entrance

Barefoot Bar

Happy Eating!!

Cost: $$

Bring cash for parking, it is Valet only.

Here is the link so you can check-out the menu for yourself and get directions.

http://www.dukesmalibu.com/

Park Ave

A few weekends ago my mother-in-law graciously took our kids for a spend the night. We knew this called for a date night, so I called a couple we hang out with and they were excited too. She is a fancy girl so I asked her for a food suggestion and she mentioned a little spot she had been dying to try. That is how we found ourselves driving to Stanton, CA. "Where?" you might ask... exactly. It is over near Knott's Berry Farm and that is about all it is near. I was skeptical as we were driving through Stanton but when we pulled up to the restaurant my fears were eliminated.

It is a Steak & Chop joint with an old-Hollywood feel. We started with Shrimp cocktail (which I heard was good, I don't really eat fish) and Marinated Tenderloin Bites with Soy, Lime and Garlic. These were melt in your mouth delicious and I could have eaten a million of them. I then ordered the Flat Iron Steak topped with Blue Cheese and served with mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. My steak was tender, perfectly done and the mashed potatoes were "wow." Hubby got the Granny Smith Apple Stuffed Pork Chop that had a golden raisin, leek & white bread stuffing covered in a maple syrup glaze. I definitely snuck several bites of his food (what are hubbies for?) and it was just as delish as mine. The portions were the perfect size leaving me full but by no means stuffed. When the dessert menu was brought I thought I would just take a gander. Usually I pass on dessert, not because I do not love the stuff but because it is always so ho hum. Well, Park Ave did not disappoint! Everything looked amazing and we all had a hard time deciding. We all ended up ordering dessert and then proceeded to try the 4 dishes ordered. We had Bruleed Banana Tart with vanilla bean ice cream, Chocolate Bread Pudding with Macadamia nuts, Peanut Butter ice cream sundae with chocolate chips & marshmallow cream and Lemon tarts with vanilla bean ice cream & fresh raspberries. The Lemon tart was mine and it was served in a tall sundae glass with the ice cream, lemon bars and raspberries layered. Oh the bliss!! As if they did not sound good enough, I should mention that all the ice cream is homemade on the premises.

After dinner we wandered out to the back patio which was strung with white lights and followed the path to their garden. Thats right, they had a huge garden on the property which is where they get their fresh vegetables. Needless to say it was a memorable date night and a place we will definitely travel off the beaten path for again.

The front sign

Tenderloin Bites

The Garden

Happy Eating!!

Cost: $$$

Here is the link so you can check-out the menu for yourself and get directions.

http://www.parkavedining.com

Slater's 50/50

We had 2 separate couples recommend this place so we had to try it. It is off the beaten path in Anaheim, CA but well worth the wait and drive. The 50/50 stands for their signature patty which consists of 50% ground beef and 50% ground bacon. The place was casual and fun with a sports bar feel but a little nicer. You could definitely take the kids, but we chose not too cuz the food is enjoyed more without them. They have a set burger menu with items like Peanut Butter and Jellousy burger to a Thanksgiving Burger. We decided to design our own and we were not disappointed!

The Design It menu has 7 different patty types, 3 different sizes and 4 different bun types. Then you move into the cheese area with 10 types to choose from, followed by 20 unique sauces. Top it of with 21 topping choices including things like baby greens or sauerkraut, it is a burger made in heaven!! They also have premium toppings like Avocado Mash or Fried Onion Strings that can be added for an additional cost.

My burger was built with the traditional 50/50 patty on a Honey Wheat bun. I then added Blue Cheese,  their homemade BBQ sauce, green leaf lettuce, grilled pineapple and avocado mash. Oh it was sooo yummy! Me and hubby also shared an appetizer plate that consisted of sweet potato fries, fried macaroni n' cheese and beer battered onion strings. (we really went for broke!)

Here is my masterpiece...

Happy Eating!!



Cost: $$

Here is the link so you can check-out the menu for yourself and get directions.
http://slaters5050.com/home