I found this two-part article from the New York Times amusing, 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do.

100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do – Part 1
100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do – Part 2

I’m not going to share the entire list here (go to the links if you want to check them all out) but I’d like to share my favorites as a restaurant patron, along with my remarks.

5. Tables should be level without anyone asking. Fix it before guests are seated.
I run into this at a lot of restaurants, and a table that wobbles is a big pet peeve with me, it’s as if the staff isn’t paying attention.

31. Never remove a plate full of food without asking what went wrong. Obviously, something went wrong.
We’ve had wait staff ask if there was a problem with the food, and offer to discount or take the meal off the receipt.  I wish more staff were observant of things like this.

48. Do not ask what someone is eating or drinking when they ask for more; remember or consult the order.
Maybe I’m just not the food snob when I go out, but I don’t really care if the waiter can’t remember what I ordered, as long as they get it right when they ask.

52. Know your menu inside and out.
Another important one, if I ask you what is on a menu item you should know.

62(a). Do not let a glass sit empty for too long.
I’ve sat through entire meals where my drink was empty because the waiter never came back.

64. Specials, spoken and printed, should always have prices.

72. Do not serve salad on a freezing cold plate; it usually advertises the fact that it has not been freshly prepared.
Salad tastes so much better closer to room temperature compared to a premade salad that is cold.

77. Do not disappear.
Shortly after serving the meal the waiter should come back and check to see if everything is right.

85. Never bring a check until someone asks for it. Then give it to the person who asked for it.
I don’t agree with this one, but maybe it’s because we don’t tend to visit expensive restaurants.  I just want to get the check close to when we are finished with our meal.

94. Do not play an entire CD of any artist.
I only include this one because we once visited a Japanese restaurant in Orange that was playing a CD.  The problem though was they had the CD on song repeat, so during our entire meal we heard the same Japanese song over and over.  We must have heard the same song 15 times!

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Just recently Kogi Korean BBQ (KogiBBQ) officially came to Orange County.  Sure they had made a couple visits in the past, but those were before they had an “official” OC truck.  About 3 weeks ago they launched their nightly food service for Orange County, with the creation of the KogiBBQ Naranja truck.  I was excited because this meant I might actually be able to try them out without having to wait in a long line…  So last Friday night in the parking lot of The Bruery my first KogiBBQ experience began.

KogiBBQ - They Are Here!

Naranja was slated to arrive at 6:30 PM, so we got to the parking lot at just about 6 to discover there was a line of about 15 people/groups ahead of us.  Mrs. DanGarion was already having doubts, but I told her to trust me, the line was short and we should be eating KogiBBQ in no time once they arrive!  Naranja was running late due to traffic on the 91 Freeway, so they were running a little behind.

KogiBBQ - Waiting in Line

At 6:45 the KogiBBQ truck pulls up, only 15 minutes late!  Mrs. DanGarion is getting frustrated with the groups of obnoxious people both in front of us with scream kids and behind us having loud conversations, but I told her to trust me, the line was short and we should be eating KogiBBQ in no time once they set up.

When 6:55 my wife can’t take the wait any longer and tells me to just order food for myself, and she goes to the car to wait.  About 5 minutes later they finally open their hatch and slowly start taking orders.  For about 15 minutes the line doesn’t seem to move, the groups ahead of us seem to have each person ordering individually, which really slows things down.  I tell myself to not worry, I’m close to the front, and I should be eating KogiBBQ in no time once I order.

KogiBBQ - Almost my turn!

7:30 comes and I’m at the front of the line and place my order, 2 Short Rib Burritos, 1 Short Rib Taco, 1 Spicy Pork Taco, and a Blackjack Quesadilla.  Now comes the waiting for the food to be ready.  My wife text messages me, asking what’s going on.  I tell her not to worry, I’ve placed my order, and I should be back in the car in no time once it arrives.

At 7:45, an hour and forty-five minutes after waiting in line, I happily walk to my car, with my bag of food in my hand.  I’m already making my plan of what to eat first, and that I’ll have the second burrito for lunch tomorrow, I’ve won the waiting battle with KogiBBQ.  I get in the car, and ask my wife if she wants to pick up some Taco Bell for her on the way home, so we stop at our local Taco Bell to get her a bean burrito and a Double-Decker taco (her favorite place and her favorite items).

KogiBBQ - Tacos and Quesadilla

The time is 8:05 and I’m finally sitting down at the table about to have my first KogiBBQ experience.  I open up my bag, place the items on a plate and salivate to the delicious smell of Korean short rib and spicy pork…

I know I’m probably going to get a lot of flak for this but, after all the praise, after all the press, and after the nearly 2 hours wait, I wasn’t really all that into what I tasted.  Sure the food wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t really all that special either.  The short rib although good was too sweet and there wasn’t really anything to work with its flavor other than the produce that was on it, while the spicy pork wasn’t really all that spicy.

KogiBBQ - Blackjack Quesadilla

I do have to hand it to them on the Blackjack Quesadilla, the pork belly with cheese was a great combination and went well with the green sauce that topped the quesadilla, I would order it again.  The burrito turned out soggy due to the mixture of lettuce or cabbage or whatever they put in it, and I only ended up having half it.  The next day I threw away the one I saved for lunch because I knew there was no way it would have done well being reheated.

So there you have it, my one and only experience with KogiBBQ.  Maybe things would have been different if I had eaten the food right away, maybe it would have tasted amazing if I was in Downtown LA and drunk from a night of drinking a dancing.  Maybe I’m just not their target market.  But that’s ok; I don’t mind not having to wait in line for 2 hours for food…

Visit on 10/23/09 for dinner.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

Kogi Korean BBQ
Various Locations
Orange County and Los Angeles
Follow KogiBBQ on Twitter to find where they will be.

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Up until my visit to Cabo Loco Grill in Orange I had never had chilaquiles.

Cabo Loco Grill - Inside

Actually I take that back.  I’d had chilaquiles many times while at home, by my making, but I just called them nachos.  The only real difference from my nachos to chilaquiles was that I didn’t use any egg.  Regardless Cabo Loco Grill’s chilaquiles are a great pick me up to stop and have on the way in to work.

Cabo Loco Grill - Chilaquiles

For under 5 bucks you get a plateful of chips smothered with red sauce and egg (I chose it scrambled in, but you can have the egg on top), along with just enough queso cotija to not overpower the dish and a dollop of sour cream.  Along with the chilaquiles you are served a very fluffy mexican rice and average tasting refried beans.  It’s the perfect mexican breakfast when you are tired of the usual bacon and eggs or sausage and eggs breakfast.

Cabo Loco Grill - Chilaquiles

On a previous a visit I’ve had a breakfast burrito which I enjoyed.  I can’t remember going here for anything other than breakfast.

Visit on 10/19/09 for @730 am breakfast

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Cabo Loco Grill
1419 N. Tustin St.
Orange, CA 92867
714-532-1220

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How about this for a cross promotion.  Burger Kings in Japan are selling a 7 patty Whopper to commemorate the launch of Microsoft Windows 7.

Windows 7 Burger King Whopper Edition

For sale at a special price of ¥777 (@$8.50) for the first 30 customers each day and then sold for the normal price which is just over $17.  Personally I’m not a fan of Burger King, but why can’t we ever have cool cross promotions like these?

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For those of you that don’t know Five Guys in Cerritos is the In-n-Out equivalent on the East Coast.

Five Guy's - Outside waiting for them to open

Just about a year ago the first one opened in Carson (you might even remember my “unofficial” review). Last week I had to go to LA for a 1 hour meeting with some corporate trainers at work, so during my travel to LA I incorporated my lunch break so I could visit the newest Five Guys site on the west coast in Cerritos.

Five Guy's - Melted Cheese, yum!

The burgers are great, although a bit overpriced (double patty cheese burger is $4.95), but you can get just about everything but the kitchen sink on them.

Five Guy's - My Order

I do think that In-n-Out wins when it comes to the burger, but what Five Guys excels at is their fries, especially those of the Cajun variety ($2.45 for regular size, enough to feed a small family or one really hungry restaurant reviewer).

These harbingers of starch are seasoned to perfection with a delicious Cajun seasoning that I would coat my own fingers with just to lick it off.  But the price for a complete meal of a double cheese burger, fries, and a drink will set you back nearly 10 bucks, which is a chunk of change.

Five Guy's - Cajun Fries!

Regardless of the price I have to hand it to Five Guys they make a great meal.

(visit on 10/13/09 @11:00 AM for lunch)

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Five Guys
11461 South St.
Cerritos, CA 90703
562-9090-0055

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Green Box

Every once in a while I see an invention that makes me go, “Why didn’t I think of that!”  Green Box is one of those said inventions.  The Green Box is a 100% recycled cardboard pizza box that easily breaks down into both plates and a handy dandy sized box for pizza leftovers.  Gone is the space or time wasted to save your left over pizza for your cold pizza breakfast!  I don’t know of any Orange County pizza places that use these yet, but if you find any that do let me know!

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I went to Pop’s Cafe in Santa Ana on Saturday for breakfast.  Visiting Pop’s was a decision made after reading a number of review sites and finding a 4 star rating from those wonderful reviewers over on Yelp…

Me in Pop's Cafe

My meal reminded me why one must take reviews with a grain of salt.  See everyone’s tastes are different and not everyone is going to like the same thing, and that’s why I hope those of you that read my reviews, take them as suggestions and not as fact.  Because eventually (and probably quite often) the restaurants that I enjoy will disappoint you, just like Pop’s and the reviewers at Yelp disappointed me.  Don’t get me wrong it’s not a bad thing, it’s one of the things that makes us human, we all have our own opinion, well except for those of you that enjoy watching “The Hills” you lack the ability to make a judgment of your own!  Just Kidding…

Pop's Cafe - Country Breakfast

It’s with a heavy heart that I recommend that you don’t waste your time at Pop’s Cafe.  It’s not bad food mind you, it’s just that it’s not good food.  I ordered Pop’s Country Breakfast ($6.50), a biscuit with a sausage patty in the middle covered with gravy, along with 1 egg, and my choice of hash-browns or Irish Potatoes…  First off the biscuit was blah, it was one of those sticky doughy ones that oh so many crappy restaurants buy premade.  The sausage patty was edible.  The gravy was a bland light gray with specs of pepper that helped break down the sticky biscuit.  My over medium egg was over easy.  Last by not least… My Irish Potatoes…  Since when did mashing up some hash-browns with some pieces of green bell peppers and maybe (I can’t really remember) some onions constitute Irish?  Well at least the food was cheap, and it was better than the lowest of the low in breakfast I’ve had at the closed Earl’s in Orange and flavorless Rockwell’s Cafe and Bakery in Villa Park.

Service was good, but honestly that can only go so far.  It’s a bit cramped inside but they also have outdoor seating.  Be aware that they have no parking so you will have to pay the city of Santa Ana to park on the street, so bring change or be ready to pay for a parking violation.  Lastly, I just can’t recommend going here, but take my review with a grain a salt, maybe this will become your favorite place and if so, that’s awesome, I’m happy for you!

(visit on 10/17/09 @7:30 AM for breakfast)

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

Pop’s Cafe
112 E. 9Th St.
Santa Ana, CA
(714) 543-2772

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If you can believe it, I’ve been doing this blog for well over a year now but this visit to Ma’s Islamic Chinese Restaurant in Anaheim is my first review of Chinese food ever on my blog.  Funny thing, it’s not that I don’t like Chinese food, it’s just we don’t go out for it that often.  When we usually go out for it, I order something different and Mrs. DanGarion usually orders orange chicken, she ALWAYS orders orange chicken!  Well yesterday (Friday) I went out to lunch by myself and I’m the one that ordered the Orange Chicken.  Couple notes to make regarding Ma’s, they serve Halal meat, which doesn’t mean much to the normal Joe, but it’s a process of how the meat is prepared, also make sure you have cash if you aren’t planning on spending more then $20 since they don’t (I talked my way out) take credit cards for orders under 20 bucks!

Since I was there for lunch I ordered off their Lunch Special menu, where all meals start at $6.50 and work there way up from there to a max of $8.00, all specials come with tea, soup, egg roll, and rice.  Overall it’s a great deal especially when you realize how much food you get.  Let me show you what I got for less then 8 bucks…

Ma’s Islamic Chinese - Tea!

Ma’s Islamic Chinese - Soup and Egg Roll Included with Lunch Special

Ma’s Islamic Chinese - Huge plate of Orange Chicken

Ma’s Islamic Chinese - Orange Chicken as I plated it.

Honestly, it was probably enough food for nearly two people, but I enjoyed it too much to want to share.

Service was prompt and attentive and I was surprised with how busy it got as I ate my meal.  It wasn’t packed, but they get a good amount of large groups during lunchtime on Fridays.  I’m looking forward to future visits to Ma’s, in fact I’ll take Mrs. DanGarion next time, and I’ll suggest she try the Orange Chicken, it’s fabulous.

Check out these other great reviews of Ma’s Islamic Chinese Restaurant by Niyaz over at Food Frenzy and Das Ubergeek on Chowhound.

Visit on 10/16/2009 @ 12:00 PM for lunch.

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Ma’s Islamic Chinese Restaurant
601 E. Orangethorpe Ave.
Anaheim
714-446-9553

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I’m just taking a little bit of time off from the blog, still paying attention to the Orange County food blogging community and commenting away when I can.  If you have any good food stories or reviews you would like to share please go to the contact us page and write to me!

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I’m a product of the Boys and Girls Club of Stanton, and because of that they are the main charity I support.  I realize this isn’t really food related, but this is something close to my heart that I’d like to share.  On Saturday September 19th the Boys and Girls Club of Stanton is having their annual Casino Night.  It’s a fun night of playing various casino games such as blackjack, roulette, etc and all proceeds taken in for the event are put right back into the club.  At the end of the night you trade your winnings in for tickets that you can then enter in various drawings for prizes.  Prizes include an HDTV, Disneyland park hopper tickets, and much more.

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