Saving the Earth One Mouthful at a Time
By David L. M. Preston
OC Voice Staff Writer
In honor of the OC Voice’s first “green” issue the food section is going to provide a general overview of local restaurants and markets that have a green tilt to them, rather than a straight review. There’s too many to choose from to single it out in one edition, but to start off we provide what we think is a good sampling of the wonderful food available in the area, by businesses that are also earth friendly.
Going green can mean going to greens. ‘Greens’ as in vegetables. While vegetarianism or veganism isn’t for everyone, the fact is the carbon-footprint, on average, of plant-based food production is much less than that of meat and dairy production. Animals such as pigs and cows convert grain into meat with a huge loss of energy transfer. (Think of 100 pounds of wheat and how much bread that can make, as opposed to how much a herd animals needs to eat over its lifetime before a pound of meat is produced.) And this, of course, doesn’t factor in processing, packaging and transportation energy usage as costs.
Take a minute and even calculate how you can affect your own carbon-footprint by changing your food purchases and diet with any one of many numerous ‘carbon calculators’ available online. We recommend the very thorough ‘Food Carbon Footprint Calculator’ at www.foodcarbon.co.uk.
Earth friendly vegetarian foods are also packaged and processed, but the intermediary of energy loss (animal feed, and their biological processes making cells that make the meat) is overall much less. Customers can also lower produce transportation costs by buying locally grown products, which are often fresher, healthier and supports local economies. The future trend will be decentralization, for energy production, food production, etc., for our species to affect large-scale climate change, so why not make your own efforts to help…and make it delicious and healthy to boot.
Huntington Beach
Bodhi Tree Vegetarian Café
(Reviewed in the OC Voice May 2007 edition.)
The Bodhi Tree is a comfortable venue for a downtown sit-down meal with a Chinese-Vietnamese flair to it’s totally veggie food. Dishes are made for every “meat” taste, (seafood, poultry, etc.) without any animal products being used. Soybean-curds galore, but in a variety of presentations and flavors. Extra yummy with an Asian style. Closed Tuesdays.
501 Main St, Huntington Beach
(714) 969-9500
Good-to-Go
Though a small vegetarian restaurant Good-to-Go, at the former site of the sadly defunct gourmet vegan restaurant Good Mood Food Café (which the OC Voice reviewed in June 2007), its founders have big goals. Sheevaun Moran and Darlene Baerg are hoping to make Good-to-Go the first “healthy fast food restaurant chain,” according to their mission statement on the restaurant’s website (www.goodtogorestaurants.com). The menu ranges from fresh almond milk, fruits and vegetables, Power Green smoothies, Brazil Nut veggie burgers and portabella mushroom pizzas. Though not yet reviewed by the OC Voice it sounds wonderful. Drive-through vegetarian food? Intriguing. We wish them luck, and hope they include a bike-through lane.
5930 Warner Ave, Huntington Beach
(714) 840-6400
Mother’s Market & Kitchen
Yes, Trader Joe’s is definitely a step up from the Ralph’s and the Albertsons of the world, but Mother’s Market (with locations in both Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa, nearby; and if you’d like a little jaunt, Irvine and Laguna Woods as well) is special. With every organic product you can think of, and more than a number that you couldn’t, it is the next-best-thing to a Farmer’s market. Fresh fruits and vegetables, wholesome cereals and bulk grains and nuts fill the store. It’s difficult to know where to begin, and should be visited and experienced for yourself. The Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach stores have wonderful sit-down kitchen/coffee/café shops, to provide a nice oasis for those of us who cringe at even the mention of Starbucks. The market is an underutilized resource for fresher foodstuffs in our area. Remember, less processing, less energy waste.
19770 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach
225 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa
2963 Michelson Drive, Irvine
24165 Paseo de Valencia Laguna Woods
Costa Mesa
Avanti Café
Executive chefs Tanya Fuqua and Mark Cleveland man the helm of this “Flavorfully Organic, Handcrafted Food” café. Featuring organic dishes such as shittake pesto artichoke pizzettes, falafel roasted eggplant, and lemon-oil scented roasted polenta crisps, it’s eating healthily with class. It also has extensive tea and wine lists to peruse.
259 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa, CA
(949) 548-2224
118 Degrees: Raw Food Cuisine
A hip lounge, overviewed by Chef Jenny Ross, that focuses on raw foods (the 118 in the title is the hottest temperature a food can be before it is counted as “cooked” and so is to be avoided) located in the CAMP, it’s a nice change of pace if you’re tired from fried tofu. From a carbon-footprint point of view, raw foods use even less energy than cooked, though that isn’t the main argument for raw foodism. That aside, a large variety of foods are best when uncooked. Chocolate ganache, fresh juice mixes (apple-lemon-ginger juice for example), and a garden tahini roll, (made up of a flax wrap, marinated carrots, zucchini and kale) are some of this restaurants offerings.
2981 Bristol, Suite B5, Costa Mesa
Native Foods
(Reviewed in the OC Voice May 2008 edition.)
Just reviewed last month (check it out online!) this restaurant is friendly, soothing and really a wonderful vegetarian-vegan stop. From their “Save-the-chicken” wings to Bali-tempeh burgers and homemade chai, it’s high on the recommendation list. Great spot for families, or to just sit and chat.
2937 Bristol St, Costa Mesa
(714) 751-2151
Organic To Go
Have had more than one office lunch catered by Organic To Go, I recommend it highly, though it is not solely vegetarian/vegan, and does have organic meat products. According to its website (it is a growing chain) Organic To Go has outlets in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego and here in Orange County. It is more of a caterer than a walk-in place, so might be a good options for your next business lunch. The claim is that it was “…the first, USDA certified organic fast-casual cafe and corporate catering company” and that “Each product offered…has been carefully reviewed to meet the company’s exacting standards to ensure a pesticide, hormone and chemical free dining experience that will help to ensure the sustainability of our environment for generations.” They use locally raised ingredients too. Cheers to that!
695 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
1-800-304-4550
Farmer’s Markets
Rather than go out to eat why not cook yourself? And the best way to minimize carbon and energy loads is to buy locally and use locally. Farmer’s Markets are a great way to do that, and there are many to choose from. The main for the Costa Mesa / Huntington Beach area is, of course, the Farmer’s Market at the OC Fairgrounds. Local producers from all around bring the freshest produce and products, and tend to sell at a very fair price. With rising food prices the growth of these markets should increase, as it cuts out the middle-men of corporate-owned grocery chains. And heck, the food tends to taste better too!
Orange County Fair & Expo Center
88 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa
(714) 573-0374
Food Choices Affect Global Warming as Much as Driving Choices
By OC Voice Staff
Unless you are a hunter-gatherer, most food Americans eat contributes to global warming. A United Nations report concluded that the livestock sector is responsible for 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Geophysicists Gidon Eshel and Pamela Martin at the University of Chicago compared the total greenhouse gas emissions of animal and plant-based diets and found that a person eating a vegetarian diet contributes about 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents less per year than someone consuming the same number of calories from a typical American diet of 28 percent animal sources.
A meatless diet can reduce your carbon footprint more than switching to a hybrid.
But growing crops that vegetarians eat also has its problems, in large part because of the oil based fertilizers needed to restore crop land that has eroded due to over farming, as well as the fossil fuels used in transporting grain, most of which is fed to livestock.
“[F]ood is oil,” as journalist Richard Manning wrote, in a stomach turning expose in Harper’s magazine (”The Oil we eat: Following the food chain back to Iraq, 2004). “Every single calorie we eat is backed by at least a calorie of oil, more like ten. In 1940 the average farm in the United States produced 2.3 calories of food energy for every calorie of fossil energy it used. By 1974 (the last year in which anyone looked closely at this issue), that ratio was 1:1.”
If everybody in the world ate like Americans, according to a Cornell University food expert Manning interviewed, the world’s fossil fuel reserves would be gone in 7 years.
Food processing converts still more energy into carbon dioxide. Breakfast cereal, for example, is ground, milled, wetted, dried and baked, then packaged. That requires 4 calories for each calorie of cereal produced. As a whole, food processing in the United States consumes 10 calories of fossil-fuel energy for each calorie of food it produces. Meat production is the worst, taking 35 calories of fossil fuel to make one calorie of beef. It takes 68 calories to make 1 calorie of pork.
Da Lat Bistro: Beautiful food on many levels
By David L. M. Preston
OC Voice Staff Writer
Not being familiar with the culinary scene of Fountain Valley, I asked one of my coworkers, who lives near that area, what is one of the best restaurants to visit. After just 5 seconds of thought she says, “Da Lat Bistro. Definitely.” That Da Lat is a Vietnamese restaurant, and that my coworker is also of that heritage and is a bit of a gastronomic expert in her own right, I considered the recommendation a serious one.
Now in a large percentage of Orange County all one has to do is turn around in a circle and point and there’s a Pho place at your beck and call. Pho and Taquería shops are as ubiquitous as McDonald’s in the Southland, for which I’m thankful. But a good Vietnamese restaurant isn’t limited to soup; not by a long shot.
Da Lat is found at the corner of Heil and Brookhurst in Fountain Valley, and exudes a subtle classiness. A nice place for a first date or a family special occasion (both of which, from what I gathered, were occurring during my visit). There is a back room with a pool table, and a full sit-down bar for the non-diners to enjoy. But the food is beautiful. On many levels.
A quick factoid: Đà Lạt is the name of a town in Central Vietnam, from which I assume the restaurant takes its name. So the menu is apparently inspired by a more Central Vietnamese food style than the supposed spicier preferences of the north of the country.
The menu actually gave a slight nod toward the cuisine cross-fertilization that that Southeast Asian country had with the French. (An inoffensive rem
nant of colonial days one assumes. Better food than guns and economic domination.) Among the appetizers were frog leg options! Not for all palates, but truly a treat for those with the acquired taste-buds. Ếch chiên bơ, fried frog legs in butter and garlic, could be ordered for $11.95; or, for a more Asian take on the Gallic meat, the Ếch xào lǎn, sautéed frog legs with curry and coconut juice, also for $11.95. Along similar French lines is a snail meat and pork sausage, Chả Ớc, offered for $5.95; as well as pastas and soups that clearly give more of a nod to Europe than Asia.
The wonderfully crisp Gỏi cuốn tộm thịt, pork-shrimp stuffed spring rolls, $5.95, was a nice start. Served with a nước chấm dipping sauce (the vinegary, sweet, clear-orange liquid that I savor whenever I go Vietnamese) and greens, including the wonderful sharper tasting of the sweet basil species, Thai Basil.
For a drink I tried the Pennywort Juice ($2.50), Rau Ma, which is in herbal lore supposed to be “good for the blood.” Serviced iced with a touch of sugar at the bottom of the glass (to be mixed well), it had a cressy-grassy flavor that wasn’t at all unpleasant. A beautiful earthy green. I’d have it again, though it really wasn’t anything to write home about. Wines, beers, and your normal compliment of sodas and such are also available for the less adventuresome.
noodle soups (both egg and rice noodle options) too many to mention. And don’t forget the hot pot (Lấu) options!
Attempting to expand my horizons I ordered the very flavorful, but truly foreign to my tastes, clam/lotus/basil leave salad, Gỏi nghêu lá quế ($9.95 for small, $15.95), served with nước chấm sauce. The heaping mound of food, with a good helping of baby clams, was stunning. And I ordered a small. The greens were fresh and the slight chili kick was perfect with the delicate clam flavor. Easily a meal in and of itself.
Da Lat is a great example proving that not all Vietnamese food is Pho (though all Pho is Vietnamese) and that limiting one to the noodle soups is missing a large tableaux of sensory experience. Hmm…I’m in the mood for pennywort.
(Please note that any errors in the Vietnamese text/names are solely that of the author. I tried my best but believe a few errors may have slipped through.)
Da Lat Bistro
16525 Brookhurst St.
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
714-839-8338
Anjin
Anjin’s Japanese BBQ may be pricey, but it’s well worth the investment. A grill-it-yourself place that offers prime cuts of beef. Order the marbled rib eye, short rib or tenderloin. The service is very attentive. Expect to pay around $20 per person. ML
3033 Bristol St., Costa Mesa; 714-979-6700
Beachberries
The real thing: Frozen yogurt that tastes like yogurt. The best toppings are available: fresh berries, mango, pineapple, coconut. Take home containers for $4.95. Beachberreis is a local take-off on the wildly successful Pinkberries Frozen Yogurt in West Hollywood. Beachberries is located on PCH in the Pierside Pavilion. JS
300 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach #107-B; 714-969-7988
Blackboard Bistro
Wonderful made-from-scratch down-home cooking in an utterly charming setting located in Seal Beach, not far from the downtown and pier area. This is American food like they used to make on the farm only even better. Great homemade pies and cakes too! DP
1198 Pacific Coast Highway, Seal Beach. 562-596-9556
Bodhi Tree Vegetarian Cafe
All food at this Vietnamese/Chinese style vegetarian cafe is made without any animal products. Enjoy a huge assortment of creative seafood, meat and poultry dishes, sandwiches, soups and delicious appetizers made from soy bean, bean curd and assorted vegetables and don’t forget the best fresh fruit smoothies ever. JE
501 Main St, Huntington Beach. 714-969-9500
Coach’s Mediterranean Grill
Probably one of the top five Mediterranean restaurants in Orange County, Coach’s is a must try for Mediterranean first-timers. You’ll find big portions, great taste and friendly service. Try a Gyro Bowl, the Dinner for Two or a Kebab plate. The ambiance is laid-back and cozy. ML
200 Main St., #105, Huntington Beach. 714-969-2233
De Simone Bakery and Delicatessen
Great sandwiches. Definitely try the Cuban, Meatball, Pastrami and Italian. The bread and other ingredients are all fresh. The macaroni salad is incredible and the service is great. Most sandwiches come in 4, 8 and 16-inch sizes. Big bang for your buck. ML
6850 Edinger Ave;, Huntington Beach. 714-847-0922
Dorias Haus of Pizza
Family-style Italian restaurant, with the German name. A Costa Mesa institution. Their pizza pie has a thick crust that is crisp yet heart with generous portions of fresh toppings laid on top. Pasta dinners ranging from lasagna to ravioli and sandwiches also. Friendly, and locally owned. DP
1500 Adams Ave., Costa Mesa. 714-751-8777
Duke’s (of Huntington Beach)
Duke’s lives up to its expectations: excellent food, attentive staff and a great venue. This is prime location for one of the more upscale and, relatively expensive restaurants in the city: a beautiful view, lots of tourists and people-watching, a classy and yet relaxed ambiance, and artistically presented food. It is a popular draw since its opening 10 years ago for both locals and, probably more so, for visitors. But the food is very fine and sometimes it’s nice to splurge. To really explore the chef’s work, seafood is the best bet. DP
317 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach (at the start of the pier). 714-374-6446
El Chinaco
Skip the two-bit fast food chain and hop on down to El Chinaco on 19th Street in Costa Mesa, and for the same cost relish fresh Mexican and El Salvadoran food, from tacos and tamales to pupusas stuffed with the meat and vegetables of your choice. DP
560 W. 19th St. #D, Costa Mesa 949-722-8632
Gallagher’s Pub
Irish fare with a Californian flair. Grab a pint of Guinness and order up the excellent fish’n'chips, a thicker piece of Icelandic cod is a rare find. A hip spot on the boast to raise a bit of Irish and snack on an olde country victual or two. DP
Downtown Huntington Beach on Walnut between Main and 3rd. 714 536-2422
Hashigo Korean Kitchen
A classier nouveau fusion approach to Korean cuisine, featuring the standard Kimchi pickled cabbage, Bi Bim Bap, tofu stews and amazingly tender barbecued meat of choice. Remember the fried banana desert with red-bean ice cream! DP
3033 Bristol St., Suite M, Costa Mesa. 714-557-4911
Kura Sushi
Sushi as fresh as can be. Prices vary by plate color, with five different colors, priced from $1.25-$3.25. There are entrees such as chicken teriyaki also offered. The candy tuna roll, salmon skin hand roll and crunchy rolls are good. Definitely sit close to where the belt is loaded. ML
212 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa. 949-631-3200
La Fiesta Grill
Rich, hearty and delicious home style Mexican food has been served here for almost 20 years. the Fiesta Grill is not at all Southwestern U.S. “TexMex” style, but grows more directly from Mexico proper. Favorites include the fabulous chicken chimichanga, the delux chile rellano and the abosultely deadly delicious tortas, sopes and fried fish tacos recently added to the menu. Good horchatta too. the whole menu is great and reasonably priced, so chatta on down there–best during non peak hours when the line goes out the door. Eat in or take out. JE & DP 418 17th St., Huntington Beach. 714-969-7689
MitAsie
Located across from H.B.’s other downtown, Bella Terra, on Edinger Avenue. This is the prefect restaurant either for Vietnamese food novices or more experienced dabblers in Southeast Asian cuisine. Try the Chicken Clay Pot for starters with any of the delicious spring rolls. Top it off with a refreshing smoothie. Prices are as good as the food, from about $5-$7 for most al a carte items. They cater. JE
7636 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach. 714-847-5262
Purpuseria y Restaurant San Sivar
Sustenance with a true Salvadoran touch. Authentic Central American food that brings in the expats from way down south. Soft cream-sauce baked chicken, a tamarind drink to write home about and fried yucca root and bananas in addition to the ubiquitous pupusas. DP
1940 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa 949-650-2952
Smokin’ Mo’s
Smokin’ Mo’s is Good old Southern BBQ. Menu selections are from some of the best recipies from the South’s legendary BBQ places. Remember the ribs and sandwiches. Make sure to get lots of extra sauce: Original, Hot, Philthy Phil’s and Sweet Carolina’s. They also have great coleslaw, smoky BBQ beans and killer garlic fries. JS
301 Main St., #107, Huntington Beach. 714-374-3033
Sugar Shack
This H.B. hot spot has been around for more than 30 years. Specializing in breakfast and home cooked classics like meatloaf and turkey dinners. The hash browns are excellent and the Wednesday Turkey Dinner special alone is worth the trip. The friendly service and great food is complimented by reasonable prices. ML
213 Main St., Huntington Beach. 714-536-0355
Thai Wave Restaurant
Sample the Thai taste with the Thai Wave Combination platter: egg rolls, ribs, wontons and “naked” shrimp (against the law in H.B?). TomYum soups and coconut-milk soaked curries also tease the senses at this local haunt for Southeast Asian tastes. Remember the Pad Thai and expect to feel that the tip is well deserved. DP
522 Main St., Huntington Beach. 714-960-0219.
ocvoice
Recently my wife & I dined again at Bravo Avo, located on the northeast corner of Warner & Gothard. I had the Avo’s Complete Dinner vegetarian combo, and my wife had the chicken kabob. It was all very good as usual. I think Bravo Avo has the best pita bread in all of HB.
Bravo Avo has some special events coming up:
Monday, March 31st, from 5:30PM to 8:30PM, spend an intimate evening dining with your host Avo. A four course meal will be served, including three glasses of wine, appetizer, salad, choice of two special entrees not on the regular menu, plus dessert, all for $40 per person. Limited seating; reservations required. This event is listed on their web site at http://www.bravoavo.com
Then on Monday, April 28th, a similar meal will be served, but with the addition of belly dancing entertainment. This one will be $55 per person.
Their regular dinner entrees are all about $15, plus or minus.
Bravo Avo is a great little Mediterranean cuisine restaurant that could use more customers. My wife and I were the only patrons dining there tonight from 6-7PM. Give ‘em a try; you’ll be glad you did.