Intiraymi Restaurant-Closed

Intiraymi Restaurant
23545 Palomino Dr
Diamond Bar
909-861-1200

So Diamond Bar gets a Peruvian restaurant and I finally get a chance to try it.  Located in a strip mall behind a gas station and an overpriced Chinese restaurant-that I won't go to, Intiraymi Restaurant has been in Diamond Bar for about a year.  It is a good sized restaurant with seating for about 20-25 people, though the decor is very basic.  

Pescado Frito-fried fish-sea bass with steamed rice and salad, $11.95.  The fish was lightly battered and well fried but very bland.  The fish itself was moist and flavorful.  I would guess they use fresh, not frozen fish, but I could be mistaken.  The rice was fine.  The salad was standard.

Service was good.  The man who took my order, who I believe is the owner, was nice, friendly and helpful.  I got the order quickly, considering they had to fry the fish.

I was disappointed with the fried fish.  Some of their other dishes look great and I may give them a try the next time I go to Intiraymi Restaurant.

Ocie's Texas BBQ at The Crossing-Closed

Ocie's Texas BBQ at The Crossing
3245 Casitas Ave
Los Angeles
323-522-3488

The Crossing is actually an industrial park split into artist studios, the Atwater Village Performing Arts Center, and the dining options.

I really don't know how to describe dining options at The Crossing; a neighborhood meeting spot with a few dining options?  Two separate restaurants?  Anyways, The Crossing has Ocie's Texas BBQ, a pizza restaurant, and a coffee place.  There are plenty of tables inside and outside. 

Spare ribs plate, $12, with double mac and cheese.  Texas BBQ means mesquite wood is used to smoke the meats.  The smokers are right next to the patio, so they do smoke their meats.  But, they haven't perfected their meat.  The ribs were tough, chewy and needed to be in the smoker for another two hours, at least one more hour.  The rub is heavy on the paprika with slight hints of cumin.  I wasn't impressed.

The mac and cheese needed more cheese sauce, though the macaroni was well cooked.

Service left a lot to be desired.  While the server was friendly, she didn't come around often.  We lacked for refills and somebody at the table had to ask three times for coffee before finally getting it.

I wouldn't come back to Ocie's Texas BBQ again.  Poor food and service.

Greenblatt's Delicatessen & Fine Wine Shop-Closed

Greenblatt's Delicatessen & Fine Wine Shop
8017 Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood
323-656-0606

A few blocks east of Carney's is Greenblatt's Deli.  I had planned to eat at Carney's but there was a long line at Carney's.  When I passed Greenblatt's on the way to Carney's, I realized it has been on my list of places to try.  So I came here.

Greenblatt's is a two story restaurant.  The ground floor has a small number of tables, the deli counter, and a huge retail store.  The upper floor has seating for about 40 people.  It was pretty busy when we arrived, all the tables were taken on the ground floor.  So, the bus boy said there was seating up stairs.  Notice, there was no host or hostess greeting people. Anyways, we were seated at the last empty table upstairs.

Pastrami sandwich, $12.95.  The menu at Greenblatt's said their pastrami was rated best pastrami.  Now The New Diner readers know I'm not a fan of Langers, what people says is the holy grail for pastrami; it's good pastrami but nothing great, certainly not the holy grail!  Personally, my holy grail for pastrami is Katz's in New York City!

So, I had to order the pastrami.  Sliced thin, the pastrami was flavorful and tasty, but a bit dry.  There was a good amount of pastrami on the sandwich, well worth the $12.95 price tag.  What made up for it was the great rye bread!  The crust was tough but chewy and the bread was just fantastic!   I got a side of fresh fruit and everything was good, expect for the very sour orange slice.

Service is below average.  While the server was nice, he wasn't around that often.  It took a long time to even place our order, get refills, he forgot to bring the extra napkins we asked for. To cut him some slack, I think it's how the restaurant assigns servers.  It seems our server had a couple tables upstairs but had all the tables downstairs.  I also didn't like the no host policy.  If the busboy didn't happen to walk by, I may still be standing there waiting for a table!

I wouldn't go back to Greenblatt's.  The pastrami sandwich was fine, but nothing great and service left a lot to be desired.

Pacific Fish Grill-Closed

Pacific Fish Grill
13865 City Center Dr
Chino Hills
909-902-0099

Next door to Bruxie, is Pacific Fish Grill.  So, after being underwhelmed by the waffle sandwich at Bruxie, we went to Pacific Fish Grill for their shrimp tacos.

Pacific Fish Grill is a lot like another casual seafood restaurant in Chino; Papachino's.  It's is a small chain with other locations in Downey and West Covina. The Chino Hills location is a fairly big restaurant where you order at the counter.

Crispy shrimp taco, $3.79, cabbage, tangy sauce, and tomatoes on a corn tortilla.  The first thing I noticed was the thickness of the corn tortilla.  I liked it because some tortillas just fall apart after the first bite.  The shrimp was fried perfectly and was fresh tasting.  It may have been frozen shrimp, but at least it wasn't sitting in a freezer forever.  The cabbage and pico de galo were fresh and there was the right amount of crema, which they call a zesty sauce.  I think they add chili powder and cumin to the crema.  I liked this shrimp taco and I think it is worth the price.  On Tuesdays, the fish tacos are 99 cents and the shrimp tacos are $2, which would be a steal!

Service was pretty good.  The lady taking our order was nice, even going to the back room to get more take out menus, after I asked if they had any take out menus.  But, we waited a little too long for the tacos to come out.  There was a group of eight and a couple to go orders but otherwise it wasn't that crowded; not sure why we waited so long for our food.

I would go back to Pacific Fish Grill and will be going back on a Tuesday very soon, to try their fish tacos.

Update Nov. 12, 2013

Well, I went back for Taco Tuesdays.  The specials on Tuesday include; crispy fish tacos are 99 cents, and $2 for crispy shrimp, grilled fish, salmon, and grilled chicken tacos.

Grill fish taco, with white roughy fish, chili verde, grilled onions, and cabbage.  White roughy is a name for basa fish.  There is a lot of controversy over the name, because consumers often confuse or assume white roughy is like orange roughy.  White roughy isn't in the same family as the more expensive orange roughy.

Anyways, this white roughy lacked seasoning, was very bland and flavorless.  There was a good amount of fish in the taco, the only saving thing.  I didn't like the grilled onions and the chili verde was very good.  But, the fact that the white roughy was so bland, made this taco unappealing. 

 Crispy fish taco-fried pollock, cabbage, tomatoes, and crema.  From the flavorless grill fish taco, to the full of flavor crisphy fish taco.  The fish used is pollock and was perfectly fried, with a crispy outside that stood up to all the toppings, and a nice inside.

Service was good.  I went there just as the lunch rush started, but I know I got my order much faster than the first time I went.

I like Pacific Fish Grill and will be back soon.  The Taco Tuesdays deals are a steal, but prepare to wait in line to order and for a table.  But, the crispy fish and shrimp tacos are well worth it!

Bruxie-Closed

Bruxie
13865 City Center Dr
Chino Hills
909-334-4162

The first Bruxie opened in Orange, near Chapman College, and soon long lines of students and foodies waited for the waffle sandwiches.  Now, I've been to Roscoe's in both Hollywood and Pasadena-the chicken and waffles restaurant, but waffles aren't something I order for breakfast that often.  So, having a waffle sandwich is a strange idea for me and will take getting used to.

Bruxie has expanded, opening locations in Brea and Chino Hills.  So, I go to the Chino Hills location to finally give these waffle sandwiches a try.  Bruxie is an open air restaurant with lots of seating.  You order at the counter and your food is brought to your table. 

Albacore tuna sandwich, $8.95, cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce and tomatoes.  I know Bruxie is known for their fried chicken sandwich, but I felt like having a tuna melt.  The waffle was light, had a nice golden texture outside and soft inside.

But, the tuna wasn't anything special, a slight upgrade from Subway, so that's not saying much.   Yes, the veggies were fresh, but a couple pieces of uncut romaine lettuce?  Come on, chop it it.

Service was good. There wasn't a long line, but the line moved quickly and we got out food quickly.

Sorry, I don't get the hype of Bruxie.  I prefer having a french roll or wheat bread instead of a waffle.  Interesting concept, but it's not for me.  I won't be going back.

After being underwhelmed at Bruxie, we went next door to Pacific Fish Grill, for a shrimp taco.

Meea's-Closed

Meea's
1734 Colorado Blvd
Los Angeles
323-285-4850

After going to Monte 52, based on the review in the Eastsider LA, I read more reviews on Valentina Silva's blog, Eastside Food Bites and found her review of Meea's, a hot dog place in Eagle Rock.  It's across the street from the Blue Hen, a Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant, that I reviewed in 2006, and is still open.

So I went to Meea's, after having the hot dog at Schreiner's Fine Sausage, and being underwhelmed.  If you blink you'll miss Meea's when driving on Colorado Blvd.  Look for the Taco Bell and next door is Meea's.  A small area with only outdoor patio seating, Meea's has been open for about a year.

If you're looking for authentic hot dogs from other cities like Chicago or New York.  No Vienna beef  or Sabrett's hot dogs on the menu.  Meea's has their own all beef hot dog and that hot dog is in every hot dog on the menu.  They do have a veggie and turkey hot dog too.

Hot dog with yellow mustard and raw onions, $3.22. The hot dog was grilled, had good flavor, spices and juicy.  It was very good.  But, the bun overwhelmed the hot dog.  While the bun was nice and soft, with good texture,  it was just too big for the hot dog. 

Service was good.  The guy who too my order, who I believe is the owner, was nice and friendly.

If you're looking for an authentic Chicago hot dog, this isn't the place.  But, if you're looking for a good quality hot dog, you should give Meea's a try.  

Monte 52-Closed

Monte 52
5200 Monte Vista St
Los Angeles
818-626-0822

There are many sources I use to find out about restaurants.  I was reading a story in the Eastsider LA and noticed another story about a hidden gem sandwich place in Highland Park called Monte 52,  which is located inside La Tropicana Market. 

Cuban, $6, roasted pork, cucumbers, cheese, mayo, mustard.

I thought this sandwich was a bit dry and needed more mustard and mayo.  But, the roasted pork was well cooked and seasoned.  The thing about a Cuban sandwich is the variety of flavors, from the pork to the tangy pickles, and the mustard.  This sandwich had most of it, but needed more mustard.

Italian, $6, ham, capicola and provolone, lettuce, tomato, with spicy giardiniera and chimichurri sauce.  WOW, what a great sandwich. I usually get mayo on my Italian sandwiches, because I hate the vinegar and oil most places put on the sandwiches.  But, I figured I would try the giardinierra and chimichurri and wow,  they were great.  They added a bold and spicy flavor to this sandwich!  The veggies were fresh.   The meats were piled high and the bread was toasted perfectly. 

Service is good.  The guy, who I believe is the owner, was nice and friendly.  Though, he should have suggested a side item, when ordered with a sandwich $1, or ala carte $3.  The pasta and potato salad looked pretty good in the display case.

I would go back to Monte 52 anytime for the Italian sandwich, what a great sandwich!

Ocean Star Restaurant-Closed

Ocean Star Restaurant
145 N Atlantic Blvd
Monterey Park
626-308-2128

After getting some dim sum to go from Capital BBQ & Dim Sum Express,  I went across Atlantic Blvd and went to Ocean Star.  A huge restaurant on the second floor, I can imagine how busy they are on the weekends.

The weekday dim sum had the ladies with the carts full of dim sum walking around.  You pick what items you want and they will stamp your ticket. 

All these items are $1.68, expect the lobster e-mein, which was $12.

Shrimp har gow.  The inside was very flavorful.  But, eating the inside was like eating gummy bears.  Very gummy and chewy.

Baked BBQ pork bun.  Most people are used to the steamed BBQ pork buns, but I've started ordering the baked BBQ pork buns.  This was just ok, the outside is sticky, maybe made with honey, and had a tough chewy texture.  The pork was ok, not a lot of pork, and lacked flavor.

Steamed BBQ pork bun.  The pork is the same as the baked BBQ buns, but the the outside was good, with a firm texture.

Pork siu mai.  I wasn't too impressed with this.  The pork was ok, it could have used some more seasoning, but the portion size was good.

Lobster e-mein, $12.  The lobster was steamed perfectly.  But, the gravy lacked seasoning and was pretty bland.  The noodles were cooked perfectly too, but the lack of seasoning made this a mediocre dish.  But, the amount of lobster made this a great value, really, it's a steal!

Service was good, but the sui mai cart only came around once during my visit!  Not sure why, because sui mai is one of the most popular dim sum dishes.

I wasn't that impressed with the dim at Ocean Star.  But, the lobster e-mien is a steal, and a bit more seasoning would have made it a very good dish. 

Hot Dog Pops-Closed

Hot Dog Pops
808 N Diamond Bar Blvd
Diamond Bar
909-860-1235

Does the outside of Hot Dog Pops look familiar?  Yes, this space used to be D' Antonio's, which was a long time Italian restaurant in Diamond Bar.  After D' Antonio's closed, a Thai restaurant opened and quickly closed; I doubt they were open for more than six months. Then Hot Dog Pops replaced them.

In regards to the name, hot dogs should be easy to figure out.  But, the pops is for soda pop.  They have a large selection of bottled soda!   Most of the bottled sodas are made with sugar, not that nasty HFCS crap.  

Hot Dog Pops has basically the same layout as D' Antonio's, I bet the booth are the same exact booths as D' Antonio's.  But, the decor is different.  There are empty soda bottles all over the store.  
 

Aron dog, $6.50, on Dutch bread with garlic spread, lettuce diced tomatoes, fried onions, and avocado.  The hot dog is a 1/4 pound all beef skinless hot dog.  I'm betting it's a Hoffy brand hot dog.  It was pretty average and nothing I couldn't get from the store.  But, the hot dog was deep fried, they never mentioned that on the menu.  The vegetable toppings were fresh, though I got tomato slices not diced tomatoes.  But, the onion rings were just frozen onion rings fried in their fryer.  The bread wasn't a bun, but Dutch bread.  This just engulfed the hot dog.  This hot dog was a complete waste of money and time.

Service was pretty good.  The server was nice, but she needs to be trained better.  She brought two boxes since we had leftovers.  When she walked by again, she asked if we needed a bag.  We said yes.  She come by and brings a bag and just leaves it on the table.  Why couldn't she take the 20 seconds to put the two boxes in the bag?  I'll admit this isn't that big of a deal.  But, come on, take the extra step to do a good job.

Hot Dog Pops really should change their name.  For a restaurant that has HOT DOG on it's name, they should have more hot dogs on the menu.  They only have 11 hot dogs on the menu.  But, they have over 20 sandwiches on the menu!  A Montana Dog has chili.  When has Montana ever been known for chili?  How about a Chicago dog?  Or a New York dog?  None of the hot dogs have just mustard and onions; your basic hot dog.   They only have one type of hot dog; a very average brand of hot dog.  They do not have any turkey or veggie dogs.   They could actually steam or grill the hot dogs, instead of deep frying them. Then the price of the hot dog; $6.50, is a complete rip off!  I saw on their business card that all their hot dogs and sandwiches are over one pound.  Well, hell, when the bread is about 1/2 pound, it's easy for the hot dog to be over a pound.

I won't return to Hot Dog Pops. 

Taste Chicago-Closed

Taste Chicago
603 N Hollywood Way
Burbank
818-563-2800

I reviewed the Chicago dog at Taste Chicago in 2005, the day before the Chicago White Sox opened the World Series.  Of course, the WHITE SOX won that World Series vs the Houston Astros.   Unlike that other baseball team from the slums of the northside of Chicago; the LOSER Cubs who haven't won a World Series since 1908 or been to a World Series since 1945.  Suffer you drunk, idiot loser Cubs fans!!

Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of one of the biggest choke jobs in baseball history; the 2003 NLCS.  NO, you drunk idiot moron cubs fans, Steve Bartman did NOTHING to hurt your chances of winning Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS.  It was losers like Mark Prior, who couldn't get out of the 8th inning.  Or loser Alex Gonzales who couldn't turn that double play, that would have gotten the losers out of the 8th inning.  Or loser Kerry Wood could have held a 5-3 in Game 7.  Not to mention loser players like STEROID Sammy Sosa or Moise Alou or Eric Karros, who all could have actually gotten hits and driven in runs in Game 7.   Yeah, blame an INNOCENT fan like Steve Bartman for the choke job by the Chicago Cubs.   Hey Cubs fans you're nothing but a bunch of drunk idiots!!

Steve Bartman has always refused to make any money from this incident; he turned down $25K to sign autographs at a show, and has never spoken publicly about the Cubs choking in the 2003 NLCS.  This is the statement Bartman made the next day;

"There are few words to describe how awful I feel and what I have experienced within these last twenty-four hours. I am so truly sorry from the bottom of this Cubs fan's broken heart. 

I ask that Cub fans everywhere redirect the negative energy that has been vented towards my family, my friends and myself into the usual positive support for our beloved team on their way to being National League champs."  Steve Bartman, Oct. 15, 2003

On the other hand, that jerk who ended up with the ball sold the ball for over $100K to a restaurant named after that terrible, overrated, drunk announcer Harry Carey.  People around him gained their 15 minutes of fame.

The Cubs organization handled the Bartman case with class, never blaming Bartman, for their own players choking!  Unlike the media; the Chicago Sun-Times, who actually published where Bartman worked and his hometown, or idiot Steve Lyons who broadcasted the game for Fox TV.  This is what that idiot Lyons, who was recently fired by the Dodgers because he's a terrible announcer, said after that play "Why? I'm surprised someone hasn't thrown that fan onto the field."  Really Steve?  Somebody should throw Lyons out of the broadcast booth!

All loser Cubs fans owe Steve Bartman an apology!  Oh, drunk idiot Cubs fans and loser Red Sox fans, there is no such things as curses!!  It's loser players and managers who didn't get the job done when it counted!  Yes, I know the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 and 2007.

Why the stuff about Bartman?  Well, besides getting a chance to rip the drunk idiot Cubs fan base, Taste Chicago is celebrating their 10th anniversary!  They have changed a bit since I went in 2005.  They enclosed the patio area and extended the kitchen and counter area.  Gone is that marquee sign and it's been replaced by a sign with the skyline of Chicago.  The walls are still decorated with Chicago sports teams items and pictures of the owner, who is a well known actor.

Mini deep dish sausage pizza, $7.35.  This was a much better option since I wasn't going to order a 14in. deep dish pizza for myself.  The sauce was ok, very mild and while you could tell it was there, it didn't really add much to this pizza.  The sausage were huge, but pretty flavorless.  But, the dough was just too doughy.  I'm used to a buttery flakey crust, with cornmeal at the bottom.  This was bland flavorless dough.  If you're looking for deep dish Chicago pizza in LA, go to Masa of Echo Park or Union Pizza; or in Orange County Rance's Chicago Pizza.  Sadly, Hollywood Pies has closed.

Maxwell Street Polish, $5.55, with mustard and caramelized onions on a poppy seed bun.  I knew from ordering the Chicago hot dog on my first visit, not to expect much.  Well my expectations were met!  The bun came straight out of the bag, not steamed, not toasted nothing.  The onions were pretty good, well caramelized and flavorful.  While the sausage is made by Vienna Beef, they either don't steamed it correctly or something.  It just tastes off.  Maybe it's not Vienna Beef, maybe it's been around too long.  Or maybe Taste Chicago just has too many items on their menu.  From hot dogs and polish sausages to pasta, to Italian beef and other kinds of sandwiches, two kinds of pizza; deep dish and Silician, salads, and even ribs! 

Service was overall good.  The server was nice and helpful when I placed my order.  He was nice to give a reusable bag to commorate the 10th anniversary of Taste Chicago.  But, when I asked him about why their website is down, he couldn't help at all.  He said it's been out for a long time.  Well, why don't you tell the owners?  Or at least tell the customers you will tell the owner and hopefully it will be taken care of.

I know Taste Chicago is owned by an actor from Chicago, but I could care less.  I don't think the food is any good here and the prices are very high; too high for the quality of the food.  No reason for me to go back!

Oh Queso-Closed

Oh Queso
14270 Chino Hills Pkwy Unit E
Chino Hills
909-627-8880

While I enjoy reading David Allen's column every week, I really look forward to his Restaurant of the Week feature.  Last week his Restaurant of the Week was at Oh Queso.  I was expecting Mexican food, so I was shocked to read that David went there for the burgers, on a recommendation from a friend; who said Oh Queso serves an excellent burger.

Located in the Stater Bros. shopping center, the same center as the closed Wing Wing BBQ restaurant I reviewed back in 2007, Oh Queso is good sized restaurant.  There is one long communal table down the middle of the restaurant, about 8-10 tables along the wall and two flat screen TV's on the walls.  When I went they were showing the Dodgers losing to their hated rival, the Giants. 

Fish taco- $3.25- Hand-breaded cod in a flour tortilla served with cabbage, tomatoes, cilantro and a chipotle sauce.  When I saw this fish taco on the menu, I had to try it.  The piece of cod in this taco is huge, maybe twice the size of other fish tacos.  The batter was crunchy, maybe a bit too thick.  But, don't think this was all batter and a small amount of fish, there was plenty of cod inside the batter.  The fish was tender and moist, but this lacked seasoning.  I thought it was bland, even the chipotle sauce didn't help the blandness.

Bacon Cheeseburger, $6.50, Patty on top of a toasted bun with apple wood bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and a special sauce.  WOW, just wow!  This was an amazing burger.  The burger is made with “6 ounces of fresh ground chuck and brisket beef.”  The bun is a toasted egg bun and holds up to the juicy burger and toppings very well.  The burger was cooked perfectly, medium rare and was very juicy.  You will need and use a lot of napkins for this burger.  The bacon was perfectly cooked and the special sauce-a thousand island style sauce added a subtle flavor, not an overpowering flavor.  I loved this burger and for $6.50 a steal of a price.

Service was very good.  The young lady who took our order was very nice and friendly.  You order at the counter and your food is brought to your table. While we were eating she came and cleared the plastic basket that had my fish taco, while she was cleaning up the dining area.  She asked us how we liked the food; we loved it, and really made us feel welcomed. 

So, does Oh Queso have the best burger-fast food or diner style restaurant, in the Inland Valley?  The burger at Oh Queso is better than a regional chain like, The Habit, or a national chain like Red Robin, or non chains like The Back Abbey; especially if you compared prices, $6.50 at Oh Queso compared to $11 in 2009 at The Back Abbey.  I haven't tried places like Eureka or Rounds.  I really liked the burger here at Oh Queso and would come back anytime.

Corner BBQ-Closed

Corner BBQ
3740 San Fernando Rd
Glendale
818-547-5555

When I first passed by Corner BBQ, I was surprised to see a BBQ restaurant open in Glendale.  When I walked up to Corner BBQ, I saw their picture menu and saw kebobs!  I'll admit I was a bit disappointed because I wanted BBQ.  But, I like kebobs and figured I was already there and figured I should give them a try.

Corner BBQ is a more casual, counter service restaurant.  They are comparable to Mediterranean Delight  or Kebab Way, two other casual, counter service kebobs restaurants that I've reviewed.  It's a fairly small location with a few tables inside and about four outside.  It's a west facing restaurant, so if you go in the summer during the later afternoon, it is hot and the sun is just beating down on you.

Chicken breast, $8.99, with salad and pita bread.  The rice is just plain white rice, no seasoning, nothing.  The chicken breast was a bit dry and chewy.  I wasn't impressed.  The portion size is generous for the price.

The salad was great!  Fresh veggies topped by a tangy white dressing.  I also loved their garlic sauce, which was heavy on the garlic, which is fine with me!

Falafel- 99 cents each.  A very interesting shaped falafel, more like a veggie patty than any falafel I've had.  I also saw him pan fry the falafel and not deep fried like I've seen most restaurant do.  But, a wonderful crust and flavor.  A bit spicy but not overpowering.  The quality of the falafel combined with the generous amount, makes this a steal!!

Service was good.  I assume the man who took my order is the owner and he was very nice and friendly.

I don't think I'll be coming back for the kebobs at Corner BBQ.  But, this maybe the best falafel I've had.

Villaggio Pizzeria-Closed

Villaggio Pizzeria
3210 Chino Ave
Chino Hills
909-591-3131

A friend had a groupon for Villaggio Pizzeria and I decided it was her turn to pay for a meal, so we used her groupon here.  Located in a strip center, behind Buffalo Wild Wings, Villaggio Pizzeria is a nice good sized pizza parlor.  There are about six flat screen TV's, so if you're a sports fan this is a good place to go.  It was slow when we went for lunch, there was only one other customer during the hour or so we were there.

If this location looks familiar to The New Diner or The New Diner 2 readers, it should, this used to be Bad Bob's BBQ, which closed a few months after I wrote my review.  

Medium, The Village Works, $16.15- Pepperoni, sausage, Canadian Bacon, Mushrooms, onions, olives and green peppers-which they put only on her half of the piza, and extra cheese.

The first thing you notice about this pizza is the amount of toppings, which is very generous!!  They do not cheat you on toppings.  This pizza was very heavy and the weight wasn't just the dough.  The toppings were fine, but the sausage was pretty bland.  But, there was barely any sauce and it made for both a dry and bland pizza.  The crust held up really well, it was a thicker crispy crust and it was fantastic.  I wish other pizza places had this crust. 

Service was good.  The young lady was nice and friendly.

I know some people are going to say, you're paying for the large amount of toppings; and while that is true, I have no problem paying for good quality toppings.  While the toppings at Villaggio Pizzeria aren't gourmet, they are better than the chain pizza places, and they do pile them high!  I think overall the pizza is a good value, I just wish they would put more sauce on the pizza.

Osaka Seafood Buffet-Closed

Osaka Seafood Buffet
200 S State College Blvd
Brea, CA 92821
714-672-9698

Osaka Seafood Buffet took over what used to be Bobby McGee's restaurant and night club.  Where will the 21 year old now go since Bobby's has closed.  They also took over West Coast Seafood Buffet in Hacienda Heights.  It's amazing as I look back on type of restaurants I have reviewed on The New Diner or The New Diner 2.  When I first started The New Diner, I reviewed a lot of Chinese buffets-many of which are no longer in business.  Now I prefer quality food over the buffets.  Though, I'm not opposed to going to buffets.

The seafood buffets costs $18.99 on weekends and includes lobster claws and Lobster Thermidor.  

Sushi-Crab meat, tuna, shrimp, and yellowtail.  All the sushi was ok.  Not the top quality sushi or even the freshest, but good for buffet.

Spicy tuna hand roll.  This was just ok.  The spicy tuna was a bit mushy, either it wasn't fresh or had been sitting on the buffet table for too long.

Sauteed mushrooms- very well cooked with some onions and soy sauce.  Nice earthy flavor.


Green beens- sauteed and welled cooked, not greasy.

Grill sea bass- this was just ok.  The bass was a bit overcooked and chewy.

Garlic shrimp- This was amazing.  Lots of garlic flavor  with red and green peppers added.  The shrimp was well cooked, pretty fresh.  I would get a to go order for just this garlic shrimp!

Snow crab legs- served warm and fresh.  Good amount of meat and not too salty.

Lobster claws-a bit tough and chewy, but I'm not expecting top quality lobster at a buffet.

Fried noodles- pretty basic fried noodles cooked with soy sauce and a small amount of veggies.

Shrimp cocktail- chilled and good tasting.  Cocktail sauce needed more kick.

Lobster Thermidor- I didn't eat the cheese part, but the lobster itself was chewy and not that fresh.

Service is good.  The plates were taken away promptly and refills were always coming.

Overall, a pretty good seafood buffet and worth the price if you eat a lot.  Somethings I would stay away from like the sushi, but the garlic shrimp is amazing!