Latest Reviews

Looking for cute cakes or cupcakes?  Try the local family-owned Haute Pink Cakes in Rancho Penasquitos.  They have lots of flavors, including their signature PINK velvet, in three sizes: mini ($1.50), regular ($3), and jumbo ($4.50).  If these prices seem a little steep, keep a look out for coupons in local publications.  Also, if you become a fan on Facebook, you'll get updates about daily specials.

Crepe World has been open since August of 2009 and I was finally able to try them out this past week.  It was, well...  a little disappointing.  The service was very slow.  It was Saturday afternoon and there was only one worker bee responsible for taking orders, cashiering, AND making the food.  There were about a dozen people who arrived after us and several of them left due to the long wait time.

I'm venturing into a different neighborhood - Rancho Penasquitos!  So far, I've only found one self-serve frozen yogurt eatery.  L'Amour De Yogurt is near the 56 freeway and Rancho Penasquitos Blvd.  Like the many other places, they have several flavors (16 - I think) and an abundance of toppings (both dry and fresh fruits).  My favorite flavors are Mango Sorbet and Cookies & Cream.
 

I recently saw Mary's Donuts & Coffee at 3buckbites.com, so I decided to try them out while making a run to the Sonic in Santee.  Unless you know where to look, you may miss it.  It's sort of part of a gas station on the corner of Mission Gorge Rd and Fanita Dr.

Santorini Island Grill is a Greek restaurant in Scripps Ranch.  They serve fair portions at reasonable prices.

Looking for cheesy swashbuckling fun? Then look no further than Pirate's Dinner Adventure! There are two locations: Buena Park, CA (near Knott's Berry Farm) and Orlando, FL. Our group of 10 adults went last weekend for a birthday celebration. You can get into the spirit by dressing up or buying a few of their adult beverages.

After my less-than-perfect experience at Barona's Seafood Plaza, I am happy to say that their Italian Cucina was wonderful!  The atmosphere is much different than Seafood Plaza.  At the Italian Cucina, there is a warm, friendlier feeling.

To start us off, one of the servers brought out a few Complimentary Munchies: breadsticks (plain and sesame), bread, olives, and olive oil with balsamic vinegar.

One of Barona Resort & Casino's newest eateries is Seafood Plaza.  It is across from the food court and down the escalators.  This area has been remodeled.  It used to be a bingo hall.  There are two other restaurants: Italian Cucina and the soon-to-be new Barona Oaks Steakhouse.  I like this area because it was definitely more quiet than the rest of the casino.

After we ordered, one of the servers brought out a bowl of complimentary Edamame for us to munch on while we were waiting for our meal.

Vacationing at Lake Tahoe and looking for a place to have a special dinner?  That's what I was doing and I found Fredrick's Fusion Bistro.  Their website has recipes for Lobster Dogs and Coffee & Doughnuts.  They looked so good...  we had to try them out.

We were driving from San Jose to Lake Tahoe and made a stop in Fairfield at the Jelly Belly Factory.  (They also have a factory in Wisconsin.)  Once you enter, it's very colorful and seems like a smaller version of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.  We waited in line for about 45 minutes for the tour.  They take groups of 50-60 people every 10-15 minutes for a 45-minute tour.  Be sure to go during a weekday to see the factory workers working and jelly beans being made, otherwise you'll just see videos on the weekends.  For participating in their free tour, you get a free paper hat and