Taste of Anaheim

Last night D and I went to Taste of Anaheim. The tickets weren’t cheap at $30 a pop so of course I was determined to get my money’s worth, as it was all-inclusive. (At least parking was free.) We left k at home with my parents and sister so we could do some serious eating. After reading this post, you’ll understand why D and I were so full we had a hard time falling asleep last night. D declared that he “didn’t like food anymore”.

We started out at the Ruth’s Chris booth. It had a long line, but it moved fairly quickly.

Kobe Slider with Sweet Potato Casserole. Nice flavor, good quality (brioche?) bun.

Next we went to another booth with a long line, figuring it must be long for a reason: Orange Hill Restaurant

Guess what? Another Mini Kobe Beef Slider, along with Smoked Salmon and Trout on Pecan Raisin Crostini. It too was good (nice grilled onions), but maybe there should have been some coordination to add some diversity. It was also a pretty filling way to start off the evening.

I don’t remember the order of everything else we ate, so the rest will be random. I would also note that you had to pay for drinks, including $2.75 for a bottle of water! However, we found the Aramark booth (caterer for Anaheim Angels Stadium) and they had free water and lemonade. There were also samples of Kelly’s Coffee, smoothies from Juice it Up and Starbucks.

Yamabuki

California Roll and Rice Krispy Roll. I thought the Rice Krispy Roll was cute and different.

JT Schmids

Pork Rib and Sweet Potato Fries. The rib was meaty and good, but the fries could have been warmer.

Shenhnai Cuisine of India

Naan, Chicken Korma, and Vegetable Curry. D also had something with lamb. It was OK, again it could have been warmer. I liked the naan, but I probably like 99% of naan!

House of Blues

Pan Seared Voodoo Shrimp with Rosemary Cornbread, Creole, Seafood Jambalaya with Shrimp, Chicken and Andouille Sausage. I enjoyed the shrimp and cornbread; the jambalaya was a bit mushy.

El Torito Grill

Guacamole and Tamarind Barbeque Shrimp (not pictured). This wins the award for best presentation. The mini plastic martini glasses were so cute! The guac was delicious, but a lot went to waste since it only came with two chips. The shrimp was quite tasty too.

Rainforest Cafe

Coconut Shrimp Skewer with Orange Wasabi Sauce. This was my favorite taste-wise. It was nice and hot (not sure how they managed that) and the “perfect bite” (or two), in “Top Chef” parlance.

Steakhouse 55

Ribeye (bite) and Chocolate Bonita Bar. This was my favorite dessert, sort of a chocolate mousse–and so pretty!

I didn’t take pictures of everything we ate, mostly because I was too embarrassed.
Here is what else we consumed. (I took home most of the dessert items in the bag provided by La Brea Bakery).

Amazing Cakes–Bite Size Brownies
Anaheim White House–Assorted Desserts (Apple Pastry, Lemon Tart)
Buca Di Beppo–Lasagne, Chocolate Cake
Catering by Aramark @ Angel Stadium–Cupcake
Cinnamon Works & More–Cinnamon Rolls
Dave & Busters–Philly Cheesesteaks (I had a couple of bites; D was too full).
Dream Cakes
ESPN Zone–BBQ Ribs | Carrot Cake
Hilton Anaheim Pavia–Fruit Tart (D’s fave dessert)
Golden Vine Winery–Ginger and Lemongrass Infused Watermelon Soup (interesting, but the ginger flavor was pretty strong, even for me!)
Kelly’s Coffee & Fudge Factory #54–sliver of Fudge
K’ya at the Hotel Ménage Casa Resort–Strawberries with Crème Fraiche and Brown Sugar
La Brea Bakery–Cheese Panini, Mini Muffins and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pepperoni’s Pizza–What else, pizza? I just had a bite; D was too full.
Sandi Bell Pies–Pecan Pie
The Catch Restaurant–Seafood Ceviche (nice and light)
Tortilla Jo’s–some sort of shrimp? I think too many places offered shrimp (as much as I like shrimp, it just seemed a bit redundant).
Up in Smoke–Pulled Pork

There were more booths, but it just wasn’t physically possible to try them all. We also wondered why National Sports Bar even bothered–flavorless chicken nuggets and chicken sandwiches. We probably should’ve skipped that one.

Here is D contemplating whether he should eat a chocolate covered strawberry despite wanting to throw up.