Su Casa

Name: Su Casa
Address: 403 Main Street, El Segundo, California 90245
Phone: 310-524-9985
Web site: none; Google Local page
Date & Time visited: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 6:00 PM
Guests: Manetta (Jen's grandmother), Jennifer and me
What we had: Beef tacos (Manetta), cheese quesadilla (Jen), tortilla soup (Jen), chicken tacos (me)

This is the former location of La Paz, an El Segundo tradition for at least 20 years, and this was the first time we'd visited its replacement--so we were inclined to possibly be a bit critical. We were pleasantly surprised, however. With large portions, attractive presentations and flavorful food, Su Casa seems to be a worthy successor to La Paz. Jennifer's cheese quesadilla was served in a large corn tortilla, apparently made fresh at the restaurant (as were the very delicious flour tortilla chips) and loaded with cheese and diced chilis. Her tortilla soup was, she said, one of the best she'd had, even considering the absence of chicken from the soup--it did use a chicken base, but there were no actual chicken pieces in the soup.

Both Manetta's and my tacos were served with Mexican rice and beans, with Manetta choosing black beans while I selected refried. Both were hot (temperature-wise) and tasty, though the rice was average at best. I'd asked for one soft and one crunchy taco and this was what I got. The soft taco was in a medium corn tortilla, loaded with chicken, lettuce, cheese and sour cream, while the crunchy taco was similarly loaded in a standard taco shell. Very good, and I cleaned my plate.

Service: Fair. There was only one server actually working the restaurant, though another employee did come out from behind the bar to greet and seat new arrivals. This meant that the one server was constantly on the move from kitchen to table and back, so getting her attention was difficult. However, the busser took care of refilling drinks and since the food was so good we didn't really need the server for anything after she brought our meals.

Would we go back: Yes, but hopefully they'll hire another server or two.

Redd Rockett's Pizza Port

Name: Redd Rockett's Pizza Port
Address: Disneyland, California 92802
Phone: 714-781-DINE (3463)
Web site: on Disneyland.com
Date & Time visited: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 2:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me, plus Steven, Jenn and AVP
What we had: (I only know when Jen and I had) Chicken Fusilli (Jen), Starfield Salad (me), focaccia breadstick

If Redd Rockett's can be said to have a signature dish, the Chicken Fusilli is it. It's lost some quality--and quantity--in the nine years the restaurant has been open (has it really been nine years?!) but it's still probably the best item on the menu. Jen said it was okay, but it was a good thing I had a packet of red pepper flakes in my camera bag because the sauce needed some extra flavor.

The Starfield salad contains field greens, golden raisins, candied walnuts, blue cheese and other good things. The Cast Member behind the counter kindly made a fresh salad for me sans tomatoes, and since the dressing comes separately it was easy to put on just the amount I wanted and not drown the greens. The focaccia bread used to be separate breadsticks, and then a long piece of bread sectioned into three parts, but it's now just the long piece with no cuts so you have to tear it. Marinara sauce is included for dipping.

Service: This is a "scramble service" place, so the level of service you get greatly depends on what you want and where you get it. I thought we did all right with our selections and interactions with Cast Members working behind the counter, and the person working the register did her job quickly and efficiently.

Would we go back: Yes.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers

Name: Red Robin Gourmet Burgers
Address: 12007 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove, California 92840
Phone: 714-971-4775
Web site: RedRobin.com
Date & Time visited: Monday, July 16, 2007 1:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Barbecue burger (Jen), Peppercorn burger (me)

Red Robin's burgers are huge, with lots of toppings. Jennifer's barbecue burger was as she'd ordered it ("a tiny bit of pink in the middle") and she enjoyed but could not finish it. My peppercorn burger was a bit disappointing; I'd last ordered this item when I was still eating beef, and the beef patty is rolled in cracked peppercorns before cooking which imparts the spicy, pungent flavor. This time, I ordered it with a veggie patty, and--whether by design or accident I don't know--the veggie patty was not rolled in peppercorns, so the burger lacked that flavor burst I was looking for. Aside from that, though, it was pretty good, and I'm very pleased that Red Robin offers turkey and veggie patty alternatives for all their burgers.

Service: Very good. Jennifer had asked for garlic fries instead of the regular fries that came with her burger, and since the server wasn't able to modify the original order he got her a refill of garlic fries with the burger when he brought it (Red Robin's burgers come with refills on the fries). Drinks were refilled quickly and the only delay we experienced was in waiting for the check.

Would we go back: Yes, it's good and convenient when we're staying in Anaheim.

Cafe Orleans

Name: Cafe Orleans
Address: Disneyland, California 92802
Phone: 714-781-DINE (3463)
Web site: on Disneyland.com
Date & Time visited: Sunday, July 15, 2007 10:10 AM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Creole Eggs Benedict (Jennifer), Cafe Scramble (me)

Creole Eggs Benedict means standard Eggs Benedict only with Andouille sausage instead of Canadian bacon, and a spicier sauce. Jennifer enjoyed the dish. A Cafe Scramble is eggs, potatoes, onions and peppers scrambled together with spices and seasonings. Nothing too unusual, but well-executed and a generous portion.

Service: Pretty good. Our assigned server was on a break when we were seated, so another Cast Member took over for him, but then he came back except he was only there about half the time. The other people working the area covered for him, though, so overall we didn't feel neglected.

Would we go back: Yes. This was the first time we'd tried the new breakfast offering at Cafe Orleans, and we'll probably try it again.

French Market

Name: French Market
Address: Disneyland, California, 92802
Phone: 714-781-DINE (3463)
Web site: on Disneyland.com
Date & Time visited: Saturday, July 14, 2007 8:20 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: We made up for last time by ordering the French Market fried chicken, and since we'd had a snack a few hours earlier we decided to share a single order. It turned out to be just enough food. Unfortunately, the chicken itself was not as good as we both remembered. Dry, much smaller pieces (is Disney buying smaller chickens?) and a decided lack of the spicy flavor we'd enjoyed on previous visits.

The accompanying salad and french fries were fine, and we skipped dessert since we knew we'd be stopping by the Critter Country candy shop later.

Service: Good. The line moves very slowly at this restaurant, but it seems to be more a function of the design (buffeteria) than the actual level of service provided by the Cast Members working there. When we did finally get to the front of the line, the Cast Members assembled our order quickly and correctly.

Would we go back: Yes.

Stage Door Cafe

Name: Stage Door Cafe
Address: Disneyland, California 92802
Phone: 714-781-DINE (3463)
Web site: on Disneyland.com
Date & Time visited: Saturday, July 14, 2007 6:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Mozzarella sticks w/french fries

Not a lot to say; this was a snack to tide us over until a late dinner (see next post). The mozzarella sticks were fresh out of the fryer, crispy on the outside and hot and cheesy on the inside. The accompanying marinara sauce was nothing special, but did add a nice contrast to the breading on the mozzarella sticks. The fries were also fresh and flavorful.

Service: Counter-service. It felt like we were disturbing the Cast Member working the register, when we entered the mostly-empty building and waited a couple of minutes for her to take our order. The order was accurate, though, and it wasn't a big deal.

Would we go back: Yes. The Stage Door also features chicken strips and fish-and-chips.

Cafe 220

Name: Cafe 220
Address: 220B University Ave, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: (650) 853-8182
Web site: None; Google Local page
Date & Time visited: Friday, June 29, 2007, 9:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Hummus appetizer, Chicken gyros (me), Lamb & beef gyros plate (Jen), Baklava, Turkish coffee (me)

The hummus was creamy and flavorful and the pita, though there were only four pieces, was warm and soft. We did ask for and receive a second helping of pita to finish off the hummus. The hot sauce on the table--unknown brand in a squeeze bottle--added a nice kick to the hummus' flavor.

My chicken gyros was huge and more like a burrito than the sort of gyro I'm used to. That said, it was very good; tender, not over-cooked chicken, tasty sauce, crunchy vegetables, and the wrap was warm and crunchy.

Jennifer enjoyed her lamb & beef gyros plate, and was impressed by the portion size; in fact, she couldn't finish it.

I've only ever had Turkish coffee at Cafe 220 so I don't know if they do it "right" or not, but I am growing to like it very much. Also, their baklava is quite good; sweet and sticky, of course, but not "artificially" sweet if that makes sense. Seems very authentic.

Service: Not too quick, but friendly. This is a counter order/table service place, where you order at the counter and your food is brought to your table, so the only drink refills are the ones you get up and get yourself; however, they did bring a second dish of pita (at no charge!) when we asked.

Would we go back: Yes, in fact I seem to be developing a Turkish coffee and baklava craving.