No Worry's Restaurant. Cabo San Lucas

No Worry's Restaurant.
Cabo San Lucas, Baja Mexico.

My recent travels took me to Mexico and with a short opportunity for lunch, I approached a lighthouse shaped restaurant called No Worries.

After I requested to eat on the second floor, I was turned down. “Its not open” the man told me in broken English. I then told him to bad and turned away.

“Senior, come. I will seat you.” He then led us into the patio and pulled back the chairs. What caught me off guard is that he took hold of the table, placed it on his head and started up the stairs to the second floor.

The second floor is an area for restaurant expansion where one day it will be a nice dining room filled with booths and chandeliers; but for us it was a large empty room and made an excellent place for our lunch.

From our second floor private room, we could sit on the large window ledge overlooking the beautiful Cabo San Lucas Marina. Mango Cadillac Margaritas, a bucket of beer, and a basket of fresh tortilla chips was an excellent start for our indulgence.

The bay windows wrap around the room and the cool breeze made for a wonderful atmosphere. For a moment it was hard to believe we were in another country; it seemed too much like home.

Our main dishes were two Lobster tails served on lettuce leafs with steamed vegetables and a cheese stuffed baked potato. Lobster seemed to melt in our mouths and for one brief moment overshadowed the beautiful view. Eyes rolled and gentle moans came with every tantalizing bite.

Also ordered was coconut shrimp served with a cup of rice and a cup of beans. This was not a great value for the portion size was small. The shrimp had a thick breading and a lace of coconut. It was deep fried which turned the breading dark brown and the shrimp was on the verge of being tough. This was not a bad dish; yet it could not outshine the lobster.

The bottom floor of the restaurant was charming and had a tropical patio dining flair. Inside the main room were a large gift shop and a great sports bar feeling atmosphere. This is definitely a night spot of choice.

No Worries was such a wonderful experience that we cannot wait to go back. When in Cabo San Lucas visit the No Worries Restaurant. I am sure you will have a nice time.

The only regret I have is I did not pick up a T shirt. My bad.

No Worry's Restaurant - Web

Blvd. Marina
E/V. Guerrero y Madero
Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S.
Mexico 23410
tel: (624) 143-8575

Tommy's Pastrami New York Delicatessen - Huntington Beach.

08-20-2008
The emerging Tommy’s Pastrami New York Delicatessen will become a major franchise and may be coming to a city near you. Over 78 franchises have been sold since its conception in October 2005; yet currently only 8 have been opened.

I visited the franchise on Beach Blvd, in Huntington Beach and am concerned that the concept of mixing New York style deli food with WestCoast flair is going to corrupt the whole concept. Then add the corruption caused by franchising and it may spoil the public’s conception for what is quality deli food.

To test Tommy’s commitment to quality, I ordered two staples of Jewish Deli; Pastrami, and Lox and Bagel plate. I was pleased with the food preparation, presentation, and ingredients. The Rye bread was very tasty Jewish style rye. The Pastrami had a nice taste and was stacked high. It was joined with a good deli pickle. This was a very good sandwich; I would recommend to any one.

I was pleasantly pleased when I turned my attention to the Lox plate. I first noticed that the onion bagel was soft, a sign of freshness. On the bagel was a square slice of cream cheese; it was not too much, but just enough. The smoked lox were fresh, thick, and the proper serving size. It was served with fresh vegetables; 2 tomato slices, a slice of red onion, 2 crisp lettuce leaves. It also had thick cucumber slices, and a pleasant surprise, fresh tasty capers. For a West Coast deli, this was a good find.

The other thing that caught my attention was the freshness of the vegetables. In fact, I have never seen such a fresh selection. Where ever they are purchasing their produce is a find they should never let go of.

The restaurant was clean, neat, and well kept. The dining room had many places to sit and the lunch crowd was in. The decor was plain and simple; there was a large drawing of the New York Sky Line on one wall.

The only disappointing part was the service and I am going to hammer it hard for I believe that franchise restaurants must have a good training program. Every person is key to customer satisfaction. What brought dissatisfaction was the attention I received at the order counter and the improper hygiene behavior of the staff.

When I approached the counter the employees were talking and joking while taking my order; I was not special or important. There was much unprofessional banter and it was very non-becoming. I would expect rude New York attitude, if done to enhance the New York Deli atmosphere, but this was West Coast carelessness.

As I waited for my order to come up, I noticed one employee talking to another about nail biting and he put his fingers in his mouth and then touched mayonnaise packets and drinking cups as he talked. He was not serving, only impulse touching while he gabbed.

Another employee wiped her nose with her hand and then grabbed orders coming to the window. Then another used their pants to wipe their hands. It was obvious that the care put into the food was not applied to the staff.

Employee antics aside, the visit to Tommy’s Pastrami New York Delicatessen was a good experience. I cannot wait to go back and have the Lox plate again.

Food Rating: (1-10) 8

Service Rating: (1-10) 3

Tommy Pastrami New York Delicatessen
Beach Talbert Village
Corner of Beach and Talbert
18001 Beach Boulevard
Huntington Beach, CA 92648

http://www.tommypastraminydeli.com

Coach’s Mediterranean Grill – Huntington Beach.

Coach’s Mediterranean Grill – Huntington Beach.

August 19, 2008

Blocks from the Huntington Beach pier on main street, we found a Traditional Greek restaurant that drew us in through their inviting entrance. Coach’s Mediterranean Grill is a nice addition to the Surf City and if they continue with their great food it will become a favorite of the locals.

The entrance dining room is nicely decorated and you feel as if you are in a true Greek restaurant. Photos of their food are nicely displayed on a flat panel TV in the corner of the room. Their menu has many traditional Greek entrées and the staff quickly took care of our every need.

Walking past he kitchen I stopped to see a well burned in grill, which is a must if you want your food to have a smoky grilled taste. The chief had many pans of the fire and a hot gyro rotating. I could tell that their chief had much experience at cooking Greek cuisine.

The back of the restaurant is very Mediterranean and able to seat many customers or large parties. Restrooms were clean as was the flooring throughout the restaurant. Cleanliness in these areas tells you that a restaurant owner is careful an attentive.

FOOD: The calamari was good, but a little over cooked. The marinara sauce was excellent and we finished the appetizer.

The Mediterranean delight for two was an excellent combination of tasty humus, tabouleh, stuff grape leaves, and falafel. I was glad we ordered this for it gave us a true Greek food experience.

The House Combo Bowl was marinated grilled chicken, gyro, served on rice. The meat was excellently cooked and the flavor was outstanding.

Service was quick and our food came to the table hot. Ingredients were fresh and the plates look appealing. Our review of the restaurant is favorable and we recommend you to visit Coach’s when in the beach area. It is good food at good prices.

Food Rating (1-10) 8

Service Rating: (1-10) 8

Coach’s Mediterranean Grill

200 Main Street Huntington Beach California.

http://www.coachsmedgrill.com/

Map

La Casita Mexicana - Bell California

It is on rare occasions you find a restaurant really serving the food they bragged about on television. Yet we found it La Casita Mexicana located in Bell California.

Featured on Bobby Flay’s “Throw down,” the owners of La Casita Mexicana step up to deliver quality.

When we visited the restaurant, the owners were not at the restaurant. They come in the morning to ensure the food lives up to the traditions passed down from generation to generation.

Note* This is not the American equivalent of Mexican Food, his is authentic Mexican cuisine.

Though the restaurant is very small, it has a pleasant environment. Nicely decorated in traditional Mexican style, I felt as if I was in Mexico.

I visited the kitchen and was impressed to see that not only was it clean, it had a smooth flow and a staff that was serious about quality.

The staff was very polite, inviting, and respectful. Uniforms nice, clean and the food were presented with flair.

The taste bud tantalizing moles are the centerpiece of this food, which is traditional and not the typical commercial Mexican food served in Most America Restaurants.

Food Rating: (1-10) 9 Excellent.

Service: (1-10) 8 Very Good.

La Casita Mexicana

4030 Gauge Ave, Bell CA.

Map

http://www.casitamex.com/home.html