Adanus Mediterranean Grill in Foothill Ranch

My better half & I are huge proponents of supporting the local guy. Provided the food is good of course! This past weekend we found a place that not only fills this description…It exceeds it.  Located by a failing auto center in Foothill Ranch is Adanus Mediterranean Grill. 

And let me assure you there is zero failure associated with this fine establishment! The place is super packed on Fridays with live music & belly dancer.  We went on a night with a live music straight from 94.7 The Wave…Very Chill.  Now on to the Food Porn!

The first thing we ordered was the Homemade Lentil Soup.  This was very well balanced with many different flavors.  The Lentils were creamy and the paprika was a perfect complement to the citrus highlights!

Next we ordered the AWESOME Lahmajun (Turkish Pizza) and all I can say is HOLY CRAP this good.  The thin crust was savory and was a perfect pairing to seasoned chopped beef & chopped peppers and onions.  This is a perfect meal but we ordered it as an appetizer.

My main course was Adanus Kebab and it did not disappoint.  The meat was perfection and lean.  It’s flavors mixed perfectly with the bed of rice it rested upon.  The vegetables that came with the Kebab were a pleasant surprise, figuring I’m a tenacious carnivore.

We had the pleasure of meeting the proprietor of Adanus…A Turkish gentleman who goes by the name of Luigi.  He’s obviously doing this as a labor of love…And that makes the experience all the better.

If you’re looking for a Mediterranean restaurant that give you a delicious tour of the flavors of the region…Then Adanus is for you.  If you’re a pompous, arrogant, stuffy douchelord who is a stickler for exactness & authenticity…Then you need to stay away.  I’m a fan of a great meal…If the chef needs to take some liberties with the ingredients to present something new and savory…So Be it!

Rating

Adanus gets FOUR get’s FOUR Jamón’s out of Four!!!

Slater's 50/50 in Anaheim Hills

The time has come to write a review for a personal favorite of mine…This place is the innovator of the single most important invention of our time…The 50/50 hamburger patty…That’s right…It’s Slater’s 50/50 in Anaheim Hills!!!

I’ve been to Slater’s about a dozen times in the last year or so. The main reason I wanted to try this place out was the 50/50 hamburger.  The 50/50 refers to the unique combination of Ground Beef & Ground BACON…Yes…BACON!!!  The combination lends to a moist and pink appearance to the succulent burger patty regardless of cooking time.

I’ve tried some amazing burgers on the menu and I will give you my take on my 3 favorites:

1.       The Hawaiian Burger: 50/50 Burger, Grilled Pineapple, Fried Egg (I asked for mine without egg), American Cheese and BACONnaise!  Holy Crap was this an amazing burger! The pineapple was cut into sections and then grilled which gave it a more caramelized nature. But the star of this burger is the house special sauce called BACONnaise.  This amazing condiment mixed well with the 50/50 burgers bacon flavor…Once the smoky pineapple was introduced it was a flavorgasim…MUST TRY!!!

2.       Peanut Butter and Jellousy: Sterling Silver Ground Beef (Although I opted for the 50/50 Burger) THICK cut BACON, Creamy Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jelly.  This is the punk rock of flavor paring…A dichotomy if you will. It shouldn’t taste good…But it’s a foodie’s nirvana.  The way the juicy 50/50 burger joined with the salty Bacon/Peanut Butter and the Sweet Strawberry Jelly…I seriously thought I was going to pass out from delight!   

3.       The Caprese Burger: Sterling Silver Ground Beef (Although I once again opted for the 50/50 Burger) Mozzarella, Tomato, Olive Tapinade and Balsamic Vinaigrette. It was delicious and so savory.  The homage to Italian flavors lends to the suppleness of the 50/50 burger!

The ability to make the burger to your specific request is a good alternative to those who do not like to try preordained pairings.  The appetizers are insanely good…I’ve tried the Fried Dill Pickle Chips, Beer Battered Onion Strings and Fried Macaroni & Cheese…So decadently good.  My better half is a HUGE fan of the Greek Salad w/Grilled Chicken. I’ll take her word for it since I’m a carnivore…But it did look amazing.

The bar selection is out of this world.  They have stuff on tap which you can’t find at most “bars” and this makes it a very unique burger joint.  In fact they just opened a bar side to cater to people wanting to watch a game with an ice cold one.  

If you’re not in the mood to wait an hour for a table…You can stalk the bar side and grab a seat and a burger.  My better half & I do it all the time.

Like I said…The wait is pretty long on the weekend no matter when you go.  But here’s a good tip…Go to OpenTable.com and make a reservation…Worth the time saved.

RATING:

So with Slater’s I launch my new rating scale!  Since as you can tell I am a HUGE fan of PORK…And the Holy Grail of Pork is Pata Negra/Jamón ibérico from Spain…I will give ratings based on a scale of Jamón’s with Four being the best and one being the worst. So…Without further ado…

Slaters get’s FOUR Jamón’s out of Four!!!