Where is the best Taco Tuesday?

My family have been to many Mexican restaurants on Tuesday for Taco's. We haven't yet found the perfect one, but our search continues. As a family of four there is certain basic criteria we need. What we are looking for is somewhere close to home, reasonably priced, good food, good service, and a great space for the children to run around just a little.  I know Its not terribly appropriate for children to run around however my wife and found a great place in Rancho Santa Margarita that meets the basic criteria. Its called La Fiesta Mexican Grill and we have been going there on and off for the last 6months. Its got cheap taco's that are $1.50ea. The strawberry margaritas are ono(good) and they have tables outside where the kids can run around without us worrying about other patrons giving us the stink eye(don't know if that's pidgin). Its great eating outside especially now that we are starting to have great weather. The cashier and servers are always friendly and are especially sweet with kids. They bring out the food fast and are always attentive to the quality of the food, extra plates, napkins, or salsa. My wife and I take pleasure in sitting down for a family meal to good food that we dont have to cook or clean up after and know that our 2yr old son will eat the food.

So, whats your favorite Taco spot on Tuesday? It could be a food truck, a cart, or even at home with the family.

I love Disneyland in the rain

I miss living close to Disneyland. My wife and I used to have annual passes and we lived 15min away from the Park. It was easy getting in and out and a trip for the two of us was easy. If it was too crowded or if it was too hot it was easy to just call it a day. Fast forward 10 years later, no annual pass, 2 kids, and living 40 minutes a way from the happiest place in the world might not sound so appealing.
A father must make the best of things. My wife got an invite from my sister in law to go with my 6yo niece and other 4yo niece to Disneyland. Heavy rain was in the forecast and my sister in law was not sure if she was going to go until the last minute. We had originally told her we could not make it because we did not want to chance getting rained on the whole time, especially with a 3month old. I decided I did not want to take the chance,  but my wife insisted that one of us go to take our 2year old, Cyrus. Despite my refusal to go, my wife got Cyrus dressed and ordered us to go. Although she would love to see Cyrus on his first day in Disneyland and sacrificed her day so that Cyrus would get to go.

It turned out to be a great day.  We got to Disneyland close to opening, and the crowd was thin. Reports of rain must have turned all the So Cal and spring breakers away. Tourist were present and easily spotted evidenced by tank tops, short shorts, and sandals while we came prepared with hooded rain jackets and umbrellas. Lines were short and we easily got on rides with little to no wait. We were able to see experience Cartopia, the Nemo,  Small World, and get pictures with Mickey Mouse.

Emma as a Jedi

Cyrus and his cousins were great the whole day. None of them whined, they never wandered off, and waited patiently in line. No, I'm not lying. My niece even got to be a jedi in training. The rain held off long enough and as soon as we got to the Castle the rain came down. We got in four more rides as we did not have to wait outside in the rain. It was about 3 o'clock before we called it a day and made our way to the exit. Cyrus was way overdue for a nap, but he pushed on through as his cousins wanted to buy something from the DisneyStore in Downtown Disney. When I got home my wife was deserving of a big hug for forcing Cyrus and I to go.  I am so happy that my wife sacrificed her day to allow us to go. This was my second experience going to Disneyland when it was raining and it was perfect. If you dont mind the rain it can make a huge difference as the park without the long lines and crowds becomes an exhilarating experience.  

Cyrus and his cousins

Thomas F. Riley Park

Thomas F. Riley park can be found near Coto De Caza near the 241 toll road. One day from a early morning surf session I was driving home and I noticed a sign off the 5 freeway and Oso parkway stating there was a park nearby. I decided to take my 2yr old son, Cyrus to find this park as I had a day off and my wife as it home with my brand new son. I called ahead to make sure that the park was open and was greeted over the phone by a park ranger who told me about the trails and nature center they had. Upon arriving I decided to start with a trail that was easy for a stroller just in case Cyrus did not want to walk anymore. The trail was easy to navigate and it was nice to find a peaceful park that was secluded. We decided to stop near an open area and Cyrus got to explore a little. To our surprise we found a family of deer who were just as fascinated with us as we were of them.

I had to pull Cyrus away, so that we could finish the rest of the trail.

When we got back we headed to the nature center there was a garden area and a butterfly exhibit. Sadly the exhibit was not open, but we did get to play in the nature center. Cyrus was a little scared to see stuffed life sized animals in the first room. He quickly held on tight as we walked past them. The next room included hands on nature stuff like feathers, bones, and rocks. There were fossils to play with, coloring books, and books to read.

Our favorite moment of the day was when the park ranger brought out a snake for Cyrus to see. We made several attempts to get him to touch it, but he was not having it. He did fairly well and did not freak out, but he was definitely not ready to pet it. I am so grateful that the park ranger made my sons day so special and introduced him to his first experience with wild life. I highly encourage any family to head out and spend some quiet quality time experiencing a day at Riley Park.

Weekday Nights at Costco

Weekday nights at Costco

I used to hate Costco. I remember growing up in Hawai’i there was only 1 Costco on the island and my mother used to drag my 2 siblings and I to Costco after church and we would hate it because it felt such like a long day and I had no interest in buying groceries. It was simply just boring to me. Oh, have times changed. Going to Costco after pau hana (done with work) is something I look forward to now as an adult. My wife and I have always loved going to Costco as a couple. As we became parents we had to make some adjustments like not taking our time. I am guilty of taking too long inspecting products in stores so I have to remind myself to go shopping and stay focused. 

So much has changed when you have a home and kids because your perspective changes and so does your interests.  My son loves hot dogs, so it’s a no brainer to get some shopping done and getting a quick bite to eat especially on week days.  I am also a big fan of the samples. For some reason I won't care for a particular sample, but i'll try it just because its free.

Buying in bulk is so important now days if you have a family which makes Costco a perfect place to load up on frozen meat, household items, and dried goods. Costco is not all about the bulk. The ready to make meals in the refrigerator section is constantly changing and if you're like me and can sometimes be a lazy cook I find it very convenient to have those meals ready when you pau hana and get home late. We purchase a wide variety of things at Costco besides food. We have bought tires, patio furniture, car batteries, beach chairs, clothes, computers, photos, contacts, eye glasses, movie tickets, etc. If you don’t have a membership there I highly recommend it. Taking kids to Costco is not as bad as it sounds. My wife and I have definitely have had to adapt as consumers with children. My son has a great time at Costco and having a hot dog after shopping with the family is worth it. I used to despise Costco as a kid andIts funny to see how times have changed. There are many Costcos throughout Orange County and they are easy to find and shopping with the children is not that bad as you think, well at least not at Costco.

The Best Pizza Joint in OC

Out of the Park Pizza has to be the best pizza restaurants in Orange County. Why you ask? It has everything you could ask for lots of room, big flat screen TV's covering every wall space, video games for the kids, a WIDE selection of beers, and a great location. Out of the Park can be found right off Imperial Hwy and the  91 freeway in Anaheim. It opened its doors in 2010 and I have been customer a few times now and I look for reasons to go back each time. Whats great about the restaurant is that its got tons of room and each area of the place has its own feel. For instance there are wood picnic like benches near the arcade for the families and sports teams. Its got a corner room with leather couches and coffee table that is separated from the restaurant if you want a little privacy.  Its got a bar with about 20 beer taps starring at you waiting for you to try. Its got a patio with a music stage for a band or a fearless Karaoke singer. And most importantly its got good food. Of course most of those who accompany me say they are there for the pizza, like the Chuck Norris which is (hold your breath), buffalo chicken, bacon, avocado, and ranch. My preference will always be Hawaiian, which they serve with big slices of ham. But, what Im there for is the wings! I implore you to try the Sweet Chili wings, because the best wings I have ever tasted. As we speak I am salivating with the thoughts of chowing down. My son loves the place because he gets to shoot baskets in the arcade area. The place is well structured for parents who like to keep an eye on their kids at all times. The arcade has its own prize area for arcade tickets, which my son loves. The owners are great and work hard to make their customers happy. Make a trip and try it out. You wont regret it.

Gourmet Food Trucks at the Tustin Auto Center

If you a regular commuter of the 5 freeway and you pass by Tustin its hard to miss the big screen stating Gourmet Food Trucks on Thursday nights. The family and I thought we would give them a try.  If you have never ate out of a food truck you are missing out. This is not your regular "roach coach", and if you heard the owners say that they would point to the signs that say "As seen on the Food Network" and probably give you a free sample to show you they are the real deal.
My 2 sons and wife were accompanied by some close friends with kids the same age and went to the Tustin Auto Center for a taste.  A portion of the proceeds go to the Tustin public school foundation.  Getting there was easy. You take the Tustin Auto Center exit, go mauka (go east) and take the first right which brings you into the Auto Center. Parking is on the street and there are tables set up in the parking lot enough for about a 100 people. The trucks may be parked somewhere different each Thursday. I assume they rotate each time. As soon as I got there the long line for the Lobstatruck was what first attracted me. As any lemming would do I just got in line assuming it was the sought after truck. I'm glad the rest of the lemmings were right because the food was ono (delicious) and the bugga broke da mout (it tasted very good). I ordered the lobster roll which is chopped lobster meat in a toasted top roll. The sandwich is not going to fill you up and $12 a roll is not exactly cheap either.

I was tempted to buy the New England clam chowder but I wanted to save room for the other trucks. They all deserve my attention. I was greeted by a friendly gentlemen giving out samples from the Rajin Cajun, as you can tell by the name its a New Orleans themed food truck. I sampled the Chicken and Sausage bisque, which were delicious, but my taste buds were screaming fried food, so I went with the Catfish Po boy. It was fried catfish sandwich that comes with a red sauce on the side. The owner suggested I pour one of his homemade hot sauces on it, so I added garlic hot sauce which turned out to be excellent. I also tasted the Lime Truck strawberry and white peach lemonade, which quenched by thirst and was a nice buffer to the spicy shrimp taco which I could barely eat because it was loaded with pepper. My son also had a beef taco that seemed to be marinated teriyaki style.
Last but not least we had to try the ice cream from Longboards, which included simple flavors, but a generous selection of toppings. My son Cyrus had a plain mango ice cream, while my wife and I both had frozen bananas dipped in milk chocolate.

She had it covered with peanuts, where my sweet tooth indulged in half Oreo cookie toppings and half graham crackers. The frozen banana was a perfect temperature and texture. People often fear the frozen banana because its too hard to eat, but this was was just the right temperature where you could easily enjoy it.
The evening was not too crowded and we had no problems finding somewhere to sit. My suggestion is to get in line early for the lobster rolls and make your way to the other trucks to try a little bit of everything. If you're going with a friends have the rest of get different things from each truck so you can try a sample a little bit of everything. I encourage you to make your way down there as there may be other food trucks, so check out the schedule of events Tustin Auto Center

2012 Anaheim Angels home opener and my sons first game.

First of all I’m not calling them the Los Angels Angels of Anaheim. That sounds ridiculous and insulting to the hardcore Angel fans. I am a casual fan of baseball, but when I have to root for a team it’s the Angels. Games are always a fun past time. Angel stadium is easy getting to; traffic is light; and the stadium is very clean new and looks new.

I had no idea I would be attending the season opener of the 2012 season until 3pm Friday afternoon when I got a call from my wife saying that my father in law had bought tickets and wanted to take my first born, Cyrus. The night before we were video chatting with my in laws and Cyrus wanted to show his Grandpa his new tee ball glove and of course that was all Grandpa needed to hear.

I quickly drove home when i was pau hana (done with work) and threw on some red and matching Angel hats and Cyrus and I were on our way. Grandpa had bought us Subway sandwiches and we entered the stadium with about 30,000 other anxious Angel fans. Cyrus was mystified and didn't know what to make of it. This 2yr old had been in crowds before and was just at Disneyland but he had not seen so many people packed into 1 place. You could tell he was nervous as he never let go off his right handed Franklin Tee ball glove and soft baseball as we took the long walk to our seats.

The opening ceremony was amazing. Because it was the anniversary of the Angels win they had Tim Salmon, Adam Kennedy, and David Eckstein from the 2002 championship team throw out the first pitches. American Idol winner, David Cook sang the national anthem while a US Air force C-17 flew over the stadium. One other small fact, Albert Pujols first game was today. The excitement was in the air.

Fireworks

The first 7 innings so no runs, but the score wasn’t keeping my attention, it was about watching my son experience his first baseball hot dog, cotton candy, and 7th inning stretch. The Angels eventually had a huge 8th inning scoring 5 runs in that inning. The most exciting party of Friday night home games is the fireworks. Nothing could replace what was about to come next. If you ever seen a 2yr old see fireworks for the first time, you have to experience it. Cyrus could not contain himself. I didn’t know what to expect because I was worried that he would be scared and would want to be held the whole time or worse want to leave. His bed time was at 8pm, but the game ended at 10pm and I was worried that hit was inevitable that he would soon be cranky. He had no iota of fear or sign fatigue, and what soon came after the first firework was a smile, then a chuckle, and then a full on laughter ensued as he laughed at each big explosion of sound and light. Neighboring attendees noticed and turned around to see the little 2yr old laughing and I’d like to think they were brought back to childhood memories or memories of their own children experiencing something new and exciting. After the game Cyrus had some fans and proceeding to tell me that it was the cutest thing to see Cyrus have so much fun at the game.

It was a great experience and I am so grateful that his Grandpa treated us to a great evening at the ball game.