Mims

While me and my family visited Maine we stopped in a beautiful young town called Portland. In Portland we stopped by a hip, believed to be new place given a cute place called “Mims” We chose the place first in response to the nice outdoor seating and the nice simple colors and menu. Also a great indicator was the number of people eating there. Mainly it was the first restaurant that appeared in my line of vision that did not include lobster.

Even though it choosing the restaurant was in a response of desperation and convenience; we made excellent choice. The delicious dishes that made up the menu were priced at 10$ on average which seems a little bit expensive for lunch. After my mother complain about the price without saying a word. The place expresses an earthy feeling

Crepes

Crepes… My favorite breakfast food of all time. When I was younger, I would prepare a batch of crepe batter sunday night so that each morning, periotically through the week, I could eat fresh crepes filled with chopped up turkey meat and grated cheese. Crepes can be served at Breakfast and dinner, but filled with an assortment of fillings.

For  breakfast, you can fill it with chopped up turkey and cheese, or jam. I believe that crepes with just cheese bore the senses. I like to add random ingredients: bacon, bell pepers, mushrooms, etc. Without variation, you become bored.

Another important issue to think about when talking crepes is the equitment. I accually own an offical crepe pan I recieved for Christmas in 2006. You do not need an offical pan, but make sure the sides are high enough sides. Alot try and use a pan that is non stick. If your pan has sticky sides, grease the sides well with butter so that flipping the crepe does not include speparation the crepe from the pan.

Now,when accually making a crepe, make sure you follow the recepei closly. One, make sure you tilt the pan so taht the batter thins out covering the whole pan. Two, do not add too much batter! This will leave your with an oddly think crepe or a crepe that runs up the sides. Crepe on the sides makes flipping difficult and might leave your dog or ants with a nice treat on the floor. Thirdly, make sure the batter is thin enough (without HUGE lumps) but not to smooth. Finally, always have a spatula ready. A spatula can save a crepe from burning on the pan.

Lee’s Sandwiches

Lee’s Sandwiches is a fast food chain thats putting Subway in the dark. With 2$ foot long subs with compelling flavors Subway has no chance. Subways new commercial is “5 dalla food longgg” while Lee’s sells foot long subs for half the price! I know I sound like a sales person, but WOW Lee’s Sandwiches are AMAZING. The one negative aspect of the company is that it’s not willing to put their name into new neighborhoods. They seem to stay in the Asian or European outlets of cities. This is a shame because many people are open minded and willing to take a vacation from their normal taste pallet.

When I went there for the first time I was shocked to find that the flavors were Vietnamese at heart but on the outside seem purely French. They serve about 12 different kinds of sandwiches ranging from sweet and sour pork, to plain, old turkey. The meats don’t define the sandwiches alone, the pickled carrots and various sprouts add a unique twist. The bread is just spectacular. Compared to Subway the bread bakes fresh daily, and never hardens into a brick. The baguette always pastes my expectations for a fast food chain.

I wouldn’t recommend any of the sandwiches because each one has a unique taste. I would say steer clear of the normal and go for something new and refreshing.

You can look at their website or find the closest restaurant near you at http://www.leesandwiches.com/

Tutto Amore

This gelato parlor opened last summer (2007)and has been growing in popularity with the locals and tourist since then. With plasma screen menus, and motion censored trashcans, it’s the ice cream store of the TRUE 21st century!

The place came to Laguna after reaching its peak level in popularity all throughout Europe. With business booming across the Atlantic, the company decided to expand their arms over to the eager Americans. So the company sent brother and sister, Mercello and Melinda, over to San Fransisco to try and set up a store. When they noticed that people in  Southern California seem to know about gelato and are more eager to get their hands on it, they closed the shop and zoomed down here with their new friend, Timothy Lin. Then they set up shop in  a  closed Baskin Robbins after a total remodel was completed. They put up plasma screen TVs as the menus, motion censor trashcans, super fancy espresso machine, acrylic chairs and tables, and there famous glass fish tip jar which changed the feel in a positive way.  At the beginning of 2008 a mini art gallery was set up to try and add a more artistic flare to the high tech gelato parlor. The prices for the paintings don’t ever drop below fifteen hundred dollars! I find this kind of scary. I mean what if you accidentally bump into one and it shatters on the ground? (they’re normally ceramic canvases) That would just ruin your day.

On my first visit last summer I decided not to get anything normal, so I got the small (two descent scoops) of Flaun and Cream Milk gelato. After this encounter I learned that the flaun was by far the new best flavor that their selection provided. The funny thing I found out was that it is the least picked flavor because of the name and its randomness .Also because the flavor sits furthest away from the door. Now-a-days I seem to always get flaun because it’s the least tasted out of all the flavors. Most tourist and locals seem not to be open to any new experiences. Some of the other flavors I enjoy are Italian coffee, any of the fruit flavors, and basically all the flavors but steer clear of watermelon.

Tutto Amore serves more than just gelato, it dishes out glass bottled Coca Cola, amazing espresso, and a few other extremely refreshing foods.

Tutto Amore has an arch nemesis, Gelato Paradiso. Gelato Paradiso wins the award for a rustic feel because of the location not from the boring interior design. But in every other comparison i would name Tutto Amore to be the number one gelato place not only in Laguna Beach but all throughout Orange county.

With the SciFi aroma surrounding the shop, the expectations for gelato grew quite rapidly, but in the end my pitiful requirements were thrown out the window with amazing the taste and service.

You can visit them at http://www.tuttoamoregelato.com/

Or go there yourself!

247 Broadway St.

Laguna Beach, CA