Pain de Sucre Bakery

It's hard to believe it's been nearly 3 months since we returned from our Paris vacation.  Time flies and I feel like there's still so many yummy spots I haven't shared!  Pain de Sucre was a bakery at the top of my list.  One day as we were meandering the streets, we had some extra time before our dinner plans and we pulled up Pain de Sucre on Google Maps.  Walking up and down the street that Google Maps led us to, the bakery was nowhere in sight.  Could Google Maps have led us astray?!  As my spirits dipped at the lost opportunity, my husband spotted the store:

Pain de Sucre...not the bakery one.

It was the right name, but not exactly what I had in mind.  What a sad realization!  Even more sad when my husband couldn't stop laughing at how disappointed I was.

New York City Eats

Central Park in NYC (Spring 2010, I forgot to take a picture this time!)

Last fall we were in New York City for my good friend's wedding. We stayed a few extra days to see some sights eat and it was certainly worthwhile. We had all the old favorites: Levain Bakery cookies, Shake Shack burgers, Sugar Sweet Sunshine banana pudding, Halal cart chicken and rice, Joe's Shanghai dumplings, Del Posto lunch, and Momofuku pork buns. We also hit up some new spots we hadn't been to before: Marea, Tabata Ramen, Yuji Ramen, Motorino Pizza, wd-50, Mamoun's Falafel, A.B. Biagi gelato, and Domnique Ansel bakery.

The Iron Press - Costa Mesa, CA

Recently opened at the OC Mix Mart, we stopped by the Iron Press last weekend to check it out.  We really enjoy the waffle sandwiches at Bruxie and wondered how these measured up.  Overall, my wife prefers the waffles at Bruxie for their light, fluffy texture.  The waffles here didn't have any standout flavors on their own, but the meat choices were pretty good, especially the Bratwurst that's locally sourced from Mattern Sausages & Meats.  The Iron Press also has 30 local beers on tap and the counter-style seating makes for a casual and social setting.  

--- Food/Drinks ---

Fried Chicken Waffle - Not bad.  I haven't been a huge fan of fried chicken and waffles, but overall a tasty dish.  The jalapeno maple syrup tasted a little watered down - I would've liked it to be a little thicker.  

Bratwurst Waffle (Hot Link) - Wow, I liked this one a lot.  The Mattern brat had a nice little kick to it.  Paired with the onions and the mustard, this was my favorite compared to the fried chicken. 

Waffle Fries (garlic and parmesan tossed) - The texture and the crunch were very good.  The garlic and parmesan cheese were just okay - nothing special and not really worth the extra $1.50.

The waffles are okay, I wasn't able to spot anything particularly unique about it.  The condiments come in a very tiny metal sauce container.  Despite being served in such a small container, the sauces that came with the waffles and fries were only half full!  The small container also made dipping your food difficult.  It seems they might have been running short on sauce that day or they just didn't take the time to fill it up all the way - dislike. 

---  Service --- 

Came to eat with a few friends during lunch.  Apparently we had come at a very busy time.  It took over 30 minutes to get our food after ordering.  There was a couple nearby that sat down after us and got so angry about the wait time that they stormed out of the restaurant before the food was served. 

The waitress that took our order was pleasant and accommodating.  The owner came by and chatted with us afterwards - nice guy.  He apologized for the wait on our orders and made up for it before we left - extra star for the service. 

--- Environment --- 

Very cool layout.  Sitting at the bar and watching the staff cook the food is very fun to watch.  Although I'm sure working in the open kitchen must be pretty stressful knowing that almost everyone in the restaurant is watching you. 

--- Parking--- 

Located on the edge of the OC Mix Mart, parking is plentiful and very close to the restaurant.  No problems finding parking during lunch on the weekends.

Basil cucumber egg salad sandwich

With an abundance of hard-boiled eggs from the Easter weekend, an easy solution was to make egg salad and make lunch for the week.  The cucumber and celery added a satisfying crunch and the basil added an herby freshness.  I didn't have mayo on hand so ended up improvising with honey mustard, which was not as creamy but certainly a sweet, healthier alternative.  This was great on rye bread and would be good on any other hearty bread too (squaw, pumpernickel, whole wheat, etc.).

Basil Cucumber Egg Salad
4 servings/sandwiches
 
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded
3 stalks celery
handful of fresh basil, chopped 
1 tsp paprika
 salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup honey mustard

1. Dice the eggs, cucumber and celery and place in a large bowl.  Add basil, paprika, salt and pepper to taste and mix.
2. Add honey mustard and stir thoroughly.  Add more honey mustard or mayo if you prefer your egg salad more creamy.  Toast some bread of your choice, rinse some veggies and make yourself a sandwich!