The Boiling Crab (extra juicy please)

Name: The Boiling Crab
Location: Garden Grove, CA
Rating: F%#KING AWESOME!
Price Range:$2-$30




We're back with another one of favorite food spots! We were introduced to The Boiling Crab almost three years ago and it has been love at first bite ever since. We're writing this post right now and we are so close to shutting down the laptop and driving to The Boiling Crab. THAT IS HOW GOOD THIS PLACE IS! Back to the beginning of this love story...it all started in 2009 when one of our family members who also enjoys good food was hounding us to try a seafood place down the street from his house. He lived in Alhambra and the drive for us was always a long mission from the I.E. So one day we took on the mission and from that day on we knew what it was to fall in love with food. We have to admit...this is where our foodie journey began...at The Boiling Crab.



The menu may look simple but it takes a Boiling Crab expert to guide you through the best decision of your life. It's called The Boiling Crab for a reason...it's all about the SEAFOOD! We always start with the shrimp and add a few bag sides. Everything is served in a bag which means NO PLATES AND UTENSILS! All you need is your fingers and a sycamore tree worth of paper towels. And why would you need so many paper towel you ask? Well my dear friend it's because of the mouth watering sauce/seasoning. We would recommed getting The Whole Sha-Bang extra juicy. It will rock you socks and leave your clothes smelling like The Boiling Crab for days. No joke, the smells does not go away.



On top of the sauce/seasoning you'll be able to how spicy you want everything. We're lame and always get mild. It's give you that extra kick without burning the crap out of your mouth. We normally get a basket of fries (mild) to balance out the cajun goodness. Recently, we started ordering a side of white rice. This is how crazy good the sauce is...we add a few scoops of the sauce to the white rice. It's like a magical sauce! It turns that boring rice to a cup of heaven.



The photo above is of our friend Mike. He went to a Boiling Crab copycat in Ontario, CA and said it was pretty good. Well, after we took him to the real Boiling Crab he was able to taste what pretty good really is. I think we turned him into a Boiling Crab fan.



As you can see the shrimp are served completely whole. This means heads and everything. If it's your first time peeling whole shrimp it may be a little challenging. We have a technique to peel those suckers and eat them as fast as we can. We can go on and on telling you everything we love about The Boiling Crab but it's best if you try it yourself:) ENJOY THE JUICY GOODNESS!

pease & grease,

been there (had that)

The Salted Pig (the ketchup says it all)

Name: The Salted Pig
Location: Riverside, CA
Rating: F%#KING AWESOME!
Price Range: $5-$20



Another great food find in the Inland Empire! Surprising, I know. The Inland Empire isn't really known for great eats but things are looking up! We have to say we really hadn't heard about The Salted Pig until my mom told us about it, sent us a picture of an article she read then asked us to try it and give her our honest opinion. Yeah, we are the family's restaurant guinea pigs. So we headed to Downtown Riverside to try The Salted Pig.



As soon as we walked into the wooden double doors it felt like we stepped into a different city...a totally hip city. It was like we were in downtown Boston, downtown Seattle, downtown somewhere way cooler than Riverside. The place was completely packed with the "younger crowd" and some oldies too:) We were sure the university kids got wind of the only non-chain restaurant in the city. The best part of the whole restaurant vibe was the exposed kicthen bar. It had a very fresh sushi bar feel but with all the fatty guilt of gourmet bar food.



We both ended up getting burgers off the menu. We added an order of mac n' cheese just for the heck of it and because the people sitting next to us order the mac n' cheese and it looked freakin' AWESOME!. WE could have ordered everything off the menu but that was our eyes doing the talking. The menu has everything from burgers to bacon fat popcorn. Yeah, BACON FAT POPCORN! Where has this menu been all my life?! If we weren't so hungry we would have grabbed a couple drinks and a few (or all) appetizers. Oh and as far the drink menu goes it's pretty much LEGIT! Beers, wine and everything in between. It was a real gastropub people!



This mac n' cheese is heaven in a bowl! It was creamy bacony goodness. Made to order by the chef. Yeah, we knew this because we saw the chef cook it right in front of us. It doesn't get any better then that!



Oh, and if you think made to order mac n' cheese was unheard of then check out their burgers. How about fresh bread buns....made at the restaurant! The fresh baked bread isn't your normal burger bun. This one was like a fresh buttery croissant. Who ever thought about adding this kind of bun to a burger is a genius in our book. And the person that who designed the ketchup is GOD! If you go The Salted Pig for any reason other then the food and drinks please...I beg you to try the ketchup! We won't even try to describe it. We were so close to asking for a tub to take home. SERIOUSLY!



The Salted Pig has been added to our favorite restaurant list. Done and done:)

peace & grease,

been there (had that)

Anchos (don't call it Mexican food)

Name: Anchos Southwest Grill & Bar
Location: Riverside, CA
Rating: F%#KING AWESOME!
Price Range: $5-$20



It was only fitting to kick off our little food blog project by posting our favorite resturant IN THE WORLD! Ok, maybe not the world but our favorite resturant in Riverside, CA. We eat there at least (or at most) 4 times a month. We will even skip the 45 minute wait for a table on the weekends and sit at the bar. This is a big deal for me (Gabi) because as Aran would say I'm a "complainer" and "too good" to sit at the bar. Neither are the case (ok, maybe I do complain but I do it on purpose). I just like to enjoy my food at comfortable table but waiting 45 minutes is a drag.


Once we are sitted at our table or at the bar the server bring over a basket of fresh chips and salsa. FRESH SALSA! We know this because Aran used to work at Anchos in high school. "Hardest F%#KING job I've ever had!"-Aran. Yes, the salsa is fresh and we can pretty much drink it. That's how good it is. I (Gabi) rate most resturants on their salsa.



Next up the server brings over their fresh flower torillas (made by the tortillas girl in the middle of the resturant)and butter. You can tell yourself that you will only eat one buttery, hot-yummy-groodness of a tortilla but after you put down your 3rd one you realize that you have no backbone against these delicious gifts from heaven. Oh, and did I mentioned the chips, salsa, tortillas & butter are free? Yeah, put that in your pipe and smoke it.



Once it comes to ordering our main meal, which by that point we decide there is probably enough room in our stomachs for one bite, we normally don't even have to open the menu. Yeah, it's sick but we've been that that many times to know that menu by heart. They have everything from ribs to some of the best fajitas known to man. The menu at first glance looks at your traditional Mexican resturant but its not even close. It's Southwest Mexican food. UGE DIFFERENCE (that is me saying huge but in a Donald Trump voice). A Mexican resturant will not ask you if you "Christmas style sauce"...don't ask just try it. Back to the ordering, Aran will never get anything other then the famous Anchos nachos. This plate is actually an appetizer but more then filling for a entree. They top fresh tortilla chips with beans, cheese and your choose of meat. On this night Aran decided on all steak. The steak is always grilled on an open woodfire grill. If a dish there has steak get it! Don't ever question the power of the steak.


I (Gabi) on the other hand got something new. Surprise, surprise Gabi gets something new on the menu. I can't help myself. This time around ordered the special of the night, a fresh grilled salmon top with a ginger line butter. It was so good I ended up making my own fish tacos. Yummy salmon + awesome tortillas=deliciousness. As you can tell we love this resturant and totally recommend this to all our family members and friends...and now you!

peace & grease,

been there (had that)