Good Food in Anaheim
LA is huge!. Anaheim is not, and it’s the site of a convention that I shall soon be attending. I am seeking suggestions in Anaheim or even a reasonable taxi drive distance, for a small group to go to dinner. I am a big fan of small, family owned, restaurants/cafes where the food is really fine and the owners enjoy feeding their customers well. "Fancy" is not the object, really good food is. Price, decor, who cares........... Pasta Mia in DC, long lost Trataria d'Alfredo in NYC, Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas, Salumi’s in Seattle, Mandina's in NO, on and on......Chowhounds have never failed.
By ChristianW
on Oct 6, 2011 11:33 AM
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You may like Rutabegorz. It has that family run feel to it and it's in a converted house.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/rutabegorz-or...
we always eat here in ahaheim when our attempts at trying anything else have failed. they specialize in fresh ingredients. their salads are huge and delish, their soups are great too. the only thing i've ever eaten here that i didn't care for was their pita bread pizza appetizer. the toppings were wonderful, but the pita bread itself just didn't work as a crust. enjoy!
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Location looks convenient and seems a good luncheon choice based on the hours. Thanks.
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You'll be five minutes by taxi from a Thai restaurant that's ALMOST the equal of Lotus of Siam. Thai Nakorn, on Garden Grove Boulevard. Order anything, but pay especial attention to the specials page (most of which is under $10).
If you want something a little more upscale, head for Park Ave.—or better yet, Il Garage—in Stanton.
There's also Olive Tree (al-Zaytouna), on Brookhurst St. The menu is pretty standard Middle Eastern fare, but they have daily specials that really are special—the owner is Palestinian and the cook is Jordanian, and the foods they serve range from Egyptian to Khaleeji. Excellent spot—and then walk a few doors down in the same plaza to Forn al-Hara (the Village Bakery) for excellent pastries, including very good baklawa filled with ashta (pastry cream).
Also near Disneyland is El Moctezuma #2, which I consider a huge asset to the resort district. It's a dump of a place in an ugly plaza, but the Oaxacan food is second to none in OC.
You'll be very near Little Saigon, Santa Ana and OC Koreatown—if you want Vietnamese, Mexican or Korean suggestions, just say so...
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Thai Nakorn Restaurant
12532 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92843
El Moctezuma Restaurant
809 N Fairview St, Santa Ana, CA 92703
Olive Tree
512 S Brookhurst St, Anaheim, CA 92804
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My goodness, you can bet one or more of these suggestions will be on the list. Thai, East Med, and Oaxacan speak to me. The upscale choices are important too. Thank you.
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Thai Nakorn hit the spot. Fast, friendly, clean and family full. Hey, it was great! Das Ubergeek knows his stuff and so do the people at this homey place. All the servers were helpful and friendly even thought I was the only one who needed translation. What does that indicate?
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Thai Nakorn
11951 Beach Blvd, Stanton, CA 90680
Thai Nakorn Restaurant
12532 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92843
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Glad you liked Thai Nakorn, for future reference you might look at some of the Vietnamese in OC like Pho Quang Trung, Brodard Restaurant, Pho Nguyen Hue and Mirada Restaurant and Vien Dong. OC has some of the best Viet food outside of Vietnam.
There is also Jagerhaus, a good choice if you stick to the German selections like wild boar, bundfleisch flank steak, etc. and Ma's Islamic Restaurant for a different take on Chinese.
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Jagerhaus
2525 E Ball Rd, Anaheim, CA 92806
Thai Nakorn Restaurant
12532 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92843
Vien Dong
14271 Brookhurst St, Garden Grove, CA 92843
Brodard Restaurant
9892 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92844
Ma's Islamic
601 E Orangethorpe Ave, Anaheim, CA 92801
Mirada Restaurant
9102 Edinger Ave, Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Pho Nguyen Hue
10487 Bolsa Ave, Westminster, CA 92683
Pho Quang Trung
10072 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92843
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The last time I had friends at the convention center, I took them to Los Chilangos, and it really was very good. I came in 5 minutes before closing (9 pm) and they stayed open and were very hospitable.
The only thing is they have booths, which fit only four, so you might not be able to all sit together. And it's casual, counter service.
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Los Chilangos
1830 W Lincoln Ave, Anaheim, CA 92801
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I always love Northeast African cuisine, and there are two Kenyan/Eritrean Restaurants you can check out.
Merhaba is Eritrean, and I have been there. A definite hole in the wall, but authentic. I have not been to Tana, but it is well reviewed.. Next door to Tana is a Kenyan place that I recently tried but did not really care for. It was not bad, just not worth a return trip.
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Tana Ethiopian Restaurant and Market
2622 W La Palma Ave, Anaheim, CA 92801
E A Merhaba Shop & Coffee
2801 W Ball Rd # 5, Anaheim, CA
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