HOTSPOTS OF THE WEEK INDOOR & PATIO DINING • TAKE-OUT • DELIVERY
CARBONARA ITALIAN FOOD TRUCK
(818) 290-6318 Corner of 50th St. West & L-8 Quartz Hill
The Antelope Valley has quite a few food trucks roaming around cooking different types of cuisine including this delicious Italian food truck, what a treat! Serving pasta dishes from lasagna, spaghetti carbonara and linguini with calamari to gnocchi, pasta al forno and chicken parmigiana with a couple of paninis tossed in alongside a few appetizers— calamari fritta, fried ravioli, French fries and caprese salad. I stopped by last week and was first in line—as I was looking forward to trying the newest addition to the menu— Tiramisu and didn’t want them to sell out! We ordered spaghetti & meatballs, fettuccini Alfredo with chicken and penne piccata; all included garlic bread. The wonderful scent of garlic was permeating the car and couldn’t wait to dive into this incredible pasta madness! Bada bing, bada boom; everything was fabulous. The lemon caper sauce for the piccata was superb, as well as the spaghetti sauce having a slightly sweet and savory finish. Now, the Alfredo sauce was not only creamy but also quite flavorful. The real winner of the night had to be the meatballs—large, meaty, tender and incredibly tasty. However, the tiramisu was the dessert winner— elegant, rich and dreamy with a subtle sweetness and just the right bitterness from the coffee and cocoa powder; exquisite. Open Tuesday-Saturday 4-9PM and Sunday 4-8PM.
RUBIO’S COASTAL GRILL
39445 10th St. West Palmdale (661) 225-9564 43530 10th St. West Lancaster (661) 945-1546
The menu fuses coastal-inspired flavors with their Mexican heritage to create award winning fish tacos, inventive burritos, salads and bowls you feel good about eating. I was in a hurry and it was lunch time, so I stopped in to find something fast and delicious at the same time—shrimp quesadilla sounded excellent and then I added the langostino everyone has been raving about. Toasted flour tortilla with a blend of melted cheeses and served with handmade guacamole, salsa fresca, sour cream and a side of tortilla chips. I had planned on eating in my car, but stopped outside on the patio to take a picture. Well, I’m sure you know what happened next— took one little bite and before I could close the container, I had a second bite and then just sat down at a table on the patio and basically finished it before ever walking to my car! It was scrumptious—full of everything fresh and tasty, I only wish I would have had more time to try the chicken tortilla soup, as it looked fabulous. Other items on the menu include street tacos, nachos, grilled veggies, taquitos, a nice selection of desserts, plus lunch specials, kids’ meals, family burrito boxes, taco kits and catering. Open daily 10AM9PM for inside dining, contactfree pick-up, and free delivery options.
HARBOUR JAPANESE RESTAURANT (661) 274-8585 39340 10th St. W Palmdale
Sushi is my favorite food, so it’s no wonder I decided to have it for dinner last week. At Harbour, it’s all about the freshness, combined with a beautiful presentation and an ocean of flavor. I ordered the Akiko combination with seven beautiful pieces of fish— rich flavored red tuna; yellowtail with a savory flavor and creamy texture; brightly colored salmon with a hint of sweet; buttery and succulent albacore; pure white, rich whitefish; delicate ono and lastly the sweet and subtle flavored shrimp. All seven pieces were fresh, chilled, colorful bites of yumminess, made even better when dipped in the wasabi-soy mixture. Eel is rich and sweet with an earthy aroma and a soft, flaky texture. Once broiled, is has a great flavor, sweet enough to be considered dessert—so, naturally the caterpillar roll (classic California roll wrapped in freshwater eel and topped with avocado slices & eel sauce) would be the perfect finish, and everyone knows I like to end on a sweet note! Enjoy a bottle of sake, soju, wine or a Japanese beer like I did. One large Asahi; crisp, dry and very refreshing—the perfect complement to my dinner. Menu boasts appetizers, sushi, sashimi, salad, rolls, small bites, rice bowls, noodles and entrees. Open Monday thru Thursday and Saturday 11:30AM-10PM, Friday till 10:30PM and Sunday 12-9PM. Open for dine-in and take-out—order online www. goharboursushi.com
DANISH DONUTS (661) 575-0607 38745 Tierra Subida Ave. #120 Palmdale
This little donut shop has not only traditional donuts and coffee but bagels and croissants both fruit filled and ham & cheese. The case was filled with raised, jelly filled, bars, buttermilk, old fashioned, French crullers, twists and cake donuts plus cinnamon rolls, bear claws, apple fritters, blueberry and cherry clusters, maple cinnamon twists and if that wasn’t enough, I saw cream puffs, brownies, muffins and donut holes. There was even a small assortment of various chips and cold drinks such as milk, OJ, and soda. The coffee selections were plain, cappuccino, hot chocolate and iced cappuccino. I had just picked up our dinner and decided a few donuts and an iced cappuccino would be the perfect dessert. I started with the sprinkled for him and the twist for me—then added a few more, so what started as a few ended up a dozen! I was happily surprised that they were still so fresh since it was already 5PM—I ate the twist on the way home just to be sure and of course, I just had to try one more—so now I knew for sure our dessert would be fresh and a flavorful punch of deliciousness. Friendly service, tasty donuts, good coffee and great prices. Open daily 4AM-8PM early enough for the commuters to get a quick cup of coffee and a treat before work!
CRAZY OTTOS DINER’S
1228 W. Avenue I Lancaster (661) 940-9177 43528 20th St. West Lancaster (661) 948-6502 33317 Santiago Road Acton (661) 269-1521
Being in the mood for a giant meaty breakfast—we stopped in for the pork chops and eggs for me and country fried steak and eggs for my companion. Two giant uniquely seasoned chops, hash browns sliced wider than most—with the top crispy and the inside soft, holding a delicious buttery flavor all the way through. Over medium eggs (golden liquid) and the incredible biscuits—what else could I say; light, not too dense warm out of the oven, and the rich, savory, creamy gravy (lots of it)) was spot on in its’ consistency. The perfect balance of food groups and a perfect breakfast, to boot! My companion enjoyed the gigantic country fried steak and scrambled eggs topped with their signature country gravy and biscuits I wrote about above— beautifully presented and so yummy. The menu has a little bit of everything and something for everyone—traditional breakfast including chicken and waffles, appetizers, salads, hot openfaced sandwiches, south of the border, seafood, pasta, burgers and meatloaf plus prime rib on the weekend. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner plus beer and wine at both Acton and Avenue I locations daily 6AM-8PM— Acton open till 9PM Friday and Saturday. 20th St. West location daily 6AM-2PM for breakfast and lunch. All three locations have dine-in, take-out and delivery.
LIQUID BEAN COFFEE HOUSE (661) 942-7591 1711 W. Avenue K Lancaster
Love at first bite! Whether it’s the bagel sandwich, or the breakfast croissant, you will adore every wonderful bite. As ridiculously delicious as my coffee drink was, the sandwiches were just the ticket. We ordered a breakfast croissant filled with bacon, egg and cheese and a breakfast bagel filled with egg, bacon, cheese, avocado and tomato with two large frappes. The croissant was huge with ample delicious ingredients inside with melt in your mouth flavor and the bagel had just the perfect ratio of protein to veggies making the perfect sandwich. The caramel frappe was amazingly delicious with just the right amount of sweetness and a very hearty coffee flavor. I had no idea how many different food items they carry (breakfast and lunch sandwiches with your choice of bagel, croissant or bread), muffins (blueberry, banana nut, almond poppy seed, coffee cake & chocolate), cinnamon rolls, apple fritters, apple pie, danish (cherry, cream cheese, apple & strawberry) is your mouth watering yet? Not to mention the humongous variety of drinks—espresso creations, brewed coffee, hot chocolate, chai tea, hot apple cider, iced drinks, blended iced drinks, smoothies, protein drinks, fresh squeezed juices and the list goes on—they even have Vietnamese coffee and free boba! Open for outside dining, drive-thru and take-out Monday thru Friday 5AM-7PM, Saturday 6AM-6PM and Sunday 6AM-5PM.