July 13, 2012
What a treat this weekend.
Tim and I have been gnawing on rabbit food (aka salads) for four days to
prepare our bodies for what we named the “Tasty Torture Tour.” Aunt Pat and Uncle Bruce were in town for a
family wedding this weekend. They stayed
one night in OC so we can take them to dinner and hang out, then they spent the
rest of their time in Temecula. Guess
who was also going to Temecula for the weekend?! UUUUUSSSS!!!
But you probably already knew that though from my previous
Wine+Food=Happiness blog.
Let’s back up a little.
Friday night we picked up AP/UB from their hotel and drove them to
Newport Beach. We had 7 pm dinner
reservations at Sabatino’s-Lido Shipyard Sausage Company. Tim and I hadn’t been there in a while and we
thought it would enjoyable by our two guests.
Sabatino’s is known for their sausages.
And boy was their sausage enjoyed by us!
They blend is with some kind of goat cheese which keeps the meat really
moist and flavorful. We shared the sausage
appetizer plate that came out on a sizzling platter with sliced onions and bell
peppers next to it. It was devoured! Apparently the sausage is also low-fat, so
score for us!
The server then brought our complimentary Stracciatella Soup
(Italian Wedding Soup) for all of us. It
had a large chunk of their Italian sausage in it as well that was marrying all
the ingredients together in the broth.
It reminded me of a Chinese soup my parents make with the thin strands
of egg and a green leafy vegetable similar to the spinach in the
Stracciatella. So good!
After munching on our sizzling sausage plate, soup and
bread, trying to pace ourselves along the way, our entrees arrive. Earlier that day Tim and I had talked about
sharing a pizza, but I didn’t feel like having that once I got there. Feeling in the mood for seafood since we were
next to the beach, I ordered the Scampi Dello Chef-delectable fresh shrimp
sautéed in garlic, white wine, butter and fresh herbs laced with a touch of
lemon. On the side were a few pieces of
penne and their marinara which was almost unnecessary since the shrimp was so
deliciously 
satisfying. Tim got his
pizza—thin crust “Eyer combination” with sausage, pepperoni, olives, mushrooms,
bell peppers and garlic. He said it
didn’t taste like how he remembered it, but then again we haven’t gone to
Sabatino’s in over a year so the recipe probably had changed. It was tasty, but I think I would have been
just as happy as going to Pieology.
However, for breakfast the next morning the leftover pie was turned into
a breakfast pizza topped with a fried egg and I must admit the pizza tasted
better than it did the night before!
satisfying. Tim got his
pizza—thin crust “Eyer combination” with sausage, pepperoni, olives, mushrooms,
bell peppers and garlic. He said it
didn’t taste like how he remembered it, but then again we haven’t gone to
Sabatino’s in over a year so the recipe probably had changed. It was tasty, but I think I would have been
just as happy as going to Pieology.
However, for breakfast the next morning the leftover pie was turned into
a breakfast pizza topped with a fried egg and I must admit the pizza tasted
better than it did the night before!
Aunt Pat and Uncle Bruce’s plates looked amazing too. When we first walked into the restaurant,
Uncle Bruce laid his eyes on the glass case that housed their homemade sausage
and other items you can order to take home.
It was like this: Uncle Bruce + Stuffed Pepper = love at first
site! Just like when Uncle Bruce saw
Aunt Pat for the first time in high school many moons ago back when 25 cents
got him a burger, fries and a coke at the local diner. No use looking at the menu for Uncle Bruce,
the stuffed pepper was all that he wanted.
Aunt Pat decided on the cannelloni alfredo that was also drizzled with
their marinara. Both dishes looked rich
and creamy and if I wasn’t scarfing down my shrimp I would have had a bite of
theirs. I trusted their taste though as
they loved their dishes too and now I know what I’m going to get the next time
we go here. I definitely want to get
their stuffed bell pepper—baked to perfection with sausage and creamy risotto
nestled inside. It was huge! AP and UB resisted 
the temptation to finish
off their plates and saved half of both dishes for the next day. I think they would have exploded like that
blueberry/gum-chewing girl on Willy Wonka if they finished their dish, there
was so much food! We almost got suckered
into getting dessert until I had a weird urge for ice cream. Why weird you ask? I’m not the biggest dessert fan but really felt
ice cream would be the perfect touch for the end of this dinner. And do you know where they have the best
homemade ice cream in Orange County?
Hans Ice Cream in Costa Mesa!
Yup, this tasty torture tour continued to Hans for some sweet treats! To be continued...
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