Cool appetizer at Imari Sushi

So I was at one of my favorite sushi joints last week and the chef turned me on to this fried tofu appetizer called Agedashi Tofu.
Basically it is lightly deep-fried tofu that has scallions and shredded bonita shavings. It is served with a tempura sauce that has ginger, soy sauce and orange.
It was a nice break from the sushi and sashimi we were eating, but the cool think about this dish is the Bonita is so light that it looks like dancing worms on the tofu. It tripped me out at first, but was soon so fascinated by it that I almost didn't want to eat it.

The best part about it was you get four pretty good size pieces and the cost is $5.95. Sushi Imari is at 375 N. Bristol St., Costa Mesa (714) 641-5654

Drink to love

Saturday, February 14, 2009
Need a cool drink to impress the better half? RA Sushi Bar, which has six locations in Southern California (http://www.rasushi.com/) is offering a unique cocktail.
The RA-Berry Romance, a cocktail for two carefully concocted by RA Sushi Bar Restaurant, will be offered the week of Valentine’s Day. Toast to love with this citrus-infused, raspberry-flavored cocktail, served in an ice-filled fishbowl and garnished with fresh raspberries - two straws please! RA’s signature lovers’ libation for two will be served until today and costs $12.
Here are the ingredients and how to make it if you would rather stay indoors.
2 oz Vodka
2 oz Skyy Raspberry Vodka
1.5 oz Soho Lychee
1 oz Sake
1 oz Triple Sec
.5 oz Black Raspberry Liqueur
Equal parts pineapple juice, lemonade and lemon-lime soda.
Pour ingredients in a mixing tin and fill with equal parts pineapple juice, lemonade and lemon-lime soda. Pour into fishbowl filled with ice. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Greetings gourmands, gastronomes and gluttons

I want to welcome you to my new blog. For those of you who don’t know me I am a writer based in Southern California and cover restaurants for several publications. I started this blog because I wanted to focus on three menu items that tend to get neglected in full reviews.
There are hundreds of unique appetizers, desserts and drinks at Southern California restaurants and it is my goal to sample them all. It probably won’t happen, but it is a worthy pursuit none the less.
If you want to contribute to my blog, email me at adailymorsel@yahoo.com. I am looking for suggestions on any place that has something unusual.
In the future I’ll be running polls on appetizers, desserts and drinks as well as featuring news about new ones in So Cal.
Enjoy this blog, I will do my best to throw in posts frequently.
Happy noshing
John