Pumpkin Passion

Have you ever been to Rutabegorz? It’s a delicious vegetarian friendly restaurant with a funny name. Unfortunately there are only 3 locations and they are all located in Orange County, CA: Fullerton, Orange, and Tustin. Their food is generally healthy but substantial and their menu is extensive. Their salad are amazing and are served in a substantially sized mixing bowl—they’re huge—and their salad dressings are unique and taste homemade.

I’ve been going here for almost 20 years and the food has remained excellent. There are so many great moments I’ve had at Rutabegorz. I met Nomy Lamm at the Fullerton location. She asked my friend and I over to her table and we ended up having dinner with her. It was a memorable night. Mostly, this is my favorite restaurant because it’s where my wife and I had our first date. I suggested we meet there (just in case she was a serial killer) and she was impressed because it was one of her favorite restaurants too. Ahhh…

We went to Rutabegorz again last month and they were in full pumpkin motion. They had pumpkin hummus (only $1), pumpkin soup, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin beer (only $2). We tried all of it but the beer. The pumpkin hummus was quickly gobbled up but the soup was not a favorite. It was too tasteless and there were canned mushrooms it, blah! The pumpkin cookie tasted like half of a whoopie without the frosting center. Their pumpkin items weren’t their best items but I still love the place.

On New Year’s Day a big group of my friends went out for brunch in San Pedro at the Omelette and Waffle Shop. There were about ten of us and since certain friends, who shall remain nameless, are frequently late we didn’t come together until late in the afternoon. We are all healthy eaters, particularly the skinniest ones, and we were starving. To keep us from drinking straight shots of syrup, we ordered 3 different types of waffles as appetizers.

The Omelette and Waffle Shop is best known for their billion different types of omelettes. There are over 100 on the menu and then there are the daily specials. One person at our table had an enchilada omelette and another had one stuffed with crab. I’m a broccoli, ham, and avocado type of gal.

The waffle options are limited in comparison to the omelettes but only in comparison. They must have about 15 different choices. We had a coconut pineapple waffle and some other type of waffle, which wasn’t interesting enough to remember, and a PUMPKIN waffle.

Name: Pumpkin Waffle
Purchased At: Omelette and Waffle Shop in San Pedro, CA
Price: $5.99 approx
Availability: Year Round

I’ve had their pumpkin waffle before and really enjoyed it. Most of their other waffles take a traditional waffle and just mix up the toppings. The pumpkin waffle has all the pumpkin goodness mixed directly into the batter. It’s topped with cinnamon, powdered sugar, butter and whipped cream. The waffle is thin and crispy but isn’t quite big enough to fill you up but perfect to share as an appetizer.

There’s not much to say about it except that it’s a good pumpkin waffle. I like it and I would order it again but it’s only extraordinary in its simplicity.

The first solid food in my mouth and belly in 2008 was a PUMPKIN waffle. I’m so proud. I couldn’t have planned it better.

Word of Warning: The pumpkin waffle isn’t on their regular menu but I’ve always seen it on their specials menu listed on the wall.

Rating: 4 out of 5