#OCEATUP at Ritz Prime Seafood

I had the pleasure of being included in the most recent #OCEATUP hosted by the gracious folks from Melissa's Produce and the OCFoodies. They treated us like royalty, even greeting us with a glass of champs as we walked into the restaurant!

The restaurant itself is simply stunning with modern sleek decor and a beautiful water views. I've been there a few times before -- once for OC Restaurant Week and another time for Happy Hour on the patio. Both were great experiences so I knew we were in for a treat! 

The dinner started with a bang with the amazing hamachi crab roll w avocado mango tobiko and lime. This was SERIOUSLY delicious and one of my favorite items of the evening. Very fresh fish paired with creamy avocado and the sweet mango just made for a perfect combination!

Next up was Oysters Rockefellar w creamed kale, grana padano cheese and topped w panko - all broiled up nice and toasty. This was one amazing little bite!







After the appetizers we were served some yummy salads - I especially enjoyed the chopped wedge w kurabota bacon, tomatoes, and roquefort cheese. I could've eaten this alone for dinner and been a very happy camper! The other salad was a tasty caeser salad w Spanish anchovies, grana padano cheese & torn croutons.

 

Up next were the four amazing entrees...all of which were perfectly cooked and served w complimentary veggies and sauces.

My favorite was the American Wagyu short ribs with whipped yukon potatoes, demi-glace and cipollini onions. It was literally fall apart tender and paired perfectly with the creamy potatoes...I would order this again in a heartbeat.

My other favorite was the Georges Bank sea scallops w smoked carrot puree...sweet tender scallops went perfectly with the slightly sweet puree topped with crispy slivers of carrot.

The salmon was also perfectly cooked and served with a super tasty kohlrabi cream....yum!

Jidori chicken with corn and bacon pudding with pan roasted jus was the final entree. The pudding alone was a meal all by itself - very substantial and super tasty with the bacon studded throughout. We also go to try the creamed spinach which was loaded w bacon and extra creamy - loved it even though my waistline probably didn't! ;)

I also have to make a comment about the amazing wine pairing we were served with each dish AND the stunning craft cocktails - which I HIGHLY recommend! 

DOWNTOWN DONUTS


Have you heard of the newest early morning and late night obsession in downtown Santa Ana?! Downtown Donuts opened up in early December and have developed quite the following especially by the late night crowd as they stay open til midnight on Friday & Saturday nights. They also happen to be ridiculously delicious! Cooked to order and served fresh and warm with your choice of topping- powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar (my personal fav!) . They also offer several sauces for .50 cents extra, ranging from sweetened condensed milk and nutella to the occasional special sauce of maple (yum!)  A measly $3.50 will get you a half dozen of these delightful little donuts and an even $6 will get you a full dozen.

The warm cinnamon sugar donuts w
caramel & chocolate sauce - sooo good!

They are only open Wed - Saturday, which is a tad bit of a bummer if you get a craving on say a Sunday, which has been known to happen to this fan. ;)  Located in a tiny space with only a window to order and easy to spot with cute hot pink decor.  Beware that parking right in front can be challenging during busy times in downtown BUT there are lots of meters one street up on 4th as well as a public parking lot across Broadway. Trust me, they are well worth the effort!

Donuts w maple sauce...melt in your mouth delicious!

Downtown Donuts, 307 W 3rd Street (near corner of 3rd & Broadway) in Santa Ana
Check out their full menu here: http://www.downtowndonutsdtsa.com/

Beer Fests! (as promised in my previous post on spring festivals!)

  

Sunshine means it’s time for a cold brew, and OC is not lacking when it comes to Beer Festivals where you can sample some of your favorites or find a few new ones to add to the rotation!

San Clemente Micro-Brew Fest  - this upcoming weekend!

Saturday, April 23^rd 12-5pm, $40 at door

This event features primarily micro-brews from all over So Cal. They will also have food provided various non-profits for purchase - not included in the price of admission. Live music too which always add to the fun! 

Newport Beach Beerfest at The Dunes – this upcoming weekend too!

Saturday, April 23^rd 7-10pm, $40 if purchase online by 4/22 (Hurry!) or $50 at door; VIP +$10.

This event is held on the beach at Newport Dunes.  With your admission you get unlimited tastings of 150+ craft beers, wines & spirits – this one is not just beer folks!  This event also features a great line up of live music – this year’s artists include Hoobastank, Kottonmouth Kings, Alien Ant Farm, and Whitney Peyton.  Food is not included but is available via foodtrucks. Proceeds from this event go to support the 1/1 Marine Foundation of Newport Beach so you can feel good about indulging! ;)

SabrosoCraft Beer & Taco Festival

Saturday, April 30^th, 12-4pm, $61 online, $72 at door 

This annual event is an OC Brew Ha Ha event – for those of you not familiar, these are uber popular events that are usually very well done. This one takes place at Silverado Canyon. For the price of admission you get unlimited tastes of over 60+ breweries and are able to purchase $3 gourmet tacos from well-known OC Chefs.  They are also having Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling which should be a hoot! There are also lots of other fun things planned during the event including games, contests and even a cigar lounge for the aficionados.  As an added bonus, they also offer a FREE shuttle from The Tustin/Irvine Marketplace so uber/lyft there and don’t worry about driving!

OC Beer Festival

Saturday, May 7^th, 1-5pm, $43.19 Gen Adm, $56.74 VIP

This is the 8^th year of this very popular event which often sells out so if you want tix better buy ‘em soon! The event is held at The Phoenix Club in Anaheim and feature dozens of beers – not just CA ones but international ones as well. Food is not included in the price of admission but is available via foodtrucks.  The event also features live bands.  Proceeds go to rescue dogs’

non-profits so you can drink for the doggies at this one. ;)

So Cal Brewfest

Saturday, June 4^th, 1-5pm, $46 Gen Adm

This is a newer event that focuses primarily on California breweries such as Lagunitas, Ballast Point, Angel City, etc.  It’s also being held at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim (popular venue for beer fest – German influence maybe? ;) Features live music and gourmet food trucks. 

  

Beer Camp (just like when you were a kid!)

Saturday, June 25^th, 1-5pm, $50/$70 for pre-sale, $65/$85 after pre-sale sells out/at door

This is a national event coming to the Long Beach Queen Mary events area – known for bringing craft brews from all over the US to your doorstep for your tasting pleasure! The list of breweries participating is pretty impressive and also features some cideries too this year! Live music and foodtrucks will be there for food purchases.

Craft Brew Circus

Saturday, June 25^th, 12-7pm, $40 til June 20^th then goes to $50

This one is held at Sea Terrace Park in Dana Point and includes unlimited tastes of over 50+ breweries and over 50+ wines. This event is being held in conjunction with the larger OC Food, Wine & Music Festival so there will be lots going on at the same time including live music and a food festival w food for purchase. You can also buy the $100 VIP ticket which includes all food and alcohol – not a bad deal if you’re gonna hang out all day! ;) Info on that is here: http://goo.gl/mCKun8

It's Spring and that means... Festival time!

Spring Food Festivals Galore!

So many food festivals so little time! Sure spring means flowers, and longer sunny days but if you’re a lover of food and libations then spring also means food/beer/wine festival time! Below is a list of upcoming festivals that are worth the price of admission IMHO! I’ll be adding different events in upcoming days… starting with the….

Taste of “    “ Events

Taste of events are a great way to sample a bunch of local restaurants in one swoop and for one price of admission – which depending on how hungry you are can be a great deal! They also usually involve live music, fun vendors and sometimes other fun entertainment.

Taste of Huntington Beach

Sunday, April 24^th , noon – 4pm  $70 per ticket

This is a super fun event with just about every restaurant in HB handing out their fare and lots of wine and beer samples. They also always have a great band playing and after a few drinks everyone is ready to boogie! Another thing unique to this event is the silent auction with some pretty fabulous donated gift baskets. One of the years I went I ended up winning 3 of them and all of them were worth more than I paid for them so be sure to take a look at ‘em!  Another nice thing about this event is that they let you bring in blankets/chairs so you don’t have to stand the whole time or fight with others for the limited tables/seating. The event takes place primarily on a grassy lawn so it’s perfect for sitting down in between bites/drinks to enjoy the music. It is $70 per ticket but you’ll definitely eat/drink at least this much plus the $ made goes to HB Children’s Library so it’s even partially tax deductible!

Taste of Orange

Sunday, May 1^st , 3-7pm  $40 per ticket

So, admittedly I’ve never been to this Taste event BUT I’ve heard great things AND I am planning to attend this year. The $40 ticket price only includes food – wine/beer is available to purchase but not included.   The list of restaurants participating is pretty varied from the Orange staple of Zito’s Pizza to the yet to open Pie Hole & Burger Parlor! This is also a charity event with proceeds going to the Assistance League of Orange - $20 of the ticket is tax deductible which is a nice added bonus!  

Taste of Anaheim

Thursday May 12^th, 5:30-9pm  $40 pre-sale/$45 at event

This event takes place at the Gardenwalk center and in the past has included a lot of the restaurants there as well as from Downtown Disney – which is not a bad thing as these two centers have some pretty great places to eat!  I attended a few years ago and it was a fun event and we left TOTALLY stuffed as there was no lack of food and the portions were very generous. I also liked that most of the restaurants had special coupons/deals they were handing out to entice you to dine there later – freebies are always a nice perk!  They also typically have live music which adds a nice vibe to the outdoor center.

Taste of the Nation

Sunday May 15^th , 3-6pm  $200 Gen Admission/$275 VIP

As the price and the name imply, this is the crème de la crème of taste events bringing together the BEST restaurants and chefs in not just the OC but from LA proper! Held at the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach, the venue is just as spectacular as the food and wine. Yes, it’s expensive but if you’re an aficionado of fine dining then this event is worth the price of admission for you! Featured restaurants include Studio, Republique, Broken Spanish and several others. 

Taste of Brea

Thursday May 26^th, 5-9pm  $20 pre-sale/$25 at event

The Taste of Brea takes place in downtown Brea and they block off the street so it’s pedestrian friendly. The list of participating restaurants is pretty impressive and includes such great Brea eateries as Lillie Q’s, Taps Fish House & Bruno’s Trattoria! This sounds like a fun way to spend a spring evening and the price is pretty good for a Taste event!

Next post to come is all about the BEER FESTS! 

Fresh Toast

Orange County .... it's coming! OCWeekly's newest event, 

Fresh Toast

is happening 

Saturday, February 27th 

and will be featuring your favorite meal - brunch! Over 40 of OC's best restaurants will be dishing out some the best brunch bites in the OC! 

Taking place at Fresh Toast will also be the Bloody Battle! 

You don't want to miss this OC! 

Get your tickets soon before prices go up again AND before it sells out! 

Ticket link: http://ticketf.ly/225Fi1z

Stag Bar

The Stag is back, and better than ever! 

I had a fabulous evening checking out the new Stag Bar & Kitchen in Newport Beach a few nights ago! 

From the minute you walk in, you'll be struck by what an amazing job of updating this beloved historic bar they did! Those of us who grew up in Orange County and lovingly referred to "The Stag" as the local dive bar to pop into after hanging at the beach all day are in for a pleasant surprise. Now offering thoughtfully crafted cocktails and unique upscale bar food w a fun updated vibe. The best part is it's still feels like The Stag just a little more grown up - kinda like us OC kids. ;) 

With the update, came a new kitchen with the creative Chef Jeff Moore at the helm. I was lucky enough to get to try a few of their new offerings including the soon to be infamous meatballs -- the stag ball: a combination of venison and pork and the house grind: sirloin, short rib, mortadella, & prosciutto were both standouts. Both moist and exploding with flavor, and please please PLEASE don't be afraid of the venison- no gaminess here folks! More like a little a hint of richness combined with the pork! You can have these served with your choice of cheese (YES, you get to pick your cheese!) and sauce - marinara for the traditionalists or white sauce for the non-conformists - either way its' a win-win with these balls folks!

Pizza Blanco

Another standout (and no doubt soon to be favorite with the vegetarians!) was the Pizza Blanco! Holy smokes.. hand-tossed crust with a garlicky creamy white sauce, stretchy mozzarella (just the way I like it!), big chunks of artichoke hearts and topped with some nutty parmesan. This is a definite winner in my book and don't fret carnivores as you can even customize it by adding any number of meats. The pizzas are available to order in two sizes $6-$8 for the personal size or $14-$16 for a larger version to share - and yes, of course there's a gluten free option!

The Cucumber Cooler and the Mai Tai

The cocktail menu is gonna send you into a tailspin cuz if you're like me, you'll want one of each please! After drooling over them all, I finally settled on the cucumber cooler with Nolets Gin, St Elder, cucumber, basil, lemon, and agave.  If you're a fellow gin drinker you'll go nuts for this refreshing drink. I know, I know... cucumber drinks are everywhere these days but the basil and the hint of agave combined with the high end smooth Gin really sets this apart gin lovers! I also tried the Mai Tai which was also on point and another great option if you want a refreshing drink that isn't overwhelmingly sweet. It's,made with a combination of premium Kauai coconut rum (sinful!), Pilar dark rum, house made orgeat, lime, orange and pineapple. If neither of these two strike your fancy, no worries as the cocktail menu has something for everyone including an extensive list of both whiskey and draft beers. Take a look for yourself: http://stagbar.com/drinks/

The Stag Bar & Kitchen is definitely worth checking out! 

They have specials almost every day so what better way to give 'em a try?!

Meatball Mondays - get your own flavor balls for only $2!

Tiki Tuesday - $6 Tiki Cocktails & $6 Hawaiian Pizza

Whiskey Wednesday - Featured Weekly Whiskey Special & Whiskey Flights (Ask about this one!)

Thursday - Locals Night w $5 Personal Pizza (Any 1 Topping) *beginning in February

They also have 11 hour HH from 8am - 7pm Monday - Friday w $1 off Wells & Wine, $3.50 domestics & $5 HH Food 2pm-7pm      

Restaurant Weeks Galore!!!

With every new year always come the start of the various restaurant weeks, and this year is no exception! For those of you who like to partake in the great deals that come with Restaurant Week here's a list of those coming up in the near future in Southern California.

Newport Beach Restaurant Week 
Monday, January 18 -  Sunday, January 31st
Full list of restaurants and menus: http://dinenb.com/restaurant-week/
Stand out menus (IHMO) include the following:

Provenance - Lunch Menu & Dinner Menu
Chef Cathy always knows how to make it hard to resist her menus - she offers more options than most for both menus and the price for either is a great deal when you add up all that you get. Also, if you've never been to this fantastic restaurant this is your chance to try out a consistently great and in my opinion, often overlooked restaurant.

Oak Grill - Lunch Menu
If you haven't ventured to the lovely Oak Grill yet then this is the perfect time - the beautiful ambiance of the olive tree filled patio is worth the price of admission but when you add in the fantastic food that Chef Marc Johnson creates you're sure to become a devotee. The $25 lunch menu is a steal for this price, even with the $3 dessert supplemental.

Campus Jax - Dinner Menu
So for those of us who were fans of the original Jack Shrimp that used to be on PCH, this re-creation over near UCI was a sigh of relief! For $20 dinner this is really a steal and where else are you able to get gumbo AND jambalaya as two of your three courses?! ;)

The Bungalow - Lunch Menu
This CDM standby is always good for a power lunch but during restaurant week it's an especially great deal not to mention they are very generous with the options for your three courses for a ridiculous $15. Worth a visit if you're in the area and want a menu with lots of yummy choices that is more than fairly priced.

The Ritz Seafood - Dinner Menu
As one of the newest additions to the Newport dining scene, the newly revived Ritz is an enticing option for Restaurant Week affording a chance to check it out without a big $ commitment. Yes, it is one of the pricier options at $50 for a three course dinner. However, with options like Wagyu Short Ribs and Jidori Chicken it also includes some of the most high end options which would typically cost significantly more. Definitely worth a visit!

Sushi Roku - Lunch Menu
SR hit the ground running in Newport when it opened a few months ago and if you  haven't tried it there is no better time! The $20 menu is a great introduction to this hipster sushi joint with creative unique food.

HopDaddy - Lunch Menu
Another new addition to the Newport scene - this Austin import is famous for their thick creamy shakes and juicy hamburgers. What better way to try them than with the $10 two course deal.?! Now you just have to choose between fries or a shake.. hmm, decisions, decisions!

Los Angeles Restaurant Week
Monday, January 18 -  Sunday, January 31st
Full list of restaurants and menus:
http://www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela-los-angeles-restaurant-week
More than 300+ restaurants participate in this annual event offering tons of options for specially prices lunch and dinner menus. Hard as it to pick out just a few stand outs, there are a few that IMHO look especially hard to resist:

Barcito - Dinner Menu
this new downtown hot spot for tapas and crudo lovers is a definite draw as it affords a reasonable way to check it out for only $29 for three courses with lots of options to make everyone happy!

Pok Pok LA - Lunch Menu or Dinner Menu
his Portland Thai institution has had a bit of a wee hard time getting it's bearings in LA but the food hasn't disappointed. It's definitely worth a visit to check it out especially at the bargain price of $15 for lunch or $29 for dinner.

Viviane - Lunch Menu
$25 for three courses of fabulous French food cooked by an award winning Chef by the pool is a definite steal, and the lovely modern ambiance is just the icing on the cake for this deal.

Melisse - Dinner Menu
A meal at the highly rated Melisse will typically run you significantly more than the $95 restaurant week deal so it's almost like a sale at one of the best restaurants in LA! Worth doing if you've always wanted to go but were put off by the normal prices here.

Sotto - Dinner Menu
An LA institution that is always consistent and the RW menu offers some of their best dishes including the infamous pork belly that Sotto is known for - not to be missed.

There are also several fabulous LA restaurants that haven't posted their menus yet so I'd keep checking the site to see what pops up!

San Diego Restaurant Week
Sunday, January 17 - Sunday, January 24th 
http://www.sandiegorestaurantweek.com/
Unlike LA & Newport Beach, San Diego only offers restaurant week for 7 days! Over 180 restaurants participate in this week long event. Although I do visit SD quite often there are only a few menus that stood out to me at places I'm familiar with:

Bracero Cocina: Lunch & Dinner Menus
This new hotspot in Little Italy is the talk of SD at the moment and what better way to sample the fabulous food here than with a 2 course lunch menu or 3 course dinner menu.

Jayne's Gastropub - Dinner Menu
Some of the best gastropub in SD and maybe So Cal - for $40 they have a good sampling of some of their favorites.

The Marine Room - Dinner Menu
Stunning views at this SD favorite and for $50 for three courses it's a great way to take it all in without the hefty price-tag that usually comes with dinner here.


Orange County Restaurant Week
March 6 - March 12th
http://www.ocrestaurantweek.com/participating-restaurants.html
Menus haven't been released for this county-wide event but the launch party is scheduled for March 5th so mark your calendars and get ready to make those reservations once the menus are up! I'll keep you posted!

Launch Party Tickets