NEW Restaurant Review: Pickled Monk in Downtown Fullerton

Pickled Monk in downtown Fullerton is doing brunch! 

If you haven't ventured yet to the 6 month old craft beer & wine eatery, it may be time!

Known for their unique pour your own craft beer and wine concept where you literally select and pour your own drink, Pickled Monk has yet another reason for you to check them out!

Ahi Stack on regular menu (delish!)

Everyone who has visited knows Pickled Monk has a stellar food menu to go along with their beer, wine and cocktail offerings. Being that Downtown Fullerton is more of a nightlife destination, it's easy for brunch to fall a bit under the radar and be limited to mostly those who are in the know. Well...consider yourself 'in the know'. ;) 

The Brunch Menu has a little something to please every craving and is full of surprises. To be honest, nothing on the brunch menu is quite what it appears to be upon first glance! 

Breakfast "Banh Mi" Sandwich

For example, the brunch menu lists a simple sounding "Breakfast Sandwich" but that understatement of a name hides the fact that it's actually a Banh Mi style breakfast sammie! It comes served up on a classic banh-mi baguette, stuffed with pork belly, fried eggs, cilantro, jalapeno and the most SINFUL in-house picked veggies. You'd never know this tastebud treasure awaits you from the standard name on the menu. 

Loaded Toast

One of the most popular Brunch items we spotted in the dining room was the Loaded Toast - made with marinated tomato, radish, avocado, a poached egg and goat cheese. What's not to LOVE about that? ;) 

Vegetarians and light eaters will also be happy to see there's more than a few options for you as well. The Morning Omelet comes with mushroom 'chorizo'  instead of pork, mixed in with quinoa, veggies and eggs. 

Similar to their regular menu, almost every item on the brunch menu has a in-house touch - even the french toast is made with house baked Irish soda bread. Another item you don't want to miss no matter what time you visit is their iconic churro donuts - they come served up warm with delicious dipping sauces! 

You really can't go wrong with any of the food choices at the Pickled Monk! Be sure to check 'em out soon!  

Churro Donuts

Pickled Monk is located at 101 N. Harbor Blvd in downtown Fullerton. 

Closed Mondays. Serving Brunch/Lunch every Friday - Sunday. Open 3pm+ for dinner on other days. 

714/793-9100  More info on their website: https://pickledmonk.com/

Be sure to tell them OCFOODIEGIRL sent you! ;) 

May Happenings in the OC!

So many fun new openings and spring happenings going in the OC this month that I had to share them with you all!

Enjoy!

BlackTap is officially open at Downtown Disney in Anaheim! Yes, the NYC institution - instafamous for it's crazy shakes and burgers has finally opened it's highly anticipated first west coast location. Premiering its first casual dining setting where you order at the counter and find a place to sit in their 125 inside seat or 60 outdoor seating area.

They also offer a take-out window so you can get your shakes and burgers on the run! They've been in soft opening since end of April but are having their official Grand Opening this Saturday, May 18th at 2pm. You don't want to miss it!

For more information on Black Tap, visit www.blacktap.com or follow Black Tap on Facebook and Instagram at @blacktapanaheim.

March Moderne, located in the Crystal Cove section of Newport Beach, has started doing Sunday brunch! If you haven't been to the new location of the former South Coast Plaza icon, you're missing out on some of the best dining in OC. This is not just your average high end French dining but unique French food with a coastal California flair. 

With such dishes as Eggs en Meurette and Croque Madame, they are only in soft opening mode but will soon be in full brunch mode.  Based on how difficult it can be to get a dinner reservation at MM, I highly suggest you grab a brunch res NOW before everyone gets wind of their foray into the brunch world as I have NO doubt it'll be quite the coveted reservation! 

Marche Moderne is located at 7862 E. Pacific Coast Hwy, Newport Beach, CA 92657   714/434-7900

Two NEW food concepts have just opened at downtown Santa Ana hotspot, 4th Street Market. 

The first, Off The Hoof, is actually an offshoot of the uber popular Electric City Butcher which is one of the few OG vendors at the Market. It's about time this talented butcher made it's way into offering cooked up version of it's cuts. You'll find mouthwatering sandwiches like their Patty Melt, Cubano, and Fried Bologna Sandwich, as well as ranch-to-table BBQ plates.

The second new concept is Buqqa Mediterannean Grill which is serving up authentic Mediterranean food like Beef + Lamb Döner and Chicken Kebab Pita wraps.

For more info on the new and existing food vendors at 4th Street Market, see their website: http://www.4thstreetmarket.com/

Bacio di Latte from Italy is opening it's second location in Southern California in the next week at Fashion Island. Born in 2011 in Italy by two brothers, Edoardo and Luigi, who had a passion for Gelato, and their desire to share it with the rest of the world.  They produce their gelato everyday in every single shop, using organic milk and cream from the Spoletta ranch up in Sonoma. 

For more information on Bacio di Latte, visit https://baciodilatte-usa.com/  or follow Bacio di Latte on Instagram at @baciodilatteusa

LA Wine Fest is heading to Long Beach for the first time on June 1st & 2nd! This long running oenophiles dream festival features a relaxed, fun setting offering main stage educational programs from award winning winemakers, chefs and more. As you stroll through the festival, winemakers and experts are eager to chat and educate about the wines they are presenting. Beer lovers will be in luck as well, as brewmasters and some of the best breweries pour their crafts at the event. Admission includes a souvenir glass, unlimited wine and craft brew tastings, bottled water, coffee and bread. Festival hours are 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 1, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 2. Tickets at the gate are $100 for General Admission; $125 for All Access - (which also includes admission to the Boutique Gardens with 15-20 wineries offering tastes from limited production). Designated drivers are encouraged, and get in to enjoy all the amenities of the festival for only $20 (does not include any tastings). Get your tickets and read more on their website at www.LAWineFest.com. You don't want to miss this wine-o's!

Don't forget to tell them OCFoodieGirl sent you! ;)

New Restaurant Review: WR Kitchen & Bar in Laguna NIguel

The NEW WR Kitchen & Bar is opening this Monday, May 6th at 11am in Laguna Niguel! 

Being brought to you by the delicious Wood Ranch Restaurant! If you're a BBQ fan I'm sure you've visited  Wood Ranch with OC locations in Irvine and Rancho Santa Margarita.   NOW you can get that same delicious BBQ along with new food and drink items exclusive to WR Kitchen & Bar, all in a casual family friendly dining setting. 

Even though this is casual dining, WR Kitchen & Bar still serves up the great service for which they are well known.  You'll order at the bar, and then find a place to sit in the dining room, bar or patio where their orders will be delivered. 

 The tables have these ingenious chips in them that tell the servers where to deliver your items so no going back up to the counter for your food!  Additionally, servers will stop by the tables to take additional orders for second cocktails, dessert or anything else a guest may want.



I recently visited during a preview and was so impressed with what a welcoming space the new venue is - with a lovely wrap around patio and a spacious comfy indoor seating area. If you're not in the mood to dine-in they also offer online-ordering, take-out and curbside service! 

As for the food, yes - they have all that delicious BBQ they're well known for but new items available exclusively here include tacos, filled with a choice of brisket, pulled pork, chicken, trout or cauliflower. 

I HIGHLY recommend the Spicy Chicken tacos which while filled with the juicy grilled chicken had a distinct Asian hint to them. If you like a little kick with a hint of sweetness you'll find these absolutely delicious. 

One of the new items I was over the moon for was the buffalo cauliflower - yes, this a trending dish that you see at many restaurants but the crispy version they have here is one of the best I've ever tried.

There's also a full bar, featuring hand-crafted batch cocktails made with fresh ingredients that shine through with each glass. Also available are 12+ craft beers on draft and several highly rated reasonable priced wine. 

The new WR Kitchen & Bar is located at 28061 Greenfield Drive, off Crown Valley Pkwy., in Laguna Niguel.  Hours: Sunday through Thursday from 11am to 10pm, and Friday and Saturday from 11am to 11pm. Phone: 949/342-4740 For more information, Visit www.WRKitchenBar.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram at @WRKitchenBar.

Be sure to tell them OCFoodieGirl sent you! ;)