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Sunday, November 15, 2020

Thanksgiving in the time of COVID...

Thanksgiving in the time of COVID...what exactly does that mean for a foodie? For some, it means staying home and making plans with a few close friends or family members in your COVID bubble or if you're okay dining out there are a few other options to celebrate the coziest time of the year! 


TO-GO OPTIONS 
If you're staying home, several restaurants are doing some pretty amazing to-go dinners that might make your Thanksgiving a little easier. Be warned though that many require ordering in advance so you may want to put in your order soone rather than later! 

Summit House in Fullerton

If your bubble-peeps aren't in the mood for turkey this year, the Summit House in Fullerton is offering a Roast Prime Rib Thanksgiving Dinner at home.  They have two sizes - one that feds 4-6 and another for 7-10, and include all the fixings - even pumpkin cheesecake for dessert!  There are a limited number of orders available for pick up on Thanksgiving Day from 11:30-2pm so call ASAP on this one! See the menu on their website: http://summithousefullerton.com/summithouse-curbside-thanksgiving-menu-2020.pdf and call this # to put in your order: 714/671-4111















Marche Moderne in Newport Beach
Arguably, the best restaurant in OC, is offering Luxe Dinner Boxes for curbside pick up on Thanksgiving from 11am to 1pm. The last day to order them is Monday, November 23rd although they may sell out sooner as only 100 boxes are being made. Menu includes Roasted Free Range Canadian Turkey Breas and Confit Leg Meat with several decadent sides and luscious desserts. Each box serves 4 and costs $395.  See the full menu below and call 714/434-7900 between 1-5pm, Wed thru Sunday to order. 



 

Seasons 52 in Costa Mesa
This healthy dining locale is offering a $150 Thanksgiving Takeout for pickup on Tues or Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Simply store in the fridge and reheat on Thanksgiving Day in less than hour to enjoy! Each Thanksgiving Takeout box feeds 4-6 people and includes choice of field greens salad or romaine Caeser, roasted turkey with pan gravy, Yukon mashed potatoes, brioche sage stuffing, green beans, mashed butternut squash, house made cranberry relish and six of their famous mini-indulgence desserts. Order your box online: https://www.seasons52.com/menu/thanksgiving-dinner/prod7560073?setRestaurant=4513


Black Angus - locations in Buena Park, Santa Ana and Fountain Valley
If you're looking for something a little more affordable, Black Angus has to-go turkey family meals starting at $95.95 for up to four people. They also offer a 1/2 Prime Rib for $440.95 that serves 12-14 people.  All Family Meals come with all the fixings so you're pretty much set with one of these meals. To order and see all the options, go on their website: 
Note: Black Angus also offers dine-in service for Thanksgiving starting at $23.99 for adults and $10.99 for kids. 





Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point
The yummy SCG is offering up a Thanksgiving To-Go dinner with enough to feed 8 adults, and includes a whole 8lb free range turkey with soup, rolls, 4 sides, gravy and even a pie for $250 plus tax. Sounds like a pretty great deal! To order they're asking that you email  hmcclaire@saltcreekgrille.com and someone will fill you in all the ordering details. 


















DINING OUT OPTIONS
If you're more inclined to go out to celebrate Thanksgiving, there are a few restaurants doing some nice dinners. Not sure yet how the weather will be but most do have outdoor options, as well as indoor dining if you're so inclined. 

Tavern House in Newport Beach
Only open for a few years but serving up some great food, Tavern House is serving their traditional herb roasted turkey dinner from 2-7pm on Thanksgiving Day. If someone in your party isn't in a turkey mood, they'll also have a prime rib option as well as a grilled salmon entrée. Whatever you chose, it comes served with mashed potatoes, creamed corn, maple bacon glazed Brussel sprouts, whipped butternut squash and cornbread.  Soup and Salad is also included. Call 949/673-8464 to make a reservation, especially if you have a large party. Adults $60 and Kids Turkey Dinner is $26. Tax and Gratuity not included. 
For more info see their website: https://www.tavernhousekb.com/menus


Water Grill in Costa Mesa
For the first time, Water Grill will be open for Thanksgiving and serving up its popular a la carte menu (prices vary) as well a a special three course Thanksgiving menu for $68. Call 949/208-7060 to make a reservation. 
Note: They will also be selling whole Thanksgiving turkeys at their monthly market on Saturday, November 21st from 9-3pm. For more info see their website: https://www.watergrill.com/southcoast

The Capital Grille at South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa 
The Capital Grille will also offer their full menu along with a special Thanksgiving turkey entrée for $45 per adult and $15 for children 12 and under. Call soon to make a dinner reservation.  714/432-1140


AND last but not least, if you're just looking for a fun Thanksgiving treat, several places in OC have some fun and tasty offerings...

See's Candies

See's has all kinds of fun seasonal candies for Thanksgiving including Apple Pie and Pecan Pie Truffles, Pumpkin Spice lollipops, Maple Cashew Brittle, and even milk chocolate turkeys! Be sure to go soon though cuz they will run out the closer it gets to the holiday.















Baskin Robbins
If you're in charge of dessert this year and not in the mood for pie, then maybe the ice cream turkey cake from BR is what you need?! Pretty darn cute but be sure to order at least a few days ahead! 



Duck Donuts in Irvine and Huntington Beach
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Surprise your family with some fall themed Duck Donuts. Right now through Nov 24th, Duck Donuts is also offering 20% off online orders with CODE: QUACKPACK20  Limited time special fall flavors include Apple Pie, Maple Bacon, Pumpkin Roll, Pumpkin Streussel, Salted Caramel, Caramel Apple Pie and Peanut Butter Paradise. 
To see them all and put in your order click here: https://www.duckdonuts.com/menu/featured-donuts/









However you celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!!! Emoji

Monday, October 12, 2020

New Restaurant Review: Mayfield OC, a NEW restaurant in the time of Covid


Finally made it to the new Mayfield in San Juan Capistrano. I’ve been hearing about this new hotspot since it opened a few months ago, and was excited for my first visit.

My first impression upon entering, was what a lovely space it is. To be honest, I don’t recall what was here before but the interior is a very pretty, if minimally decorated open space. They have a long bar which I’m sure post-covid will prove quite popular with the after work crowd. If you prefer to dine outdoors like me, just upstairs they have a large open patio with lovely greenery and a nice ambiance. 

I visited on a Saturday night, when the only option is the the supper club menu available. Supper club is basically an a.k.a. for prix-fixe menu. For $50 per person, you get a shared “Rip & Dip” platter, a small plate selection each, a shared medium and large plate, and a shared dessert. It sounds like a lot of sharing but it does end up being a significant amount of food, and we didn't leave the least bit hungry. You can also add on additional dishes at the ala carte price. Àla carte is only available Wednesday and Thursday, and a day ala carte menu is available for breakfast & lunch. 

The Rip & Dip comes out first as your appetizer. It’s basically an assortment of all of their delicious dips with some crunchy buttery bread for you to rip apart and use w the dips. The bread was delicious, and I really enjoyed all of the dips as well. They are all quite tasty if not overly original, as they’re all your typical Mediterranean dips but done well – baba ghanouj, hummus, muhammara, whipped feta and a not-really-a-dip mango Israeli salad. It was a nice way to start and get you in the Mediterranean food mood. 

Fried Eggplant w Date Syrup Drizzle




We had a hard time deciding on two small plates as they all sounded really intriguing. We ultimately decided on the fried eggplant and the carrots. The eggplant knocked it outta the park for us. Roasted to a buttery texture and drizzled with the perfect complement of a date syrup, it was sheer eggplant perfection. 


The carrots were not quite as much of a home run but still tasty. I never cook carrots at home because I love the way Chefs are able to turn such a simple vegetable into a decadent dish. The carrots at Mayfield were a tad bit overcooked and maybe even a smidge under seasoned but were saved by the Sumac yogurt dressing and the nice crunch of the almond dukah. Would I order them again? I don't think so. However, I might be inclined to ask for a side of the yogurt dressing to dip my ripped bread into. 😉


Lamb Meatballs




Our hands-down favorite dish of the evening was the lamb meatballs. We both agreed that you could easily make a meal out of it and leave a happy camper. No disservice to the other dishes, but these meatballs served atop a delicious herb buttered Israeli pearl couscous w lemony snap peas was pure heaven. This is a MUST order folks. 💕



For our large plate, we couldn’t decide between the hanger steak and the fried chicken so we chose to add on an extra dish to our meal. In retrospect, we should’ve just stuck with the za’atar fried chicken and skipped the hangar steak as it was more than enough food. 

Za'atar Fried Chicken 

The zaatar fried chicken is definitely the star dish at Mayfield. Fried perfectly juicy with the perfect Mediterranean spice on the crispy skin, it’s a unique take on fried chicken that definitely a winner. It comes to the table with pickled veggies and two yummy housemade sauces for dipping. They seem to like dipping here, as do I so it worked for me. 

Hangar Steak 


The hanger steak had so much potential.  The menu describes it as cooked w Aleppo butter, black garlic and jus. It looked truly beautiful when it came to the table as the plating was impeccable; however, we had a hard time finding any of the mentioned flavors. It was under seasoned and while it was cooked nicely to a perfect medium rare,  it was just overall lacking in flavor. Not to the point of being inedible, but it did under deliver based on its decadent description.








Cardamom & Rose Panna Cotta




We ended the meal on a high note with a delicious cardamom and rose panna cotta. Almost too pretty to eat, it was as delicious as it was beautiful - a perfectly set panna cotta with subtle rose undertones, topped with a lovely raspberry coulis, pomegranate seeds, and crushed pistachios for crunch. It was a lovely way to end our supper. 












All in all, I was very impressed with Mayfield and would highly recommend a visit. I will for sure be going back soon to try a few of the dishes I wasn't able to sample this time, as well as to get more of those sinful lamb meatballs. Mayfield has only been open for a few months so a few glitches are always expected, but even so overall there were way more hits than misses. 

Be sure to make a reservation as they are proving to be quite popular and you might regret showing up without one. I have to say it's really nice to see a new restaurant open up in the time of Covid, and open up with a creative menu and doing well. 

Mayfield is located at 31761 Camino Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano
 (near the mission and the train tracks) 
Phone: 949/218-5140


Monday, May 4, 2020

Mother's Day in the time of COVID19...

Struggling with how to celebrate Mom during the time of COVID?! Struggle no more as many of your favorite restaurants are offering Mother's Day meal packages that are easy to order ahead of time and pick up Sunday morning for delivery to Mom or to take home to enjoy with her, if you're sheltering in place with her! 

Here's a few I've seen that are worth of mentioning IMHO: 




Morning Lavender in Tustin
: If Mom is a fan of afternoon tea, then she'll be super excited to receive Morning Lavender's boxed afternoon tea set! For $25, Mom will be treated to 4 finger sandwiches, a lavender lemon scone with clotted cream and preserves, 2 dainty desserts and 1 bag of fine loose leaf tea. Although Mom will have to brew her own tea, this set pretty much sets the scene for a nice little afternoon tea. Note: It MUST be ordered by Tuesday, 5/5 end of day for pick up so get on it if this is what Mom's heart desires!









Selanne's Steak House in Laguna Beach:  Savor dishes such as “Kevin’s” Bananas Foster French Toast, Chicken and Waffles and Monte Cristo, along with a special Family-Style Mother’s Day Dinner of Cedar River Farms Salt Baked Prime Rib Roast with Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Mash. Mother’s Day Dinner pre-orders will be taken through Wednesday, May 6; Mother’s Day Brunch orders through 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 10. See the full Mother’s Day Dining To Go Menu at this link: https://bit.ly/3b2cako
and call in your order at 949/715-9881. 






Lemonade in Newport Beach and Irvine: The tasty Lemonade has put together a special Mom's Day Box with all of her brunch favorites! $75 get you a enough to serve 4 people with leftovers - items include two large quiches - sausage & smoked bacon with caramelized onion, and goat cheese & spinach paired with roasted potato and Hatch green chili hash, fresh fruit, spring salad, a flower bouquet and a Rockenwagner bakery box.  Pre-order now for pickup or delivery Saturday or Sunday. Order on their website: https://lemonadela.com/item/mothers-day-kit










One of my personal favs, Old Vine Kitchen & Bar, has a special brunch deal for 6-8 people that includes one of their amazing Frittatas AND most importantly, the makings for mimosas. Call 714/545-1411 to put in your order. 




Summit House in Fullerton: If Mama loves her prime rib, then Summit House may be your best option for Mother's Day! They're offering a special Mom's Day Menu with some of their premier entrees being offered a la carte like Colorado Lamb Shank, John Dory, Filet Mignon and of course, your choice of cut Roast Prime Rib of Beef. They also have a special "Family Meal" Prime Rib Dinner for 4 to 6 people for  $235 which includes 1/4 roast prime ribs of beef/Summit House salad/creamed corn au gratin (1 quart)/creamed spinach (1 quart)/ one loaf sour dough or multigrain bread (par baked)/J. M. Rosen’s New York Cheesecake (6 slices)/ one bottle of Salmon Creek Cellars wine- your choice of varietal. You can see the full Mom's Day Menu as well as ordering informion at this link: http://summithousefullerton.com/summithouse-mothers-day-curbside-menu.pdf





Adya in Irvine: If Mom is feeling like some tasty Indian food then Adya is your best bet with their Mother's Day Menu. Featuring 6 courses w naan, including a garlic chile shrimp dip and a spiced halibut with biryani rice and coconut curry sauce (#yum!). All this for $70 for two people or $135 for 4 people. Order by Thursday, May 7 for a Saturday pickup! Email: info@adyaoc.com to put in your order. 













Susiecakes Bakery in Newport Beach: If Mom has a sweet tooth then perhaps she'd like a cake from the fabulous Susiecakes Bakery in NB. They'll be taking orders til 5pm the day before you'd like to pick it up but I'd place your order soon than later just to be safe!. Check their website for cake/sweets options and to place your order: http://susiecakes.com/  
Note: the Costa Mesa location is not open at the moment. 



If you have any other suggestions, feel free to share them in the comments below...
Happy Mother's Day! 


Monday, March 9, 2020

Pi Day Deals!

March 14th is just a few days away, and you know what that means - Pi Day deals! 

Pi Day means many things to many people - to some folks, it's pizza and to others it's a slice of apple pie! Whatever it means to you, there's a deal for you in OC! 

Here's the roundup of deals I've seen in Orange County for 2020, but as always be sure to call and make sure your local shop is honoring the Pi Day deal! Most deals are only available for dine-in only and ONLY on Saturday, March 14th, unless noted! 





Blaze Pizza: The yummy make-your-own pizza is offering an 11" pizza for $3.14 after 3:14PM but ONLY if you download the app as the offer will show up on your app! 



Pot Pie Co.: The still new Pop Pie Co. in Costa Mesa is doing their first Pi Day in OC up right with a special hand pie giveaway for the first 50 peeps, and some fun merch for the first 30! They open at 7am BUT this sweet and savory pie hotspot is sure to draw a line much earlier so plan to set that alarm if you want to take advantage of this one! 




BJ's: Everyone's favorite OC deepdish is offering mini one-topping pizzas for $3.14 - not including gratuity and no additional deals/coupons are valid. Dine in ONLY! More info here: https://bit.ly/38yUw6N









The Pie Hole: This Old Town Orange favorite is being a little sly about releasing all their deals BUT they have announced their mixed berry mini-pies will be $3.14 on Pi Day, and they will be having additional pie specials as well as other special vendors that day. Keep checking their social media for more info! 





Pieology: If you're a Pieology fan, then you need to make sure to join their Pie Life Rewards Program to take advantage of their $3.14 Pi Day deal AND if you wait til March 14th to download it you'll be entered to win pizza for a year! Link to join: https://bit.ly/2vUWwc1




Pizza Press: Pizza Press has options for you for Pi Day! Buy one of their make-your-own or signature 11" pizzas and for $3.14 get a second pizza OR get a deep dish cookie OR garlic cheesy bread. Locations all over OC but to find one near you, check their website:  https://bit.ly/3cGG53T






Pie Bar in Long Beach (cuz the LBC is pretty much OC): Pie Bar is doing it UP with $5 slices, $7 chicken pot pies, beer and wine specials, along with a giveaway to win a free baking class AND a pie eating contest at 6pm! Phew! Quite a party for pie, right? If you want to sign up for the pie eating contest be sure to head to their facebook for more info... https://bit.ly/2VYMrFz

If you know of any other Pi Day deals feel free to share them below in the comments below!
Enjoy your Pi Day OC! 



Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Orange County Restaurant Week is BACK! March 8-14th!



It's that time again! 

The 12th annual OC Restaurant Week is ALMOST here, happening from March 8 - 14th! This is the time to try out a new place or return to an old favorite. Soooo many amazing lunch and dinner deals at some of OC's best dining establishments with prices starting at $10 for lunch and $20 for dinner. That is one thing I love about this special week - there really is something for everyone at every price point. Take a peek at the list of restaurants for yourself: http://www.ocrestaurantweek.com/participating-restaurants.html


This year, they're also kicking it up with a special spicy menu, with dishes rated from 1-10 on the spice-meter! Check it out: http://www.ocrestaurantweek.com/spicy-menus.html




AND if that's not enough check out the special cocktails that participating restaurants have concocted for OC Restaurant Week:  http://www.ocrestaurantweek.com/cocktails-of-restaurant-week.html





The best way to map out your plan of attack?! Attend the OC Restaurant Week Launch Party on Saturday, March 7th! The Launch Party is an worthy event all by itself with over 40 participating restaurants, along with several sponsors handing out yummy bites and sips while enjoying the afternoon at the beautiful Irvine Spectrum Marriott with a live DJ and lots of fun! This event sells out EVERY year so if you're thinking about going, grab your tickets ASAP at this link:  http://www.ocrestaurantweek.com/launch-party.html

I've been asked several times where I'm going to be dining for OCRW and a few of my not-to-be-missed places are as follows (although you REALLY can't go wrong with any of the participating restaurants!):

Utopia European Caffe - if you haven't tried this little gem at The District in Tustin you've been missing out. Yes it's a EUROPEAN cafe but the finds here are all about the Turkish food, as the caffee is owned by a Turkish family and offers some delicious Mediterranean food. I also like that they have a slew of choices on their menu - some restaurants limit you to a few options but not Utopia, plus for $15 for lunch or $20 for dinner, this is a great way to try them out!

My favorite part of OCRW is trying new restaurants and I can't tell you how happy I was to see Scarlet Kitchen and Lounge on the list of participating restaurants!  I have been anxiously awaiting the opening of Scarlet Kitchen and am so excited that they are participating in OCRW cuz there's no better way to try out a new restaurant! I'm also excited to see a Lobster Grilled Cheese as an option - yum! 

Another new restaurant that just opened in the old Journeyman location in Fullerton is the Bronze Quail so I might be hitting BQ as well if I can fit it into my week. OCRW is too short! 

I'll also at some point be hitting my favorite Mix Mix Kitchen especially cuz Chef Ross is featuring a special dish, the Tuna Kinilaw. I've never had a dish I didn't like at Mix Mix or Terrace by Mix Mix so I'm eager to try it since it's only here for a limited time!  

Seriously OC this is the one week where the only thing you want to make for dinner is reservations! Diet the next week...and enjoy it! ;)