Labor Day Weekend Events!

Labor Day weekend is just a few days away, and if you don't have any plans there's quite a few foodie events to keep you busy in and around OC...

Nood on the Beach!

So if you've been to the Noods Noods Noods Festival in downtown Santa Ana then you may have an idea of what's in store for you at Nood Beach! Basically, the infamous FoodBeast has partnered with the Sealegs at the Beach in Huntington Beach to put on a huge noodle festival on Sunday, September 1st featuring many of OC's best restaurants, and then to top it off they've brought in a pretty great line-up of DJs, musicians and food contests to entertain you while you get your noodles on at the beach! 

Current Food Vendors Include:

LSXO: Lemongrass Beef & Curried Prawn Vermicelli
Slapfish: Brown Butter Lobster Bucatini
Mess Hall Canteen: Kalbi Brisket Garlic Noodles + Hamachi Crudo Soba Noodles
Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine: Candied Pork Belly Ramen Bucket
Ellie's long beach: Cavatelli Carbonara
Sgt. Pepperoni's Pizza Store: Sheet Pan Ramen Pizza
SeaLegs at the Beach: Coconut Curry Noodles w/ Giant Prawn
Miss Mini Donuts: Ice Cream Noodle Topped Mini Donuts
Shomi Noods: Ramen Bar: Boba Cup Style 'Jiggling Ramen' + 16 lb Ramen Challenge.
Nitrolado: Savory Noodle Donuts - Balinese, Gangnam, Tokyo & Hawaiian Style.
Lia’s Lumpia Popup: Pork Belly Ramen Lumpia
THE GOLDEN MARROW®: Truffle, Garlic & Dessert Marrows w/ Noodles.
The Coconut Truck: Black Garlic Noodles, w/ braised oxtail, crispy shallots, and black garlic confit.
The Sandwich Society - Santa Ana: Ramen Grilled Cheese
Laomazing Eats: Bird Nest Noodles w/ Lao Gravy
Mussels and Pearls: Grilled Oysters, toped with garlic, shoyu and crispy noodles
Lettuce Feast: Vegan Fried Chikn Mac n Cheese Po Boy
Ten Asian Bistro
Stay tuned for more vendor updates!

Headlining live music performances include DJ Snoopadelic (AKA Snoop Dogg), Jeffrey Sutorius AKA Dash Berlin, E-40, SEGA Genecide, Yachty by Nature, Coast Club and also favorite personalities from TV, YouTube and Instagram will headline whle professional eaters from around the country will compete in the FOODBEAST Challenger League Noodle Invitational!

Early Bird GA: $40 includes stage and vendor access, with food available for purchase at each vendor.

Get your tickets here:  http://nood-beach.com/

Orange International Street Fair                 

Unless you're a new resident of OC, you've inevitably been to (or at least heard of!) the Orange Street Fair.  Each arm of the circle is basically transformed into a few different countries with local non-profits selling corresponding food and beverages. There's also beer sales and this is pretty much the only time you can walk around the streets of Orange with an open container of alcohol!  To some of us natives, it's basically an annual Labor Day tradition to walk around the transformed circle in old town orange for a few hours with an abelskiver or a teriyaki skewer in one hand and a cold beer in another, all while listening to great local bands. The best part? FREE admission - just be sure to bring cash for the food, beer and parking! 

Hours: 

• Friday, August 30th, 2019
  5pm to 10pm
  Alcohol Sales: 5pm-9pm
• Saturday, August 31st 2019
  10am to 10pm
  Alcohol Sales: 10am-9pm
• Sunday, September 1st 2019
  10am to 10pm
  Alcohol Sales: 10am-9pm

 For more info or to peruse the band schedule, check the website: http://www.orangestreetfair.org

LA Times The Taste   

The LA Times has been putting on The Taste over Labor Day weekend for years, and let's just say they have it down pat! If you don't mind a drive into LA you'll be rewarded by a great festival featuring the best of LA not only handing out samples of their best food, but also doing cooking demos, etc. You'll also see many a celebrity Chef walking around if you're into that sort of thing - I am! ;) 

It's a great festival that I've been to many years and can highly recommend. Well worth the drive to LA.  However, if you're not in the mood for the drive this weekend, The Taste is actually coming to Costa Mesa in October!  

Read more and get your tix to either the LA or OC version here: https://events.latimes.com/taste/

LA Fleet Week - featuring Chef Robert Irvine

It's Fleet Week! Yes, LA has a Fleet Week and it's filled with all kinds of fun events and one of the biggest is Galley Wars on Sunday, September 1st, which is being judged this year by Chef Robert Irvine of Food Network fame. Galley Wars consists of members on competing teams  who will vie for top-chef bragging rights at the competitive, yet friendly gastronomic event. Each team will be tasked with making their best version of a “surf & turf” meat and seafood entrée, two sides and a dessert. No tickets needed but get there early as it's sure to be quite popular! 

LA Fleet Week is located on the LA Waterfront at the Port of Los Angeles in the community of San Pedro, CA. The main event footprint is located next to the Battleship IOWA Museum with all public activities at this location. For specific directions, use 100 Swinford Street, San Pedro, CA or 250 S. Harbor Blvd, San Pedro, CA.

For more info see the Fleet Week website: https://www.lafleetweek.com/

Little Saigon Night Market - Friday, Saturday and Sunday

This is the LAST weekend of the Little Saigon Night Market so if you haven't had a chance to visit this summer this is your LAST chance!

Friday through Sunday night starting at 7pm, the parking lot in front of Westminster’s Asian Garden Mall transforms into a busy street market, with authentic street food, shopping and Vietnamese music. This popular weekend event draws crowds of people looking to enjoy Vietnamese street food, live music and shopping. The market gives an authentic taste of what it would be like at a real asian market. Unlike some of the trendier night markets, it's also FREE and there's even free parking in the back of the mall, and valet parking in front. Go figure. 

Little Saigon Night Market 2019

9200 Bolsa Ave.
Westminster, CA 92683

Fri, Sat. & Sun 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Last day is Sept 1, 2019

More info here: https://www.littlesaigonnow.com/blog/little-saigon-night-market-2019-the-vietnamese-summer-festival-46.html

Holiday Brunch

Additionally a lot of restaurants in OC expand brunch service into Monday on holiday weekends. Tortilla Republic in Laguna Beach, Solita in HB, Old Vine Cafe in CM - just to name a few! 

Have a fabulous food-filled Labor Day weekend and enjoy your extra day off! 

New Restaurant Review: Benchmark in DTSA

Benchmark

Benchmark opened up about a month ago in downtown Santa Ana, in the location previously occupied by Dear Lacy. 

The unique thing about this new restaurants is that's is strictly outdoor dining. I was a tad bit worried the first time I ate here considering how warm it's been this month BUT I'm happy to report that both times eating dinner there at around 6:30 it was perfectly pleasant. This is most likely helped by the full trees and sail shades that cover the majority of the  patio.

It's actually a lovely space which is lit up nicely after dark with edison bulbs which  makes for the perfect summer evening dining. Not sure how they'll handle the colder months, or the little bit of rainy season we get in the OC but for now they seem to be doing quite well. 

I'm not really sure how they came up with the menu as it is a bit of an eclectic mix of a few ethnic dishes with more traditional dishes. It's also not a large menu but there is definitely something for everyone.  I've been a few times now and have tried the majority of the share dishes and quite a few of the entrees. I have to say I've been pretty impressed with everything so far. Here are some of my favorites: 

Braised Pork al Pastor 

The savory braised pork is served on crispy chips with just the right amount of Mexican crema and a slightly kicked-up salsa verde and garnished with thinly chopped cilantro and chiles. 

Artichoke Fondue

This cheesy creation is one of my hands-down favorites at Benchmark. The fondue is creamy and you can absolutely taste the artichoke.  It comes served w the most delicious homemade soft Bavarian pretzels that come to the table warm. They're the perfect accompaniment to the fondue. 

Cheese Board

Burrata, manchego, point reyes blue, house nuts, truffle honey and seasonal fruit compote - how can you go wrong with that combination? ;) 

Another one of my favorites was the Heirloom Tomato Salad with buratta, capers, herb oil and baguette. Fresh and flavorful is the best way to describe this dish! 

Ahi Tuna - This dish surprised me as poke is on just about every menu these days so my expectations were a little low. I was pleasantly surprised by the brightness and freshness this dish exuded. It was also a nice change in texture to bite into the firm edamame and the sriracha aioli. I also loved the unique rice crackers that come with this dish - really tasty and unlike anything I've had before with poke! 

The Gochujang Fried Chicken was also one of my top choices - the flavor was spot on and the chicken itself was cooked perfectly crispy.  I also appreciated that it was served in small pieces so it was easy to share. The cool and creamy napa cabbage & red onion slaw was also the perfect compliment to the spicy chicken! 

So one of my all time favorite desserts is a Butterscotch Pot de Creme and the one at Benchmark definitely hit the mark. The touch of cocoa nibs and sea salt on top really made the butterscotch flavor shine, 

I highly recommend you try this newcomer - you won't be disappointed! 

Benchmark is located at 601 E. Santa Ana Blvd in Santa Ana. 714/480-0228

**Helpful tip: Parking is available behind the restaurant and also at the huge lot one block over on Santa Ana Blvd. over by the Ebell Club that is owned by the restaurant.
More on the website: https://www.loc8nearme.com/california/santa-ana/benchmark/5261793/

Be sure to tell them OCFoodieGirl sent you! ;) 

August Food Happenings!

It's definitely SUMMER and there's lots of fun foodie stuff happening in August! 

The FIRST location of the infamous Marugame Udon from Japan is officially open at South Coast Plaza! If you've never heard of Marugame they're famous for their cafeteria style udon! Served up using fresh in-house made noodles with so many varieties of broth and proteins to try that there's something to please everyone! They also have an impressive row of tempura and misubis - also freshly made as you're going down the line.  The best part? Most of the udon are around $10 and the sides are between $1-$2 so you won't be breaking the bank here!  Marugame is located in the lower level of the former Sears wing in South Coast Plaza, near Casa Barilla. For more info or to peruse the menu check out their website: https://marugameudon.com/

Sunday, August 10th & 11th the LA Tea Festival is happening in downtown at The Reef. A tea lovers' dream come true, the festival unites tea enthusiasts and experts for two days of tea talk and culture, plus the chance to try unique tea pairings, craft tea infused cocktials and purchase local and national teas to your heart's content! 

Get your tickets and sign up for seminars at their website: https://teafestivalla.com/

The 3rd Annual Pacific Wine & Food Classic is right around the corner on August 17th & 18th!  Voted one of the 10 best food festivals in the nation by USA Today, this world class event celebrates summer and the best food and beverages providers in Orange County. This year's line-up includes 60+ restaurants and over 100 tastes experiences all set on the sand at The Newport Dunes in back by. Tickets WILL sell out as they have in past years so if you're thinking about going, be sure to get your tickets SOONER rather than later! Get you tickets here: http://www.pacificwineandfood.com/

Duck Donuts is celebrating their 12th anniversary with a $12 for a dozen of their made-to-order delicious donuts on August 12th! If you haven't tried this North Carolina transplant, there's no better time! They have two locations in OC - one in Irvine (2222 Michelson Drive) and one in Huntington Beach (18591 Main St.). 

There's a NEW craft brewery on the peninsula in Newport Beach, AND it's the ONLY brewery on the peninsula! Helmsman Ale House just opened up and is serving up their new batches featuring IPA and Blondes, along with artfully crafted delicious pub food. Brought to you by local OC Rockstar restaurateur, Mario Marovic, who also owns Country Club, Playa Mesa and many other local eateries it's sure to be a great new addition to the local craft brew scene! 




Located on the peninsula, at 2920 Newport Blvd in NB. Be sure to check it out soon! 😋 
More info on their website: https://www.helmsmanalehouse.com/

AND don't forget the OC Fair is still going on til August 11th so you still have time to fulfill your fair foodie dreams! Open Wednesday through Sunday! See the OC Fair website for more info on events and specific hours: https://ocfair.com/

It's officially SUMMER at Memphis Cafe in Costa Mesa!

It's definitely SUMMER at Memphis Cafe in Costa Mesa! 

Chef Diego Velasco, who has been at the helm of Memphis since it opened in 1995 has outdone himself with the new summer menu dropping on July 10th!  Crafted to highlight all that is fresh and in season, while at the same time staying true to Memphis' distinct southern home style cooking style, the summer menu has something to please everyone. 

Spice Crusted Sea Bass

I recently got to try out the menu at a preview and one of the standouts for me was the Spice Crusted Striped Bass. Admittedly, I'm  more of a meat eater and tend to eat fish mostly at home so I can indulge in a perfectly cooked steak when I eat out. However, this preparation of sea bass was one of the best I think I've ever tried. The bass was served with perfectly crispy skin (yum!) and atop the most fluffy and flavorful scallion-ginger pancake, drizzled with a soy lime glaze. It also comes served with a side of charred baby bok choy which complimented the tender, melt-in-your-mouth fish to a tee. I can't recommend this dish enough! 

I also really enjoyed the Hickory Barbecue Platter that comes loaded with burnt ends, BBQ chicken and baby back ribs. Be warned though - its quite a feast so make sure you're hungry! Truthfully, my favorite thing about it is the variety as it's perfect for the indecisive eater like me who typically wants everything at the BBQ restaurant. The burnt ends were especially well done and delivered on their promise of smokey BBQ goodness! 

The Retirement

Not to be outdone, the special seasonal cocktails also deliver in bringing a hint of summer to your meal at Memphis. Amaro is all the rage at the moment, and Memphis captures this trend in it's new Retirement cocktail. Served up hipster style in a martini glass, it's every citrus lover's dream. 

I also LOVED the incredibly unique Chai on Fire cocktail. made with everyone's favorite Chai Tea and mezcal which gives it a warm comforting feeling even though it's an iced cocktail. It was just about everyone's favorite drink at the table so definitely a must try.  

Summer Menu 

Dishes

Blackened Rib Cap

Fried Washington Oysters: Red Beans & Rice, Smoked Pork Belly, Zucchini Mignonette 

Fresh Baby Corn-Street Style: New Caledonian Prawns, Queso Fresco, Green Tomato Conserva

Spice Crusted Striped Bass: Scallion-Ginger Pancakes, Baby Bok Choy, Soy-Lime Glaze 

Hickory Barbecue: Burnt Ends, Chicken, Baby Back Ribs, Corn Bread Madeleines, Roasted Jalapeno Slaw

Blackened Rib Cap Steak: Corn Cheese, Hen of the Woods Mushroom, House Steak Sauce

Cocktails

Retirement: California Gin, Wine Aperitif, Amaro, Love

Chai on Fire: Mezcal, Coconut Rum, Lime, Honey, Chai Spiced Tea

Melt Banana: Aquavit, Banana Liqueur, Lemon, Absinthe

Melt Banana

Memphis is located at 2920 Bristol Street in Costa Mesa - in the Sobeca district. 

For more info or to see the full menu, visit their website: https://www.memphiscafe.com/ or call 714/432-7685. 

NEW Restaurant Review: The Little Greek at Mess Hall Market in Tustin

Lamb Gyro

Just about everyone in OC who loves Mediterranean food has heard of or visited the OC icon, Christakis Greek Restaurant in Tustin. In the crazy world of restaurants that come and go, there's a reason they've been in business for over 23 years. Well, your casual Greek food dreams have been answered OC! The family behind the beloved Christakis have just opened up a NEW fast casual version of their restaurant called The Little Greek in the new Mess Hall Market at Flight Center in Tustin Legacy. Currently only in soft opening mode which means they are only serving lunch for now.  

Padakia - marinated lamb chops plate

I recently visited to try out their new digs and am beyond happy to report that the food is just as delicious as it is at the original Christakis. With a pretty large menu covering everything from mezzes (aka appetizers) to pitas, salads, plates and of course, everyone's favorite dessert baklava - there is definitely something for every craving on The Little Greek's menu!

Being a lamb lover, my favorite dish was the lamb chop plate which comes with two marinated and perfectly cooked to your taste (medium-rare for me!) juicy lamb chops and a little greek salad, fluffy wild rice pilaf and a side of  yummy homemade tzatziki. I will be dreaming about these lamb chops for a while as they were rather sinful! 

The SINFUL dolmades w lemon dill sauce

While I tried several of the mezzes, including the delicious hummus and the flaky spanikopita, the one that stood out for me as with a unique flavor and perfect execution was the dolmades. Now, I love me a stuffed grape leaf and typically order them wherever I see them but these were unlike any I'd seen before. Usually they come with a bit of an olive oil and lemon marinade but these came topped with a creamy lemon dill sauce that literally made my taste-buds wake up! If you're a fan of dolmades these are  MUST order and if you've never tried stuffed grape leaves before there is no better rendition to try! 

If you're not a meat-eater or looking for a gluten-free option they have you both covered with a vegetable souvlaki dish as well as several meat-free sides and mezzes. You can also get any of their salads without meat. As for gluten-free, did you know that falafel is naturally gluten-free? Yep, and they have several falafel dish options that will work - just skip the pitas! ;) 

The Little Greek is currently only open for lunch from 11-3pm as the new Mess Hall Market isn't fully operational until their grand opening on Saturday, July 20th.  However, if you want to avoid the crowds and brag to your friends that you were first to try them, I'd hightail it over to The Little Greek before then! If you'd rather wait til the 20th, Mess Hall Market is having a BIG Grand Opening event that day starting at noon with live entertainment, balloon artists, raffles and all kinds of fun events throughout the day. They're also donating 10% of all sales to the OC Rescue Mission. 

Mess Hall Market and The Little Greek are located in the Flight at Tustin Legacy, a new creative office campus. Located at 1705 Flight way near the corner of Red Hill and Barranca/Dyer. Be warned that this brand new area of Tustin Legacy is still under construction so be sure to enter off Barranca/Dyer - onto either Flight Way or Airship Avenue. Parking is abundant with structures and a large lot right next to Mess Hall Market. Also if you GPS it be sure to use Google Maps and not Apple Maps as Apple sent me to the wrong place or better yet just drive west on Barranca/Dyer from Tustin Ranch Road and you'll see it on your right, before you hit Red Hill - it's pretty hard to miss and there's lot of signage. 

For more information or to see the full menu, visit the little greek's website: https://christakisgreekcuisine.com/the-little-greek/

Be sure to tell them OCFoodieGirl sent you! ;)

NEW Restaurant Review: Henry's at the Waterfront Resort in HB

So dinner at the beach is always special, but dinner at the beach with a view, and an amazing meal, is an event.  

I'm happy to advise all you beach view lovers that the *NEW* Henry's Ocean View Dining at the Waterfront Resort Beach Hotel in Huntington Beach is now open!  Trust me, you're not going to want to miss this fabulous new option for waterfront dining in Orange County.

For those not aware, the Waterfront Beach Resort Hotel (formerly the Huntington Beach Hilton) has recently undergone a three year renovation, and has also rebranded and redone their dining concepts. 

The former Shades space has been transformed into a beautiful new oceanfront dining experience.  Even with the stunning location across from the sparkling Pacific Ocean, Henry's offers so much more than just a gorgeous view.  

Chef Kenny Siegler's inspired intention to highlight fresh local ingredients along with purveying some of the best meats and pork from the most highly regarded farms in the country shines through with every bite. All you have to do is look at the menu to see prime ingredients featured throughout including Mangalitsa Pork and A5 Japanese Myazaki Tenderloin.  Ingredients you don't see in many places in Southern California, and even less in Orange County. 

When I visited, we left ourselves in the hands of the Chef, and asked him to select his favorite items for us to try. The first dish delivered to the table was the Santa Barbara Prawns. They come out served with a crunchy celery pico and a poured at the table, carrot consomme. Yes, we did have to ask our awesome waiter, Jeff instructions on how to eat them as these beautiful prawns were the size of our hands. With a quick twist, these shells released the most sweet and tender shrimp meat, basted with butter and dripping with the carrot consomme. They were pure heaven and reminiscent of sweet Maine lobster meat. 

One of my most favorite dishes was a unique pasta that the Chef learned how to make in Italy, and to which he gave his own California twist. Buttery soft and tender, the Testaroli Pasta is served with a yummy cream of kale sauce, alpage sbrinz cheese and blistered cherry tomatoes. Pure heaven in a bowl...

We were also beyond thrilled to try the rare Mangalista Pork, a rarity on OC menus. 
If you've ever experienced this ancient Hungarian pork that's making a resurgence in the fine dining world, then you know it’s the Kobe beef of pork. Basically, it's marbled to melt in your mouth deliciousness and I must admit it lived up to the hype and did not disappoint! This is a MUST order if you visit.


Along with the pork, we also had a couple interesting sides including the Buttermilk Polenta and the Spring Carrots. The Buttermilk Polenta comes out creamy and cooked perfectly. We later learned that it's actually made with buttermilk resulting from the in-house butter churning. I love the whole use concept they're employing by using every part of the butter making, and it made for some incredibly delicious polenta. 

No matter how full you are after your fabulous meal at Henry's be sure to indulge in dessert, as it's well worth saving some room! 

Desserts I was fortunate to try first-hand include the light and flavorful Pomegranate Mousse with chocolate crumble and blood orange sabayon, and the decadent Milk Chocolate Mousse that sits atop an ameratti hazelnut cake and stuffed with a rich creamy caramel filling. 

Dinner at Henry's is an experience, and one I won't soon forget. I was beyond impressed with this new elegant dining option in Huntington Beach. There has clearly been extensive thought put into everything from the modern decor, the impeccable yet friendly service, and the choice of the highest quality ingredients in every dish. 

If Chef Siegler's current seasonal menu is any indication, I expect Henry's will quickly become one of Orange County's select destination dining locations. 

Henry's is found inside The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel, and is located on Pacific Coast Highway in beautiful Huntington Beach, California. 

Location: 21100 Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach. For reservations, call 714/845-8000 or on Open Table. 

More information, including the current menu, can be found on the restaurant's website: 

https://www.waterfrontresort.com/dining/henrys-restaurant

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