Oh yeah! This week, and any week’s obsession, Lucca Cafe’s Own Cured and Braised Crispy Pork Belly, on a bed of corn kernel and mascarpone polenta, topped with a slather of dried apricot chutney: the sticky sweet apricot is the perfect foil for the crisped porcine richness and creamy polenta wraps each bite with a silken finish. I’m hot just describing it! My fellow food writer Anne Marie declares “compounding flavors transforms any rowdy table into one where chewing and silent worship rule”, and that, my friends, is the “occasional indulgence to drool over” that I refer to (see sidebar).

Obviously, you know from the title that said dish can be had at Lucca Cafe which, lucky for us, is located in a typical shopping center in Irvine, conveniently accessible from the 405 freeway. Lucca Cafe is redefining happy hour and bar food every day of the week from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. with their Bar Snacks menu. Small plates continue to be popular – they’re easy on the wallet and guests are able to experience many different dishes and leave full and satisfied. Enjoying them in a European-type bistro like Lucca is the perfect way to end a hectic day or set the tone for the rest of your evening.

Bresaola hand rolls | poached pears, baby arugula, balsamic reduction, lemon creme fraiche

All of owner Chef Cathy Pavlos’ menus are based on the use of healthy and high quality ingredients, such as certified Angus beef, free-range turkey, hormone-free chicken, wild salmon and locally grown organic produce. The idea behind the small plates is to let the creativity talents of chefs in the kitchen shine, so the menu changes weekly and reflects the changing seasons and the best of the local markets.

For me, the Giao burrata in a basil pesto bath, drizzled with balsamic, accented with a single sublime roasted tomato, epitomizes the quality of their sourcing – surpassing many housemade burratas I’ve experienced.

Always important: The bar features more than 30 wines by the glass, with a choice of 2.5-ounce or 6-ounce pour of wine for $5 to $14. Lucca’s European bent carries through to the wine list where 2/3 of the wines are of European origin and 1/3 domestic. From 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. they have special wines by the glass for $6.00 and imported and microbrew beers, $4.00 – $6.00.

Other highlights of the menu on this night:

Tempura Sand Dabs  |  Fennel slaw

New Zealand lamb chops  | cumin and cinnamon scented, mint/parsley yogurt

Crab-stuffed wild jumbo shrimp  | wrapped in prosciutto, fiery sauce

Blue Cheese tart  | gorgonzola, cippolini onions in agrodolce, port wine reduction

Angus beef short ribs |  braised in balsamic and red wine , yukon mash, horseradish creme fraiche

The entire menu is priced from $5.00 to $8.00 – an unbelievable bargain, especially considering this is not your usual simplistic bar fare. Before leaving, treat yourself with dessert from the regular dinner menu; like the Italian Affogato – one scoop of handmade vanilla bean ice cream with a double shot of Lavazza espresso, fresh whipped cream and chocolate chips:

or this decadent LUCCA Brownie warmed in a skillet with locally made goat’s milk ice cream and fresh berries. Can I get a second “Oh yeah” ?! 

LUCCA Cafe
6507 Quail Hill Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92603
Tel: 949-725-1773

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Restaurant Week Launch Party
Join us at the kick off party for Orange County Restaurant Week at Prego Ristorante in Irvine

It’s free but you must RSVP, Space is limited to the first 250 to respond.

Fall Orange County Restaurant Week, September 26 through October 2, will begin with an official kick-off party at Prego Ristorante in Irvine from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. on Sunday, September 26. There is no cost to attend this event (parking in lot will be validated), but space is limited and those interested in attending must RSVP to JILL-FM, who will be broadcasting live from the event, online at http://j.mp/927JillFM_OCRestWk_LaunchPartyRSVP.

Guests will have the opportunity to taste the many flavors of PREGO as the restaurant, which is also celebrating its 25th anniversary, showcases its cuisine with tray-passed fare. In addition, Tres Agaves tequila, Sobieski Vodka and 4 Orange Premium Vodka will be sampling signature cocktails for all attendees. A complimentary wine-tasting by Coppola Winery will allow guests to experience some of the finest Prego has to offer. Prego will be offering its weekly Happy Hour during the course of the event.

Visit Orange County Restaurant Week’s website for a list of participating restaurants, their menus, location, etc. and plan your week of dining adventures!

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Post tags: Fall Orange County Restaurant Week, Irvine, Prego Ristorante

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Attended the Slow Food Orange County fundraiser in Bommer Canyon today. I’ve never been to Bommer Canyon and was totally awestruck at the beauty of this oasis in the midst of urban sprawl. The principles of this world-wide organization are gaining momentum in the U.S. and I’ll be writing more about them this coming week. Meanwhile, I couldn’t wait to share this refreshing respite from the crowded streets.

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Post tags: Bommer Canyon, Irvine, Irvine Ranch Cattle Camp

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Post tags: Irvine, Prego Ristorante

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Being part of a tweetup at the recently opened Sushilicious in Irvine, was as much about conviviality and good times as it was about the sushi – for us anyway   And when I sat down to write this post, I started wondering about the origins of sushi – we all know it came from Japan, right – but how long ago, and why was it “invented”? That’s how my mind works and why I write a lot about the cultural and historical traditions of food.

After a bit of internet research, I can tell you that sushi has come a long way from its origins in southeast Asia.  In the 4th century,  salted fish wrapped in fermented rice was an important source of protein. After being stored and allowed to ferment for a few months, the rice was discarded and only the fish was eaten. Over time this method (known as nare zushi) spread to China and then, in the 8th century to Japan.

The Japanese preferred to eat rice together with their fish and during the Edo period, Japanese began making haya-zushi which was created as a way to eat both rice and fish; this dish was unique to Japanese culture. Instead of being used just for fermentation, the rice was mixed with vinegar and combined with not only fish, but various vegetables and dried preserved foods. During the 19th century, when Tokyo was still called Edo, mobile food stalls dominated the food service industry and nigiri sushi, also called edomae sushi, was born. Nigiri sushi is an oblong mound of rice with a thinly sliced piece of fish draped over it and is the most common type of sushi found in modern sushi restaurants. (If you like you can read more about the history and different kinds of sushi here.)

Now, jump into that time machine and vaporize to the year 2010 to Sushilicious in Irvine, CA where patrons select their sushi from freshly colored containers on a gleaming stainless steel conveyor belt.  Monster Munching aptly described Sushilicious as “what you get when you smoosh a Japanese restaurant into an Apple store, put it in a bag, added a factory-scene from How It’s Made, sprinkled a dash of Yogurtland and shook it all up”.

Owner Daniel Woo says he was inspired to create a family friendly sushi place after an incident in a sushi restaurant when his then 5-year old daughter was asked to sit down after standing up in the booth. He has expertly achieved even broader appeal with the fun, pastel-colored sleek vibe of Sushilicious. Although there are other revolving sushi restaurants, Sushilicious’ technology quotient is amped in other unique ways: his usage of social media platforms, Twitter and Facebook to promote the restaurant before it even opened (I heard about it on Twitter) and, if you want a drink or to order menu items,  your friendly server places your order on an iPod Touch enabled by a WiFi point of sale system. Way cool! Woo approached Apple and is among the restaurants using this beta version. Coming soon – servers will be able to run your credit card on the iPod Touch so your plastic never leaves your sight!

But back to the sushi: while not for purists, the sushi is fresh and well-prepared and creative names like Sushcalifragilistics (battered rock shrimp in a mayo sauce similar to Dynamite sauce), Medusa, Napolean Dynamite, and United Colors of Sushi cause you to impulsively reach out and grab one off the conveyor belt.  Your bill is calculated by adding up the number of the plates in front of you plus any drinks and menu items you may have ordered. The plates are color coded and range from $1.50 to $4.00. Oh, and each plate carries a tag that alerts the chefs who remove it from the belt after an hour.  And, they DO do this – one roll that I pulled off the line, the chef came over and told me he was about to take it off and he would make me a fresh roll. Awesome!

Sushilicious is all about having fun; and maybe one of these, if you’re so inclined:

!! Sake Bomb !!

Sushilicious
(949) 552-2260
15435 Jeffrey Road
Suite #119, Irvine, CA 92618

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Post tags: Irvine, Japanese food, sushi, Sushilicious

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SIT, STAY, EAT

The motto of the Lazy Dog Cafe expresses the simple pleasure of taking things a little slower and sharing food with those you love.

The whimsical doggie-themed decor has instant appeal and the creative rustic design has been described as “Frank Lloyd Wright meets Ralph Lauren”, inspired by owner Chris Simms’ summers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  I have a thing for lighting and fell instantly in awe of the massive chandelier crafted from Aspen logs in the entry and the fun dog-paw ceiling fixture in the bar area (see photo above).  Dog print fabrics, canine photos, and metal sculpture make you smile inside and you have to love the playful fire hydrant beer tap!

The Lazy Dog Cafe specializes in an eclectic menu of American fare with touches of Italian, Chinese, Mediterranean and South American with everything from classic American Campfire Pot Roast and BBQ Baby Back Ribs to Bahama Jerk Chicken, Hawaiian inspired Ahi Poke and a Trio of Hummus Sampler. Pictured below is the Pesto Chicken & Hummus Salad, Shrimp Wok Platter  and Cast Iron Idaho Trout. They offer a Puppy Dogs menu for kids  8 and under for $4.95 and smaller portions of menu favorites for the Big Dogs, 12 and under.  And for us older dogs, there’s a terrific Happy Hour, check out the specials here.

The staff was friendly, enthusiastic and eager to please – special thanks to our charming waiter, Michael, who allowed us to take countless photos. I didn’t catch the name of the smiling bartender below, who gave us a photo op as he poured one of the 21 draft beers available. Executive Chef, Gabriel Caliendo’s attention to detail was evident as he checked plates leaving the line and quizzed staff on the names of the selections they were serving.

(...)
Read the rest of In the Dog House (362 words)

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Post tags: Irvine, OC restaurants, The Lazy Dog Cafe

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