Orange County’s Favorite Dining Event Returns!

It only happens once a year, get ready to eat well! 

WHAT:     The Orange County Restaurant Association’s annual culinary event, Orange County Restaurant Week, begins this Sunday, February 26th through Saturday, March 3rd, with 100 participating restaurants from across the county, ranging from upscale and fine dining, to casual and family friendly establishments. During the week-long event, the eateries will offer special multi-course menus within three price categories: Lunch for $10, $15 or $20, and Dinner for $20, $30 or $40. Each restaurant will have the freedom and flexibility to showcase its best offerings by talented chefs who will, no doubt, personalize each menu to reflect their culinary style.  You can search restaurants by location and price point, as well as make reservations online at www.OrangeCountyRestaurantWeek.com.

“This week is a great opportunity for OC foodies to try new restaurants in Orange County. We have many talented Chefs who demonstrate so much skill, creativity and passion during Orange County Restaurant Week, and without them, this grand culinary celebration wouldn’t continue to grow in excitement every year,” commented Pamela Waitt, president of the OC Restaurant Association, who noted that the event is now in its fourth year, with this as the sixth Restaurant Week event hosted for the entire county. “We’re showcasing these top Chefs at the county’s best restaurants as the county’s crème de la crème by shining a spotlight on them on our official website with a special ‘Meet The Chef’ Q&A alongside their special menus.”

WHERE:     At 100 participating restaurants throughout the county, for menus, address and other details visit the Orange County Restaurant Week website. There’s also a very cool map of all Restaurant Week locations on Block Beacon.

WHO:    In addition to the many restaurants involved with making this event a tremendous success, 2012 Orange County Restaurant Week presenting sponsors include Newport Beach Lexus, Orange Coast Magazine, OCMetro, Socal PBS, Playlist 92.7, Moxxe PR, LA Times, Cox Media, Dining with Dills, and Yelp. Additional sponsors include OCStandard.com, Edible Orange County, Your Restaurant Connection, Dining Out, Rage Magazine, GreersOC.com, OCWeekly, AnaheimOC.org, TravelZoo, OpenTable, Block Beacon, Cathy Thomas Cooks, Temecula Wine Growers Association, Infinity Menu and OCfoodies. For general information, or to learn about participation or sponsorship opportunities during Orange County Restaurant Week, please visit www.OrangeCountyRestaurantWeek.com. To learn about or join the Orange County Restaurant Association, visit www.OCRestaurantAssociation.org.

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Another restaurant I visited during Orange County Restaurant Week was AnQi, at Bloomingdales in South Coast Plaza, where I met Tanya of Design Action Studios for lunch.  Considering it was only 11:30 a.m., we refrained from ordering the Pink Lotus martini  but savored every bit of the three course lunch.

The first course was a Roasted Corn Soup with chicken and avocado. For our second course I chose the Vegetable Delight with organic tofu and Tanya selected the Roasted Wild King Salmon in a citrus reduction sauce. Molecular Cheesecake ended the meal –  a light, airy puff of cheesecake with berry sauce. We also enjoyed a Hibiscus Lavendar Nojito sent to our table as an apology for the slow service we encountered when first seated.  I doubt if that’s a common occurrence and will definitely return for the Pink Lotus martini and more AnQi specialities like the Garlic Noodles, which I’ve read Warren Beatty finds addicting.

AnQi opened in December, 2009 and we have Elizabeth An, eldest daughter of Helene An of Crustacean, Beverly Hills fame,  for bringing the House of An to South Coast Plaza.  Described as Euro-Asian bistro and gourmet Vietnamese  fusion in reviews that I’ve read,  AnQi transforms traditional Asian cuisine with complex flavors and exotic flourishes. This, combined with celebrity-style presentation, handmade cocktails such as the  Pink Lotus martini served with a puff of cotton candy, and a dramatic, sexy and sophisticated space declares AnQi an extraordinary dining experience. Put it at the top of your short list!

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Post tags: AnQi, AnQi Bistro, Orange County Restaurant Week

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Last week  was Orange County Restaurant Week so there wasn’t much cooking going on in the She’s Cookin’ Kitchen.  OC Restaurant Week gives local foodies a chance to enjoy specially priced prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner at over 100 participating restaurants. The specialty menus usually consisted of three courses at lunch for $10, $15 or $20 depending on the restaurant and four courses at dinner for $20 or $30.

I live in Huntington Beach and restaurant week gave me the chance to check out  two local restaurants.  The first was Zimzala at the Shorebreak Hotel in the exciting new downtown development called The Strand. The Shorebreak is a Joie de Vivre hotel and is described on their website as:  ”The ultimate Southern California beach experience with a contemporary twist. Shorebreak Hotel, in Huntington Beach, combines the relaxed, sun-drenched spirit of an Orange County coastline hotel with edgy modern accents”.  I loved the mid-century modern, meets contemporary beach aesthetic.

It was a Monday so the hotel wasn’t busy and I was able to chat with the ladies at the front desk and Megan, the sales manager.  I loved the vibe and immediately thought that it would be a cool place to have a graduation dinner celebration for my daughter in June.  My lunch date, Marcie aka Suburban Mama and her son Milo arrived and we were seated.  All the staff was extremely friendly in that low-key beachy way

The lunch was three courses beginning with an ultra rich cream of celery soup and ending with a decadent dessert of chocolate ganache served with thin slices of grilled sourdough bread brushed with olive oil and sea salt – the contrast of the sweet and salty did a dance on your taste buds.  There were three choices for the entree and we both selected the grilled cheese on toasted brioche with monterey jack cheese, applewood -smoked bacon, avocado and tomato served with thin french fries.  Everything was delicious, presented elegantly and with attention to detail.  In fact, I was blown away by the tea “service” that accompanied my ice tea – served with lemon, raw sugar, regular sugar, artificial sweeteners served in a petite silver pot, and a flacon of simple syrup! I felt remiss in not using any of it!

I’ll definitely be returning to Zimzala with my husband and highly recommend it for the coastal Mediterranean food, ambiance, and proximity to the beach where you can enjoy a walk aprés dining and revel in the beauty of beach life. Check out their menus here.

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Post tags: Huntington Beach, Joie de Vivre hotels, Orange County Restaurant Week, Shorebreak Hotel, Zimzala

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