{"id":17626,"date":"2015-03-01T15:09:39","date_gmt":"2015-03-01T23:09:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/?p=17626"},"modified":"2015-03-01T15:09:39","modified_gmt":"2015-03-01T23:09:39","slug":"top-picks-for-orange-county-restaurant-week-ocrw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/top-picks-for-orange-county-restaurant-week-ocrw\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Picks for Orange County Restaurant Week #OCRW"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"OrangeThe 2015\u00a0Orange<\/span>\u00a0County\u00a0<\/span>Restaurant\u00a0<\/strong>Week<\/strong> begins Sunday, March 1st<\/sup>\u00a0and ends Saturday, March 7th<\/sup>\u00a0with more than 100\u00a0restaurants<\/span>\u00a0participating in the countywide event. During the weeklong event, participating\u00a0restaurants<\/span>\u00a0will offer special three-course menus, many with a cocktail or signature item at no additional charge. Each\u00a0restaurant\u00a0<\/span>will have the freedom and flexibility to showcase its best offerings by talented chefs who will, no doubt, personalize each menu to reflect their individual culinary style. Participating\u00a0restaurants<\/span>\u00a0will offer prix-fixe menus within the following price categories: lunch for $10, $15 or $20, and dinner for $20, $30, $40 or $50.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Waterfront<\/a><\/p>\n

Yesterday’s OCRW launch party was held at the gorgeous ocean front Hilton Waterfront Resort<\/a>, where the threat of rain forced the party indoors. \u00a0Still, it was a blast and very well attended. Guests were able to try tastes from many of the participating restaurants, sip some amazing cocktails from Ketel One<\/a>, Pyrat rum<\/a>, and Patr\u00f3n XO Cafe Incendio<\/a> tequilas, which unfortunately I didn’t discover until we were being shooed out of the ballroom. As usual when you combine food bloggers, chefs, and spirits together, it’s hard to end the party.<\/p>\n

\"Patron<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

KFI’s The Fork Report with Neil Saavedra interviewing owner Alicia Whitney and Chef Alexander Dale of SeaLegs Wine Bar<\/a> in Huntington Beach.<\/p>\n

\"Truffle<\/a><\/p>\n

My two top tastes at the event were the Truffle Ricotta Cannoli with celery root and chive from Cucina Enoteca and Jerome & Jose’s Jambalaya from TAPS Fish House & Brewery. They also happen to be two restaurants you can rely on for consistently delicious food, comfortable ambiance, and excellent service.<\/p>\n

\"Jambalaya<\/a><\/p>\n

I’m excited that TAPS Brea<\/a> features a foie forward dinner menu this year. Rather\u00a0than package TAPS classics already familiar to guests,\u00a0Chef Manny Gonzalez\u00a0<\/strong>took a creative approach with dishes more likely to be featured at TAPS popular beer or wine dinners. Each course\u2014appetizer, entr\u00e9e, dessert\u2014offers three choices. In each course, one of those dishes is a tribute to the return of foie gras to California menus: foie butter and jelly sandwich appetizer; foieducken as an entr\u00e9e selection and a torchon treatment on the dessert choice of foie macaron. The three course dinner is priced at $40 per person, not including tax or gratuity.<\/p>\n

\"TAPS<\/p>\n

\u201cI see our Restaurant Week menu as an opportunity to be adventuresome, and for our culinary team and staff to have fun with some different approaches,\u201d commented Gonzalez. \u201cSo we featured versions of foie in three dishes. There are another six choices on the special menu for guests who have other tastes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cucina Enoteca <\/a>Newport Beach (and Irvine) offers a $20 or $25 two-course lunch menu and three-course dinner menu for $30 which features their fabulous Daily Board – creamy mascarpone polenta with chef’s whim ragu, and a selection (choose from 7) of \u00a0their fabulous brick oven pizzas.<\/p>\n

With over 100 restaurants<\/span>\u00a0participating in this year\u2019s OC\u00a0Restaurant<\/span>\u00a0Week, too many to list here, please visit Orange County Restaurant Week’s website<\/a> where the restaurants are listed in alphabetical order. The<\/span>\u00a0list is also searchable by name, city, and price point.<\/p>\n

\"Orange<\/p>\n