Eco-Friendly Wine and Beer, Happy Hours and More
WEB-EXCLUSIVE: Find out what's new in Orange County dining.
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The Veggie Grill at University Center (949-509-0003), at the Irvine Spectrum Center (949-727-9900) and in El Segundo (310-535-0025), have added MAS Wine Company red and white wines, and New Belgium Brewing Company beers to complement its 100% plant-based fare. The award-winning wine, a 2006 MAS Vino blend, and a 2007 lightly-oaked, medium-bodied chardonnay, will be served from environmentally friendly, air-tight stainless steel mini-tanks ensuring freshness in every glass. Wines by the glass are $6.50, by the carafe, $15. Beer selections include a toasty, biscuit-like malt flavored Fat Tire, and the company’s first organically-produced beer, Mothership Wit. Both are $3.50 a bottle. A fourth Veggie Grill opens next month in West Hollywood at Sunset Plaza and Crescent Heights (310-535-0025).
Michael Mina’s super chic Stonehill Tavern at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort (949-234-3318) is enticing budget-conscious diners with “Classic Tavern Suppers,“ priced at $39 per person. These suppers feature a three-course tasting menu every night of the week, except for Mondays and Tuesdays when the restaurant is closed. A sample of a Saturday night dinner may consist of a BLT salad, roast prime rib and butterscotch pudding. On Sunday night, the meal may be Nicoise salad, seafood stew and a hot fudge sundae. To satisfy smaller appetites, The Bar and Lounge at Stonehill Tavern offers bar bites starting at $5, in addition to a selection of “Plates to Share,” which includes three lettuce wraps (including Maine lobster salad), or barbecue pork belly sliders.
The eight-ounce ground prime beef burger, first introduced on the highly successful “5 for 6 ’til 7” bar menu at Fleming Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (949-720-9633) for $6, is now available nightly in the bar after 7 p.m. for $12. The burger, served on a knotted challah bun, can be customized from the trimmings to the temperature.
Every Monday night is Kebob Night at all three Zov’s Bistro locations – Tustin (714-838-8855), Newport Coast (949-760-9687) and Irvine (714-734-9687). Beginning at 5 p.m., a trio of kebobs, made from Zov family recipes, is matched with classic starters and traditional mezzes for $13.95.
Traditional Greek food, delicious pastries, authentic beverages, and a wine “Taverna” offering Greek and California wines will highlight the 31st annual Greek Festival, “A Taste of Greece,” held at St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine on Friday, September 25, (5 p.m. to 10 p.m.), Saturday the 26th (noon to 10 p.m.) and Sunday the 27th (noon to 9 p.m.). Hosted by Orange County’s largest Greek Orthodox congregation, the festival will also feature live music, authentic dance, carnival rides, boutique booths, and more. Festival admission is $2 per person, with children under 10 admitted free.
Restaurant Week begins September 13-19. More than 100 top restaurants that span Orange County will participate in this culinary event that offers special prix fixe menus priced at $20, $30 or $40 per person for dinner, exclusive of beverages, tax and gratuity. During the week-long event, the Orange County Performing Arts Center will be offering diners a 15% discount on select performances of the hit musical Legally Blonde. Visit OrangeCountyRestaurantWeek.com for a complete list of participating restaurants.
The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. at The Shops at Anaheim GardenWalk (714-635-4867) has launched an all-new late night happy hour bar menu from 9:30 p.m. to closing. The late evening special menu, with its happy hour pricing on beverages and select appetizers, is designed to attract post-event diners from a baseball game, a convention or Disneyland.
Plum’s Café and Catering (949-722-PLUM), one of the most popular cafes for breakfast and lunch in Costa Mesa, is now open nightly for dinner.
Wildfish Seafood Grille (949-720-9925) has announced Guenevere (Guen) Wolfe as its new general manager. Wolfe relocated to Newport Beach from Austin, Texas, in 2005 for the grand opening of Wildfish, where she served as its banquet coordinator for several years.
Bayside Restaurant (949-721-1222) has extended its happy hour from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. A tapas menu featuring 16 small plates priced at $5.95 each, is served from 5-7 p.m.
Executive Chef Franco Barone of Antonello’s in South Coast Plaza Village (714-751-7153), is available to teach private cooking classes (limited to eight). Interested parties may contact Thad at the restaurant.
Enjoy a three-course tasting dinner – "Tapas & Tagines" – September 17 at the Zimzala Restaurant at Shorebreak Hotel in Huntington Beach (714-861-4470; shorebreakhotel.com) to experience Spanish tapas and Moroccan tagines with famed Mediterranean cookbook author Chef Joyce Goldstein, who consults with Executive Chef Vincent Muraco on all of Zimzala's menus. The event begins with a 7 p.m. cocktail reception and cookbook signing with Chef Goldstein. The seated dinner, served family-style, starts at 8 p.m. Dessert and coffee reception at Shorebreak's The Deck follow dinner. Cost is $75 per person, including wine pairings.
