Orange County Food Blog

Photo Courtesy of Ruby's

​Ah, Ruby's. What pier would be complete without you?

For 27 years it's been at the Balboa Pier and since then it's occupied many others. To celebrate this milestone, all Ruby's (including and especially the original) will be selling their RubyBurger and fries at a "retro price" of $2.70 only on Monday, December 7, 2009, from 11:30 a.m. to closing.

Ah, Ruby's. Even better with a discount.

​Fascinating article in Business Week this week about Subway's stumbling into the goldmine that is their current $5 footlong sub deal -- a promotion that started as a lark at an "obscure Miami franchise" and has grown to give the chain $3.8 billion in sales. This is the kind of story professors use as case studies in business school.

Coincidentally, about the same day the article came out, I was also drawn to the cheapness. Because it's really all about the cheapness, isn't it? But frankly, I quite liked my Spicy Italian. The article is correct though: $5 is "the magic number" for the sandwich. And also, like the story mentions, I took the other half and ate it for dinner after crisping it up further in the toaster oven.

​The flier says it all. Want more info? Click HERE. But there's really no other detail you need to know. The fine print made me chuckle though. Offer not valid at IKEA Direct? Duh!

And I'm not sure what's funnier: That's there's a town called Hicksville, or that there's an IKEA there.

Special thanks to Queer In My Soup for the meatball tip-off!

​It ain't free KFC or El Pollo Loco, but it's only a $1...what the hell else do ya want?

And yes, this is legit -- not one of those hoax coupons that's plagued the Internet in the past.

Here is THE LINK.  Print it out.  Use it before November 1st, because practically free chicken doesn't last forever.  Let's hope that Oprah doesn't yap about this one because it'll create pandemonium.  Sheer pandemonium!

Dave Lieberman

​King Harbor Seafood in Garden Grove is celebrating 10 years in business by offering 10 percent off the check at lunch or dinner, now through Nov. 30.

Right now, the house special lobster--by far the most memorable dish on the menu--is $8.99 a pound (actually $8.09 a pound after discount, nearly a third off the normal price). The lobsters are enormous Maine lobsters, usually weighing in at 3-5 pounds, so bring friends.

Make sure to get the yee mein noodles with the dish. They'll put the lobster on top of the yee mein and the sauce will soak into the noodles. Well worth the extra $4. If you need to round out your meal, ask what vegetables are the best that day. Tofu dishes are great too, especially family-style tofu.

King Harbor Seafood, 13018 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove. (714) 636-9103

It's what's for dinner!

​Some of us can still recall the 1970s, when the economy was in the toilet, joblessness was the No. 1 concern and distrust of anything coming out of Washington, D.C., was at an all-time high.

Sound familiar?

The media is those days were filled with stories about the dire measures the suddenly new poor were undertaking merely to survive. This was especially true of senior citizens and those tossed out of work. Turns out Iggy Pop was not the only one living on dog food. And so, a tinge of nostalgia shot through former Disco Dans who caught the following headline on ocregister.com: "Free Pet Food for Jobless and Seniors."

Let's hope it's the moist variety 'cause grammy and home-builder Bob choke on the dry.

​Running until next Thursday, October 22, the event features cut-price lunches and dinners for as little as $10. Around 100 restaurants, including Crow Bar, Sage on the Coast, Fleming's and Brasserie Pascal, are taking part. Canaletto isn't, sadly, but who cares when you have so much choice?

As an added bonus, you get a coupon for 20 per cent off and a free bottle of Perrier, to be used at any participating restaurant between October 23 and November 30.

For further details, including menus, visit the official website... Then get chowing, people!

​According to general manager Ahmed Labbate, the once-a-month wine sell-off, whereby 50 wines are reduced in price by 50 percent, proved so popular that they're now running it every other weekend, from 3 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. The savings are pretty good, whether you're looking at the higher or lower end of the scale.

​That's one plate of scrambled eggs, bacon and Swedish potatoes (normally 99 cents) and one cup of coffee (also normally 99 cents) per person.

OK, so you're hardly saving a ton, but it still feels good to get something for nothing, right?, especially if you're headed that way anyway. 

​Ask to 'Pay it Forward' and you'll get a free cup of the chain's Café Blend coffee.

OK, it's not like you're getting a pumpkin spice latte or a caffè mocha, but, given the surprising lack of freebies up for grabs tomorrow, we'll take it. A free cup of coffee is a free cup of coffee, after all, whether you knock it back yourself as a chaser or give it to someone else.

The promo runs all day at participating locations.

​No, that's not a typo--there's not one but two Newport Beach Restaurant Weeks to look forward to. The first runs from October 16 to 22, the second one will be in January.

As much as I hate planning that far ahead, I'm prepared to make an exception when it comes to food!

Expect mainly three-course lunch and dinner deals from as little as $10, and although the website doesn't yet name names, it does say there will be around 100 venues participating.

Woo-hoo!

We'll update this post with more information as soon as we have it. But if you can't wait till then, visit the Taste of Newport fest this weekend, where a dedicated Newport Beach Restaurant Week Chefs cooking pavilion will be hosting demos and previewing menus.

Seems like, even with the economy in recovery (albeit veeery slowly), Restaurant Weeks are the way of the future.

​Yay! The cut-price menus have proved so popular that the OC Restaurant Association has decided to let them run through Saturday, September 26.

For details of the deals, check the official website.

​It's not often that you'll see "free" and "Pelican Hill" in the same sentence, so grab the chance while you can. From this evening, OC residents can enjoy Vertical Ladder Wine Tastings plus hors d'oeuvres in the resort's Great Room. What on earth is a Vertical Ladder Wine Tasting, you ask? Weeell, it's when different vintages from the same winery are poured (as opposed to horizontal wine tastings, which feature wines from the same vintage but different wineries).

On tonight's menu: Planeta Wines from Sicily, including the winery's newest estate, Sciara Nuova, located near Mount Etna, no less.

The tastings are held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and run through to November 17.

​Oh, yes, it's time to take advantage of the county's best restaurants. In a good way, of course. From September 13 to 19 inclusive, more than 100 of them, from Ambrosia to Zov's, are participating in OC Restaurant Week by offering bargain lunch and/or dinner prix fixes, from as little as $10.

Some deal are more generous than others, natch, but full details are on the official website, so you can plan ahead (advance bookings are recommended).

​A dozen of the county's top chefs, all from restaurants participating in Orange County Restaurant Week, will be showcasing their skills at Bloomingdale's Home Store from September 5 to 19. Sadly, due to health codes, no sampling is allowed (boo, hiss!), but you can at least get to see the culinary wizards in action, and there'll be book signings and gift card giveaways.

The full rundown after the jump.

​The 'five' refers to five cocktails, five wines by the glass and five appetizers (now six, with the burger, but who's counting?). They each cost six bucks and are served at Fleming's bar until 7 p.m.

I've tried a few of the featured appetizers, and my two favorite choices are at opposite spectrums of the calorific spectrum. If you're watching your weight, I'd suggest the seared ahi tuna with spicy mustard sauce. The delicately sliced fish is good quality, and the mustard provides just enough punch. But if you're not, bring on the burger, and diet be damned! From the buttered, toasted brioche bun to the pepper bacon and the melted cheddar, it's decadent and rich. And that's before you get to the thick, juicy patty itself. Oh, and don't forget the two huge onion rings with dipping sauce on the side. It's a real steal for the price.

After all, just because you're at Fashion Island, doesn't mean you have the budget of a Real Housewife.

​But this time it's not as crazy as the previous "moo for your supper" event. For that one, people--mainly babies, by the looks of it--actually did turn up in cow costumes, as proved by the photos on the chain's Facebook page. If you really have nothing better to do, you can even vote for your favorite shot.

On Labor Day (September 7), from 10:30 a.m. till closing time, you can get a complimentary chicken sandwich if you wear your sports team logo.

That's it.

Although if you dare to turn up in an LA Galaxy jersey with a 23 on the back (that's David Beckham's number), there's no guarantee you'll make it out alive.

You can also go onto the bonkers "Chicken Wave" page of the website to sign up for a freebie, enter into a competition to win a gift card and generally waste yet more time.

​Ten bucks--and this coupon--will get you one of the following:

Filet Mignon: A 6-ounce bacon-wrapped filet mignon with whipped potatoes & summer succotash

Traditional Fish & Chips, served with coleslaw and jalapeño tartar sauce

CC's Deluxe Cedar Planked Burger, topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, avocado and served with a cone of fries

The deal is running all day, every day, from now until the end of September, but only at the Laguna Niguel location. Co-manager Julie Ayres says although she's recently seen a rise in the number of diners, she's still keen to offer bargain menus to keep people returning. The same location has just launched a new nightly Happy Hour from 3.30 (!!) till 7 p.m. Beers and wines are half off; other drinks are at a reduced price.

​Although it's not participating in the fab Fashion Plates event, which lasts until Sunday, Lawry's Carvery at South Coast Plaza does have a deal running--and it's till the end of August. Simply show a ticket stub from any SoCal theater or museum and get a free hand-carved sandwich or entrée salad with the purchase of another.

The only rule: the stub must be from a performance/showing from that day.

One complimentary dish per visit.

​As if Starbucks and McDonald's weren't enough, we now have the superior (in my opinion) Peet's in the mix, luring us in with comp'd drinks.

Participating locations will be offering a free 8oz Caffè Freddo (that's a cold one) from 2 to 3 p.m. on Friday, August 7.

​As previously mentioned, a baker's dozen of restaurants in and around South Coast Plaza--including Hamamori (pictured), Marché Moderne and Charlie Palmer--are offering bargain $20 three-course lunches and/or $40 four-course dinners from July 31 until August 9.

UPDATE: Royal Khyber and Nello Cucina's dinners, which include a free glass of wine, are priced at $30.

For full details of the menus, go to the mall's website (click on Events, then Calendar, then July 31... and scroll down the panel on the left. Phew!)

Reservations are highly recommended.

 First up, Saturday July 25, is the monthly 50 for 50 event at the Next Vintage Wine Shop next to Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's, South Coast Plaza. From 3 to 5.30 p.m., around 30 top wines and champagnes will be sold off for half their original price. Expect some stunners among the bargains. There'll also be nibbles to soak up the samples, and sommeliers on hand for advice.


Then, next Wednesday, July 29, Sage on the Coast is hosting a Wine Tasting Dinner, where Kathleen Spillane of Domaine Serene (Oregon) and Steve Rigisich of Ketcham Estate (Northern California), will be talking about their award-winning wines.
 
The six-course dinner with wine pairings costs $75 and includes sautéed soft shell crab with coconut rice, mango salsa and sriracha aioli, and roasted duck breast and peaches with blueberry compôte.

For reservations (required), call (949) 715-7243.

Oh, yes, for some wonderful person once decreed that 30 July would be National Cheesecake Day.

Hurrah!

On that day, all day, all cheesecake slices (dine-in only) will be half off.

Rejoice!

At the same time, the CF is debuting its new flavor, "Stefanie's Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake", which won this year's "What's Your Flavor" Contest. It's named after Redondo Beach resident Stefanie Gaxiola, who came up with the recipe.

And, for the next 12 months, 25 cents from every sale of the delightful-looking concoction will be donated to Feeding America.

So as it's all for charity, it must be guilt free, right?

Right.

Unfortunately, though, it's not calorie free.

The dates to remember are August 8 and 9, when the Blond One--who has four food shows on TV right now (a record, apparently)--will be on stage, working the crowd and being an all-round nice guy. He might not be everyone's cup of tea, with his shades-of-Billy-Mays (GRHS) delivery, but numerous people tell me he is down to earth, community loving and always keen to engage with his fans.

Others scheduled to attend the event, which is being held at the Hilton, include some cast members of Hell's Kitchen (no, not Gordon Effing Ramsay).


There may be more famous faces, although promoter Mary Carter couldn't guarantee it.


Anyway, there are plenty of other reasons to visit: local wineries and restaurants will be in attendance (providing tastings), and there are also cooking classes and a professional food competition with a $10,000 prize.

For Fieri's shows, Carter has generously offered OC Weekly readers the chance to double up your order: buy tickets for a Saturday demo and get another one free for Sunday. Can't say fairer than that. This doesn't apply to online orders, though: instead, call (949) 366-9938.

For more information, CLICK HERE.

Or make that "Free Pastry Morning", seeing as you have to get there before 10.30 a.m.


You also have to buy a beverage--and take along a coupon (CLICK HERE)--but it's still a freebie, right?


This outburst of generosity is apparently to celebrate the fact that the coffee chain's baked goods are now free of artificial flavors, artificial dyes, artificial trans fats (*) and high-fructose corn syrup.

* According to Wikipedia, "Milk and meat from cows and other ruminants contains naturally occurring trans fats in small quantities." So there!

From 11.30 a.m., while supplies last, you can snag a RubyBurger and fries for just $2.70. The Shake Shack at Crystal Cove and Ruby's outlets at sporting venues and LAX aren't participating in the event.

The deal is in honor of Ruby Cavanaugh, whose son founded the diner chain in her name. She turns another year older on the 27th, although when I asked exactly how old she'd be, I was told: "a lady never reveals her age".

Too true... I'm guessing she turned 21 quite some time ago, but in any case, thanks for the bargain, and happy birthday!

If you haven't seen this film, here's your chance to screen it for free!  As I've said before in my review, the only theater in O.C. to play it is the Edwards University Town Center.  But tomorrow, this and other theaters will show this film at NO COST, courtesy of Chipotle.

Starbucks is giving away a total of 20,000 complimentary pints of its own-brand ice cream from now until July 19 (that's around 800 an hour). The catch? You have to be on Facebook, and you have to nominate a "Friend" to receive the coupon (redeemable at local grocery stores).

I've not tried the frozen treats yet, but the Caramel Macchiato sounds the best of the bunch (the others are Mocha Frappuccino, Java Chip Frappuccino and plain ol' Coffee).

But if you're out of luck when you visit the Facebook page, you can still fill out an online form for a coupon to get a dollar off. You can get the coupon even if you don't have an FB account: CLICK HERE.

In my neverending quest for good-quality budget chow, I thought I'd give the Greek café chain a shot. The $1 menu items were crying out to be sampled, and though I didn't hold out much hope ('how good can they be for a buck?' was my cynical approach), I was pleasantly surprised.

First, there's the lemon chicken soup: okay, it's only a dollar if you order an entrée too (otherwise it's $3.19)...

But was lovely: soothing, creamy and tangy, all at once. Perfect comfort food, especially for someone (like me) recovering from flu.

Next up, two dips, accompanied by warmed pita, which cleared the sinuses in one fell swoop. The chipotle hummus (this version's available for a limited time) was so moreish I wish I'd ordered a vat of it; the fire feta was hot and spicy thanks to the addition of chillis, and a far more interesting version of the gorgeous Greek cheese that's so hard to find in these parts. (Seriously, where can you get decent feta? Everything I've bought has been a pathetic, flavorless knock-off).

And to finish? Baklava so rich with honey it dripped down my chin. The pastry was crisp, the hint of cinnamon spot-on. Two were not enough!

So there you have it: four dishes for a dollar each--not enough for a big meal, admittedly, but easily a great-value snack or light lunch.

Other items on the menu seem overpriced. A veggie combo plate ($8.59) wasn't bad, the highlight being crunchy spanakopita (spinach pie). But the salad was dull, the rice blah. And it just wasn't worth the hefty tag. Which might explain why there were only two customers in the restaurant at peak dinner time.

If Daphne's could slash their prices and beef up their range of bargains, they'd surely be on to something.

I don't think so. For just a tenner you get two courses: a starter of either soup or salad, then an entrée from a choice of five (including chicken curry, tandoori chicken and veggie options such as saag paneer). Plus rice, vegetables and proper naan bread! Stitch that, Olde Ship, with your pita-masquerading-as-naan! (And, to answer your question, Gustavo, like you, we Brits call naan naan and pita pita!)

South Coast Plaza Village's Indian eaterie is offering other prix fixes too: a $15 lunch deal and two three-course dinner combos ($20 or $30).

Even in the current climate, with deals coming out of the woodwork every day, that sounds like pretty good value to us. Yes, there are buffets and, yes, there are burger joints, both for around the same price at lunchtime, but we're talking about a sit-down meal in a good-quality restaurant with attentive service.

And no bonkers blackout periods... OK, the lunch is only available Monday to Friday, but the restaurant's not open for Saturday lunch anyway: in other words, it's only Sunday lunchtime that you can't get the deal. The dinner is every day of the week--even date nights, Friday and Saturday.

Our verdict? Bargain!