Orange County Food Blog

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​Wahoo's, started in 1988 by a bunch of surfers in Costa Mesa, is about to celebrate its 21st anniversary. The problem is that the founders were so laid-back that nobody really remembers when the first store actually opened. They aren't letting this stop them from having a good time, though, so they're starting their 21st birthday celebration on Saturday, Nov. 21 with a party and giveaways.

In the nine months since their 20th birthday celebration (which Edwin told us all about back in February), they've expanded onto the UCI campus, added menu items (a tofu bowl, chicken-spinach rolls and a chopped salad), and held a contest to name the new additions.

As part of the 21st birthday celebration, every person who visits a Wahoo's on that day will get something (items such as a gift card or a free meal), but the first 21 people into each of the restaurant will get a bag o' stuff, including some action sports-related swag.

Doors open at 11 a.m. at all OC Wahoo's locations, so put on your surf shirt, show off that nautical star tattoo, and get your grilled fish taco on (seriously, Wahoo's, you're 21 now, go buy some deep fryers and give us some fried fish taco love!). Make sure to ask for the Indonesian sambal (Mr. Lee's Chili Sauce) that is the object of Edwin's admiration.

Wahoo's Fish Taco has 15 locations in OC; find your nearest one at their website.

Jones Soda Co.

​Maybe you're trying to take those first steps into veganism.

Maybe you know a vegetarian who's just had dental surgery.

Or maybe you just want to play a really, really, cruel trick on someone.

It doesn't matter, because Jones Soda is here for you with this year's Thanksgiving offering: Tofurky™ and Gravy soda. That's right, the people who brought you the original Turkey and Gravy soda (in 2003), Mashed Potato and Butter soda (in 2004) and Brussels Sprout soda (in 2005) have teamed up to bring you a cruelty-free, sugar-free Thanksgiving quaff. If you're interested, it is only available online.

Now perhaps the PETA people will stand down from their vigil outside the Jones Soda offices in Seattle.

As you know, OC is now serviced by a dedicated Kogi truck nicknamed Naranja. But tonight, Kogi will land at Diamond Jamboree (10:30 p.m.-midnight). This sounds like either a very very good idea or a very very bad idea. I vote bad, because parking at the Asian minimall is hell as it is. Add a few hundred people standing in line for a taco truck? That's more hysteria than if aliens decide to make first contact at a sci-fi convention.

Suffice it to say, I will not be there. It's past my bedtime.

Photo Courtesy Crustacean

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Crustacean at South Coast Plaza, the long-planned sequel to the much-hyped and oh-so-trendy Vietnamese Beverly Hills restaurant that I love to complain about (let's just say that I've never paid so much to be ignored by the wait staff and underwhelmed by the kitchen) has been in development across from Charlie Palmers at Bloomingdale; but only this week has there been word that it is finally underway and slated to debut this winter.  They've even posted a Help Wanted ad on craigslist.

The Travel Channel

Pass the Nexium, please.

​Adam Richman, the host of the Travel Channel's Man Vs. Food, is bringing his live show, Eat Your Heart Out, to the Wiltern on Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. He'll be talking about the making of Man Vs. Food, handicapping the Los Angeles food scene and there will be audience participation.

This is the guy who, in his trip to the City of Angels, ate one of those 8-zillion-calorie El Tepeyac platters, a French dip at Philippe's and then the spicy ramen challenge at Orochon. His picture is on the wall at Orochon, as well as in the dictionary next to "cast-iron stomach".

Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at Live Nation. If you're allergic to "convenience" fees, show up at the Hollywood Palladium (6215 Sunset Blvd., between Vine and Gower) for the 10 a.m. on-sale.

Bonus question for the readers: If Adam Richman came down here to OC to do a show, what would we feed him?

Edwin Goei

​ Among all the posts that I've written here this year, none have gotten more comments and curiosity than the one where I announced that the Utah-based chain Cafe Rio was opening its first California outlet in Lake Forest.

Nevermind that there's already excellent Mexican all over our fine county -- people seem to want this place to open, and to open quick.

Lucille's Rib Shack

​Lucille's Rib Shack in the city of Orange will open Nov. 2, according to their Facebook page and an employee who answered the telephone.

The restaurant, formerly a Hof's Hut, is located across the street from the Crystal Cathedral and a couple of blocks from the Block at Orange. It will be a counter-service version of the familiar Lucille's Bar-B-Que restaurants, with lower prices.

As with any restaurant opening, inspections and permit problems can change an opening date, so watch this space for updates.

Lucille's Rib Shack, 4050 W. Chapman Ave., Orange. (714) 634-1227

Edwin Goei

I know what you're thinking:  What's the deal with comme Ca already?  It's been months!

The Bruery

Mama always said for you to eat your vegetables. She didn't say they couldn't be in your beer.

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Today is Black Tuesday at the Bruery, the craft beer mecca in Placentia. They'll be releasing this year's Black Tuesday Imperial Stout at a special event at the brewery.

Fever Dragon

This zombie: Probably hot under the make-up. Hi.

​If you're looking to get a head start on Halloween this week, drag yerselves over to the coast and check out the first ever Newport Beach Zombie Pub Crawl: They Came From the Beach this Saturday.

Sponsored by LocalHipster.com (.....we know), the all-day event will take place this Saturday, from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., unleashing undead zombie hordes upon Newport (make your own botox, Real Housewives, etc. jokes, if you'd like). If you prefer your brains with beer--lots of beer--head over to the Ten Waterfront parking lot, where you'll experience a zombie pep rally (brainless cheerleaders, not so much a novel concept) and where a team of makeup artists and volunteers will help you get your veeeery best zombie face on.

Practice dragging that leg behind you and your stiff walk: Zombies are afoot in Newps! For more info, just visit LocalHipster.

Now, our suggestion for next year's agenda: Vampire beer pong?

Picture Courtesy of Drago Centro

​More details are coming in about the planned Osteria Drago, an Italian eatery with a Naples-style wood burning pizza oven and family-style dining, by Celestino Drago who brought you Drago Centro in L.A.

The target date is vague, sometime around spring, but it will be will be located adjacent to Nordstrom, which apparently is debuting at the same time.

One thing is certain, Osteria Drago will be moderately big, occupying more than 3,700 square feet, not including patio dining. This ain't no pizza parlor.

Photo from www.lazydogcafe.com

​ My friend and fellow OC food blogger Brekkie_Fan has the opening date for the Irvine branch of Lazy Dog Cafe.

She is a self-professed Lazy Dog Cafe groupie (she still likes breakfast though), and after much hounding of the restaurant's management staff, she got them to reveal their debut date: April 1st, 2010.

Edwin Goei

​There's progress on two of the three new restaurants planned for The Camp in Costa Mesa. Valhalla Table is hopeful that they're on track to do a soft opening sometime by the end of the month, owner Liz Karnaga told me.

​Last week, it was announced that an east coast chain called Seasons 52 was coming to South Coast Plaza. This week, the invasion of out-of-state fine-dining chains continues with a new restaurant called The Capital Grille.

The press release I received goes into a few details about wine lockers, and "Chef's daily features made with local Californian and artisanal ingredients"; but the most interesting bit may be the part that actually gives pretty obvious clues to where it will be located.

​ I know what you're thinking: What the heck is Seasons 52? And who are they to go against South Coast Plaza heavy weights like Hamamori, Marche Moderne and Charlie Palmer?

Well, the answer is that it is a fine-dining chain from east of the Mississippi, with eleven locations in Florida and neighboring states. This SCP venture will be the first west of the mighty river.

​That's right--every Tuesday you get a free kids' meal with the purchase of an entrée, at all Lucille's locations.

And Lucille's Rib Shack is set to open on the site of the former Hof's Hut on November 1.

Construction is progressing nicely at this lower-key spin-off of the popular BBQ chain, although the official opening date may shift, the owners acknowledge. We'll update you nearer the time.​

​This really is the most exciting thing I've heard in a long time.

According to the LA Times' Daily Dish, Mozza is considering expanding its brood into the OC. No word yet on whether we're talking Osteria or Pizzeria or--dare we even think it?--both.

​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.

Edwin Goei

​I can't say I'm surprised. The spot previously occupied by Haru Izakaya -- the Korean izakaya I reviewed for OC Weekly and chronicled when it folded -- is being reworked into a sushi joint.

Edwin Goei

​The last time I checked in on the progress of Valhalla Table at The Camp in Costa Mesa was back in July. Now that summer's just about over, I went to check again. And the only update I have for you? They've put up the sign. It's a nice sign, to be sure. But it's obvious that things aren't moving as fast as I would've hoped.

Edwin Goei

Just got a tip from the Sur La Table people that the once super-secret location at SCP's Crystal Court is slated to open August 28th.

I know what you're thinking: Finally, a place to buy kitchenware at South Coast Plaza when you're just too far away from Williams Sonoma.

I feel the same way too!

Update, by Lesley, September 3: The store is indeed now open, and selling a wide range of kitchenware and subsidiaries (read: pricey gourmet food items). I spotted everything from Le Creuset dishes to cookbooks such as Mastering the Art of French Cooking and 'wichcraft, to knives, tablecloths, coffee pots and stick blenders. Oh, and the massive selection of cookie cutters is truly bizarre (dachshund, anyone?)

​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.

​This is the sign currently atop the premises at 3611 S Bristol Street. Suite C, to be precise.

It may sound like a bad idea to open up a "seafood grill" on the site of Blue Fish, a sushi place that went belly-up within just a few short months, but, as Edwin pointed out back in May, that may have shut due to strong competition from several other sushi joints nearby. Although Scott's is just up the road, I think the market can handle the presence of another fish restaurant--one that, judging by its strip-mall setting alone, will be cheaper.

I caught a quick peek inside the door today. It looks pretty close to completion. Indeed, the person I spoke to said they hope to be open by September 1st at the latest, but was pretty tight lipped when it came to providing further details. The license application in the window mentions "Onami Inc," but there doesn't seem to be any connection to a small chain of sushi restaurants called O-Nami, which includes a location in San Diego.

As soon as we know more, we'll report back.

Edwin Goei

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This tip comes from fellow Weekling, Matt Coker, who was at The Alley in Newport Beach recently when owner Jeff Chon told him that he's planning to open a new Japanese shabu-shabu/yakiniku joint near Mother's Market on 17th Street in Costa Mesa.

The target opening date will be sometime in early December, which is good, because the last thing anyone wants right now, in this sticky August heat, is too cook one's lunch in front of a indoor BBQ or stove.

More details to follow as they come.

​I heard a rumor that the fledgling chain, which debuted in Phoenix last year, was planning on opening a second restaurant in Orange County. I checked with Debbie Porter, VP of Marketing for Fox Restaurant Concepts (FRC), who confirms that they are indeed looking at OC locations right now, although "nothing is final."

A partnership between FRC (founded by restaurateur Sam Fox) and author and skincare guru Dr Andrew Weil, True Food Kitchen serves "globally inspired cuisine that nourishes the mind, body and spirit."

That means seasonal, local produce, wild or sustainably harvested seafood, hormone-free meat, minimal dairy and so on. TFK also claims to be the only restaurant in the world selling olivello juice, an extract from sea buckthorn berries that's apparently really good for us.

The interior design is swanky but eco-friendly (waterless urinals!), with large tables for communal dining.

Just looking at the lengthy menu is lowering my cholesterol, as well as making my mouth water: Appetizers include Curried Cauliflower Soup with Cashews and Cilantro; there's a wonderful-sounding salad of farm vegetables, manchego cheese, pistachios and sesame chili vinaigrette; while my entrée of choice would be Wild Alaskan Halibut with Red Quinoa, Local Fava Beans and Herb Emulsion.

The excellent drinks list covers sustainable, organic and biodynamic wines, plus sakes and "natural refreshments" that sound waaaaaaay too healthy. Bizarrely, among the beers, there's Tecate Light. (Presumably people do drink that stuff, despite the awful, shouty ads).

I don't know anyone who's been to the original location, but a quick scan of Yelp shows reviews are overall positive (average rating: three and a half out of five stars).

Interestingly, PF Chang's is providing financial backing to the new venture, while simultaneously scaling back its expansion of the Pei Wei chain. Personally, I quite like Pei Wei, but if I had to choose, I'd prefer to see a more interesting, health-oriented eatery such as True Kitchen hit OC. Then all we'd need is a Wagamama and we'd be sorted.

Craig Medici

​This news comes from fellow itinerant diner cdmedici, (otherwise known as Craig) who sent me an e-mail with only this in the subject line: "The old Sevens Steakhouse in Tustin"

Attached was a photo, which you see above.  It really says it all.

I was going to call Dosa Place to confirm that they were opening a second restaurant in the same city (their original restaurant is also in Tustin on Redhill), but I didn't need to.  Their website has a flashing sticker that proclaims with no uncertainty that a "NEW LOCATION (is) COMING SOON"

17245 17th St., Tustin, CA 92780

​If you recall, Savannah was David Wilhelm's last ditch effort to save his floundering Culinary Adventures.  It's what he turned Chat Noir in Costa Mesa into, thinking that good ol' American food was the way to bring customers back.  

As we hinted at a few months earlier, the 2nd annual OC Restaurant Week will take place September 13-19.  And I've gotta say: This year's list is pretty darn impressive.  There are 117 participating restaurants so far.  Some are serious heavy hitters, like Stonehill Tavern. Others are brand spanking new hits like Watermarc.  And this, I heard, isn't even the final list.

All on the roster will offer either $20, $30, or $40 3-course dinners, or $10, $15, or $20
3-course lunches. 

There will be also a tie-in with Legally Blonde the Musical -- you get 15% off the ticket price during Restaurant Week.

But wait, there's more! 

Starting things off, Bloomingdales -- which seems to be the epicenter of it all -- will host FREE chef demos from some of the featured restaurants.  CLICK HERE for the schedule.

 

Edwin Goei

​What do I know about Daily Express, a new restaurant to open soon next to Thasos Greek island Grille? Nothing, except that a men's tailor used to occupy the spot it's now in the middle of developing.