Orange County Restaurant Week starts THIS SUNDAY! Grab your significant other, friends, family (hey you can even go by yourself if you want!) and take advantage of these amazing prices! Have you chosen your restaurants yet? Here are a few of my personal picks and recommendations.
$10 Lunch
The Rooftop Lounge - Lunch with a gorgeous view. You won’t want to leave to go back to work or whatever it is you’re doing after sitting here for lunch.
$15 Lunch
LUCCA - Light lunch and a great location for those working around the Irvine Spectrum area
Memphis at the Santora - They have their 2 best dishes on both the lunch and dinner menus: Fried Chicken & Meatloaf.
Pizzeria Ortica - I absolutely LOVE their pizzas here. I think they make the best pizzas in OC. Perfect thin crusts with loads of flavor on top.
SWSH Shabu Shabu - Very healthy lunch option and yet still so tasty. You can do a split broth of shabu and sukiyaki (sweet soup base)
$20 Lunch
AnQi - Garlic noodles for all you garlic lovers out there
Pinot Provence - Wild mushroom risotto… enough said. Oh and house made brioche bread pudding!
$20 Dinner
K’ya Bistro - The poke they have on the menu is enough reason to visit. Plus after dinner you can head on upstairs to the Rooftop Lounge and enjoy the colorful sunset.
Marrakesh - This is probably my top choice for your $20 dinner. It is a unique dining experience with delicious Moroccan food. That Chicken Bastilla is different and a great mix of sweet and savory. If you go on a weeknight they have belly dancers! Food and entertainment, what’s not to like!
Memphis at the Santora - See comment above… Fried Chicken & Meatloaf.
Royal Hawaiian - I would dine here just for their desserts. So good!
True Food Kitchen - If you are watching your diet and want to eat healthy, True Food is perfect! Good food without the guilt. ;p
$30 Dinner
Charlie Palmer - I’m a regular at CP, especially at the bar. Great vibe and atmosphere. Perfect for dinner with your friends.
LUCCA - Italian Affogato for dessert for you espresso drinkers. Plus they just added a new Small Plates Menu from 4-6pm… Love it!
Mozambique - Another restaurant with a different cuisine than most places. They have South African influenced dishes here. The Peri Peri sauce is a must try. If you go on a Sunday, they have a live reggae band playing upstairs.
SOL Cocina - I recommend the Street Tacos or the Coconut-Crusted Seasonal Wild Fish with Spicy Mango Sauce. Get a kickass margarita while you are there.
$40 Dinner
AnQi - Try dining a bit later so you can also enjoy their “Red Hour” which is a late night happy hour until they close. Lychee martini anyone?
Orange Hill Restaurant - This is perfect for dates. The view alone is enough reason to come here.
Pinot Provence - If you can’t make it to lunch, come for dinner. It’s always a cozy and romantic ambiance.
The Capital Grille - Their Bone-In Kona Crusted Dry Aged Sirloin is to DIE FOR! It is my favorite steak in OC. Definitely ask for more of the shallot butter on the side because that sauce and that steak is a perfect combo.
Zov’s - I have dreams about Zov’s Chocolate Bomb. Seriously. Chocolate, cookie, and creme brulee all rolled into one decadent dessert. Yes I will say it… it is THE BOMB (corny I know, but I had to).
So there you have it folks! My top recommendations for OC Restaurant Week. But you don’t have to take my word for it, just check it out yourselves! What are your recs? Let me know on Twitter and/or Facebook!
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Marian,
Thanks for the recommendations…just to clarify, the Fried Chicken and Meatloaf are on the $15 Lunch and $20 Dinner menus at Memphis at the Santora. We do not have a $20 lunch menu for Restaurant Week.
Thanks,
David Hastie
Memphis at the Santora
Hi David,
I made the change. Thanks for letting me know