Category Archives: OC Restaurant Week

OC Restaurant Week Spotlight: Avanti Cafe

OC Restaurant Week starts this Saturday, February 26th, and if you aren’t excited about the menus yet, the one at Avanti Cafe is sure to knock your socks off.  It’s time again for another OC Restaurant Week Spotlight: vegetarian restaurant Avanti Cafe.  (past spotlights include Pizzeria Ortica, Tommy Bahama’s Island Grille, Cucina Enoteca, and Lucca Cafe)

So why is Avanti Cafe a must stop during OC Restaurant Week?  Well, the lunch menu is only $10, and the dinner menu is $30, for not one, but TWO people.  It’s quite possibly the best deal in town.  Plus, if you are a vegetarian and/or vegan this place will cover all of your dietary needs.

For a cool $10, enjoy a build your own pizza lunch at Avanti Cafe with 28 pizza toppings to choose from, a drink (beer is only $5 extra) and one of Avanti’s signature cookies.  Sounds like the perfect lunch deal to me.

On the dinner front, TWO people will each enjoy an appetizer, entrée, and dessert.  And just like at lunch, you can add a beer for only $5 extra.  Check out the menu here.

The menus at Avanti Cafe may not be the fanciest on the block, but their food is good and good for you.  Plus the menu is such a steal that it is pretty much impossible to pass up.

*OC Restaurant Week runs from February 26th-March 3rd.  Check out all the participating restaurants at OCRestaurantWeek.com*

OC Restaurant Week Spotlight: Lucca Cafe

It’s time for another OC Restaurant Week spotlight!  Previous restaurants included in the spotlight series include Pizzeria Ortica, Tommy Bahama’s Island Grille and Cucina Enoteca.  Today we are shining the spotlight on Lucca Cafe.

It’s no secret how much I love Lucca.  Since I moved back to Orange County from LA in 2010, Lucca has always been a go to for me.  Whether it is breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Lucca aims to please.

Best way to start a meal at Lucca

Lucca, like many of the restaurants participating in OC Restaurant Week is quite delicious but not the cheapest place on the block.  But thanks to the prixe fixe menus Lucca is offering during OC Restaurant Week, you’ll get to try some of the best that Lucca has to offer.

On the lunch front, for only $15 enjoy a soup or salad to start, followed by some of Lucca’s signature entrees such as the Pulled Pork Shoulder Sandwich or the Veggie Lasagna.  And don’t forget dessert!  You also get a delicious dessert included in your $15 meal.

For only $30(!) at dinner, enjoy an appetizer, entree, and dessert.  Plus, you can also get selected glasses of wine at 25% off.  If that isn’t a steal then I don’t know what is.  Definitely save room for dessert at this meal, because the banana bread pudding and the dark chocolate creme brulee are divine.  To check out the full restaurant week menu, click here.

Stay tuned to see what restaurant will be featured next in the OC Restaurant Week spotlight!

*OC Restaurant Week runs from February 26th-March 3rd.  Check out all the participating restaurants at OCRestaurantWeek.com*

OC Restaurant Week Spotlight: Cucina Enoteca

We are officially another week closer to OC Restaurant Week, which means it’s time for another OC Restaurant Week Spotlight.  Be sure to look at previous posts to learn about Pizzeria Ortica and Tommy Bahama’s Island Grille.  This time the spotlight is shining on Cucina Enoteca.

Cucina Enoteca is one of the new restaurants to open at the Irvine Spectrum, and it has already made quite a splash.  From offering weekly specials to “Social Saturdays” and unique pizzas, the restaurant is definitely making it’s mark.

For OC Restaurant Week the restaurant is offering 4 different menus to choose from, depending on how much you feel like spending.  This is a great concept because if you aren’t feeling like a heavy meal, you can choose a lighter option at a cheaper price.

On the lunch front, you can choose a soup or salad with a panini or pizza for only $15, or if you want something a little heartier, you can get a soup or salad and one of the dinner entrees for only $20!  Either way, lunch is definitely a steal.

For dinner, the same concept applies.  Choose an appetizer, pizza and dessert for $25, or choose an appetizer, entree and dessert for $30.  For dinner, I highly recommend the pear and gorgonzola pizza or the jidori chicken.  Both are excellent dishes.

Pear and Gorgonzola Pizza

There are 3 dessert options to choose from on the dinner menu, but the favorite of this bunch is definitely the zeppole, aka Italian fried doughnuts.  You can see the entire restaurant menu over on the OC Restaurant Week’s website.

Zeppole

Cucina Enoteca is a definite must stop this year for OC Restaurant Week.  Whether you go with a pizza and salad or try an entree and one of their tasty appetizers, you are bound to have a delicious meal.

*OC Restaurant Week runs from February 26th-March 3rd.  Check out all the participating restaurants at OCRestaurantWeek.com*

OC Restaurant Week Spotlight: Tommy Bahama’s Island Grille

It’s time for another installation of OC Restaurant Week Spotlight.  If you missed the first restaurant, Pizzeria Ortica, check it out here.

The next restaurant I wanted to feature was one I recently discovered this past winter – Tommy Bahama’s Island Grille.

Tommy Bahama’s is best known for their Hawaiian shirts, but they also have a great restaurant as well.  There are two locations in Orange County – one in Laguna Beach and one in Newport Beach and both locations are participating in this year’s restaurant week.  Each location is also offering slight variations to their prixe fixe menus, so why not have lunch in Newport and dinner in Laguna?

After looking at the menus for both locations, I realized they are offering a deal that really can’t be beat.  For lunch you get an appetizer (get the coconut shrimp), an entree and a dessert for only $15!  The lunch items at both locations are pretty fantastic too, ranging from an organic chicken salad to fish tacos and a brie chicken sandwich.

If you can’t make it to Tommy Bahama’s for lunch, then be sure to check out their prixe fixe dinner menu for only $30 (also a great deal).  Choose from an appetizer, an entree (both locations have their famous pork ribs on the menu for dinner) and a decadent dessert.  I personally favor the pina colada cake.

A single entree at Tommy Bahama’s Island Grille can run anywhere from $13-$30, so this is definitely a deal you do not want to pass up.

*OC Restaurant Week runs from February 26th-March 3rd.  Check out all the participating restaurants at OCRestaurantWeek.com*