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Dinner at Cucina Alessa

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Four years ago, I first wrote about Cucina Alessa (please excuse the rough photography).  I loved all the food and yet somehow I never went back.  When my mom was brainstorming ideas for her birthday dinner, we agreed that it was high time we returned to Cucina Alessa and I’m so glad we did.  So consider this dinner at Cuinca Alessa part deux.

When I dined at Cucina Alessa the first time, I wasn’t following a gluten-free diet so my entrée choices revolved around pizza and pasta.  Since I am more on a gluten-free/paleo diet now my food choices have definitely changed and I’m happy to report that Cucina Alessa has plenty of gluten-free options if you want them.

For our appetizer course we decided to go with the calamari (the Englishman’s personal fave) and the fresh burrata.

Cucina Alessa Calamari

Burrata is one of my favorite cheeses in life, and this one did not disappoint.  It was all the creamy perfection you would expect and more.  The calamari was also a big hit among the table and it was devoured in minutes.

Cucina Alessa Burrata

For my main course, I ordered the grilled salmon with broccoli and a side of roasted rosemary potatoes.  Since I am currently obsessed with all the salmon, I was excited to try this dish.

Cucina Alessa SalmonThe salmon was grilled perfectly and came with a lemon garlic sauce that wasn’t too heavy or overpowering with the dish.  If you are looking for a non-pasta option at Cucina Alessa, definitely go for this (and get some potatoes on the side).

The Englishman went with the gnocchi which he greatly enjoyed and would recommend to any gnocchi lovers out there.

Cucina Alessa Gnocchi

My mom got a shrimp pasta in a lobster sauce – I only tasted the shrimp but the sauce on it was fantastic.

Cucina Alessa Lobster SauceMy dad went with the chicken Parmesan, which is one of the best classic dishes on the menu. Chicken, pasta, cheese; what’s not to love?

Cucina Alessa Chicken ParmAnd because we were celebrating a birthday, some gelato was required at the end of the evening.

cucina alessa birthday gelato

I’m thinking it won’t be four years before I return to Cucina Alessa again.

EKAM Yoga

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I’ve had a complicated relationship with yoga over the years.  I always loved yoga and my body definitely reaped from its benefits, but I had a hard time finding a studio that I could call home.  When I lived in LA, Liberation Yoga was my go-to for a while but when I moved to back to Orange County 5 years ago, I found myself bouncing from studio to studio but never really feeling a connection.  Until I stepped into EKAM Yoga.

EKAM YogaEKAM Yoga is a small studio located off PCH in Newport Beach.  The studio is small with just one room to practice in, but the warmth and friendliness you feel when you walk in can’t be beat.  One of EKAM Yoga’s main objectives is to foster a strong sense of community in all of their classes which I love.

When I practiced yoga in the past, I always would go maybe once a week, maybe skip a week here and there and then go again, but since I started taking classes at EKAM, I’ve been craving my weekly yoga sessions.  I’ve even been going 2-3x as week, which is totally unheard of for me.  But honestly, I feel SO much more grounded and relaxed after practicing at EKAM, which I love.

EKAM Yoga AsanaI also think that yoga has been a great compliment to running and crossfit.  I love the intensity of those workouts and I think having yoga to balance that is great.  Besides, a lot of the vinaysa classes have been kicking my butt!

If you are an OC local, I can’t recommended EKAM Yoga enough.  The instructors are lovely and the classes are appropriate for anyone at ANY level (believe me, I’m not flexible at all and I feel comfortable there).  And if you are not in OC and haven’t found your “yoga home” yet, keep looking!  The right studio is out there and when you find it you’ll be so grateful that you did.

OC Restaurant Week Spotlight: Tommy Bahama’s Island Grille

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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*

C’est Si Bon!

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The east coast has Au Bon Pain, Europe has Pret a Manger, and California has well, neither of those.  After falling in love with Au Bon Pain (only to find out that there were no locations in the west), I was determined to find a bakery/sandwich shop that had the same feel.  Enter C’est Si Bon.

C’est Si Bon is located in Newport Beach on PCH and is tucked away in a small strip mall.  Parking is limited and there’s almost always a line of locals eagerly awaiting freshly baked bread, homemade pastries and other goodies C’est Si Bon has to offer.  After hearing coworkers and friends alike rave about this bakery/café I knew I had to check it out.

cest-si-bonCredit: OCRegister.com

I cruised in during the week mid-morning and was surprised to see how packed it was.  Some people were ordering loaves of bread for the week while others were seated at the small tables inside, relaxing with a cup of coffee and a pastry.  The place also seemed to be full of Newport Beach locals which is always a good sign in my opinion.

C’est Si Bon offers made to order sandwiches, giant loaves of bread, and an assortment of desserts.  There is also a small section in the bakery where you can by jams and giant jars of nutella (which required strong resistance on my part).

The baked goods were calling mine (and my coworkers) names so we decided to get a bunch of different things and share including a cinnamon roll, chocolate chip cookie, raisin scone, and palmiers (also known as elephant ears).

While all of the items were delicious, I LOVED the scone.  It was light, fluffy, not too sweet and had yummy plump raisins.  I nearly devoured it all in a few short bites until I realized I was supposed to share.  Honorable mention goes to the palmiers which were light and crispy and dusted with sugar.

While this is not exactly the same as Au Bon Pain or Pret a Manger, I really liked the vibe at C’est Si Bon and thought they had a great pastry/sandwich selection.  I’d definitely come back on a nice sunny day and enjoy a scone (or two) while sitting outside with a cup of coffee.

Now we just need to work on C’est Si Bon getting a few more locations in the OC….

C’est Si Bon

149 Riverside Ave
Newport Beach, CA 92663