Tag Archives: pizza

Journey Unauthorized at the OC Fair

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Journey Unauthorized.  Sure, they may be a Journey Tribute band and the bassist might look like actor Danny McBride, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great time rocking out to some classic Journey tunes, especially when “Don’t Stop Believin” comes on.  Here are some tips on the BEST way to see Journey Unauthorized at the OC Fair.

Pick a good pre-concert meal.  For some this may be indulging in some fair food, but I recommend some delicious pizza from ZPizza.  Hawaiian, Pepperoni, Cheese and Mushroom, take your pick!

zpizzaAttire.  Recruit two of your best friends to dress up in their 80’s finest to fully absorb the Journey experience.  Mullets, leggings and sweat bands not mandatory but recommended.

journeyunauthorizedattheocfairConvince your wonderful fiancée that yes, it is cool to wear a cutoff t-shirt with an American flag on it because it’s what Steve Perry would do.

journeyunauthorized_fairSnap as many concert pics as you can, no matter how blurry or out of focus they may be (or just borrow your friend’s).

JourneyUnauthorized at the OCFairJust say NO to the Chocolate Covered Bacon Churros.  Why eat that when you can eat bacon ice cream at Mesa?

chocolate covered baconBut most importantly.  HAVE FUN.  It’s the fair after all!

 

 

Homemade Pizza Dough

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I am a firm believer that homemade pizza is the best pizza.  There’s just something so satisfying about making your own dough, loading it with toppings and then enjoying the fruits of your labor.  Plus, you can customize it the way you want, and you don’t have to ask a restaurant for any modifications.

While the pear and gorgonzola pizza at Cucina Enoteca is pretty fantastic, the homemade dough I use on my pizzas just can’t be beat.  This dough is super easy to make and requires minimal ingredients.  Plus, you can make extra batches of the dough and freeze for when the pizza mood strikes.

Homemade Pizza Dough (makes 1 pizza)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1/2 tsp sugar or honey

2 tbsp olive oil

2-2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

Dash of oregano or other Italian seasoning

Directions:

In a large bowl mix the yeast with the sugar or honey in 1/3 cup lukewarm water for 10 minutes, or until it begins to foam.  Add in an additional 1/3 cup lukewarm water, your olive oil, flour and salt and blend mixture well.  Add in any seasonings and continue to blending until it forms a dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface (or in your stand mixer), adding in additional flour as needed so the dough doesn’t stick.  Knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is elastic.

Place the dough in a greased bowl or pan and coat it with a little bit of olive oil.  Cover your dough and let rise for 1 hour.  Punch your dough down, and form into pizzas!

The process to make dough is a bit more time intensive, but it is so worth it. This particular pizza had goat cheese, tomatoes, meatballs and kale.

Buon Appetito!

OC Restaurant Week Spotlight: Cucina Enoteca

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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: Pizzeria Ortica

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Orange County Restaurant Week is one of my favorite weeks of the year.  Tons of OC restaurants offer delicious lunch and dinner prixe fixe menus at reasonable prices.  Plus, it’s a great excuse to try a new restaurant or cuisine you wouldn’t normally try.

Since OC Restaurant Week doesn’t kick off until February 26th (it runs until March 3rd), I decided to do a little “OC Restaurant Week” spotlight series, where I will feature some of the restaurants that are participating at the end of the month.  First up, Pizzeria Ortica.

Pizzeria Ortica is David Myers’ (Comme Ca, Sona) restaurant in the South Coast Metro area across the street from South Coast Plaza.  This restaurant definitely won me over last summer, and I’m excited they are participating in OC Restaurant Week!  The pizzas are top-notch and there’s really something special about their balsamic french fries.  While the food is delicious, it’s not exactly the cheapest one on the block, which is why OC Restaurant week is the perfect way to try some of Pizzeria Ortica’s delicious menu items.

Pizzeria Ortica's Balsamic Fries

One reason I’m excited that Pizzeria Ortica is participating in restaurant week is that their prixe fixe menu features some of their other dishes such as the Short Ribs, Cod, and Burrata Ravioli instead of just their pizzas.  It’s the perfect opportunity to try some new dishes at Pizzeria Ortica at a fraction of the price!

You can check out the Pizzeria Ortica lunch and dinner prixe fixe menus here.  And be sure to check back here often to learn more about other restaurants that will be participating in OC Restaurant Week!