If you’ve been waiting for a good reason to start dining out again, this is it: Orange County Restaurant Week, held Sunday, March 6 through Saturday, March 12.
For seven days, 140 restaurants throughout Orange County will be offering a variety of prix fixe menus ranging from $15 to $25 lunches to $25 to $45 dinners. There’s also a luxe dinner category, ranging from $60 to $120.
This year, the Restaurant Week website has arranged menu options in a variety of categories, including Family Night, Date Night, Vegetarian Dining, and a Dessert Spotlight.
And what would Restaurant Week be without cocktails? This year, featured spirits are Grey Goose, Maker’s Mark, Hornitos Tequila, Chambord and Licor 43.
Participating restaurants, menus, cocktails and more are listed online at www.ocrestaurantweek.com.
The week “has been a highlight for Southern California foodies for 14 years,” says Pamela Waitt, founder of OC Restaurant Week and president of OC Restaurant Association. “Now more than ever, diners are hungry to explore all that Orange County’s diverse culinary scene has to offer with their friends and family.”
Waitt said there is a lot of pent-up excitement this year because last year’s Restaurant Week focused on takeout options, which meant no luxury menus.
“People seem to want unique experiences this year,” Waitt said.
“During covid, we had extra time to read data and see how diners did Restaurant Week. Everyone does it a little differently, whether it’s date night or lunch with co-workers.”
Price Points
Everyone has different budgets for their meals, which is why there are some great value price points during the week, especially during lunch.
For example, there’s a two-course lunch for $15 at Descanso in Costa Mesa with a variety of options, and a three-course lunch at Skyloft in Laguna Beach for $20. There are 30 restaurants which are offering $25 lunch menus.
Dinner options are also impressive. How about $25 for a two-course dinner at Billy’s at the Beach in Newport Beach that includes one of Billy’s famous Mai Thai cocktails, or maybe a three-course $35 dinner menu at Bruno’s Italian Kitchen in Brea with 18 options for appetizer, entrée and dessert courses?
Among the two dozen $45 dinner options is a three-course menu at Terrace by Mix Mix from the 2019 Business Journal Chef of the Year Ross Pangilinan.
Or go luxe with $60 to $120 dinner menus at 30 different restaurants, many of which include wine or cocktails with dinner. The 2018 OCBJ Restaurateur of the Year Russ Bendel has terrific $60 dinner menus at his four restaurants: Ironwood, Sapphire, Olea and Vine.
“People are going to have a lot of fun with these menus,” Waitt noted.
Spectrum Preview
Foodies can have even more fun if they grab a ticket to the Restaurant Week Masters VIP Preview Party at the Irvine Spectrum Marriott on Saturday, March 5.
According to Waitt, a limited number of VIP guests will be the first to sample bites from more than two dozen restaurants, as well as signature cocktails and wine tastings. There will be live music by Jabe Amato, a live broadcast of Neil Saavedra from The Fork Report, and two state-of-the-art robots by Bear Robotics mingling with guests and serving charcuterie from Lover Boards.
Proceeds from the event will benefit Golden Rule Charity. Tickets are $110 and are likely to sell out, so get yours soon at
ocrestaurantweek.com/restaurant-week-masters.
Charity Events Feature Top OC Chefs
Two of the most popular culinary events that raise money for charities take place a few weeks apart in March.
First up is Table for Ten on March 6 at the Festival of Arts grounds in Laguna Beach. This event showcases 40 of Southern California’s top chefs, as each orchestrates and prepares masterful dinners tableside for 10 guests. Exquisite wines will be paired with the cuisine, and the tables are artfully decorated by each restaurant. Also included is a cocktail reception and auction, which showcases “Best of Chefs” dining experiences, luxury goods, rare wines and trips to exotic locales.
Table for Ten benefits the Pascal Culinary Arts Scholarship Program (named after legendary OC Chef Pascal Olhats), which creates life-changing financial grants for culinary arts students in OC. Working with Saddleback College Culinary Arts Program and Orange Coast College Culinary Arts Department, the program focuses on making an impact for culinary students showing a financial need and that are currently enrolled in classes and meet the GPA criteria.
Visit tableforten.org for more details, including a list of chefs and ticket info.
Next is Chef’s Table benefiting Illumination Foundation. On Sunday, March 27 in the Grand Ballroom at the Disneyland Hotel, this event will feature 36 of Southern California’s most renowned chefs prepare a masterpiece three-course dinner tableside with libation pairing for 10 guests. You can expect an evening full of delicious cuisine, auction items you won’t be able to resist, and stunning table décor; all while illuminating the lives of Southern California’s most vulnerable homeless.
Visit www.ifhomeless.org for details and tickets. n
