by tony reverditto –
Now in its 12th year, Orange County Restaurant Week features prix fixe lunch and dinner menus at the area’s best restaurants while dishing up delicious food at fantastic prices from Sunday, March 8 through Saturday, March 14.
1. This epic event is only ONE precious week out of the 52 annually.
Once a year Orange County restaurants open their doors to share their most popular dishes or new creations with foodies near and far.
2. Guaranteed there is something for everyone.
Restaurant Week caters to every palate and dining scenario. The 2020 Dining Guides have specific category breakdowns such as Dining with a View, Menus with Featured Desserts, Dining with a View, Dessert Lover Dining Options, Adult Beverage Included, Locations offering Vegetarian and Gluten Free Options, Girls Night Out, Family Friendly Dining Chambord Specials, Spicy Food Lovers and Date Night.
3. Celebrate the most delicious week of the year with fantastic cocktails!
Some restaurants include a cocktail or wine in their prix fixe menus and others have signature creative concoctions available at special prices.
4. Make it a week dedicated to sharing great meals with friends, family or dates.
This is the perfect opportunity to get together with loved ones and eat, drink and be merry because Restaurant Week is a seven-day culinary holiday!
5. Check out and get to know restaurants that you have always wanted to try!
We have all seen, heard of or driven by a particular restaurant. Wonder no more, get in and feast on their specials … this is the time.
6. Take the week off from your kitchen and let amazing chefs do the cooking.
Some of the world’s best chefs have restaurants in Orange County, so this is your chance to get up close and personal with these culinary artists.
7. No grocery lists or dish pan hands.
Planning to cook after a long day entails: Making a grocery list, driving to the supermarket, buying the groceries, driving home, prepping lunch and/or dinner, cooking it and then cleaning up after. Why not just drive to a participating restaurant and save the hassle. You are so worth it!
8. Indulge in spectacular menus created for this special week.
These two-, three- or four-course meals are the best of the best and if you visit ocrestaurantweek.com you can find the type of cuisine you are craving.
9. A prix fixe price point for every budget.
The prix fixe menus are priced at $10, $15, $20 and $25 per person for lunch, and $20, $30, $40 and $50 per person for dinner. Some participants serve up an exclusive $80 Luxe Dinner Menu.
10. Lunch and dinner menus are available the entire week.
Whether you want to dine with co-workers for lunch or loved ones at dinner, you can do so with ease.
11. The only thing that you have to make is … reservations.
Simply pick up your phone or go to the desired restaurant’s website and you know what to do from there.
12. There are 150+ participating restaurants to “chews” from …
This year’s participants include: 17th Street Grill, A&O Kitchen+Bar, Agora Churrascaria, All You Can Eat Wokcano, Anaheim White House Restaurant, Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, Angelina’s Pizzeria Napoletana, AnQi *AVEO Table + Bar, Back Bay Bistro, Backhouse, Bangkok Avenue, Bayside, Beachcomber Café, Bistango, Bluefin Restaurant, Bluegold, Bluewater Grill, Bosscat Kitchen & Libations, Brunos Italian Kitchen, Cafe Sevilla, Cambalache Argentine & Italian Cuisine, Canaletto, Casa Barilla, Casablanca, Catal Restaurant, Cedar Creek Inn, Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen, Chapter One, Chelas Mexican Kitchen, Coastal Kitchen, CUCINA enoteca, D’Vine, Daily Grill, Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, Descanso, Dory Deli, Dublin 4 Gastropub, EATS Kitchen & Bar, Eddie V’s, EMC Seafood & Raw Bar, Eureka!, Fable & Spirit, Farmhouse @ Roger’s Gardens, FIG & OLIVE, Fishbone Kitchen & Bar, Five Crowns, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, Fly N Fish Oyster Bar & Grill,Fogo de Chão, Great Maple, Gyu-Kaku, Halves Boiling Pot & Grill, Hana r’e, Harborside Restaurant and Grand Ballroom, Heirloom Farmhouse Kitchen, Helmsman Ale House, Hendrix, Hornblower Cruises and Events, Il Fornaio, IRONWOOD, Cellar. Craft. Cook., J. Zhou, Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern, Juliette Kitchen and Bar, Kabuki, Las Brisas, Lido Bottle Works, Lighthouse Café, Little Onion Mexican Restaurant Lumberyard, Luna Rossa, Malarky’s Irish Pub, Matador Cantina y Cocina, Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, Mix Mix Kitchen Bar, Modo Mio Rustic Italian Kitchen, Mozambique, Naples Ristorante e Bar, Newport Landing Restaurant, Newport Rib Company, Nirvana Grille, O Fine Japanese Cuisine, Old Brea Chop House, OLEA, Cellar. Craft. Cook., Orange Hill Restaurant, Pacific Hideaway, Paul Martin’s American Grill, Piccolino Ristorante, Playa Mesa, Poquito Mas, Prego Prime Cut Café, Provenance, Puesto, RA Sushi, RED O, Ritters Steam Kettle Cooking, Rockin Baja Lobster, Royal Hawaiian Fire Grill, Rusty Pelican, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Scarlet Kitchen and Lounge, Seasons 52, Skyloft, Slater’s 50/50, SOCIAL, sol agave, Sol Mexican Cocina, Stag Bar + Kitchen, Starfish, Steakhouse 55, Summer House, Summit House, Sundried Tomato American Bistros & Catering, Sushi Roku, Tackle Box – local grub shack, Taco Rosa, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Tavern House Kitchen+Bar, Terrace by Mix Mix, Texas de Brazil, The Bronze Quail Restaurant & Bar, The Bungalow Restaurant, The Capital Grille, The Country Club, The Quiet Woman, The Wild Artichoke, The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar, The Yellow Chili, Toast Kitchen & Bakery, Tommy Bahama Restaurant, Tortilla Jo’s, URBANA Mexican Gastronomy, Uva Bar and Café, Villa Roma Argentine & Italian Cuisine, Vine Restaurant & Bar, VITALY, Waterline Waterman’s Harbor, Wild Goose Tavern, WineWorks For Everyone and Yard House.
Almost sold out is the First Bites Orange County Restaurant Week Launch Party on Saturday, March 7 at Marriott Irvine Spectrum, 7905 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine. General admission is from 2 to 5 p.m. and VIP from 1 to 5 p.m.
Search participating restaurants and menus on the official website: ocrestaurantweek.com.