OC Restaurant Week kicks off

The foodies flocked to The Winery in The District at Tustin Legacy Saturday afternoon to celebrate the launch of Orange County Restaurant Week. Starting Sunday, the weeklong eating extravaganza offers residents the chance to try some of the best food in the county for as little as $10 or $20 a meal. Servers scanned the party with tasty appetizers ranging from BBQ pizza to bruschetta, giving attendees a sneak peak of the five-star dining experience. The wine and martinis weren’t so bad either…

OC Restaurant Week launch party at The Winery in The District at Tustin Legacy (Joanna Clay/OCLNN)

Pamela Waitt, the president of the Orange County Restaurant Association, believes it is a unique experience. “It gives diners the ability to try restaurants they’ve never been to … at a fraction of the price,” she said.

Sima Aziz agrees. The Dana Point foodie said: “It’s always nice to try the best Orange County has to offer at a reasonable price. It makes you aware of restaurants in the OC you haven’t heard of before.”

OC Restaurant Week offers $10, $15, and $20 lunch menus, and $20, $30, and $40 dinner menus.

The list includes 133 restaurants from every part of the county, from Huntington Beach to Dana Point, giving OC eaters an excuse to get out of their comfort zone and try the tastes of neighboring towns.

Connie Reinglass, a resident of Newport Beach, is excited to make her way down the list. She remarked, “You like to get the advantage and try new restaurants you haven’t tried before. With the economy the way it is, it is a really great opportunity.” What stops is she making this week? “Pinot Provence … and maybe Tommy Bahama’s Island Grille.”

With storefronts closing at a record rate, it’s possible that Restaurant Week will boost the eating economy in the city — hopefully for more than just seven days.

OC Restaurant Week opening at The Winery in The District at Tustin Legacy (Joanna Clay/OCLNN)

It’s clear that those that have gotten bitten by the Restaurant Week bug are coming back for more. Karuna Thind, of Santa Ana, is back for a second shot due to her experiences last year at Antonello’s and Pizzeria Ortica. “They were both really good so I wanted to go back this year,” she said.

What restaurant are goers most excited for? Many mentioned AnQi, the Vietnamese bistro and noodle bar that recently opened at Bloomingdale’s in South Coast Plaza.

A couple from Costa Mesa, Sandya Narasimhan and Joe Leibrandt, were looking forward to hitting the list for Sandya’s upcoming birthday. However, her palate offers certain restrictions. “As a vegetarian, there aren’t a lot of options,” she mentioned. Although many of the restaurants offer vegetarian menus, only two vegetarian restaurants made Sandya’s list — Nirvana Grille and 118 Degrees.  “We’ll be trying those!”

With an insanely long list to choose from and a variety of menus, it is clear that no matter what your tastes are, Japanese or classic French, there’s bound to be a couple eateries that’ll get your mouth watering.

Don’t miss out on this delicious dining opportunity. The week of good eats officially ends on March 6. Go to the Orange County Restaurant Week Web site for a list of the 133 participating restaurants and their menus.

OC Restaurant Week launch party at The Winery in The District at Tustin Legacy (Joanna Clay/OCLNN)

Tags: 118 Degrees, Bloomingdales, costa mesa, dining, Food, Newport Beach, OCLNN, Orange County Restaurant Association, Orange County Restaurant Week, Santa Ana, south coast plaza

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at 4:47 pm and is filed under Food, Living . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.