Red O Restaurant - Newport Beach

Red O Restaurant - Fashion Island, Newport Beach
143 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Tel: (949) 718-0300
redorestaurant.com

Rick Bayless, the celebrity chef and host of the emmy-nominated show "Mexico: One Plate At A Time", has opened his newest restaurant at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. This is Red O's second location, the first being in Los Angeles. More locations will hopefully be opening soon. Red O restaurant features a dramatic interior paired with high-end Mexican food. I was recently invited down to try some of their culinary delights.

We started our meal off with an Amuse-Bouche of Dungeness Crab Tostaditas. A deep-fried plantain chip was topped with sweet dungeness crab meat, grilled pineapple and tomatillo-avocado salsa. It was absolutely amazing, and probably my favorite part of the meal.

Next, up we tried the Corn & Goat Cheese Tamales and a Tasting of Guacamole that came with four different kinds of guacamole and fried plantain chips. The tamales were light, fluffy and slightly sweet. The goat cheese added a nice creamy, rich flavor that complemented the masa perfectly. I'm thinking of asking my mother-in-law to make some goat cheese tamales for Christmas this year... The guacamole sampler came with Classic, Pomegranate-Walnut, Macha and Yuzu guacamoles. Of the four, I believe that Yuzu was my favorite. The guacamole was spiked with Japanese yuzu and shishito peppers.

 

Next up was Tortilla Soup. The broth was poured tableside over a bowl of chicken, avocado and fried tortilla strips. The broth was filled with sauteed onions and reminded me a lot of French Onion soup. I wish this soup had more spice to it.

For my entree, I selected the Lamb Mole Negro. Four lamb chops arrived on the plate in a pool of black mole sauce. There seemed to be some consistency issues with the sizing of the lamb chops as some of the plates seemed to be twice as big as others. Each plate came with four lamb chops, but some chops were huge compared to some of the others. The lamb itself was cooked perfectly and was very tender. The mole sauce added a smoky flavor with the slightest hint of sweetness. A fantastic dish.

To finish off the meal, we were served Tres Leches cake. Tres Leches is usually made by soaking a sponge cake in three different milks, evaporated, condensed and regular milk or cream. Red O uses pound cake instead of sponge cake and opts to use non-fat milk instead of cream. The result is a cake that is a little denser than most, and not quite as rich. The cake was topped with toasted meringue and spicy pears.

Overall, Red O is a very good option if you are looking for upscale Mexican food. The prices here will likely make it a "special occasion" restaurant for most. Dinner entrees range from $15-$56. If you're looking to dine there on a budget, try going for lunch when their prices are a little lower.

Lemonade - Fashion Island, Newport Beach

Lemonade
Fashion Island
Newport Beach
http://lemonadela.com/
Lemonade, a restaurant known for serving fresh, seasonal, Southern California comfort food, opened earlier this week in Fashion Island. It is located near the Island Cinemas movie theaters. Lemonade offers a unique experience by serving gourmet food in an old-school cafeteria-like environment. You start at the beginning of a long line of tasty delights and point out what you want along the way. Items are priced individually and range from $1-$13. Items are seasonal and change eight times per year. Below are pictures of some of the items they had available during the media preview.






Of the many items I tried, I really enjoyed the snap pea and edamame salad with sesame dressing, the red miso braised shortribs and the white truffle mac and cheese. I then decided that my two favorite items I tried were the Avocado and Cherry tomato salad, and the BBQ braised brisket. The BBQ brisket had a nice spicy kick that I loved.

But then......then....I had the COCONUT CAKE!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THAT COCONUT CAKE WAS SOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!! I MUST HAVE MORE NOW!!!!!!! Light fluffy layers of extremely moist coconut cake were layered with frosting that had the perfect amount of sweetness. The cake reminded me a little of a tres leches, because I think the cake was soaked or drizzled with some sweetened condensed milk. It was SO good. Did I mention it was good? I think I'm going to stop writing now so I can go get more of that cake....

Fleming's Steakhouse 5 for $6 til 7

I have recently discovered that Fleming's Steakhouse in Newport Beach has a bunch of amazing happy hour specials, 7 nights a week! Their happy hour is called 5 for $6 til 7 because they have a selection of 5 appetizers, 5 wines and 5 cocktails for $6 each until 7:00 PM. As an added bonus, you can also get a big 'ol cheeseburger with onion rings for $6 as well. I recently had the opportunity to try all of the appetizers that Fleming's offers during the happy hour. The appetizers and the burger are pictured below.


Tenderloin Carpaccio


Sweet Chile Calamari Tossed with Banana Peppers


Wicked Cajun Barbecue Shrimp


Roasted Mushroom Ravioli


Baked Brie in Puff Pastry


Fleming's Prime Burger with Cheese and Bacon


My favorite of all the selections was the Tenderloin Carpaccio. I'm a total sucker for raw beef though. The thinly sliced filet mignon was paired perfectly with some salty capers, diced red onion, fresh basil and hard boiled egg. Absolutely delicious. The burger was also an amazing deal for only $6. This is a gourmet burger with onion rings at a price that is lower than many fast food joints. These food specials, plus the drink specials below, are available 7 days a week, at the bar, from 4-7 PM.

$6 Cocktails
TROPICAL MARTINI, Malibu Coconut Rum
WHITE COSMO, Svedka Vodka
POMTINI, Smirnoff Vodka
LIMONCELLO MARTINI, Smirnoff Vodka
STOLI BOMBSHELL, Stoli Vodka (99 calories)

$6 WINES BY THE GLASS
SPARKLING, Mas Fi Cava, Spain
CHARDONNAY, Canyon Road, California
PINOT NOIR, Mark West, California
MERLOT, Red Diamond, Washington
CABERNET, 14 Hands, Washington

The Cocoa Lounge is back! - Palm Terrace Restaurant, Island Hotel Newport Beach

The Cocoa Lounge, inside
The Palm Terrace Restaurant, inside
The Island Hotel
690 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Toll Free: 866-554-4620
Phone: 949-759-0808
www.islandhotel.com

The time has come for the 4th annual Cocoa lounge at the Palm Terrace restaurant in The Island Hotel in Newport Beach. For those of you not familiar with it, the Island Hotel hosts a pop-up chocolate lounge, once a year in February. The lounge is open in the evenings only and offers all-you-can-eat chocolate indulgences. Due to the huge surge in popularity, reservations are highly recommended. There is also a pricing adjustment this year. Admission to the Cocoa Lounge is $24 per person. If you dine in the restaurant beforehand and order an entree, your admission to the lounge is only $12. For last year's full coverage of the event, including many pictures, please visit http://www.griffineatsoc.com/2011/02/cocoa-lounge-at-palm-terrace-in-island.html

The lounge is open Tuesday thru Saturday from 6:00 PM-10:00 PM, Feb 3-March 3.

Below is a sample of the chocolate delights that await you, however the menu is subject to change.

Cocoa Lounge Menu – February 2012

Whole Cakes

· Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake

· Espresso Mousse Chocolate Cake

· White Chocolate Red Velvet Cheesecake

· Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bourbon Cream

Mini Pastries

· Chocolate Pudding Cake with White Chocolate Mousse, Raspberry Glaze

· Milk Chocolate Mousse Timbales

· Cream Cheese Peanut Butter Brownies

· Orange White Chocolate Pistachio Cake

· Financier S’mores (pictured below)

· Gianduja Chocolate Pot de Crème

· Dark Chocolate Éclairs filled with Almond Cream (pictured below)

· Dark Chocolate Cheesecake (Pyramids)

· Fresh Fruit Tarts

Candies

· Peanut Caramels

· Chocolate Lollipops

· Port Truffles

· Chocolate Hazelnut Clusters

Cocoa Lounge at The Palm Terrace in The Island Hotel - Newport Beach

The Cocoa Lounge, inside
The Palm Terrace Restaurant, inside
The Island Hotel
690 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Toll Free: 866-554-4620
Phone: 949-759-0808
www.islandhotel.com

Death by Chocolate.... Ok, well maybe not "death" but even the most die hard chocoholic will likely have an out of body experience upon entering The Cocoa Lounge inside The Palm Terrace Restaurant at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach. The third annual Cocoa Lounge opens tonight for a limited 3-week run. The lounge is open from 6-PM-10PM Tuesday through Saturday February 4-February 26th, 2010. Admission to The Cocoa Lounge is $18 per person and grants you the privilege of consuming as many gourmet chocolate delights that you would like. If you dine at the Palm Terrace restaurant first and order at least a 2-course meal, your admission to the lounge is free! Free admission to the lounge can also be obtained with the purchase of one The Island Hotel's special Valentine's Day massages packages or Valentine's Day "Him and Her" meals.

When you enter the lounge you find yourself surrounded by dozens of chocolate desserts. Below are photos of some of the desserts that will be available. Selections may vary.




Chocolate Fudge Cookie S'mores

Milk Chocolate Cheesecake

Chocolate Cupcakes

Snickers Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Chocolate Pudding Cake with Gianduja Mousse

Vanilla Custard Filled Eclairs

White Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake

White Chocolate Mousses Squares

Manjari Obsession

Banana Chocolate Mousse Cake

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

Pot De Creme

Port Truffles

Fresh Fruit Tarts

Chocolate Caramel Tarts

German Chocolate Cake

Dining in The Cocoa Lounge is chocolate decadence at it's best. You'll find yourself wandering from table to table, unsure of what to pick up first. Everyone in attendance seemed to agree that the Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding and Pot De Creme were the best desserts of the night. I also liked the Pot De Creme, but I really enjoyed the German Chocolate Cake as well. This experience is any chocolate lover's dream. However, I would still highly recommend The Cocoa Lounge to anyone that even has a slight fondness for chocolate. Even if you are not a chocolate fanatic, you will find yourself loving these desserts. All of the desserts are presented beautifully and taste sinfully good. The only thing I found missing from The Cocoa Lounge was a nice cup of hot cocoa to wash everything down. For some reason, when I first heard the name "Cocoa Lounge" I envisioned people sitting in a trendy lounge sipping on gourmet hot cocoa. Since the chefs said that they are constantly updating the selections, I'm hoping they'll add this in the future.

Thank you so much to Marguarite Clark at MCPR for inviting me to this fantastic media preview event.

Roy's Fall Menu

Roy's - Newport Beach
453 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 640-7697

Roy's - Anaheim
321 West Katella Avenue
Anaheim, CA 92802
(714) 776-7697

I was recently invited down to Roy's to sample their new fall prix fixe menu. Roy's has always been one of my favorite restaurants so I was eager to try out the new menu items. For a limited time you are able to order an appetizer, entree and dessert from the following selections for $35.95.

APPETIZERS:


Blackened Rock Shrimp & Red Bean Soup
Portuguese Sausage, Shishito


“Elaine’s” Kabocha Squash Salad
Cinnamon Spiced Pepitas, Cranberry Vinaigrette


Wagyu “Meat Loaf Shumai”
Smoked Shiitake Pan Sauce

The blackened rock shrimp & red bean soup was interesting. It tasted sort of like a spicy chili with shrimp in it. It was pretty good, but not something I would have thought Roy's would serve. Elaine's Kabocha Squash Salad sort of tasted like roasted pumpkin topped with greens and bleu cheese. The clear winner with everyone though was the Wagyu "Meatloaf Shumai." The unique flavor of a Chinese shumai dumpling was brought to life in this delicious twist on an American classic. Everyone at the table seemed to agree that this was the best of the three appetizers.


ENTREES:


Artichoke & Goat Cheese Crusted Salmon
Sundried Tomato Sauce


Cilantro Grilled Tiger Shrimp
Stewed Curried Lentils & Fall Vegetables


Parmesan & Dijon Crusted Chicken
Bacon, Pepper Gravy


Tender Braised Beef Short Ribs (available year-round)
Creamy Mashed Potatoes Natural Braising Sauce


I am not usually a big fan of salmon, but this salmon dish was one of the best I have tasted. The mildly flavored salmon went well with the artichoke and goat cheese crust. I was really looking forward to the Cilantro Grilled Tiger Shrimp. It was good, but failed to "wow" me like I thought it would. It could have used more cilantro flavor. I felt that the Parmesan & Dijon Crusted Chicken had way too much dijon mustard. It was overpowering to me. Other people at the table loved the bold flavor of the mustard and thought it was perfect. The Braised Short Ribs are a classic item on the Roy's menu. Tender and flavorful, they are always an excellent choice.

DESSERTS:


Pumpkin & Ginger Cheese Cake
Pumpkin Anglaise


Roy’s Melting Hot Chocolate Soufflé (available year-round)
Flourless Chocolate Cake with a Molten Hot Center served à la Mode

The Pumpkin and Ginger Cheesecake was very good. The cheesecake was lightly flavored with pumpkin and ginger so that it complemented the cheesecake but didn't overpower it. The Hot Chocolate Souffle, another Roy's classic, was warm and gooey chocolate heaven.

I apologize for the lack of quality pictures. The lighting in the restaurant was a little dim. If you'd like to see higher quality pictures, head over to Dan's site, Eat In OC, to see his article on the event. He was sitting right next to me...