Orange County loves its alcohol. I don't say this in any demeaning way; no, I just say it plainly because we do. We love it to the point that purists exist and often tout their expertise (or haughtiness?) to whomever will listen, mixologists run amok with creative disasters and miracles, classic cocktails done right are highly sought after, and sourcing can be a main focus for some restaurants. When Cafe Gratitude of Los Angeles decided to branch out and install an Orange County location, Gratitude, in Newport Beach, they knew our love and employed the innovative and enthusiastic mind of Beverage Director Jason Eisner to cultivate and grow that love even more. We got the chance to hear about the guiding factors for the bar program from Jason himself as well as went behind the bar to make an interesting cocktail with bartender Isle Anderson.

I can't deny it; I have a tea problem. Whenever I travel, I seek out loose leaf tea stores and buy a few varieties. Unless there is a particular leaf I want, I check out the unique blends each spot has put together just to understand their style. Despite being unable to leave my fascination of tea, I have yet to enjoy an afternoon tea service outside of my single experience in DC a few years ago. Therefore, when I learned that American Tea Room in Newport Beach was introducing their afternoon "Tea Service" a few weeks back, I was immediately interested. This program is a result of collaboration with Valerie Confections and presented on custom boards from The Wooden Palate. We were invited in one afternoon to give them a try, and there was certainly quite the spread.

Hold your horses; rather, you don't even need to get on horses out in wine country somewhere to experience excellent wine education. It's available right in your backyard down in Newport Beach. Moulin Bistro is hosting monthly, interactive wine education courses showcasing 6-8 boutique French wines of limited production. For only $29 per person, guests can learn about the featured region in France to better understand the identifiers for the area and the unique flavors that accompany each varietal as well as taste the wines to better understand the terroir profiles. We were invited to join for the Rhône Valley session in April and definitely came away with some notable notes to remember.

As the Orange County community grows more cognizant and particular about its dietary intake, it also has shifted to some more plant-focused initiatives which is not a bad thing at all. In fact, Duc and I have been moving towards more vegetable-heavy meals ourselves so when word that LA-based Cafe Gratitude, the well-known vegan restaurant with several locations, was coming to our area, we were quite interested. They focus on 100% organic, plant-based foods but the menu has always veered in the direction of typically savory, meat-forward dishes which made us even more curious as to how they could turn those into vegan versions. While this OC location would bring the same philosophy to the area as its LA and SD counterparts, it would also take on an OC flair and introduce a craft beverage program (led by Jason Eisner). Upon invitation, I went out to taste a few of their dishes and see just how this outpost could become a county favorite.

Every few months, restaurants with season-focused menus clamor to bring in the best of nature's wares and showcase the flavors that burst from produce at the height of their maturity. Fig & Olive seeks the same and with the onset of spring, they launched their matching menu March 14th of this year, featuring bright dishes that flaunt vegetables and fruits while remaining aligned with their French Riveria-inspired style. Focusing still on their use of olive oils but now with the addition of the season's bounty of early citrus and overall color, Fig & Olive has several new dishes showcased but has also brought back some favorites. I was invited one evening to take a look at some of the highlights.

How many places in Orange County can boast being more than 100 years old? How about 108 years old? The iconic Stag Bar in Newport Beach can hold that tune and with its reopening at the end of 2015, it is continuing to barrel through the years and serve up the community with enthusiasm. Opened in 1908 on Balboa peninsula, the Stag Bar has hosted countless numbers of tourists and locals, constantly evolving with the times and remaining relevant. From being a gambling hotspot and bar to a martini bar to a cafe to a saloon type and so on, the establishment has gone through many changes but stayed true to being a place for people to gather, have a good drink, and enjoy some great times. In all this time, Stag has remained in the same family's ownership and has now been re-envisioned as Stag Bar + Kitchen with luxury suites above for those looking for boarding. We were invited to check out the latter part of their new name and spent some time enjoying the menu that Chef Jeffrey Moore had in stock.

"The best cooking is like Francine's: simple, fresh, and in full, flavorful view on the plate and on our palate."

One of the aspects I have always admired about Fig & Olive was that not only is their food a point of inspiration for myself as a cook but it is also consciously created with health and untainted ingredients in mind. So, when I found out that a cookbook was being released on their 10th anniversary featuring the many recipes of Chef Laurent Halasz, I was more than excited to see what was in store for this publication. What I got to see during the official launch party and dinner was a little more than expected as I was previously unaware of the massive influence that the chef's mother, Francine Halasz, had on him and his cooking. FIG & OLIVE: The Cuisine of the French Riviera launched in October in association with renowned publisher Assouline and is the first cookbook for Fig & Olive. It features stories about the chef's culinary career, its start, and the results (recipes) of such a journey. I joined many others one evening in early November to celebrate the launch and indulge in exciting inspired dishes derived from the book.

Butternut squash here, acorn squash there, squashes everywhere! Though it does not quite feel like autumn here in sunny southern California, the season is certainly upon us and along with the chill we hope will soon follow are the fruits of farming labor - hardy, root vegetables. True Food Kitchen at Fashion Island in Newport Beach has embraced this change in produce and recently launched their fall menu that falls in line with their focus on health-conscious food. What does that mean? Roasted root vegetables galore! However, it's not just the entrees that have gotten a little switch - this seasonal change has moved in options on all parts of the menu. We were invited in to try out some of the new dishes which are available through mid-December. Some outstanding favorites: the Roasted Seasonal Vegetable Board and the Butternut Squash Pizza.

Waffle cones, waffle fries, waffle sandwiches - people seem to have an obsession with all things waffle. How about waffles with their accompaniments mixed right into the batter instead, whether savory or sweet? Inspired by the handheld, on-the-go waffle culture in Belgium, The Waffle Affair in Newport Beach sprung up to tackle this different style of battering up their guests - make everything right in the mix itself. Incorporating the ingredients directly into the batter allows for the 21+ varieties they serve to be presented in a more traditional Belgian way. However, if you are all about the toppings, those are options as well. We were invited to give some of their creations a try so we headed on down to the Bayside Center Shopping Center where they reside.

[Giveaway details at the bottom of the post] Did you miss last year's inaugural Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival? If so, you better not miss this year's event which takes place October 2-4, 2015 at Oak Grill & Aqua Lounge on Friday and the Newport Beach Civic Center on Saturday and Sunday. The event itself is three days dedicated to celebrating food and wine as well as the beautiful setting that is Newport Beach. During the festival, be prepared to find live celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, master sommelier wine panels, book signings, Grand Tasting Pavilions with samples from Orange County's finest chefs, mixology classes, wine and cocktails, and live entertainment. Better yet, the event will donate its proceeds to its benefit charity partner, Project Hope Alliance, which serves to combat the homelessness cycle of children in Orange County. Whether you decide to go for just the Friday Launch Party or the Saturday and Sunday Daytime Festivals, you will likely find some unique and tasty morsels and drinks.

Brunch is serious business for we who live in Orange County, so when the gorgeous Fig & Olive at Fashion Island in Newport Beach scratches that itch with both Saturday and Sunday options, you need to listen. As if the restaurant's perfectly planned and decorated interior was not enough to lure you into its company, they added in a "Weekend Riviera Brunch" on the weekends that will make you kick back and enjoy a leisurely time on the terrace. Available in the naturally-lit space outdoors with the extra perk of giving families one complimentary kids' meal per reservation, this brunch buffet comes at a modest price of $24 per person. Convinced yet? We were invited one typically beautiful southern California day to partake in the buffet and came away impressed by the value and quality of Fig & Olive's weekend offering so here come the tantalizing pictures...

We've talked about Dory Deli before, having previewed their menu before the official opening, but a preview on the consumer's end can't beat an in-depth look at the back of the house, standing in the kitchen, and inquiring into the mind of the executive chef. My own interest (and practice) in cooking has spilled over into a curiosity about what components make up the commercial side of this art form and what drives people to invest their time and efforts into the culinary world. Recently-turned Executive Chef Giovanny/Gio Bolivar of Dory Deli, previously Sous Chef, has seen great, rapid success in his career, and this new venture with the new, well-received restaurant is another step in that direction. We met with him one evening to learn more about his history and to help make one of their most popular menu items - the Rocky Balboa.

The Newport Beach community and visitors to the pier area will be privy soon to the delights of Dory Deli, a new delicatessen featuring a slew of sandwiches, salads, side dishes, coffee, and much more. The venture by well-known restaurateurs Mario Marovic and Andrew Gabriel (recently known for the successes of Hopscotch and Wild Goose Tavern about which we've done interviews) has come to fruition after several months and opens its doors tomorrow, January 26th, bright and early. Cornered up with the likes of Il Farro and Seaside Bakery, Dory Deli has a street-side facing entrance as well as a way to get in from the back. Their menu has been crafted by Executive Chef Chris Rubinstein and Sous Chef Giovanny Bolivar, two talents who have made an impressive and unique list of dishes of which many are vegan-friendly! We got to visit for a sneak peek of the space and the food. It is bound to make people happy.

The season of restaurant weeks is here! How cruel of the Chambers of Commerce (and other organizations) around Orange County to thrust the tempting siren songs of reduced-price menus upon us so soon after new year's resolutions are made to be healthier. They started as early as the second week of January with Irvine's run but what's starting tomorrow is Newport Beach's Restaurant Week. To make it even better, the vast selection for Dine Newport Beach is available for longer than the customary one week. Face the $10/$15/$20/$25 lunches and/or $20/$30/$40/$50 dinners for two whole weeks from January 19 to February 1 this year and decide on where to visit from a list of more than 60 participating restaurants. We took a gander at all of the menus that were posted up about the celebration and spotted quite an impressive number of steals. One of those that guarantee a bigger bang for your buck during these following two weeks is Great Maple Libations and Seasonal Plates which we were invited to visit and preview.

When a star-studded team starts conversations about coming together, you should listen. The buzz about SOCIAL's coming at the start of fall was warranted - names such as Andrew Dorsey, Jeffrey Boullt, and Mike West were associated with the concept. From the beginning, there were many expectations for the restaurant, and we're happy that after our visit, we believe that even those expectations have been surpassed. Duc and I were invited in one early evening to taste what SOCIAL had to offer, and we both left convinced that it is the restaurant the Costa Mesa (heck, Orange County!) needs not only for its communal atmosphere and excellent buildout but also the impressive food and drink.

Every season brings back the flavors and ingredients we've missed year-round, so it's always pleasant to see when restaurants rotate with the months. Fig & Olive at Fashion Island in Newport Beach is one of those places that highlights the colors and tastes of each season and has done so this fall with some autumnal inspirations. Executive Chef Pascal Lorange debuted the new menu items on October 7th but will continue to feature these beauties in the coming months, showcasing the flair of the French Riviera in his dishes and transforming some staples into more seasonally appropriate revisions. You better believe pumpkin is involved! I was invited in to taste some of the delights they have this season, and there was no disappointment here.

There seems no end to the expansion that Costa Mesa's restaurant scene has seen in the past year or two. The highly anticipated multimedia space of Boathouse Collective is the newest addition to the good vibes at the end of the 55, opening October 8th to much fanfare. Owner Clayton Peterson, Orange County native, has been in the space for 10 years with the grand goal of making it a venue for both great family-style food and undeniable art and music. Teaming up with Executive Chef Mathieu Royer (of Pizzeria Ortica, Hinoki and the Bird in Century City, and Morimoto in Napa Valley and trained under master sushi chef Gen Mizoguchi) easily put this venture on the map for guaranteed good food, and the locale had already made a name for itself as a hub of interactive industrial design. Why wouldn't there be excitement for its opening? Invited pre-opening, we were immediately smitten with the layout, use of reclaimed materials, and commitment to local, organic, and seasonal ingredients.

It is not often that one comes across a restaurant that serves Indian cuisine in a fine dining setting. Often presented cafeteria or buffet style in Orange County, Indian food is a stranger in these parts to the white cloth napkins and waiter service of other cuisines. I can name just a few approaching it this way, and one would be Tamarind of London. I had first heard of Tamarind when they won a Golden Foodie Award a few years ago and then seen them upon visiting Sweet & Saucy Shop in the Crystal Cover Promenade. A sister restaurant to the Tamarind of Mayfair in London, a Michelin-star restaurant, Tamarind of London follows the same philosophy to fuse together authenticity with accessibility. The menu is varied with strong focus on hitting multiple regions of India to demonstrate the diversity of the regions' styles. We were invited in one afternoon to get a glimpse at what this artfully decorated and laid-out restaurant was all about.

"When you take a bite of our sandwiches, we want you to be able to distinctively taste each ingredient which, when combined together, is also amazing." - Matt Meddock, Founder and Co-Owner

If you have been harboring a unique idea for a passion project for 6+ years, you should realize that it's something you really want to do. For Matt Meddock, founder and co-owner of newly opened Sessions Sandwiches, that concept floating in the back of his mind for years during his work in promotions for bars/restaurants/nightclubs and as a paramedic was to fill the void that southern California has when it comes to sandwiches. Never having owned a restaurant before in his life, Matt was trying to figure it out after selling his marketing company and while working a hectic paramedic's life; his thoughts kept returning to his sandwich chain idea and with some encouragement from his wife, he opened Sessions Sandwiches on the Newport Beach peninsula. We stopped in to get a taste of what turned out to be some of the best sandwiches we've ever had. Maybe he's onto something here...

As a general rule, I try to stay away from buffets because knowing myself, I will really attempt to have a little bit of everything. This fact about myself held true once coming upon Red O's brunch buffet one Sunday morning upon invitation. It was a sumptuous feast. An overflowing abundance. A varied multitude of tastes. Red O Restaurant at Fashion Island in Newport Beach has only begun to offer brunch in the recent weeks but the reception seems to be quite good considering how many seats quickly filled up around us. There are offerings both inside and outside for the empty stomachs on the weekend, and we tried our best to indulge in just about everything.