 Openings
The Catch restaurant has reopened after its relocation to the ground floor of Avalon Anaheim Stadium Center. This local landmark boasts loads of baseball memorabilia, as well as fresh seafood, 28-day aged steaks, signature tableside preparations, gourmet burgers and 20 craft beers. The Catch is open daily for lunch and dinner.
Chef Don Schoenburg, who formerly cooked for Leatherby's Café Rouge, has opened his own restaurant. The Lido Deck (formerly Blanca) is located along Newport's Via Oporto (right off Via Lido) and features Schoenburg's highly flavorful Euro-Cali cuisine with an emphasis on seafood, wild game and other delicacies like foie gras, duck confit and rare cheeses. Pastry chef Christi Carter brings her elegant, yet rustic desserts to The Lido Deck. The bar menu is equally sumptuous and reasonably-priced at happy hour. Lunch & Dinner Tue.-Sun. Lido Deck, 3420 Via Oporto, Newport Beach, CA 92660, 949-673-9500.
The Pleasant Peasant, which was run for several decades by husband-and-wife team Laurent and Lisa Ferre, has closed. Fortunately for this oft-overlooked location, longtime Antonello Ristorante chef Franco Barone and his wife Donatella have taken over its ownership. Il Barone Ristorante will open in mid-January for both lunch and dinner. Barone says the menu at this 70-seat, bistro-style eatery will feature homemade Southern Italian dishes. Il Barone Ristorante, 4251 Martingale Way, Newport Beach, CA 92660, no phone.
Francoli Gourmet, a Northern Italian-style restaurant, deli, wine store and gift shop, is relocating from its Fashion Island location to Old Towne Orange (100 S. Glassell St.). L.A.'s acclaimed Italian chef Celestino Drago is taking over Francoli's Fashion Island space with Osteria Drago, a Napoli-inspired restaurant offering wood-baked pizzas and family-style dishes to be shared with the entire table. Francoli Gourmet, 100 S. Glassell St., Orange, CA 92866, 949-721-1289.
News
Bytes
Win a $20,000 Wedding Reception
Anaheim White House is giving away a wedding reception for up to 100 guests (worth $20,000) at the restaurant's new 1,800-sq. ft. West Wing event center. To win, make a dinner reservation between February 12-16 and mention that you want to enter the contest. Wedding Reception Contest, 887 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92805, 714-772-1381.
Cocoa Lounge Returns for February
A room filled entirely with chocolate desserts is available throughout the month of February. Pastry Chef Michael Owens of Palm Terrace restaurant at the Island Hotel Newport Beach creates a seemingly endless array of scrumptious treats to celebrate Valentine's month. The cost is $18 per person (complimentary with a two-or-more course dinner at Palm Terrace). Palm Terrace, The Island Hotel Newport Beach, 690 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, CA 92660, 949-760-4920.
Dungeness Crab at The Balboa Bay Club & Resort
On Friday and Saturday evenings in February, The Balboa Bay Club & Resort's First Cabin restaurant is offering half-pounds of Dungeness crab on ice with cole slaw and cocktail sauces for $28.50 (tax and gratuity exclusive). First Cabin, The Balboa Bay Club & Resort, 1221 W. Coast Hwy., Newport Beach, CA 92663, 949-645-5000.
Sol Cocina Celebrates Weekend Brunch & Happy Hour
Sol Cocina is now serving up brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The weekend brunch features special cocktails and dishes like crab and shrimp cakes "benedicto," which features two crisp-fried crab and shrimp cakes topped with poached eggs, chipotle-orange hollandaise sauce, bacon and avocado. Plus, Sol is also offering happy hour from 3 p.m.-6 p.m. daily with specially-priced drinks ($5 house margaritas) and appetizers (two street tacos for $4). Sol Cocina, 251 E. Coast Hwy., Newport Beach, CA 92660, 949-675-9800.
Cha Cha's Hosts Weekend Brunch
Cha Cha's Tacos & Tequilas in Downtown Brea is now offering a bottomless mimosas brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. The à la carte menu features favorites from the lunch and dinner menu plus breakfast items like wood-fired baked eggs with fresh chorizo, Yukon Gold potatoes and Mexican cheeses. The housemade mimosas come in several flavors like mango, desert pear and hibiscus with elder flower. Live flamenco band Rumba Tres performs on Sundays. Cha Cha's Brunch, Downtown Brea, 110 W. Birch St., Brea, CA 92821, 714-255-1040.
Chef
Shuffle
The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast has announced a new chef for its Andrea restaurant. Italy native Stefano Chiarugi now heads the kitchens and brings his classic Tuscan cooking to Andrea and its ocean view dining room. Chiarugi has formerly cooked at such prestigious restaurants as Switch at Encore Las Vegas, Bellagio's Osteria Del Circo and New York City's Le Cirque. Andrea has recently partnered with farmers from The Irvine Ranch to source seasonal fruits and produce for special weekly dishes. Andrea, The Resort at Pelican Hill, 22701 Pelican Hill Rd. S., Newport Coast, CA 92657, 949-467-6800.
Closings
Maki Maki, a Japanese restaurant at Irvine Spectrum Center, has closed. Owner Simon Sungheok Hong and his wife Katie Kyanghee Shinn were arraigned recently on insurance fraud and tax evasion charges. The couple also closed their Maki Maki restaurant in Rancho Mirage. Maki Maki Closes, Irvine Spectrum Center, 71 Fortune Dr., Irvine, CA 92618, no phone.
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Set the mood for love by reserving a table at one of the Best Romantic Restaurants near you, or view our list of Valentines Restaurants in your area that will show you where to find restaurants offering unique menus just for February 14. Also, see who sets the standard for seductive dining across the country with our Top 10 Romantic Restaurants in the U.S. list.
