2015 Orange County Restaurant Week Review

Michael Hepworth

By Kay Schroeder

Costa Mesa,CA(Perfect Meal Today)1/15/15/–All five senses were engaged as guests entered the sleek, well appointed Sub-Zero and Wolf showroom in Costa Mesa on January 13 for the seventh annual “2015 Orange County Restaurant Week” celebration.

There was vibrancy in the room as chefs worked deftly in the open kitchen preparing an impressive variety of hors d’oeuvres and small plate items. Each beautifully crafted concoction reflected the chef’s innovative design and perfect execution in preparation.

One cleverly constructed savory tower was a Tater Tot base topped with spicy tuna. Other items included two-inch square lobster sandwiches, baked potstickers with Chimichurri sauce, tuna sushi, octopus carpacchio, and cucumber carpacchio.

An excellent pairing of sweet with savory was accomplished in the cookie topped with jam, Mascarpone cheese, cherries, herbs and pistachio nuts.

To complement the food, guests were invited to sample a variety of white and red wines. The pinot noir I sampled was excellent.

For those with a sweet tooth, Casey’s Cupcakes offered vanilla cream anglaise cupcakes complete with white chocolate angel wings and golden halo. The Valenza Chololatier chocolate bon bons imbued with 23-carat gold were as decadently delicious as they were opulent.

The 2015 Orange County Restaurant Week events feature Sunday March 1 through Saturday March 7 lunch for $10, $15, or $20; dinner for $20, $30, $40, or $50 depending on menu and restaurant.