One of the biggest and most delicious events in Southern California has arrived. O.C. Restaurant Week will be held on March 3-9 with more than 100 popular restaurants serving a number of tasty treats. Participants have the opportunity to experience as many restaurants as they desire – enjoying discounted three-course meals with a beverage. Last year the event celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and it’s still expanding. Some notable restaurants that will be participating in O.C. Restaurant Week include Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine & Cocktails, Bluewater Grill, Catal Restaurant, Dory Deli and Juliette Kitchen and Bar.

17th Street Grill

Bluewater Grill will have a first course choice of clam chowder or a garden salad. Their second course options are the grilled salmon sandwich, beer battered fish and chips, seared ahi sandwich, angus burger or shrimp louie salad.

Catal Restaurant, which some Disney fans might be familiar with for its location on Disneyland Drive, will also have a wide variety of selections. Their offerings include a manchego salad, hanger steak and a choice between two gorgeous desserts – cheesecake and chocolate mousse cake.

If the food isn’t enough, members of the community may be intrigued to try out the drinks. Five Crowns has featured cocktails, including the Cowardly Lion. This consists of Maker’s Mark bourbon, allspice, walnut liqueur, fresh lemon and angostura bitters. Prime Cut Cafe will serve the Chocolate Cherry made up of Chambord and chocolate vodka.

Jennifer Simmons, the events, sales and marketing director of Andrei’s in Irvine, said they’ve crafted a special “Restaurant Week” menu that will be offered to the community. Some of Andrei’s choices include portobello steak fries, flank steak chilaquiles, Italian chicken panini and wild-caught lingcod with a delicious serving of black forest cheesecake or cinnamon apple turnovers for dessert.

Simmons explained how O.C. Restaurant Week is expanding every year and is becoming a bigger part of the community:

Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine

“I think now, as a county, everybody’s supporting this large restaurant week,” she said. “I think it’s an opportunity for people to come out and try restaurants they’ve never tried before. Our price-point is very approachable for people who want to come and try restaurants that they haven’t experienced.”

Simmons is looking forward to the event since it’s another chance for members of the community to experience the positive atmosphere of Andrei’s.

“It’s a great opportunity to meet new guests and share what we do here,” she said. “I’m very proud of our culinary team and what we provide to our guests. The ambiance in our restaurant is amazing and beautiful. Most people who come for the first time are really surprised by the fact that we are celebrating our 10th year because it’s so fresh and modern and has a wonderful look for a restaurant.”

Marketing coordinator Larissa Lenikoff said that the restaurant was made in homage to a cousin she lost who was all about healthy food.

“A lot of our menu items have the best ingredients you can find,” Lenikoff said. “We make sure we always cater to vegans and vegetarians. We always make sure the lingcod, our seafood, is the most sustainable we can find.”

Lenikoff also said that she’s looking forward to visits from new guests who are bound to have a great time and get a taste of what Andrei’s has to offer.

Agora Churrascaria

“We’re offering some of our main staples, to give a taste of our most popular items to people that have never been before,” she said. “For seafood, we have chosen the wild lingcod, which is a big hit for people who are particularly conscious about the seafood that they’re eating.”

Andrei’s is a non-profit restaurant. Simmons said the net profit goes to The Andrei Foundation, which was created to provide for organizations that the late Andrei Olenicoff supported. Some of these organizations are Foundation Fighting Blindness, Hoag Hospital Foundation and Blind Children’s Learning Center.

As Andrei’s prepares to celebrate its 10-year anniversary in July, there will be some other things to look forward to.

“So we’re going to be giving out some little freebies and discounts for future visits that are going to be rolled out over the following four months,” Lenikoff told us.

The price for lunch at Andrei’s during O.C. Restaurant Week is $20. The price for dinner is $40.

Here’s a full list of the Irvine restaurants participating in O.C. Restaurant Week:

  • Agora Churrascaria – 1830 Main Street, Irvine
  • Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine – 2607 Main St, Irvine
  • Angelina’s Pizzeria Napoletana – 8573 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine
  • Bistango – 19100 Von Karman Avenue, Irvine
  • Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen – 13126 Jamboree Rd, Irvine
  • Cucina Enoteca – 532 Spectrum Center Dr., Irvine
  • Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse – 18420 Von Karman Ave., Irvine
  • Del Frisco’s Grille – 772 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine
  • EATS Kitchen & Bar – 17900 Jamboree Rd, Irvine
  • EMC Seafood & Raw Bar – 14346 Culver Dr, Irvine
  • Eureka! – 4143 Campus Drive, Irvine
  • Heirloom Farmhouse Kitchen – 7905 Irvine Center Dr, Irvine
  • Il Fornaio – 18051 Von Karman Ave, Irvine
  • Kabuki Japanese Restaurant – 529 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine
  • Paul Martin’s American Grill – 534 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine
  • Puesto Los Olivos – 8577 Irvine Center Dr, Irvine
  • Puesto Park Place – 3311 Michelson Dr, Irvine
  • Ruth’s Chris Steak House – 2961 Michelson Dr, Irvine
  • Square One Pizza Cafe – 5789 Alton Pkwy, Irvine
  • Taco Rosa – 13792 Jamboree Road, Irvine
  • TAPS Fish House & Brewery – 13390 Jamboree Rd, Irvine
  • Texas de Brazil – 13772 Jamboree Rd, Irvine
  • The Melting Pot – 2646 Dupont Dr, Irvine
  • Twenty Eight – 19530 Jamboree Road, Irvine
  • Yard House – 620 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine

For more prices and food selections, visit ocrestaurantweek.com.

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