The Ritz Prime Seafood Restaurant Re-Opens 10/12!

The Ritz Prime Seafood Restaurant will re-open it's doors on the Newport Beach Waterfront to the public on the evening of Monday October 12, 2015 to reveal the revamped, "Ritz" with an evolved fine dining experience, while still honoring the history and the original Ritz. Guests can enjoy an artfully curated menu including fresh selections from the raw bar, including oysters, seafood, and a large scale cocktail bar.

While dining during a rehearsal dinner service at the Ritz Prime with Vincent last week, we were taken back by the impeccable plating as well as the marriage of flavors in each dish. We also were enraptured with the design elements of the restaurant and harbor view; the bossa nova-style music playing in the background created an almost romantic and mysterious ambiance. We heard that the new design and dining experience is quite the departure from the previous 'Ritz Restaurant' which offered a traditional supper-club feel. We really enjoyed taken every bit of the restaurant in, and had the best time.

My suggestions would be the Pork Belly Confit (it literally melts in your mouth), Red Miso Cod, and the Perfect Storm Cocktail. The restaurant will also offer a Champagne Bar, Bloody Mary Bar Cart manned by a master mixologist during weekend brunch service, therefore, I most definitely have to come back to experience brunch. Come into the The Ritz Prime Seafood to experience a elegant and modern place, where innovative and classic food gastronomy and drink and cocktail mixology converge.

The Ritz Prime Seafood Grand Opens October 12, 2015:
Dinner nightly Sunday-Wednesday 5pm-10pm, Thursday-Saturday 5pm-11pm
Weekend Brunch on Saturday-Sunday 10am-3pm
Happy Hour will be offered Monday-Friday 5pm-7pm
The Ritz Prime Seafood 2801 West Coast Highway, Newport Beach CA 92663
Make Reservations: 949-720-1800
Valet Only (Cash, $6 as of 10/7 and is subject to change) You can try to find street (metered) parking on the street

Custom Poki Bowls in Orange County - Pokinometry, Anahiem

If you love poke/poki, you're going to love this restaurant concept. My friend Jen took me to Pokinometry in Downtown Anaheim for the first time the other day. Poki originates from Hawaii and means to "section" or "to slice or cut", hence the cut cubes and slices of seafood. Poki is made from a variety of fish such as Tuna, Salmon, Shrimp, and Octopus; Pokinometry allows you to customize your very own bowl of poki. With an assembly line, the customer selects the size and type of bowl/base (white or brown rice, salad, chips, or wrap), the first layer (crab meat, avocado, cucumber or onion), type of fish, sauce (many levels of spicyness), and the last layer of garnish (masago, green onion, ginger, wasabi, sesame seeds, seaweed).
The server was generous with the masago on my bowl (one scoop was enough for me), but Jen wanted a bit more, or a larger scoop, and they got a little uptight for it; it's just an extra charge, but they made it seem like she couldn't get more masago. Regardless, our bowls tasted delicious. I had albacore tuna over white rice because I wanted to get full, Jen got a salad bowl which tends to not fill you up as fast. I definitely want to try a poki over chips next time!

Anaheim Location
184 South Harbor Blvd
Anaheim, CA 92805
(657) 208-3488

Hours:
Monday-Friday 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
Saturday-Sunday 11:30 am - 8:30 pm

Parking: Street, Structure Garage, City Lots; it's a bit tough depending on the day/time you go. We went on a Sunday around 6:30pm and we barely got a street spot a couple blocks away. There are also structure garages in the area, but you most likely need to pay by the hour or ever 15 minutes. Check out the Downtown Anaheim website for more info on parking.

Diama Sparkle Brunch at San Antonio Winery, Los Angeles

Alyssa invited me to come along with her to a Diama Sparkle brunch at the San Antonio Winery in Los Angeles last week. Diama Sparkle, a sparking Prosecco and extra dry Ros� duo, is the newest member of the San Antonio Winery family which already houses a total of 18 brands, one of my favorites being Stella Rosa.

I along with other bloggers were welcomed to enjoy and experience this new sparkling wine selection, showcased in its' signature 'diamond' cut bottle (that can not be replicated), before it hits the market. The Prosecco has bose pear, yellow apple, and lemon flavors and the Ros� has red berries, crisp citrus, and fragrant flowers flavors.

While sipping on mimosas, we were taken on a tour of the winery by the Marketing Director Dante, who is also a 4th generation member of the San Antonio Winery family. After the tour, the bloggers were seated for a special brunch. Each table setting included an amazing customized drawing by Lidia Luna and a mini bottle of Diama Sparkle Prosecco. Check out our menu:

Small Bites
Crostini, Bruschetta, Shrimp Cocktail

Entrees
Peach & Tomato Salad, Mushroom Ravioli, Short Rib

Sweets
Tiramisu, Poached Pear

Shop Diama Sparkle here, and visit the San Antonio Winery for a wine tasting, tour or to dine at their restaurant!

737 Lamar St
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 223-1401
info@sanantoniowinery.com

Dinner at nFuse Kitchen + Bar, Anaheim Marriott

I had the wonderful opportunity of getting to bring together blogger babes to experience the Anaheim Marriott's recent renovation which included the creation of nFuse Kitchen + Bar. I turned this dinner into a 27th birthday extravaganza with a cactus theme (which was inspired by my trip to Arizona). I made clay cactus holders and place cards with Cassydy (she also provided the pretty cacti and succulent plants that were the center pieces and each guest got to take one home) and Jen did the calligraphy for the artwork on the walls. nFuse Kitchen + bar spoiled us with signature cocktails and an exhilarating dinner menu which I included below, as well, Stax Cookie Bar provided various flavors of ice cream sandwiches for dessert. Thank you to Shawna for capturing the evening through these photos, to Blaze PR for coordinating the dinner and to the sponsors that provided goodies to each blogger:
ZeroUV
Baroni Jewelry
Bel Fiore
Voluspa
Sleekhair
Kouture Tattoos
Conway Grooming via Holiday Salon

Our nFuse Kitchen + Menu

Appetizers
-House Chips: Maldon Sea Salt & Warm Manchego Cheese Dip
-Sriracha Shrimp: crispy, sweet hint of heat
-Ahi Tower: avocado tower, mango, wasabi, aioli, citrus soy, wonton crisps
-Laura Chenel Goat Cheese: infused with anaheim chili jam, artisan bread
-Hummus: naan bread, babe farms vegetables

 Salads:
-Organic Roasted Beet Salad: heirloom tomato, fennel, green beans, cucumber, pistachio nuts, lemon oil, maldon sea salt
-Kale Chopped Salad: babe farms greens, sweet corn, red & green peppers, tomato, apple, maytag blue cheese, pumpkin seeds, vinaigrette

Starters:
-Crispy Brussels sprouts: house bacon
-Lobster mac & cheese: enough said

Entrees:
-Rigatoni: house made red sauce, spicy fennel sausage, broccolini, parmigiano reggiano
-Chilean Sea Bass: pan seared, citrus vinaigrette
-All natural roasted half chicken: fresh herbs, butter, pan drippings  

Visit nFuse to have a drink, amazing food, and experience live music whether you're staying at the Anaheim Marriot, are attending a convention or event at the nearby convention center, coming back from Disneyland, or just want to check out a cool, contemporary dining space. 

700 West Convention Way Anaheim, CA 92629
(714) 750-8000
Hours: Monday-Sunday 6:30am-12:30am
Parking: Valet
More about nFuse:
As part of the renovation, Anaheim Marriott created the nFuse Bar & Kitchen, a comfortably modern bar, social lounge and restaurant for business or social gatherings. Designed and inspired by Marriott Hotels� Great Room concept, nFuse offers a variety of unique seating options and spaces that welcomes individuals and large groups alike. For more intimate conversations, guests can grab a seat in the stylishly appointed social lounge with diverse musical playlists and interesting video imagery. nFuse Bar & Kitchen menus are designed for sharing, celebrating California cuisine while drawing inspiration from around the globe. nFuse guests can get a daily dose of vitamin D or sit by the firepit at night on the hotel�s dining deck.

nFuse Bar and Kitchen features top shelf wines and spirits, perfectly aged bourbons and twenty-four beers on tap including a wide variety of premier California craft microbrews. Its expert mixology team can also handcraft a cocktail from house made infused syrups, freshly squeezed juices and artfully prepared with the best local and seasonal produce.