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

Nitrogen Ice Cream at Scoops n Scoops in Irvine

I had the wonderful opportunity of getting to taste a variety of frozen sweet treats from the recently opened Scoops n Scoops in Irvine, CA. The ice cream is made from all natural ingredients (available in dairy and non dairy bases) and turned from a base into ice cream with liquid nitrogen right in front of you. Read more about my experience here, and take advantage of these promotions:

Limited Time Creation: the Strawberry Banana Fudge Sundae - available until August 30, 2015.
Fresh Strawberries (bottom), Vanilla Ice cream (middle), fresh bananas (top), topped with whip cream and chocolate fudge. This Creation is not on the normal menu and is only available for a limited time!

Back to School Promotion:  If you visit Scoops N Scoops from now until August 30, 2015 and whisper, "School's Cool" receive a BOGO special, buy one and get one Creation for FREE. All students are welcome to come in and enjoy this Back To School Offer.

14411 Culver Dr, Irvine CA 92606
Phone: 949-786-0170
Hours:
Sun - Thurs: 12pm - 11pm
Fri - Sat: 12pm - 11pm

Project Juice's Raw Food, Smoothies, & Juices

Kimberly and I attended a tasting of Project Juice's food, juice, and smoothie menu in Laguna Beach last Thursday. We had the greatest time tasting the menu offerings, and as I can be a juice fanatic, I was excited to not only taste Project Juice's cold pressed juices (for the first time), but also a few raw food plates. Kimberly and I first started with the Watermelon Berry Juice with a splash of champagne, and we were immediately hooked; the juice is the perfect summer thirst quencher and loaded with antioxidants. While sipping on our watermelon berry juice, we tasted the:

Kelp Noodle Pad Thai - Marinated kelp noodles, purple cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper, lime, green onions, and Thai almond sauce. (Contains Soy, Coconut, & Tree Nuts)

I really liked this dish because the kelp noodles almost had a glass noodle consistency which I'm used to eating in various Vietnamese soups. The sauce and other ingredients attributed to the flavors of a pad thai dish, which was all very delicious. I definitely licked my plate clean.

Spiced Lentil Wrap - Raw sprouted wrap, spiced lentils, cashew-turmeric aioli, spinach, green cabbage, carrot, and ume pickled onion. (Contains Cashews) 

I liked how the wrap itself was made from a selection of veggie sprouts and it served alright as a tortilla wrap, the veggies mostly stayed in the wrap. Collectively, all of the ingredients tasted more like separate vegetables instead of the flavors working together; maybe the ingredients just needed to be mixed together a bit more? It also came with a side of the Superfood Falafel Salad - Romaine, kale, cherry tomatoes, Persian cucumber, chickpeas, red onions, parsley, hemp seed, sesame seed falafel, and lemon tahini dressing. (Contains Tree Nuts, Sesame Seeds, & Coconut).

Coconut Cashew Cr�pe Dehydrated coconut wrap, cashew cream, and fresh seasonal fruit. (Contains Coconut & Cashew) 

I was pleasantly surprised at the consistency of the crepes and how it tasted. Although I couldn't eat this crepe with whipped cream, I think that the cashew cream served as a comparable substitute. You won't get the light, fluffy creamy texture like cream, but you do get a creamy texture; it almost reminded me of an applesauce if it was more of a paste consistency. It worked well with the dehydrated coconut wrap and fresh fruit.

I also got to taste two smoothies, the:

AB&J - House-Made Almond Mylk, Raw Coconut Meat, Banana, Raw Almond Butter, Dates and Layered with House-Made Super Berry Chia Jam. 

This smoothie straight up blew my booties off. I loved the almond butter mixed with the sweet jam taste; it was just so dang good! And it didn't taste too thick; all the flavors worked together quite well.

Sunset Beach - Cold-Pressed Orange Juice, House-Made Almond Mylk, Cold-Pressed Carrot Juice, Cold-Pressed Carrot Juice, Cold-Pressed Turmeric Juice, Cold-Pressed Ginger Juice, Mangoes, Pineapples, Strawberries. 

This is the perfect summer day smoothie(or any day), it's like a tropical oasis was blended together and this is what you got. It's very refreshing and has all my favorite fruits and juices. 

Read more about Project Juice's story here, and check out the other in-store offerings and cold pressed juices!

Brunch at Michael's Pizzeria in Downtown Long Beach

I got to enjoy a heavenly Sunday brunch at Michael's Pizzeria in Downtown Long Beach last weekend. Curated by Chris, the general manager, I was taken through a journey of indulgent breakfast dishes, Napoli-style pizzas, and desserts. The mozzarella is made daily, all the pizzas are wood-fired and made of the freshest and tastiest ingredients that are either made in-house or at the Working Class Kitchen with no artificial coloring or flavoring. What stood out for me during the tasting was the quality taste of all the ingredients used in each dish. Read more about each dish that I tasted by scrolling through, and visit Michael's Pizzeria in Downtown Long Beach for weekend brunch on Saturday 11:30a-2:30p or Sunday 10:30a-2:30p; enjoy $3 mimosas, delicious food that not only feeds your tummy but your soul (at a great price point), and live music.

Michael's Pizzeria - Downtown Promenade in Long Beach
210 E 3rd St
Long Beach, CA 90802
562-491-2100

Regular Hours (Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays)
Mon-Thu: 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
Fri-Sat: 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
Sun: 10:30 am - 10:00 pm
Parking: Metered Street Parking, Public Parking Lots and Structures. The Public Structure across from Michael's Pizzeria on 3rd St next to the Harvey Milk Park provides 2 hours of free parking.

French Brioche Toast - Served with strawberries and cream or Nutella

This was the best French Brioche Toast I ever tasted. I usually don't eat french toast because it is dense, but this french toast was very moist on the inside with the perfect amount of egg; and with the brioche bread created an almost bread pudding consistency. The homemade strawberry jam was on another level and perfectly complemented the cream and french brioche toast. It wasn't messy to eat, and can easily be shared amongst 2-4 people. A MUST when visiting Michael's Pizzeria.

Guanciale Pizza - Working Class Kitchen guanciale (pork cheek), mozzarella, goat cheese, stone fruit, and honey

I've had sweet, savory pizzas before, but this has to take the cake on balancing the goat cheese and meat flavors with the sweetness of the peach and apricot slices. With the variety of fruit, the sweet flavors don't become redundant while eating, and along with honey drizzle, are also not overly sweet. If you are feeling adventurous and want to try a pizza other than margherita or all meat pizza, this one is for you. 

Porchetta Pizza - Pesto, smoked mozzarella, roasted peppers, and Working Class Kitchen porchetta

The porchetta pizza was very hearty (but not overwhelming) with the melted, smoked mozzarella, peppers and porchetta and I enjoyed the flavors combined with the pesto (I've never had a pesto pizza before). The cheese is concentrated in specific places on the pizza, so if you like more cheese distribution, this one isn't for you.

Margherita Pizza - Tomato, mozzarella, basil, and extra virgin olive oil

This has to be one of the best Margherita pizzas I've ever eaten. All the ingredients are cooked just right and proportionate to each other, so I'm not eating too much sauce or too much cheese.  A classic, and done very well.

Lasagna Napoletana - White pasta layered with mozzarella, meat sauce, and Parmesan

Holy cow, now this is a Lasagna. I enjoyed it so much I wanted to eat it all, but had to save some room for dessert. It just tastes homemade, but the presentation, especially in the cast iron, is impeccable. All the ingredients and flavors don't get lost, you taste each pasta layer perfectly balanced by the mozzarella and meat sauce. Aside from the French Brioche Toast, this is a favorite dish!

Fiori Di Zucca - Ricotta stuffed squash blossoms with basil honey pesto

A seasonal dish, these crispy squash blossoms were surprisingly delightful. I was thinking the Ricotta might be a mouth full, but the creaminess of the cheese is balanced by the basil honey pesto, and the outside shell adds the perfect crunch.

Dessert - Tiramisu, Salted Caramel and Mint Chocolate Gelato

I don't know how I made it to dessert, but I'm glad I did. The tiramisu is light in texture and taste, but also has more coffee flavors than the overwhelming rum flavors. The Salted Caramel gelato perfectly encapsulated the salty and caramel flavors, but the Mint Chocolate gelato is the winner. It tasted exactly as if the mint had been plucked from a garden and was complementary to the ribbons of chocolate within the creaminess of the gelato.