Blog

Give and You Will Receive
12.18.13
Stock up on holiday gift cards for friends and family at the following multi-location eateries. Each one comes with an added bonus for you.
The Counter
With every $25 gift card purchase, receive a $5 reward card. The Counter--the build-your-own burger joint—offers a $5 reward card (to be redeemed from 1/1/14 to 2/28/14) with every $25 gift card purchase. There are 35 locations in the United States and four international locations, with the newest being in Mountain View and San Diego Airport. For more information, visit thecounterburger.com.
Cheesecake Factory
Gift-givers can share the gift of cheesecake with everyone on their shopping list and receive a ‘Slice of Joy’ card valid for a complimentary slice of cheesecake with every $25 gift card purchased from Nov. 29 – Dec. 31. Gift cards are available for purchase at all restaurant locations and an ‘eGift Card’ can be purchased and sent online at TheCheesecakeFactory.com. The “slice of joy” cards are redeemable on a future visit from Jan. 1 – Mar. 30, 2014.
King’s Fish House
Purchase $100 worth of gift cards, and receive a $20 bonus card for use at King’s Fish House or any other King’s Seafood Company restaurant. King’s Fish House locations throughout Southern California, Nevada, and Arizona, along with any King’s Seafood Company restaurant (555 Long Beach, Fish Camp, Water Grill Downtown LA, Water Grill Santa Monica, Lou & Mickey’s in San Diego, and PierBurger in Santa Monica).
Marie Callender’s
For every $25 gift card purchase, receive a $5 bonus card, redeemable from Jan. 1 - 31, 2014. Marie Callender’s is also offering a Christmas dinner or take home feasts with something for everyone. Choose from five special holiday entrées including: freshly roasted turkey, oven-baked ham, home-style beef stroganoff, Mediterranean salmon, or oven-roasted vegetable pasta. Each entrée includes soup or salad, and is perfect with Marie’s famous apple pie. Find Marie Callender’s locations at mariecallenders.com
Mimi’s Café
With every $25 gift card purchase, receive a $5 coupon. The French-inspired neighborhood bistros is known for its breakfasts, lunches and dinners, friendly service and charming décor. The holiday gift card offer is only available at Mimi’s Cafe restaurant locations and is not available for purchases made online.
Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill
With every $50 gift card purchase, receive a $10 complimentary card that can be used in the first quarter of 2014. Restrictions apply: The complimentary card can be used only Monday-Thursday from January 2-March 31, 2014; Only one per person per day can be used; Not valid on holidays. Purchase gift cards in store or online at woodranch.com.
Dining

Let’s GO! Red O
12.17.13
Orange County already boasts its fair share of sophisticated Mexican cuisine from the likes of non-TV celeb chefs such as Chef Carlos Salgado at Taco Maria at SoCo; Chef Deborah Schneider at Sol Cocina in Newport Beach and Solita Tacos and Margaritas opening Dec. 26 at Bella Terra in Huntington Beach; and Chef Gabbi Patrick's at Gabbi’s Mexican Kitchen in Old Towne Orange. Not to mention the machine at Javier’s that’s hands down the best people watching scene in Orange County.
And now, celeb Chef Rick Bayless, most known for PBS’ “Mexico One Plate at a Time” and Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” just opened the upscale Red O Restaurant at Fashion Island, following the success of his Red O on Melrose in Los Angeles.
At Red O, Bayless is showcasing sophisticated Oaxacan influenced cuisine with locally-sourced seasonal ingredients, and the ambience couldn’t be more fantastic thanks to award-winning Los Angeles based interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard who went all out with a European design mixed with traditional Mexican inspirations.
You don’t want to miss our favorite guacamole tasting with pomegranate-walnut, classic guacomole, macha, and yuzu Guacamole with shishito peppers served with fried sweet plantains; or the delicious corn and goat cheese tamales, and braised short rib enchiladas with red guajillo chile sauce, melted Sonoma Jack cheese, black beans, frisee, and watercress.
Bayless is offering signature dishes, as well as exclusive dishes only available at Red O Fashion Island. Choose from hand-crafted tortas, griddle-baked Mexican sandwiches made with fillings such as beer-braised beef short ribs, chipotle chicken, garlicky shrimp and goat cheese; and a lollipop kale salad with avocado, cucumber, ruby red grapefruit, pomegranate seeds, toasted panko, and orange-habanero vinaigrette.
Other menu highlights include Yucatecan shrimp and calamari ceviche, sweet plantain sopes, Sonoma duck taquitos with pork belly sopes, scallops in verde, salmon in serrano crema, and lobster jicama tacos. Classic desserts get a Mexican twist such as creamy goat cheese cheesecake with caramel corn and Mexican “root beer” sauce.
Tequila enthusiasts will appreciate Bayless’ hand select list of 100 unique tequilas, and Red O manages an extensive list of more than 400 international wines and pairings, specialty beers and seasonal cocktails. Have a question? Red O offers an expertly trained staff of sommeliers to help you.
Open daily for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Lounge and bar open until 1 a.m. nightly
Red O Restaurant is at 143 Newport Center Drive in Newport Beach. 949.718.0300.
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from the blog
- 09.16.26 – Willem Dafoe to Headline “The Process Unlocked” Premiere at Newport Beach Film Festival
- 09.15.26 – Broken Yolk Café Dishes Up Hope for OC Kids This Holiday Season
- 09.14.26 – Inside My Ritual Diaries
- 09.09.26 – Levain’s Black & White Weekend Comes to Orange County for the First Time
- 09.09.26 – LAWineFest Marks 21 Years With a New Home at the LA Equestrian Center
- 09.02.26 – Newport Dunes Celebrates Labor Day Weekend With Live Music, Beach Movies and Waterfront Fun
- 09.02.26 – Pacific Symphony Opens New Era with Joshua Bell, Celebrates Shelley’s First Season
- 08.30.26 – VOX Kitchen Brings Modern Chifa Flavor to Aliso Viejo
- 08.29.26 – Outpost Kitchen Refreshes Menu for National Better Breakfast Month
- 08.29.26 – Blind Boys of Alabama Bring Seven Decades of Gospel to Musco Center
- 08.26.26 – Chef Turned Author Launches New Thriller Series
- 08.25.26 – Landers Supply House Celebrates Grand Opening at The LAB Anti-Mall
- 08.24.26 – Sushi Roku Debuts New Small Plates and Signature Sushi
- 08.23.26 – Cozy Earth’s Biggest Sale Comes to Corona del Mar
- 08.23.26 – Marriott Irvine Spectrum Offers Shuttle Pass for Daisy Chain Fields Festival
- 08.20.26 – Europa Village Unveils Lucia at the Cave, a New Wine Cave Cocktail Lounge
- 08.20.26 – Mercado González Brings Mexican Marketplace Experience to La Habra
- 08.20.26 – Righteous Brothers to Headline Charity Concerts at Lido Theater
- 08.17.26 – Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Returns to Segerstrom Center for the Arts
- 08.17.26 – Habana Turns the Lights Down for Weekly Candlelight Dinners
More Daily Doses
- 09.16.26 – Newport Beach Film Festival Turns 27, and the Lineup Is Stacked
- 09.15.26 – Purrs in Paradise Opens Its Doors at The CAMP
- 09.14.26 – Katella Commons Adds Five More Reasons to Get Hungry at OCVIBE
- 09.13.26 – Musco Center Celebrates 10th Anniversary Jubilee! With a Decade of Its Own Talent
- 09.09.26 – Maleza Brings Modern Mexican Flavor and Mezcal to The CAMP in Costa Mesa
- 08.30.26 – Zov’s Mediterranean Restaurant Set to Open on 17th Street in Costa Mesa
- 08.29.26 – Sweet Arrival: Levain Bakery Opens First Orange County Location at Fashion Island
- 08.26.26 – OCAPICA’s Tastemakers of Orange County Celebrates 10 Years of Community-Driven Cuisine
- 08.24.26 – Telefèric Barcelona Brings Spanish Flavor to Fashion Island
- 08.20.26 – Pacific Wine & Food Classic Returns to Newport Beach in September
- 08.18.26 – Dream Glow Festival Returns to Celebrate the Beauty of Chinese Culture
- 08.13.26 – Z SUPPLY Pops Up at Lido Marina Village With New Denim Collection
- 08.11.26 – Inside Eichholtz’s New SOCO Showroom
- 08.10.26 – Good Together House: Laguna Beach’s Home for the Extraordinary and Unexpected
- 08.06.26 – Kei Concepts Expands ROL Hand Roll Bar with New La Habra Location
- 08.04.26 – Anaheim’s Sixth Annual World Taste Returns to the Packing District
- 08.02.26 – ‘Gala of the Stars’ Returns to Segerstrom for 17th Year
- 07.24.26 – LJ’s Lounge Brings Soul-Infused Dining and Music to Triangle Square
- 07.19.26 – Inside Reecess, Newport Beach’s New Wellness Destination
- 07.14.26 – Life Time Opens Resort-Style Athletic Club in Brea
