Greer's OC | The latest in Orange County fashion, dining, and trends.

Holiday Dining in Style at South Coast Plaza

By Greer Wylder

December 20, 2021

South Coast Plaza is all dressed up and sparkling for the holidays! And, several restaurants are planning special holiday menus and treats.Dine Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Morton’s The SteakhouseGo out on the town for Christmas dinner at Morton’s! Enjoy the three-course Chateaubriand menu or your favorite Morton’s signature steak. $179 for two, excluding tax & gratuity.Start the celebration with Morton’s specialty cocktail, Sparkling Holly—Duckhorn Decoy sparkling wine with a touch of crème de cassis, house-made cranberry syrup, and garnished with snowcapped cranberries.First course is a winter salad of mixed field greens, spiced walnuts, blue cheese crumbles, and creamy…

Christmas Dumplings at Paradise Dynasty

By Greer Wylder

December 17, 2021

Dumpling lovers can get into the holiday spirit with a basket of red & green xiao long bao aka juicy soup dumplings at Paradise Dynasty. These colorful dumplings get their vibrant hues from all-natural ingredients such as beet juice and spinach juice and they aren't purely for show, they represent different unique flavors, too. The red dumplings yield a Szechuan flavor, with Kurobuta pork and hints of tongue-tingling Szechuan peppercorn spices. The green dumplings are filled with small-diced luffa gourd with Kurobuta pork -- (psst, luffa gourd is a type of squash related to the cucumber). These seasonal dumplings will be…

Burnt Crumbs Holiday Souffle Pancakes

By Greer Wylder

December 17, 2021

Chef-owner Paul Cao of Burnt Crumbs is back at it with a new special holiday flavor of his famously fluffy souffle pancakes: PEPPERMINT OREO! A stack of the chef's signature jiggly pancakes are blanketed with Oreo whip + crushed candy canes and a drizzle of chocolate and paired with a scoop of Peppermint Oreo ice cream from locally-beloved ice cream shop Han's Homemade. Warm cloud-like pancakes with crushed Oreos + cold minty ice cream? Yes, please. The souffle pancakes are only available at the Irvine location of Burnt Crumbs at Los Olivos Shopping Center, 8549 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine.

Newport Beach-Based Chef & Baker’s Special Christmas Panettone

By Greer Wylder

December 15, 2021

Newport Beach-based chef and baker Kaustubh Mahamuni is baking up Panettone (traditional, Raspberry Dark Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Raspberry, and Mini Sourdough Panettone) that make a wonderful gift for family and friends. Panettone is baked the traditional Italian way - with naturally leavened sourdough packed with candied lemon, orange, and ginger, raisins, and walnuts. This sweet cake-like bread is rich and buttery, a scrumptious start to your day!Each Panettone has a shelf life of 3 weeks, contains no preservatives, and comes in a custom-designed box. Order online at any time at cheftrustme.com to reserve your favorite Panettone, or reach out to order…

Seasonal Tamales and Pozole Return to Miguel’s Jr. for the Holidays

By Greer Wylder

December 10, 2021

Miguel’s Jr. welcomes back its famous tamales and heartwarming pozole to celebrate the holiday season. Founder and Chief Recipe Officer Mary Vasquez’s tamales and homemade pozole will be on the winter menu through December 31, and tamales will be available for online pre-order by the dozen, while supplies last.“Growing up in Central Mexico, the holidays were always a special time for me,” said Mary Vasquez, Founder and Chief Recipe Officer of Miguel’s Jr. “I relished in the comfort of the kitchen, the art of hand-rolling masa for our tamales packed with flavor and love, and the magic of the perfect…