Fun By the Dozen: OC Restaurants

I, like most people get in a food rut from time-to-time, dine at my favorite go-to restaurants, and order tried-and-true dishes. I decided this was way too boring, as comfort food or ‘comfort cuisine’ need not be boring in Orange County, with a fabulous menu of dining options to be discovered.

On the casual end of the dining spectrum are the be food trucks. However, today’s gourmet food trucks bring a new flavor to the old food truck concepts your grandparents might remember. One of the best places to catch this new craze is at the Orange County Fairgrounds, as these gourmet meals on wheels roll in on a weekly basis. With popular wheeled eateries like The Grilled Cheese Truck, Adobo Express, California Grill Truck, Tamarindo, Baconmania, Crepes Bonaparte, Brats Berlin, Chunk N Chip, and The Burnt Truck, it is the perfect place to uncover a new comfort food or break bread a over a fresh taste sensation.

With 70 percent of OC's days bringing sunny skies, why not get a little extra vitamin D as you enjoy a meal? Dine alfresco in some unforgettable spots. I love Catal at Downtown Disney District. The upstairs patio wraps around the restaurant and provides a birds-eye-view of this bustling themed entertainment district. Mediterranean flavor is introduced throughout their menu selections; however, I love the compressed salad- the presentation of these eclectic greens is as impressive as their taste. As the golden light of dusk washes over Catal’s outside bar area, the party lights turn on and seem to set the table for a perfect magical moment.

For breathtaking panoramic views of Orange County, try the patio at the Orange Hill. Here you can enjoy great selections of wine and cozy up to one of the many fire pits as you watch the sunset over the nearby Orange Hills. Dotted with native plants, these rustic hills give the environment a very early-California vibe. If you decide to stay for dinner one of my favorite dishes is the melt-in-your-mouth Miso Marinated Chilean Sea Bass.

Perched above Laguna Beach’s picturesque shoreline and surrounded by an array of colorful flowers Las Brisas has been an only-in-OC classic for decades. Here incredible views are shown off tableside along side inventive Mexican-style seafood. With several window tables and elevated inside tables, everyone has a view of the majestic Pacific Ocean with their meal.

If you’re in the mood for something more casual, then sitting in their postcard perfect patio and sipping a signature margarita on a sunny afternoon can’t be beat. It should be on everyone’s OC dining ‘bucket’ list.