Diners get a taste of Newport Beach Restaurant Week
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Local diners got a taste of Newport Beach Restaurant Week at a kickoff party presented by the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday. Eight of the 50 participating restaurants served up bites at Porsche Newport Beach, celebrating the beginning of the city-wide event that opened Friday and continues to Jan. 25.
“Newport Beach Restaurant Week is an event we used to do here in town; it ended a few years ago and we said ‘that’s a shame,’ ” said Steve Rosansky, Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive. “I knew we couldn’t go another year without doing it, so thank you all for coming tonight.”
All proceeds from the $75 ticket price benefited restaurant week’s community partner, Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.
During the 11-day culinary event, participating Newport Beach restaurants are offering exclusive multi-course lunch and dinner prix-fixe menus at varying prices, starting at $25.
Guests at the kickoff party sampled some of the event’s offerings, like Maryland-style crab cakes from Bayside Restaurant and braised beef short ribs in a Zinfandel reduction from the Winery Newport Beach.
Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens, Muldoon’s Irish Pub, PF Chang’s, SOL Mexican Cocina, Plum’s Cafe and the Mayor’s Table also served bites in the Porsche showroom paired with red, white and sparkling wine from Bianchi Winery.
Restaurants at the kickoff party expressed excitement over the Newport Beach Restaurant Week’s return after a four-year hiatus.
“We used to participate all the time and we were bummed when they took it away, I think all the restaurants were,” said Cameron Mealey, special events coordinator at Bayside Restaurant.
Historically, the event has encouraged diners to eat out during the typically slow season that follows the holidays.
“There is always a lull in January and [Newport Beach Restaurant Week] always helped bring more people in,” said Mealey. “It gave the restaurants a little boost in January. When we didn’t have it anymore, the restaurants definitely felt that, Bayside included. So it’s great to have it back.”
Chef Rich Mead, who regularly visits the local farmer’s markets for fresh ingredients for his menu at Farmhouse at Roger’s Garden, said restaurant week can get diners interested in what’s new at their favorite neighborhood spots.
“It gets people excited because it’s an opportunity to go around and have tasting menus and taste the best of each restaurant,” Mead said.
Megan Tinio, director of event sales for Muldoon’s Irish Pub, a longtime Newport Beach eatery known for Irish cuisine and live music, said the restaurant week brings in past customers as well as new ones.
“We have participated in the past and it definitely brings in new clientele, people who are wanting to try something new,” said Tinio. “But it also brings back our regular patrons who are happy to see a special deal on some of their already existing favorites.”
Newport Beach Restaurant Week runs from Jan. 15 through Jan. 25. For a full list of participating restaurants visit RestaurantWeekNB.com.
