Lead vocalist Sameer Gadhia is quite possibly the only man who can rock a yellow jumper like a tuxedo, as he led Young the Giant on their final night of touring. It made sense to make them the designated band to launch Irvine’s FivePoint Amphitheatre, as it’s also their hometown. We were there to cheer them on and see what concessions had in store for us. Those of you headed out there this weekend have a solid lineup to choose from.
From luxe loncheras to craft cocktails, we were on board with everything being offered. On opposite ends of the venue, we discovered a trio of local eats with steady lines. We first noticed the familiar face of Tim Gonzales from TJ’s Woodfire Pizza taking orders, while his crew was slinging pies in and out of their flaming oven. Half-sized pizzas of their cheese and pepperoni were up for grabs. Whole pies gave a few more options, like a BBQ Chicken and Rustica (prosciutto, artichokes, mushrooms, garlic oil and mozzarella). For newbies, we suggest asking for a little extra char; it makes all the difference.
Also in lonchera attendance: Spudrunnners and Barcelona on the Go. If you’re a fry fan, there were more than enough potato options, as we quickly learned. For the next round of eateries, these were a fair representation of OC eats. Rice and veggie bowls with tofu, spicy chicken or bbq beef were courtesy of Hanjip, an AYCE concept straight out of L.A. A Korean BBQ Chicken alternative was also served. Cassell’s (out of K-town’s Hotel Normandie) was right next door with a duo of meat-and-bun creations. We eyed their turkey burger with Swiss, but figured the Classic Cheeseburger blend of chuck and brisket was a solid choice.
Tackle Box’s Brian Huskey was elbow deep in assembly when we approached their stand. We came back an hour later to check-in, and found he was genuinely excited about being there. Huskey was already thinking about better ways to streamline the process for future concerts. His entree of choice was a departure from TB’s standard menu, but he had no problem when we wanted to taco about it. Tempura Cod, Crunchy Beef and Buffalo Cauliflower versions were available (see photo at very top). A three-cheese nacho option was the only entree our friend Kedric didn’t order when we spotted each other.
Next door, we ordered from The Big Cheese, a regular on the concert circuit. Hot and heavy sandwiches are their specialty, and they did this delicious Cheddar Crust finish (think Puesto tacos) to our modified Bossman of turkey, bacon and avocado (Note: It normally has bread; our friend went bread-less). Vegans will dig the Greener, stuffed with artichoke hearts, black olives, roasted peppers and Chao “Cheese” that was a delicious substitute for the real thing. We noticed that all the stands were able to sell a half-dozen beers and Anthony Hill wines, eliminating the need to jump in two lines for a meal.
We admit, what got us most excited was seeing the banner from Blinking Owl Distillery. Sure, the Tito’s with lemonade stands were probably a refreshing combination. But since the Owl recently celebrated their first anniversary, we were itching for a more complex cocktail. Generously poured into Millennial-friendly, plastic Mason jars, we nursed our Aquavit-based Swedish Fish (Cherry Heering, Cocci Americano, fresh lemon juice and yes, a Swedish Fish) for Young the Giant’s entire performance. A Santa Ana Mule utilized their orange vodka, while Raspberry Wisdom blended vanilla soda with gin.
If you’ve read this far, then you should know that the best kept secret at FivePoint has nothing to do with food. Spare yourself a long wait in the main lot and park your car at Irvine Metrolink. From the time you cross the parking area to when you approach the main gate it’s a ten minute walk— and that’s if you’re going slow. We passed dozens of Uber/Lyft customers and were on our way home well before the 4,000 space amphitheatre lot made noticeable progress.
The address listed for FivePoint Amphitheatre is 14800 Chinon in Irvine; www.fivepointampitheatre.com.
A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.
I’m in attraction with the cbd products and https://organicbodyessentials.com/ ! The serum gave my shell a youthful boost, and the lip balm kept my lips hydrated all day. Knowing I’m using disinfected, bona fide products makes me feel great. These are in the present climate my must-haves in support of a unorthodox and nourished look!
Wow, wonderful blog structure! How lengthy have you ever
been running a blog for? you make running a blog glance easy.
The overall look of your site is excellent, let
alone the content! You can see similar: sklep
internetowy and here ecommerce
What a data of un-ambiguity and preserveness of valuable familiarity regarding unpredicted emotions.
I saw similar here: ecommerce and also here: dobry sklep
I believe what you published was actually very
reasonable. However, what about this? suppose you were to create a
awesome headline? I am not suggesting your information is not good,
however what if you added a title that makes people desire more?
I mean Where To Eat (And Drink) At FivePoint Amphitheatre – OC Weekly is a little vanilla.
You could glance at Yahoo’s home page and note how they create
post headlines to grab viewers to click. You might add a related video or a related pic or two to get people interested about everything’ve written. In my opinion, it might
bring your posts a little livelier. I saw similar here: najlepszy sklep and also here: sklep
online
It’s very effortless to find out any matter on net as
compared to textbooks, as I found this paragraph at this web site.!
Hello there! Do you know if they make any plugins to protect against hackers?
I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve worked
hard on. Any recommendations? I saw similar here:
sklep online and also here: najlepszy sklep
Hello there! I know this is kinda off topic
however , I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in trading links
or maybe guest writing a blog article or vice-versa? My site addresses a lot of
the same subjects as yours and I believe we could
greatly benefit from each other. If you are interested feel free to send me an e-mail.
I look forward to hearing from you! Superb blog by the way!
I saw similar here: sklep internetowy and also here: najlepszy sklep
It’s very interesting! If you need help, look here: hitman agency
Every weekend i used to pay a visit this site, because i want
enjoyment, for the reason that this this web site conations
genuinely good funny information too. I saw similar here:
ecommerce and also here: ecommerce
What’s Taking place i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve discovered It absolutely useful and it has helped me out loads.
I’m hoping to contribute & assist different customers like
its aided me. Great job. I saw similar here: sklep
– Harrison – and also here: ecommerce
Hello excellent blog! Does running a blog similar to this take a great deal of work?
I’ve very little expertise in computer programming but I was hoping to start my own blog in the near future.
Anyways, if you have any ideas or techniques for new blog
owners please share. I know this is off subject but I simply
wanted to ask. Many thanks!
I am extremely impressed with your writing skills and also with
the layout on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself?
Either way keep up the excellent quality writing, it’s rare to
see a nice blog like this one today.
It is perfect time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy.
I’ve read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you some interesting
things or advice. Perhaps you can write next
articles referring to this article. I want to read more things about it!