Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, part of a chain of restaurants with locations in Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City, has opened in Irvine at the location that was formerly Prego at the corner of Von Karman and Michelson. 18420 Von Karman Ave, Ste 100, Irvine, CA 92612
A new sushi bar called Ponzu has soft-opened on 17th Street in Santa Ana. During the grand opening (on Friday, October 12 and Saturday, October 13) the food will be offered at half off. 1945 E 17th St, Ste 104, Santa Ana, CA 92705
The Kebab Shop has opened a second restaurant in Irvine. The menu offers shaved doner in chicken, a combo of lamb and beef, and steak that can be served in wraps, plates, and over fries. 17655-G Harvard Ave, Irvine, CA 92614
GameCraft Brewing, a brewery that for now serves the beers of other breweries until their own setup is ready, has opened in Laguna Hills. Food options include wontons, flatbreads, and fried chicken. 23301 Avenida De La Carlota, Laguna Hills, CA 92653
A new restaurant called Flights and Irons Urban Kitchen has opened in San Clemente. The entrees (such as Shepherd’s pie) are all cooked and served on cast iron pans. 376 Camino De Estrella, San Clemente, CA 92672
Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.