[embed-1]El Tamal Cocina Mexicana, a tamales specialist, has opened in Garden Grove near Great Wolf Lodge in the space that used TaTiana’s Tamales. Seven savory tamales and three sweet are on the menu as well as a tamal burger.
12432 Lampson Ave., Garden Grove, CA 92840
A new food court vendor at Westfield MainPlace called Spice Trader’s Indian Kitchen has opened offering chicken tikka masala and other Indian specialties.
2800 N Main St., Santa Ana, CA 92705
Clever Leaf, which opened a year ago featuring roasted duck, chicken, pork cha siu, has re-opened again in the same Santa Ana location. Its new menu now offers banh mi, shaken beef, and lemongrass pork skewers.
3751 S Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana, CA 92704
Silva’s Brazilian Bar and Grill has opened in Santa Ana in the space that was formerly Jasper’s Bar and Grill. Churrasco, caipirinha, and Brazilian appetizers such as coxinha and croquetes are offered.
3672 S Bristol St., Santa Ana, CA 92704
A new restaurant and bar called Heirloom Farmhouse Kitchen has opened at the new Marriott Irvine Spectrum.
7905 Irvine Center Dr., Irvine, CA 92618
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.