The rain has come and gone, leaving us with cleaner cars and a desire to get out of the house. Head to the beach cities for some tasty options, or drive inland to try something new. You’ll find those things and then some in this week’s Grub Guide.
Australia Day at PIE-NOT – Huntington Beach
Stop by their Pacific City location today to celebrate the holiday with live music from Trevor Green between 1-3 p.m. and $5 deals on the perfect handhelds all day long. Tucked inside Lot 579, spend your lunch or dinner with one of our favorites. 21010 Pacific Coast Highway, (949) 650-7437; www.pienot.com.
Falasophy Grand Opening – Santa Ana
As Edwin recently reported, the luxe lonchera known as Falasophy has expanded to include a spot inside 4th Street Market. Best known for their hummus and falafel combinations, they will be giving away orders of spicy falafel tacos plus orange blossom lemonade to the first 100 guests this Saturday starting at 11 a.m. If the photo above doesn’t make you the least bit hungry, then move out of the way—- we want our share. 201 East 4th Street, (949) 345-5018; www.falasophy.com.
Fish Camp Clam Bake – Sunset Beach
If shellfish is more your style, then continue along PCH to Fish Camp between 4 and 8 p.m. Saturday for their quarterly clam bake. This easygoing dinner includes live music, prizes and games for the entire family. 16600 Pacific Coast Highway, (562) 592-2267; www.samsfishcamp.com.
Basilic Celebrates 20 Years In February – Balboa Island
This long-standing establishment plans to offer nightly specials during their month-long celebration. We hear some dishes will come from Basilic’s original menu. For all the details, visit their website at the beginning of the month. 217 Marine Avenue, (949) 673-0570; www.basilicrestaurant.com.
C-CAP Dinner Featuring Amar Santana – Long Beach
James Republic plans to host the cooking of Top Chef finalist and C-CAP scholar Amar Santana on February 8 during a Winter Harvest Benefit dinner. He will be joining James Republic Chef David MacLennan and Chef-Restaurateur Dean James Max in their kitchen during this multi-course feast. Participate in the live auction while enjoying your cocktail. Proceeds from dinner will go towards the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), assisting students pursue their dreams in the hospitality industry. 500 East 1st Street, (562) 901-0235; www.jamesrepublic.com.
Stax Cookie Bar Introduces New Desserts – Irvine
When Stax first opened in 2014, their focus was primarily on ice cream and cookies. As they continue to evolve, Stax Cookie Bar expands their offerings to include cream rolls and creamritos. A Thai-inspired dessert, ice cream is liquefied and poured onto a freezing surface before being “rolled” and finished with your choice of toppings. We were intrigued by their cream roll duos, featuring two flavors instead of one—Our green tea and black sesame version is above. Creamritos take the same idea, but fill the rolls with additional flavors before being rolled (try the ube/purple yam version). Enjoy these sweet new treats before word gets out. 4187 Campus Drive, Suite M174, (949) 861-2055; www.staxcookiebar.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.