Orange County Restaurants Archives

Orange County Restaurants

Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour For Birthday Celebrations: A Family Tradition Passed Down From My Own Childhood

May 21, 2015 / Family Fun, Food, Let's Eat!, Orange County, The Shops at Mission Viejo

I have very fond memories of visiting Farrell’s as a child with my family. It was mostly on special occasions like mine or my brother’s birthdays, but we did get to go there on other occasions as well! Going to Farrell’s for our birthdays was something we’d look forward to every year. It was the original Farrell’s children’s menu that’s responsible for my love of Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches! Yep, the original Farrell’s had them on the kids menu and they were my fav! (I wish we had digital cameras back then so I would have pictures of it all to post now!)

Over the past few decades, Farrell’s has gone through some restructuring. At one point, they only had one location anywhere near me. Imagine my excitement when I started to hear about new locations opening up in California over the past few years! I hopped on the chance to be able to create an annual Farrell’s birthday tradition with my own daughter that was similar to what I enjoyed doing as a little girl. Did I mention we have a Farrell’s location within 5 minutes of our home? How lucky is that?

After having a super 9th birthday celebration at our local Farrell’s last year, my daughter couldn’t wait to get there again this year for her 10th birthday celebration! I don’t think we ever get tired of the ambiance in there.

The kids keep pretty busy with the fun Junior Zookeepers menu. Even at 10 years old, they’re still into it. The offerings on their menu are items that they actually enjoy and want to order. They’re also generous portions. Nothing beats a good old-fashioned grilled cheese!

Did you know that Farrell’s offers gluten-free options for guests and also has a nut allergy menu? I think that’s really important. It allows guests who might not be able to dine out of their own home normally, because of food allergies, to have options and the freedom to eat out in a restaurant without worrying. Not only does Farrell’s have these menus, their servers are educated about the different items and know the menus really well.

The kids always find it necessary to request an extra plate of pickles from our server to munch on. It’s all about the pickle for them! Bob Farrell’s Motto is “Give Them The Pickle and They’ll Come Back!” Well I know it keeps us coming back! That’s for sure!

Although I love the food at Farrell’s, we all know that the BEST part comes last….the dessert! Their dessert menu can be overwhelming (in a good way) to look at because there are so many different sundaes to choose from. It just means that you need to go back and try different sundaes on other occasions! For my daughter’s birthday, we decided to ring in “double digits” properly….with The World Famous Farrell’s ZOO! This was in addition to the complimentary birthday sundae they already bring you!

If you have never heard of The World Famous Farrell’s Zoo, pay attention to this because it’s a must-try for any and all Farrell’s go-ers! It’s made up of 4 scoops of their famous ice cream, 3 fruit flavor sherbets, 4 delicious toppings, whipped cream, cherries, and bananas! Oh and I forgot to mention the animals! (Hence the name “Zoo”!) Not only is it a ridonkulous sight too see but the crew at Farrell’s makes it an extra big deal by ringing the fire station siren to grab your attention when it’s time to deliver it to a table.

This concoction is so huge that it takes 2 servers to deliver it to your table and they bring it out on a stretcher! It’s quite the way to celebrate and sure made my birthday girl feel like the center of attention! After all of the hoopla and the birthday song of Farrell’s choice, the server will help dish out the zoo to all of the guests. It’s beyond yummy in the tummy. My daughter chose to set all of the animals aside to take home with us.

We had the best time celebrating my daughter’s 10th birthday at Farrell’s and want to send a special thank you to our server Brooke, who really helped make it a special night! We’d also like to thank Chad and Steven who are always accommodating during our frequent visits to Farrell’s!

It looks like my daughter has started a new collection of her yearly birthday stickers from Farrell’s on the inside of her closet! Well, until next year…..

Have YOU been to Farrell’s to celebrate a birthday or special occasion? If not, what are you waiting for? Get there!

Connect with Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour Restaurants on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!

FIG & OLIVE Newport Beach’s Prix Fixe Brunch Menu! Bring in the Whole Family to Enjoy Brunch!

January 22, 2015 / Food, Restaurant Reviews

Emily and I were recently invited to a Family Brunch Media Event to preview the Prix-Fixe Brunch menu at the beautiful Newport Beach location of FIG & OLIVE. The restaurant is located at Fashion Island.

Fig & Olive is currently offering a delicious French Riviera three-course Prix-Fixe brunch menu ($28*) on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. They also have a special kids’ meal promotion right now, which is available during brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Guests who order from FIG & OLIVE’s prix-fixe brunch menu will receive a complimentary meal from the kids’ menu (*one main course plus a soft drink per child; children 10 and under).

Emi enjoyed an Arnold Palmer while she browsed the kids’ menu

Pint-size foodies can choose from the following offerings:

¼ Roasted Chicken with Herbs de Provence, rosemary, garlic, lemon, and mashed potato
F&O Pizza with tomato, mozzarella, and basil
Chicken Fingers served with tomato basil dip and skinny fries
Fish Croquettes with lemon mayo
Penne Pasta with olive oil, cheese, or pesto

Love the presentation of the hot tea in this simple white pot!

Take a peek at the Prix-Fixe Brunch Menu.

There were so many delicious items to choose from. It was very difficult for me to narrow it down, but I finally did. I decided to start with the Fig & Olive Salad which was the most delightful combination of flavors in a salad.

I also indulged in some of the of bread & viennoiseries that were brought to the table. The strawberry jam was amazing on the baguette and Emi opted for the chocolate croissant without hesitation. But let’s get back to my Fig & Olive salad…

It was so fresh and yummy! I couldn’t get enough of the figs!

For an entree, I ordered the South of France Poached Eggs with Salmon while Emi ordered the Chicken Fingers served with marinara basil dip and skinny fries from the kids’ menu.

All of the food was just fabulous. I literally had to stop myself from eating because I wanted to save room for dessert. The FIG & OLIVE chefs don’t use butter or cream to cook with (except for the desserts) and everything is olive oil-based. I think this makes a huge difference in the way food tastes. Read about their line of olive oils here.

Our third course was dessert! I think that’s always my favorite part. I ordered Dessert “Crostini”. They’re pistachio shortbread cookies topped with Amarena cherries, mascarpone, and micro-basil.

They were delicious! (I spy a Hidden Mickey in my dessert! Do you see it too? )

I loved everything about FIG & OLIVE Newport Beach. It’s a great location, very close to the beach, and the inside of the restaurant is so open and bright from all of the natural lighting shining through the windows. Every item brought out to our table was delicious and their staff was so delightful. It’s a great place to take the entire family for brunch (or lunch or dinner), especially with this complimentary kids’ meal promotion right now. I look forward my next visit to FIG & OLIVE Newport Beach.

It was a perfect girls’ day out. Thank you FIG & OLIVE Newport Beach!

FIG & OLIVE is located at Fashion Island

151 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Call (949) 877-3005 to make a reservation.

Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

Why Did I Wait So Long To Get SMASHed at SMASHburger?

November 11, 2014 / Food, Orange County, Restaurant Reviews

Have you gotten SMASHed yet? I hadn’t until recently and now I’m wondering why I waited so long? I noticed the sign in the food court of “my mall“, The Shops at Mission Viejo, but just hadn’t gotten a chance to try it.

I decided to start with one of their shakes while I checked out seriously extensive menu. There were a ton of shake flavors to choose from, but the manager suggested I try one of their specialty flavors, so I chose something you can’t get just anywhere…the Salted Caramel Shake! A shake is an appetizer, right?

Whoa! Look at all of that whipped cream and that caramel drizzled on top! Their shakes are all hand-scooped and made with Haagen Dazs ice cream! I was having hard time getting very much of it since Emi seemed to have fallen in love with it first and isn’t the best at sharing!

After I finally got my shake back from Emi, I stood there in front of the menu, drinking it, and feeling a bit overwhelmed, but in a good way. Their menu has A LOT to offer. I knew I at least needed to try a Classic Smash. In case you’ve never had one before, they’re “smashed”, seared and seasoned to order, using fresh, premium beef.

I opted for a Classic Smash with cheese. It has American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and plenty of Smash sauce, which is a blend of mayonnaise, yellow mustard, pickled relish and lemon juice, and is served on the yummiest egg bun ever! (they actually make all of their own buns, too!)

I was told that you really shouldn’t have a Smashburger without having an order of Smashfries to go with it! So, I did! Smashfries are shoestring fries tossed in rosemary, olive oil, and garlic! They are beyond addicting and although the menu also features regular fries on it, I have no idea why someone wouldn’t order Smash fries. They are just THAT good.

I also ended up with a Smashchicken, which is the chicken version of the Smashburger. It was the picture on the menu board that caught my eye and I KNEW I needed to try the Buffalo and Blue Cheese Smashchicken. You have a choice of a grilled or crispy chicken breast and it’s topped with Franks’s Redhot Buffalo Sauce, crumbled blue cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo, served on an egg bun.

I swear the minute I finished it, I wanted another one! The combo of the buffalo sauce and the blue cheese is crazy good! Some of the menu items (like this one) are considered “regional” and are only offered at certain locations. You can check that availability online.

Although I do love food and love to share about food, I think one of my other favorite parts about getting to write about places I visit, is making a connection with people. The afternoon that I visited SMASHburger, I got to chat a little bit with the store manager who figured out right away, that I was a “first-timer”. Jen was BEYOND knowledgeable about the menu, food preparation and even special menu items (I have friends who are gluten-free and vegan). Above all though, what really made the experience even more special was how genuine and nice Jen was. It truly makes all the difference when the person running the store is personable like that and is what will keep guests coming back again and again!

I cannot wait to go back to SMASHburger and try more items from their menu! I already know I’m going to have ANOTHER Buffalo and Blue Cheese SMASHchicken! Have YOU eaten at a SMASHburger yet? What is YOUR favorite menu item?

Blaze Pizza is Now Open in The Shops at Mission Viejo!

August 1, 2014 / Food, Let's Eat!

I think I’ll start off this post with the dessert first! I like to do that!

This is the s’more pie at Blaze Pizza! It’s the perfect beginning (or ending if you’re traditional) to any meal! We have been waiting months for Blaze Pizza to open in our mall and had already previewed their menu online. That’s when I knew I was destined for this dessert. It’s quite a yummy s’more pie and they stick it next to the pizza oven so that it warms up just right, to where the marshmallow melts.

Blaze Pizza is a great addition to The Shops at Mission Viejo food court area. They label themselves as “Fast Fire’d” pizza but by no means are they a “traditional” fast food, food court option! So fresh and so yum!

Check out the crowd that came out to celebrate their grand opening!

Did I also mention that all of these people were waiting in line for their free pizza to celebrate the grand opening?

Their menu has quite a few salads and numerous options for pizzas. Each pizza is made-to-order as you let them know what you’d like. I like that they offer options for people with dietary restrictions. It’s sometimes difficult for families to find a restaurant to dine at together, when they have one or more family members with special dietary needs and/or food allergies. Check out their menu allergen Info here. No matter what your dietary needs, they’ve got your covered.

I am so happy that Blaze Pizza has finally opened up in “my mall”!

Welcome to The Shops at Mission Viejo, Blaze!

Connect with them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter too!