Friendly Reminder….Newport Beach Restaurant Week

Hello fellow foodies, just a reminder, Newport Beach Restaurant Week started yesterday, Friday January 22nd until Thursday January 28th. Be sure to check out the list of restaurants on their site. Set menu courses starting at $15 up to $35. Perfect places to find for a date, a night out in town, or just to enjoy some good food. Lots of restaurants listed, including some you may have heard about, The Beachcomber, Bluefin, Roy’s, Flemming’s, 21 Oceanfront, and many more. So get your calendars marked, get your friends together, and get some fresh ocean air and good food this week. “Bon Appetit”

http://www.newportbeachdining.com/restaurantweek/participating-restaurants.asp

Javier’s Cantina…..

Well I think now that the new year has started, we can get the ball rolling again. Lets start with a review. After hearing raves about Javier’s Cantina, I just had to try it. I Dont even remember what exactly prompted this trip to Javier’s. Actually I do remember, there was a discussion about how they serve the best Cadillac Margaritas and was that so true! Now let’s get on with it.

http://www.javiers-cantina.com/

I went with a few of my friends so we could get a couple dishes and try them out. We checked out the one at the Irvine Spectrum, although the one in Laguna Beach is the one to go to for the best view. When you first walk in, it seems dark at first, but it’s probably because I just stepped in from being out in the sun. Once your eyes adjust, you’ll notice the bar in the middle of the restaurant. The design of the interior is, I’d say a mix between Spanish cantina and wilderness cabin. It’s actually pretty nice, with just the right amount of lighting; that is for a date like atmosphere. I hate to say it, but I’m probably going to have to start bringing the slr, because it just wasnt enough good lighting to really capture the place or the food in pictures.

So we start with Chips and Salsa as with most mexican restaurants. The tortilla chips were fresh and warm and the salsa was just right. Not too salty, nice mild taste but still full of flavor.

….and then we decided what to eat. First up on the list was one of two ordered from the Combinaciones Mexicans. The first dish was the Enchiladas Suiza. This dish is made of two chicken enchiladas covered in a tomatillo sauce and sour cream. The sauce accompanied by the sour cream had a great flavor. The use of natural chicken also had a distinctive flavor. If you ever want to try, go to the market and get whole natural chicken without all the hormones and stuff.

Next dish was the Taco Dinner. This meal consist of two crispy tacos available with shredded beef or natural chicken. I had a little bit just to try, and boy was it tasty. The corn tortilla shells were just right. Both dishes come with rice and beans and I must say, the beans were awesome. Nothing better than beans and cheese served with spanish rice. Carbs galore but tasty.

Next up was my meal. If you’ve followed my blog, you’ll notice I love seafood. So since they offered seafood, I just had to try what they had. There were so many dishes offered from their Especiales Del Mar which is their seafood selections. I really couldn’t choose because they all looked good, so I settled for the Seafood Enchiladas. They offer them with Shrimp (Enchiladas de Camarones), Dungeness Crab (Enchiladas de Cangrejo) or both (Enchiladas de Mariscos). Of course I got the Enchiladas de Mariscos because I had to try each. The dish comes with two enchiladas, one of each variety. They are both sautéed in garlic and onions and then served with a tomatillo sauce on top. It also comes garnished with sliced avocados and sour cream which made the enchiladas even more tastier. If you love seafood, you’ll definitely want to try these. The Dungeness crab meat and the shrimp are so fresh, you can definitely taste the difference. This dish is also served with the spanish rice and beans.

Of course we came here for the drinks right? So we each ordered the Cadillac Margarita. Of course here, they have their own name for it too, Margarita de la Casa. Our server however suggested we order it by the pitcher, which ended up being a good idea. Their house margaritas are served using Sauza Blanco Tequilla and is either served blended or on the rocks. Just like they say though, these are super smooth, and before you know it, your drinking it like water. Enough to the point where we ordered another pitcher. At $70 bucks a pitcher for the Margarita de la Casa and with even more margarita selections using better tequilla, I wonder how much smoother these drinks can get and at what price. I’ll definitely try their other ones next time. I forgot to mention, each pitcher serves 8-10 glasses so don’t be alarmed with the price tag.

I have to say this was one of the most refreshing places I’ve eaten at in a while. Great atmosphere, great music, awesome service with exquisite food. Definitely in my top 10 mexican restaurants to eat at. Everyone should try this place out if you love mexican food. Like I said earlier, great place for a date, anniversary, etc, just remember try to be there early or make a reservation. I hope to have more for you guys coming up, “Bon Appetit”