Lola Gaspar, a restaurant in Downtown Santa Ana, will be hosting a Donald Trump piñata bash and a barbecue on July 25, 2015, from 12 noon to 3 pm, according to the OC Weekly.
They will have five Trump piñatas available for us to smash! The menu that day will include tri-tip, roasted corn, al pastor tacos, and frozen margaritas. Continue reading
Downtown Inc. presents Savor Santa Ana on Thursday, July 23, 2015 from 5:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. at Spurgeon St. (between 3rd and 4th), in Downtown Santa Ana.
Savor Santa Ana lets you sample dozens of OC’s hottest restaurants in the walkable urban DTSA restaurant district all in one evening and at a great price – $10 for 5 tastings, buy online or at the event.
At Savor Santa Ana pick up a booklet of 5 taste tickets for ONLY $10 or upgrade to the FOODIE FAST PASS and take advantage of shorter lines, more tastings, drink tickets and a VIP experience for only $45. With your booklet and a route map in hand, you will traverse downtown, devouring your most-wanted food tastings at local eateries. Continue reading
DUNKIN’ DONUTS CELEBRATES OPENING OF DD GREEN ACHIEVEMENT™ SANTA ANA RESTAURANT ON JULY 7
Ribbon cutting ceremony and promotions will commemorate opening of a new, energy-efficient Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant in Orange County
SANTA ANA, CALIF. (June 26, 2015) – Dunkin’ Donuts, America’s all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, today announced that it will open a restaurant in Santa Ana at 100 South Harbor Boulevard on July 7 at 5 a.m., making this the second location in Orange County. The new location will offer Santa Ana residents the full array of Dunkin’ Donuts’ iconic offerings, including fresh-brewed coffee, delicious baked goods and sandwiches. The location, a DD Green Achievement™ restaurant, will feature energy- and water-saving features including LED lights, high-performance windows and low-flow faucets. DD Green Achievement, Dunkin’ Donuts’ sustainable restaurant program for U.S. restaurants, helps franchisees build new, sustainable and energy-efficient restaurants.
The first person in both the walk-in and drive-thru lines will be rewarded with free coffee for one year, and the first 100 people to order will receive a Dunkin’ Donuts tote bag filled with special items. Guests will have the opportunity to walk Dunkin’ Donuts’ pink carpet and will be welcomed to the restaurant with free passed samples and photo opportunities with beloved brand mascot, Cuppy. Continue reading
Some people never learn. Take Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do for example. Back in 2008 he tearfully resigned from the Garden Grove City Council , in part because he “faced great hardships in keeping his business afloat,” according to the O.C. Register.
That business was a Lee’s Sandwiches restaurant in Stanton that had been issued numerous health violations during Do’s time as owner. Remember that Do at the time was also then-Supervisor Janet Nguyen’s Chief of Staff. When she cast the key vote against letter-grade health ratings for Orange County Restaurants, Nguyen neglected to tell the public that Do owned a filthy restaurant – and that her husband, Tom Bonikowsky, was Do’s business partner.
Today there is talk again about starting a letter-grade health rating system for local restaurants and once again Do is opposing this – even though EVERY County in Southern California uses such ratings. Continue reading
City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County
Community Alert: Mayor Pulido Honors the Highly Acclaimed Little Sparrow Café
Mayor Miguel Pulido will present the owners of the Little Sparrow Café with the Exceptional Service Award for their outstanding contributions to the City of Santa Ana at Tuesday’s City Council Meeting.
Armed with a dream to create a better food culture in Orange County, Bruce Marsh and his wife, Santa Ana native, Naseem Aflakian, partnered with Jenny Le to open the “Little Sparrow Cafe,” a French inspired bistro in Downtown Santa Ana in May 2013. Despite having no formal training in the restaurant business, they converted a vacant café space on Main and Third into an award winning culinary hotspot. Continue reading
Soon to be replaced by a Dunkin’ Donuts
Santa Ana and Westminster are the next two Orange County cities to land a Dunkin’ Donuts, according to the O.C. Register.
Dunkin’ Donuts is going to replace the closed Tacos Mexico restaurant located at 100 S. Harbor Blvd., in Santa Ana. They are also opening a location at 15482 Goldenwest St., which is the site of a former 76 gas station. Continue reading
A confrontation at El Zocalo Mexican Grill and Seafood, located at 301 N. Tustin Ave., in Santa Ana, ended violently early Monday morning when a gunman fatally shot one man and a crowd of customers and security guards subdued the shooter and another attacker, according to the L.A. Times.
Two men were also shot, but are expected to survive, and were taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana with another man whose head was injured, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading
Death Of Diego’s Open Mic Tuesday/Band Night! February, 2015
As you may have heard Diego’s restaurant is shutting down, so in February we really need to celebrate the good memories we have had. The food has been awesome, the drink specials were great and the staff always nice and friendly.
We will have 2 bands every week and open mic for any kind of expression, no censorship. Continue reading
What can $10 buy you? Well it can buy you two pepperoni pizzas at Fast 5 Pizza, or two delicious tortas at El Pollo Norteno, or even two awesome hamburger combos at In N’ Out Burgers.
But on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015, from 5 to 9 pm, that same ten dollar bill can buy you five bites of your choice from over 25 restaurants and eateries in Downtown Santa Ana (DTSA) at this year’s Savor Santa Ana event. Continue reading
Diego’s Downtown Kitchen Crew
Diego’s Downtown is apparently going to be closing. They reported this on their Facebook page early this morning, but someone deleted the message. Luckily our friends at Downtown Inc. copied it before it was removed:
“It is with a Heavy Heart that I must share that Diego’s will no longer be as of the end of February…I want to thank the team who delivered the best service and product to our customers every single day. I would also like to thank the customers and fans of Diego’s as well. Your accolades and time you shared made our jobs enjoyable. Thank you to all the promoters and bands who roared in our hall and kept the walls thumping. We will fulfill all the commitments for February but will cancel all dates after the end of month.”
“In late 2014, Jason Quinn, the chef-owner of The Playground, opened Dough Exchange next door to his critically acclaimed restaurant in downtown Santa Ana. But the Fourth Street bakery has struggled to generate foot traffic and sales, forcing Quinn to toss out freshly baked goods and breads every night,” according to the OC Register.
In attempt to resuscitate the storefront, Quinn told the Register on Thursday that he’s going to offer baked goods for free starting Friday. Dine-in customers will be limited to two items such as doughnuts, pastries, and meat pies. In exchange for the free food, Quinn is asking customers to fill out a form that provides him feedback on what they like and dislike about the food and prices.
This is pretty hilarious considering that Quinn famously has rejected all input from his customers! His philosophy has been that he is the Chef and you will eat what he cooks the way he cooks it – your opinion be damned. Continue reading
Cholula’s Bakery was expected to open Wednesday, after enduring a debacle over holiday sweet bread laced with a synthetic drug that sickened more than 40 people and that shut its doors for nearly two weeks, according to the O.C. Register.
What this means is that the Orange County Health Department has cleared Cholula’s – and they are now in compliance with all of the O.C. Health Codes. Continue reading
Blackmarket Bakery’s Apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream and caramel
There are several new restaurants opening up in Santa Ana, according to the O.C. Register.
One new restaurant is already open – Panini Cafe, at the MainPlace Mall. They sell healthy Mediterranean food. I have visited the Irvine location several times. Their chicken kabob lunch is the bomb! But their panini sandwiches are also very good and I love their lentil soup!
El Mercado Modern Cuisine: The operators behind the two Anepalco’s restaurants in Orange are opening a new fine dining concept in downtown Santa Ana. Executive Chef Daniel Godinez, who blends Mexican and French cuisine at Anepalco’s, is developing the El Mercado menu. El Mercado will be a full service restaurant, with a modern approach. Scheduled to open by the end of March. Will be located at 301 N. Spurgeon St. Continue reading
The Ninjas With Appetite Asia-Mex Food Truck has opened a restaurant at 5th and Broadway, located at 318 W. 5th st., in DTSA.
Their dishes include like home-brewed teriyaki sauce drizzled over grilled beef, wrapped in a tortilla with garlic fried rice and cilantro. They also offer Yummy Bowls, Tasty Teriyakos, and “Nacho” Average Teriyaki. Continue reading
After more than 65 years of family ownership, Southern California’s iconic Norms restaurant chain has been sold. The flashing neon and 24-hour sizzling grills have been a Los Angeles institution since Norman Roybark opened his first location near the bustling music scene at Sunset and Vine in 1949 and will continue on under new owner Jim Balis, according to L.A. Magazine.
The Norm’s in Santa Ana has been on the corner of 17th and Main St. for as long as I can remember. They are open 24 hours and are always busy. Service can be spotty, as noted in Yelp, where they have only 2.5 stars. But their breakfast meals are awesome and I love that they serve soup and salad with many of their dinners. And you can’t beat their half a sandwich with soup and salad lunch. Continue reading