Archives for October 2014

Javier’s Cantina and Grill: Elegant Mexican Cuisine and Rare Tequilas

Javier’s Cantina and Grill offers elegant plates of Mexican cuisine paired with rare tequilas. Chefs from various parts of Mexico use only sustainable seafood to craft such entrees as sautéed wild, Mexican white prawns, shrimp stuffed enchiladas, and quesadillas filled with Dungeness crab. Chefs also top center cut Angus beef from Nebraska with a light chipotle cream sauce and sautéed onions and serve natural chicken with avocado sauce and cotija cheese.

You can pair your meal with a selection of tequilas including silver, aged, and rare tequilas. The restaurant features close to 100 tequilas, many of which mix well into Javier’s hand shaken margaritas. The drinks are served on the rocks by the glass or pitcher. You can enjoy your meal inside a warm setting decorated with dark wood tables, a stone wall, and a giant tree growing from the center of the restaurant.

Javier’s Cantina and Grill
45 Fortune Drive
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 872-2101
www.javiers-cantina.com
www.yelp.com/biz/javiers-cantina-and-grill-irvine

How to Make This Year’s Halloween Party Your Best Ever

So you’ve decided to throw a Halloween party at your home, but where do you start? Luckily, a spooky Halloween theme offers an almost endless list of decoration and refreshment ideas to make your party a ghoulish good time. Here’s just a bit of inspiration.

Severed Finger Invitation [marthastewart.com]
Give your guests a fright before the party even starts by sending them a severed "finger" in a box as a party invitation!

Spiked Witch’s Brew [celebrations.com]
For refreshments, serve a black cauldron filled with a spiked punch that looks like witch’s brew. You can even make it “smoke” by adding dry ice to the cauldron.

Monster Face Paint [marthastewart.com]
Entertain the little ones at a Halloween party by setting up a face painting station. Even if the party isn’t a costume party, they’ll love to wear their new monster face around all night.

Mad Scientist Party [rachaelraymag.com]
If you prefer to go all-out with a unique theme, a mad scientist party is one that your guests probably haven’t seen before. Decorate with beakers and test tubes, don a white lab coat and a wild wig, and turn your kitchen into a laboratory filled with experimental refreshments.

It’s a Grind: Enjoy Coffee in Anaheim

With gourmet coffee and baked foods in a comfy environment, It's a Grind is one cool coffeehouse.

The coffee is top-notch fair trade stuff, with many beans of different depths. The service is highly-regarded by regular visitors, and the baristas use their expertise well in making fine hand-crafted espresso drinks like lattes and mochas. There are also non-fat yogurt smoothies and a wide selection of iced drinks for when you want something refreshing. If you'd like to grab a bite to eat while you're here, you can pick up a pastry or bagel, too.

Fans of fine coffee will have much to celebrate at It's a Grind. Check out the website to learn more about this Anaheim coffee shop!

It's a Grind
1035 N. Tustin Avenue
Anaheim, CA 92807
(714) 632-9922
http://www.itsagrind.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/its-a-grind-anaheim

Honda-Ya: A Japanese Restaurant in Tustin

Izakaya means “a place to eat, drink, and sit comfortably.” In Japan, it’s roughly similar to a pub: simple food, straightforward drinks, and reasonable prices—a place to shrug off tradition and relax.

Don’t look for chef “performances” or wild menu items at Tustin’s Honda-Ya, just unpretentious decor, home-style food, and lots of good sake. From sushi and sashimi to tebasaki, yakitori, pork belly, and udon, locals can’t praise the big menu enough. Service is fast and efficient, but be prepared to wait; Honda-Ya gets packed, especially on weekends. However, we hear it takes just one visit to become a regular!

Check Honda-Ya’s site for hours, menus, events, and other locations.

Honda-Ya
556 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 832-0081
www.izakayahondaya.com
www.yelp.com/biz/honda-ya-tustin

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