OC Restaurant Week Launch Party...

For my Xmas Presie Taylor got me one of my favorite things in the whole wide world - food.  Seriously anything related to food I'm so in!  So he got us VIP tickets to the Launch Party for OC Restaurant Week!

OC Restaurant week begins today, but on Saturday they had a Launch Party where all the restaurants participating in Restaurant Week are there with some of the samples that they will be serving.  There's also wineries and other cocktail booths.  We got to spend the day wandering from table to table sampling the delishusnus!!!! 

The VIP tix got us an hour earlier entry than the GA and it was awesome because it got crowded fast!

It was down at the Mariott in Irvine Spectrum and it said to dress in "Cocktail Attire".  So fancy day date with one of my besties!!

We had to valet (FYI - the valet kids at this place are morons.  Seriously.  They did not know what they were doing, were rude and just plain clueless.  So thumbs down there) but once we got in line it was smooth sailing.  We got our wristbands and were sent in!  1st thing was our fancy Red Carpet photo!!

We fancy!

We then dove in.  I don't know if it was because I was hungry, excited or both but I was like EAT ALL THE FOOD NOW!!!!!

I of course wanted to write everything down and photograph everything but that just didn't happen.  I did get some though.

Fig and Olive was our 1st stop.  Holy crap - so good!  The gal working the table was super nice too! 

Shrimp Crostini!  OMG.

My kind of shot

Then Taylor was like BOOZE!  So we hit up Rancho Capistrano Winery 1st.  We were to go grab our own wine glass (that we got to take home!) that we used to sample the wine throughout the day.  I got a taste of their Rose.  It was yummy!  I've actually been there before I realized.  It's down in San Juan Capistrano!  Yum!  Taylor hit up the Vodka bar and got a refreshing cocktail made with all organic juices!

We then hit the Celebrity Cruises Wine Bar and I tried their Rose - also yum!  They were serving Cambria Estate Winery wines and now I want to go up north and visit because the wine was delish!

Happy girl has her wine

Next up was this little Gnoochi dish.  Holy crap...SO GOOD!!

Libby you would love this!

 We then grabbed this yummy little pasta dish that I believe had pork.  Very Italian flavored.  It was an interesting blend of almost BBQ and Italian flavors.  So good!  This may have been from Prego.  I'm not sure because we ate like 3 things right there but I remember that name.  I loved everything though so if you're looking for places to go - all was yum!!

Like a fancy spin on a simple pasta!

We found another photo op!

Fancy!

We then got this little yummy strip of thinly sliced chicken with artichoke on top.  Nothing fancy or special but so good!!

Can I have 10 more please?

Of course had to get a pastry!  (My gut is already screaming at me to stop)

So good

Next up was a Squid Ink Seafood Pasta from Davio's.  Holy crap you guys - this was incredible!!!  Now you have to be a fan of fish.  It was actually too fishy for Taylor but I loved it!!

There were lobster and scallops and oh my god so yum!!!!

I had seen people walking around with sliders, and I was on a mission to find those and I finally did and OMG.  These were from Jimmy's American Tavern.  They had beer as well, but of course I was sticking to wine.  But you guys - this slider.  I have to say I think this may have been my favorite.  I love sliders so much, and this was made with Waygu Beef and some kind of jalapeño jam (which I was worried would be too spicy but it wasn't!) and a giant slab of bacon and other stuff I don't even remember but damn!  It was also served quite pink which I love!

The boyfriend and I need to hit this place on a date night!

Then of course more tear up my gut delicious desserts!!  Damn!!

My GAWD.

By this point we decided to head outside as it was getting a little crazy inside. 

Pretty Ice Sculpture!

I instantly spotted champagne with berries in them so I was all over that.  It was a Chamborg/Champagne Bar.  Um yes please.  And they gave me a free little tote of goodies which I later found out contained a nail file, T-shirt and fluff ball keychain!

I wanted one of those cupcakes but I was getting full!

This also let to a photo shoot with Taylor helping me get a new FB Profile pic! Ha ha ha ha!

Windblown Fancy

There was  Maker's Mark bar and Taylor wanted to get himself a free Moscow Mule cup - so in line we went.  Such a cool set up!  They had donuts on the wall and were like - "Pairs great with the whiskey!"

DONUT WALL!

These guys were rad

A bit more food - there was a really great ravioli and meatball sample!  And while I was add it grabbed the Shrimp Fettichini sample since it was getting crowded.  Yes I'll double fist with food.  Yum!!

Let me inhale this real quick

I spotted some Bacon Wrapped Dates - um - hell yes.

Can you even?!

My last food grab was Melissa's Produce.  Smart gals placing the name on there so I remember!  I got a little mango salsa and wow!  Probably best mango salsa I've ever tasted.  Super fresh and light!

Like a fresh little top off!

At this point we both pretty much hit a wall.  The event was 1-5, but it was now 3ish and we were pretty much done.  Full and overwhelmed.  It was also getting really packed in there and the food had now been sitting out and started making us think...mmmmmm...I think we're good.

I must also add - we sat down and people watched for a while because - you guys - the best place to people watch.  It was a mix of people who did not get the cocktail attire memo, or mis took that for hooker wear.  I mean it was a sight.  Lots of folks with lots of work done to their faces.  I mean alot.
Just an idea of what we witnessed was along the lines of:

• Lots of women squeezed into teeny tiny dresses
• One gal thought workout clothes is the same as cocktail
• There was an Asian Barbie who was leading around a little posse of people like a tour guide.  I wonder if these were like her minions or something.  She kept squealing and hugging people and got louder the drunker she got.
• Speaking of...people were getting hammered.  I hope they Uber'd.
• A gal in a Beetlejuice looking jumpsuit with her cellphone sticking out of her boob was trying way to hard to impress this group of younger loud drunk people
• Zipper dresses are back
• There was a dude talking very loudly to his posse about everything he thinks he knows about.  FYI - he knew nothing
• Ripped jeans are also apparently cocktail attire now
• Women dressed in barely there dresses and giant heels serving booze is still a thing
• People are fucking rude - like most of the attendees were snooty, rude, unsmiling people
• One gal grabbed my arm when she heard Taylor say the word quarantine (FYI we were talking about my cat) and said "Does someone have Coronavirus!!!"  My god woman...back off.
• I think the vendors loved Taylor and I because were friendly and said Thank You.
• There was an adorable little posse of elderly folks - they dressed like my grandparents did when going to church.  They greeted each other by bumping elbows.  They laughed and hugged and were swooning over everything they ate.  I loved them and hope that is me when I'm that age.

That's the observations in a nutshell.

Then some vendor whipped out a giant fucking pan and started cooking a paella.  I swear half the people ran over to get in on it.  I think he was a famous someone or other, but I was just fascinated by the ginormous pan!

I wanted to just jump into this

Then I had to take a picture of this..because it was weird to me.  But there was Porsche in here.  Very excited people were having their pictures taken in it.

Apparently Porsche likes food too

Taylor and I had a blast.  These types of events always make for such good people watching because you get a combo of the fancy rich people and the people who really want to be rich and fancy and try way too hard.  But the cool thing is you also get some legit foodies and those are my people. 

All the vendors were very cool and should pat themselves on the back for how they handled this crowd, cooking, keeping everything clean and sterile, making these beautiful presentations of food and they were all so good!!!  LIKE SO GOOD!!!  There wasn't one thing I didn't like. 

Thank you again to Taylor for taking me on another fun delicious adventure!