Newport Restaurant Week Showcases Culinary Talent

Just when you thought it was safe to get back into your gym clothes, Newport Beach Restaurant Week comes into town with enticing and affordable three course meals prepared by local chefs.

It's a good year to be a diner in Newport Beach, with over 70 restaurants, this is the highest restaurant participation ever for the annual event which is in its seventh year. To celebrate this delicious achievement, Newport Beach Restaurant Week was extended to 10 days instead of the usual seven to make sure foodies have enough time to taste all of the offerings.

"I'm thrilled to be part of such a thriving culinary community," said Jim Walker, president of the Newport Beach Restaurant Association BID and proprietor of the legendary Bungalow Restaurant in Corona del Mar. "We look forward to introducing new customers to our restaurants through this event."

Customers will definitely receive a mouth-watering introduction, with prix-fixe meals starting at $5 less than previous years, diners will have a choice of classic menu items and new dishes created especially for Newport Beach Restaurant Week.

"I go out to dinner in Orange County nearly every night, so this is a good chance for me to try something new on the menu that I might normally not have ordered," said Aaron Cowley, a local foodie and Newport Beach resident,  who is looking forward to checking out new to restaurant week eateries like DivBar and Landmark.

Starting at just $10, diners can enjoy prix-fixe lunch and dinner, usually with multiple options for each two or three course meal. Here are examples of menu items from select restaurants:

$10 Menus:

Avila's El Ranchito - cup of famous Mama Avila's soup with a choice of grilled mahi mahi, mole chicken enchilada, or tomatillo shrimp enchilada and a strawberry filled churro for dessert.

Other $10 menus include JACKshrimp and Royal Thai Cuisine.

$15 Menus:

Crow Burger Kitchen - Choice of one of 10 entrees including their burgers, the breakfast burrito or icebox salad, choice of french fries (including duck fat!) or onion rings, and a soft drink or draft beer.

Other $15 menus include Ten Asian Bistro, Wilma's Patio, Il Farro Cafe, Newport Beach Brewing Company, Rockin Baja, Woody's Wharf, Zen Sushi, Cafe Jardin, Mayur Cuisine of India, Summer House, The Crow Bar and Kitchen, Tommy Bahama, Zinc Cafe & Market, DivBar Smokehouse, SOL Mexican Cocina, The Counter, Back Bay Tavern, Modo Mio Cucina, Cucina Allesa, Mario's a Taste of Italy, The Alley.

$20 Menus:

Muldoon's Irish Pub - Your choice of soup of the day or house pub salad with soda bread, corned beef cabbage, shepherds pie or Irish stew and Trifle or mini sundae.

Other $20 Menus include Bambu, The Village Inn, Wilma's Patio, Avila's El Ranchito, Fly N Fish, Il Farro Cafe, Malarky's Irish Pub, Newport Beach Brewing Company, Sol Grill, Woody's Wharf, Rockin Baja, Ohana House, Bluewater Grill, The Cannery, Port Restaurant, Summer House, Rothchild's, Balboa Bay Club, JACKshrimp, DivBar, Back Bay Bistro, Bayside Restaurant, Orange Coast Winery, Pita Jungle, SHOR, Bloomingdale's, Canaletto, Mariposa at Neiman Marcus, The Ritz, Yard House, Palm Terrace, Sam & Harry's, Cucina Allesa, Mario's A Taste of Italy, Eat Chow, Royal Thai Cuisine.

$30 Menus:

Tommy Bahamas - Your choice of coconut shrimp, crab bisque or the harvest salad with herb & goat cheese stuffed chicken, grilled baby back pork ribs or hot iron seared swordfish steak and your choice of key lime pie, pina colada cake or malted chocolate cake.

Other $30 menus include: The Alley, Eat Chow, Modo Mio, Coliseum Pool and Gardens, Brasserie Pascal, Back Bay Tavern, Back Bay Bistro, SOL, Chart House, Mayur Cuisine of India, Rothchild's, The Bungalow, Port Restaurant & Bar, Bluewater Grill, Newport Landing, Zen Sushi, Pescadou Bistro, Fly N Fish, Rockin Baja, Amelia's, Barolo By the Sea, The Village Inn, Ten Asian Bistro.

$40 Menus:

Tamarind of London - Your choice of Paneer-cheese Fritters, Spiced cakes of crab meat or Tandoori Grilled Jidori chicken; with Vegetable Korma, Shrimp Masala, Chicken Tikka Masala or Lamb Curry followed by your choice of Molten Chocolate Cake or Mango Kulfi for dessert.

Other $40 menus include The Beachcomber, Pelican Grill, Bluefin, The Ritz, Roy's Hawaiian Fusion, Sam & Harry's, Palm Terrace, Fleming's, Canaletto, Bistro Le Crillon, SHOR, Bayside Restaurant, Balboa Bay Club, Five Crowns, Landmark, The Crow Bar, The Cannery, 21 Oceanfront, Bambu.

Newport Beach Restaurant Week continues through until Jan. 27. Most restaurants will be participating in Bounce Back, where diners will receive a 20 percent off dining reward coupon to return to their restaurant Jan. 28-March 15.

For a full list of restaurants and their discounted menus, or to make reservations, visit newportbeachdining.com.