SIMPLY FONDUE CELEBRATES MARDI GRAS WITH A WINE PAIRING DINNER

San Juan Capistrano’s beloved fondue restaurant hosts an indulgent evening of savory wine and flavorful food pairings to honor “Fat Tuesday”

WHAT:To celebrate the practice of eating one last extravagant meal before Ash Wednesday, Simply Fondue has created a Cajun inspired menu complete with wine pairings. This special five course menu stays true to the restaurant's trademark fondue style, but has Creole inspired flavors. Each course will be paired with a wine meant to complement the flavors of the food fare and a wine expert will be on hand to interact with the guests and share details about each selection.

WHERE:Simply Fondue
31761 Camino Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

WHEN:Tuesday, March 8th
Seatings available from 5:30pm to 8pm


MENU:

Cajun Chicken Skewars
Served with hot, sweet & savory dipping sauces

Domaine Chandon Blanc de Noirs NV

* * *

Tomato & Haricot Vert Salad
Served with green beans, tomato & fenel
Or
One of our four creative salads

Trimbach Pinot Blanc ‘07


* * *
Cajun Cheddar & Rock Shrimp
Served with bread, fresh vegetables & green apples

Chalone Estate Chardonnay ‘08


* * *
Smoked Sausage, Spicy Shrimp, Creole Beef, Coconut Shrimp, Jamaican Chicken & Shrimp
Cook all items above in one of our four unique cooking styles

Uppercut Cabernet Sauvignon ‘07


* * *
Pecan Caramel Chocolate Turtle
Delicious imported milk or dark chocolate, rich creamy caramel & crunch pecans flambéed tableside & served with all of our incredible dippers

Rosenblum Cellars Chocolate Cabernet Port NV

PRICE:$59 per person + Tax & Gratuity

RESERVATIONS:(949) 240-0300

ABOUT SIMPLY FONDUE:

Simply Fondue combines state-of-the art cooking with ambrosial cheeses and a variety of savory seasoned bouillon broths for dipping a wide array of entrées such as fresh beef,lobster, shrimp, pork, poultry, tofu and gourmet vegetables. If you have a sweet tooth, you will most certainly enjoy Simply Fondue’s delicious selection of specialty chocolate fondues. Round out the evening with a glass of wine from our award-winning wine list or try one of our popular, creative martinis. Open for dinner daily. Simply Fondue has two Orange County locations: 28719 Los Alisos Blvd., Mission Viejo (949) 707-5200 and 31761 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano (949) 240-0300. www.simplyfondueoc.com.

SOL Mexican Cocina - "Thursdays at 901"

Sol Cocina
251 Pacific Coast Highway
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Phone: 949.675.9800

This past week I attended SOL Mexican Cocina's first “Thursdays at 901” event highlighting the OC debut of Justin Timberlake’s 901 Tequila. I'll start with my general reaction to the verbalization of the word tequila: "BLEH!" Tequila and me ARE NOT the best of friends. This one, however, had me quite delighted and returning to the bar for more.

We were offered a list of four different concoctions... I only took pictures of two (blame it on the alcohol haha), but all are listed below starting with my favorite.

Strawberry-Kiwi Margarita

(Fresh strawberry, kiwi, lime and 901 Silver Tequila)

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! I believe I went back for a total of three of these bad boys! Sweet, with a slight sour tang, a smooth back-end of tequila, and yummy tid-bits of strawberry at the bottom. This one was an easy sipper if you have the self-control to not just down it right away.

Pepino

(The perfect combination of cucumber,basil, pineapple, lime, Cointreau and 901 Silver Tequila)

I agree completely with the drink's description. The Pepino was a different one in its own. It had a sweet vegetable taste. Nothing too bold. Very sippable. I believe I had two.

901 Paloma

(Fresh grapefruit juice, 901 Silver Tequila and a splash of grapefruit soda)

Grapefruit... sweet/sour. I liked this drink, personally. It was a nice kick to my taste buds, but took third place on my list after I tried the Strawberry-Kiwi Margarita and the Pepino.

901 Rocks-Lime

I was a little too ripped to remember a picture by the time I had this one, but it's a pretty self-explanatory drink. 901 on the rocks with a lime! The tequila is very smooth, but does have a nippy little bite at the end. Not as bad as a hyperactive chihuahua's, and MUCH better than any other tequila I've tried so far, but I would recommend this one as a shot rather than a sipper if you don't like the sting of tequila (like me).

I was also fortunate enough to try the corn chowder and a stuffed flor de calabaza with panela cheese and mole sauce. The chowder was smooth and creamy - not thick at all like the normal chowders I'm used to. My date promised to take me back for a late night of chowder and margaritas, and I REALLY wish SOL Cocina was open late-night every night because I would take him up on his offer right this minute!

The fried, stuffed flor de calabaza had a flavor that I can't really describe, but I will definitely be returning for more.

So... never been the type to go out on a Thursday night to start off my weekend early, but the thought isn't so bad now that I've tried it. It was actually quite a nice outing, though it threw off my mental calendar of the REAL weekend. Oh well, and well worth it!

SOL’s Happy Hour will still be offered from 4–7 p.m. (bar and patio only). SOL’s Late Night is offered from 11p.m-1a.m. (Thurs-Sat). For more information, menus, hours of operations, online reservations and directions, visit http://www.solcocina.com/.

SOL Cocina Introduces Late Night at SOL

SOL Cocina introduces late-night at SOL – every Thursday with live music, 901 Tequila specialty cocktails and menu until 1 a.m.

Launch date: Thursday, February 10 @ 9:01 p.m.

NEWPORT BEACH, CA (January 2011) – SOL Mexican Cocina will host its first “Thursdays at 901” event highlighting the OC debut of Justin Timberlake’s 901 Tequila with live music, 901 tequila sampling, Chef-created antojitos, Live Nation concert ticket giveaways and a digital photo booth for guests to enjoy at SOL Cocina (251 E. PCH at Bayside in Newport Beach) on Thursday, February 10^th at 9:01 p.m.

“Thursday night is really the start of the weekend,” said Matt Baumayr, SOL’s general manager. “With ‘Thursdays at 901’ we want to create a great, relaxed vibe for our guests – a place to come and kick back with friends, listen to music and just chill. Launching our Thursday events with the debut of a sophisticated brand like 901 Tequila seems like a perfect fit.”

Space for the red-carpet launch is limited and guests must RSVP to mona@moxxepr.com. “Thursdays at 901” will continue every Thursday following its launch with guests able to enjoy late-night cocktails and menu options until 1 a.m.

SOL’s Happy Hour will still be offered from 4–7 p.m. (bar and patio only). For more information, menus, hours of operations, online reservations and directions, visit http://www.solcocina.com/.