FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kathy Anderson, Tourism Specialist [email protected] 001-480-588-5507 FASHION ISLAND AND IRVINE SPECTRUM CENTER OFFER UNRIVALED DINING OPTIONS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA From critically-acclaimed fine dining to the latest in fast-casual concepts, Fashion Island and Irvine Spectrum Center offer an unparalled collection of diverse restaurants to satisfy any palate. “Irvine Company recognizes that travelers have many choices when it comes to dining while visiting Southern California. We’re proud to provide visitors with a diverse range of unique restaurants, specialty food options, and inspired culinary treats at Fashion Island and Irvine Spectrum Center,” said Christine Duvall, Senior Director, Marketing, Irvine Company Retail Properties. Fashion Island welcomed Sushi Roku, a pioneer of contemporary sushi and favorite among Hollywood celebrities. Sushi Roku’s eclectic menu combines traditional Japanese cuisine with bold international flavors and a dash of California innovation to create a unique selection of hot and cold specialty appetizers and an array of artful entrées. Only the finest, freshest fish from around the globe is used with the kind of artistry that can only be provided by a seasoned sushi chef to ensure a superlative sushi experience. Fashion Island is also now home to Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza, where guests can customize a handcrafted pizza, choosing from a wide selection of fresh, artisanal ingredients – all for under $8. The generously sized personal pizzas are then “fast-fire’d” to baked perfection in less than 180 seconds. Blue C Sushi also recently brought its award-winning revolving sushi bar to Fashion Island. Using only sustainably sourced fish, Blue C marries the traditional form of sushi with innovative and modern twists beyond the usual fusion rolls found in many American sushi restaurants. Case in point: Blue C’s TBLT roll, a take on the classic BLT sandwich. Crispy bacon, avocado, mayo and lettuce gets tucked inside a roasted seaweed paper and rice roll, then topped with Tahitian albacore that’s lightly seared with a torch. CUCINA enoteca, one of Orange County’s most popular restaurants, offers California- inspired Italian classics prepared with organic and sustainable products and produce grown on local farms. At its new Fashion Island location, guests can look forward to handmade pastas, antipasti, pizzas and plates large and small, perfect for sharing. CUCINA’s bar menu is comprised of specialty artisan cocktails, craft beers and house-infused liquors. These exciting culinary arrivals join high-profile destinations such as FIG & OLIVE and Red O Mexican Cuisine by Rick Bayless. New York-based, celebrity-favorite FIG & OLIVE exudes glamour and elegance, offers classic flavors inspired by the French-Riviera and coastal regions of the Mediterranean. Guests enjoy ocean views and more than 60 olive trees and a fireplace in the outdoor garden areas. Red O, from renowned chef Rick Bayless, is an upscale Mexican restaurant in a gorgeous space with bold décor and California-inspired fare. And let’s not forget long-time favorites and dining powerhouses that include: Canaletto Ristorante Veneto, with a variety of fresh pastas, sauces and delectable desserts; True Food Kitchen, which offers organic and good-for-you dishes without skimping on flavor or elegance and R+D Kitchen, the perfect place for California-inflected dishes with great hospitality and customer service. A visit to Fashion Island isn’t complete without experiencing the culinary product offerings at the center’s Whole Foods Market. Designed and built with the environment in mind, all of the wood used on the walls is reclaimed lumber salvaged from old canneries in Northern California. In the wine and dairy areas used wine tank staves, stained deep purple and light red from the wine barrels, were used on the walls. More than just a market, it’s a gourmet treasure featuring specialty foods and beverages, hot and cold food services, bakery, coffee and juice bars and so much more! Exclusive to this Whole Foods location is Back Bay Tavern, a coastal themed tavern offering a rotating selection of 36 craft beers on tap, plus wine and spirits, along with an extensive menu including beef, seafood, vegetarian and vegan meals. Additional notable quick-serve eateries include: Lemonade, a popular and charming cafeteria-meets-café concept offers an expansive menu that includes 20 prepared salads, eight kinds of pot roasts and, of course, six kinds of seasonal lemonades including Blueberry-Mint and Ginger Guava; Orange County’s only Le Pain Quotidien, with its assortment of specialty house-baked baguettes, open-faced sandwiches and salads; Pain du Monde is the perfect go- to for breakfast, coffee and delectable pastries. Unique culinary treats also abound at Fashion Island with Southern California’s only Minamoto Kitchoan. Founded in Japan in 1947, the shop has introduced traditional “wagashi” or Japanese sweets to U.S. customers for years. From everyday sweets such as dorayaki (a pancake sandwich filled with azuki red bean paste) and daifuku (glutinous rice cake filled with azuki red bean paste), to elegant seasonal delicacies, Minamoto Kitchoan’s authentic wagashi confections are renowned for their artful presentations as well as for their taste. Minamoto Kitchoan has boutiques in San Francisco, New York, London, Singapore and Taipei. More sweet confections await at Orange County’s only ‘Lette Macarons, featuring delicate French macarons made fresh by hand. The 12 signature macaron flavors, from Earl Grey to Salted Caramel, come in a rainbow of hues. Casey’s Cupcakes, the California-grown Cupcake Wars winner, tempts visitors with its gorgeously decorated cupcakes, which come in 12 daily flavors as well as a cupcake-of-the-month flavor. Irvine Spectrum Center must also be included in travelers’ Orange County dining itineraries. The center has been repeatedly voted by local residents as the best place to dine in Orange County, thanks to a wide range of tantalizing options to meet any craving. Kona Grill, a fast-growing American meets sushi concept, opened its first California location at Irvine Spectrum Center in April. Offering scratch-made Asian-American food with a modern spin, Kona Grill features award-winning sushi with fresh seafood flown in daily, as well as steaks, crafted cocktails and seasonal menus. At Del Frisco’s Grille, find all-American fare in a contemporary setting: OC Register dining critic Brad Johnson gave Del Frisco Grille’s steaks high marks, hailing them “perfection.” This restaurant takes the classic America bar and grill concept to refreshing new heights, drawing inspiration from bold flavors and market-fresh ingredients. Brio Tuscan Grille specializes in made-to-order pastas, premium steaks, chops and seafood. An exhibition-style kitchen offers a view of Brio’s chefs in action while they prepare classic northern Italian cuisine. Daniel Shemtob, winner of The Food Network’s Great Food Truck Challenge, features his brick-and-mortar concept with TLT Food. It’s a fast-casual, chef-driven eatery with modern spins on comfort food such as shortrib quesadillas, carnitas fries and pork belly nachos. At Pho Saigon Pearl, a traditional-meets-modern Vietnamese menu means everything from crispy fried egg rolls to flavorful fish sauce chicken wings and abundant bowls of pho noodle soups. For more flavorful fare, guests can head to Urban Seoul 2.0. The borderless kitchen draws inspiration from the SoCal cultures and communities it serves, including Korean and Mexican flavors. Everything on the menu bursts with colors and flavors that are creative but familiar, with gorgeous presentations, from the pork belly buns to light and healthy lettuce wraps. Speaking of healthy, with its mantra as “slow food done fast,” Tender Greens continues to be a hit with its locally-sourced and sustainable salads, sandwiches and plates of grilled meats, fish and vegetables. Visitors enjoy the attention to detail that Paul Martin’s American Grill delivers while creating dishes infused with local, sustainable, peak-of-the-season ingredients. A Southern California favorite, The Cheesecake Factory (also featured at Fashion Island) provides guests with a wide variety of inventive menu selections, classic American fare and more than 20 varieties of mouth-watering cheesecake. A Laguna Beach original, Javier’s Cantina & Grill offers the finest, authentic and regionally influenced home-style Mexican cooking plus the largest selection of premium tequilas in Orange County, all in a sophisticated upscale setting. CUCINA enoteca Italian kitchen and wine shop, evokes a modern, California-inspired kitchen with a rustic country farmhouse setting. The menu features Italian classics with fresh local produce and organic and sustainable ingredients. Ruby’s Diner, a Southern California institution famous for 1940’s inspired dining offers the memorable ambiance of the original Ruby’s Diners while featuring new décor and an enhanced menu with innovative entrees and “greatest hits” sure to satisfy today’s sophisticated dining customer. (A complete listing of Irvine Spectrum Center dining establishments is attached to this release.). Fashion Island and Irvine Spectrum Center offer visitors an array of exclusive offers and amenities from participating restaurants via the OC Stylish Savings program. Multilingual vouchers, which can be exchanged at each center’s Guest Services Desk for OC Stylish Savings offers, are available to travel trade, hotels and attractions upon request by emailing [email protected]. They are also available online at ShopFashionIsland.com or ShopIrvineSpectrumCenter.com. An exciting new visitor offering is the launch of prepaid, commissionable OC Dining Cards valid at both Fashion Island and Irvine Spectrum Center and available for groups of 12 or more. Visitors are invited to avail themselves of the many other services and amenities offered through Guest Services, including information about restaurants, stores, events, local attractions, airport shuttles and taxi service. Both centers offer convenient valet parking and Fashion Island provides complimentary personal shopping services as well.