OC Restaurant Week returns once again this year with EIGHT Laguna restaurants participating. These are sincerely discounted specialty menus throughout the week. It’s a perfect time to try something new or return to an old favorite at a great price. See below for restaurants running Lunch, Dinner and “Date night” (Dinner for Two) menus.

Restaurant Week runs Sunday, March 6th through Saturday March 12th. Get on those reservations; this tends to be a busy week for the participants.

Lumberyard is back for OC Restaurant Week (the first time in a few years) with a specialty $45 Prix Fixe Dinner Menu. Choose from appetizer options such as Skillet

Lumberyard’s Salmon with couscous, vegetables and Mediterranean salsa verde

Roasted Lamb Meatballs (my favorite), salads and rich New England Clam Chowder. Entrée options are all the best of the best from Lumberyard, including Grilled Prime Filet Mignon, Mediterranean Style Grilled Salmon with quinoa salad, Parmesan Crusted Sole Filet, L-yard’s famed Rotisserie Chicken dinner and House-Made Pappardelle with shrimp and market vegetables. Dessert options are also classics to us locals, Tres Leches Cake and Molten Chocolate Lava Cake. Call (949) 715-3900 or go to the Open Table website for reservations

Mozambique is offering a varietal prix fixe Lunch menu for $20. Enjoy salad and soup options initially, followed with Blackened Mahi Mahi, Grilled Chicken Sandwich and the ever-popular Penne Pasta Mozambique. Dinner for $50 includes soup and salad options, too, with entrées including Pan Seared Salmon. Peri-Peri Chicken, Rack of Lamb and the Penne Pasta. Desserts come along for the ride, too, at both lunch and dinner. Call (949) 715-7777 or go to the website for reservations.

Nirvana Grille is offering two prix fixe Dinner menu at $45, $65 as well as a Date Night menu for two at $140. Dinner for $45 includes a variety of small plate soups, salads and Chef’ Lindsay’s famous sweet potato fries. Large plates include Steelhead, Roasted Mary’s Chicken Breast, All Natural Beef Stroganoff and Portobello Potato Gnocchi. Desert options are plentiful, too (hint: Go for the Chambord Glazed Cherries & Goat Cheese Maple Ice Cream. Yowza). The $65 menu adds in a different assortment of starters and features Blackened Seafood Di Mare, Local Halibut Almondine and Coffee-Dusted Filet Mignon. The Date Night for two Prix Fixe includes 2 glasses of wine times 2 (two varietals included) with shareable entrées that include New York Steak, Pistachio Dijon Crusted Chilean Sea Bass and Herb Grilled Branzino-style Sea Bass. Desserts, of course, included, and specialty drinks for the Restaurant Week are additional bonuses.  Call (949) 497-0027 or go to the website for reservations. 

O Fine Japanese Cuisine is offering Lunch options of 7 pieces of sushi or 10 pieces of sashimi for $30. Beer, wine and sake are 20% off as well. Please allow a 24-hour notice when you call (949) 715-5551. Hours are Mon – Fri, 111:30 – 2:30 p.m, and Sat/Sun from noon to 2:30 p.m.

Seabutter OC is featuring a Chef’s Specialty Dinner for Restaurant Week.

Seabutter OC, one of our newest (and great) sushi restaurants is celebrating its inaugural Restaurant Week with a $99 Chef’s Special Dinner. Graze through an edamame starter, a Nigiri course, a Sashimi course, a Pressed Sushi course, another Nigiri course and a Hand Roll to finish. It’s a great way to familiarize yourself with the specialty items these chefs turn out every evening, and you get dessert to boot.  Seabutter OC is in the old San Shi Go location one flight above Oak. Call (949) 942-6042 to make reservations or go to their website.

Starfish is offering $50 and $60 family menus for both lunch and dinner, dine-in or take-out. As is usual for Starfish, their offerings are mighty and large with small plates and entrées, along with additional $10 “elevated features” and libations packaged for two. Call (949) 942-6042 to make reservations or go to their website.

Skyloft is offering Lunch for Two for $50, which includes a vast array of options in small plates, large plates and sweet treats. Choose your libation, too, for two, for just $18. Dinner for Two offers an even larger variety of options for $60, with the optional libations also available for two for $18.  Call (949) 715-1550 to make reservations or go to their website.

Sapphire.Cellar.Craft.Cook is offering a $60 prix fixe Dinner Menu with starters and dessert framing entrée selections of lamb shank, shortrib or wild caught Alaskan Halibut. Add select glasses of wine for $15 or their featured cocktail. the Whiskey Peach, for $12. Call (949) 715-9888 for reservations or go to their website.

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