Best Of :: Food & Drink The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar Yvone Goetz's restaurant is old-school French, the kind of place you typically save for that promotion or milestone anniversary. But its remarkable Crush Hour makes a weekly visit to the restaurant a must. For prices that won't get you a burger elsewhere, Goetz puts out the most thoughtful and elaborate happy hour food in Orange County. Don't expect Buffalo wings or plain sliders. Instead, feast on the casual cassoulet that's his pork belly lollipops on white beans or the honest-to-goodness steak-and-potatoes meal in his beef tenderloin bites. On top of that, there are substantial discounts on the wine. Readers’ Choice: Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen 2647 Park Ave., Tustin, 92782-2707 We figured Taco Maria had a nice two-year run as the county's best restaurant, that chef Carlos Salgado wouldn't mind if we spread the love elsewhere, that there were a bunch of other OC spots worthy of the crown. And there are—more than at any point in OC's dining history, actually.

But we are a paper of truth, no matter how inconvenient, and the truth is Salgado's place remains epochs ahead of nearly everyone else: He's a chile de árbol in a sea of bell peppers. It's not just that Salgado was a James Beard Award semifinalist this year, or that he's increasingly getting called to cook in the motherland alongside such Mexican culinary giants as Javier Plascencia and Enrique Olvera, or that they're doing pop-ups with him at Taco Maria. It's not even how his staff is as precise as a phalanx of neurosurgeons, from setting cutlery to refilling your glass with water. It's all about his food—sustainable, delicious, forward-thinking and paisa AF. What won him this award was a late-summer addition of a shrimp quesadilla served alongside a squash blossom and a green salsa—available at nearly any lonchera in OC, but nowhere near as astounding, and yet regal enough to deserve its own booth on the fourth floor of South Coast Plaza. And, being the good general that Salgado is, credit for Taco Maria's great run also goes to his No. 2, Roland Rubalcava, the best right-hand man since William Tecumseh Sherman.

Readers’ Choice: The RANCH Restaurant & Saloon 3313 Hyland Ave., Costa Mesa, 92626 The original Anepalco is still the place for a quick breakfast or brunch of fine French-Mex cuisine. But it's at Anepalco inside the ALO Hotel where chef Danny Godinez is able to oversee the philosophy that's the subhead to the restaurant's name: cocina del barrio. top selling wine 2014Food of the people that's as futuristic as that Mayan spaceman glyph. where to buy indian wineWe've long raved about Godinez's postmodern chilaquiles, but everything here is a stunner: deconstructed tortilla soup, huitlacoche ice cream and the pan-Latin #borrachoproblems of head bartender Cesar Cerrudo. top selling wine 2014It's a goddamn shame that Anepalco doesn't get more regional or national love—but in the meanwhile, it'll just be our beautiful secret.

Readers’ Choice: Avila’s El Ranchito 3737 W. Chapman Ave., Orange, 92868 Pizzeria Ortica has always attracted eaters for its great pizzas, but the entrance of Joel Caruso and his man Friday, Aristotle Alstaetter, transformed the place into Orange County's ultimate booze factory. Caruso is a Caravaggio of cocktails, each sip detailed, dramatic, dark, thoughtful and brilliant. Alstaetter, meanwhile, is already at top-rate bartender status with creations more playful, lighter, yet just as genius—let's call him Pizzeria Ortica's Rossini. Are we done with the Italian metaphors? Together, the two are the young DeNiro and Pacino of OC bartending, wowing with every appearance. Readers’ Choice: SOCIAL Costa Mesa 650 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa, 92626 Despite Filipinos representing the largest Asian population in California, their cuisine has historically been resigned to cater to only Filipinos. Ryan Garlitos' Irenia aims to change that. Whether you're new to Filipino food or you grew up with it, Garlitos' interpretations of classic Pinoy dishes, such as adobo and ginisang monggo, will make you fall in love with it for the first time or the millionth.

This is Filipino food for the widest possible audience that's never dumbed down or whitewashed. And for dessert, pastry chef Ashley Guzman shines with her modern spins on sweets such as a deconstructed calamansi pie and halo-halo, which are some of the best desserts in OC, Filipino or otherwise. 400 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, 92701 Not only is Kelly's Korner Tavern the epitome of a neighborhood bar—stumble up McCormack Lane for a minute, and you're in the middle of a nice suburban tract—serving some of the best bar food around (and suds FOR DAYS), but the Placentia favorite also has enough flat-screens to illuminate the Carlsbad Caverns. Nearly all of them are set to different games, ensuring that on any given night this fall, you saw the Angels losing, the Dodgers winning, the Lakers struggling, the Galaxy hustling, the Ducks underachieving, the Kings rebuilding and Sportscenter morons braying—and that's just one wall. Readers’ Choice: Tilted Kilt 907 E. Yorba Linda Blvd., Placentia, 92870

Best Happy Hour: The Winery Restaurant & Wine BarOpening at NOON on Mother's Day! Make this Mother's Day a day she'll remember... Russo's Ristorante - Laughs, Love & Linguini! (Make sure to make your reservation today! 562.433.1616) MAKE YOUR RESERVATION TODAY Russo's isn't just great Italian food, it's great food for every occasion. We recommend you to make reservation especially on weekends. RUSSO'S CATERING & PARTY TRAYS Having the family over for Mother's Day? Give mom the night off and let us bring dinner to you! We have a wide selection of delectable Italian Cuisine to ensure everyone, especially mom, is happy. ENJOY A NIGHT OUT With our spacious patio and roomy indoor dining area, Russo's Ristorante & Bar is the perfect destination for a romantic night out, or a family get-together. And, don't let a cold evening scare you - our patio is overflowing with heating lamps ready to keep you warm! Napa Valley has become the most famous wine region in the United States.

With a number of subappellations, or American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), each with its own distinctive personality, Napa Valley always impresses wine enthusiasts with its quality of fine wines. Stop by and try a line-up of wines from Napa Valley that are sure to impress. Tasting Hours: Thursday: 4-8pm Friday: 4-8pm Saturday: 1-8pm Find out more » Pinot Noir may be the toughest grape to grow, but the effort is well worth the investment. It is a fickle grape that demands optimum growing conditions, calling for warm days consistently supported by cool evenings. Pinot Noir is a lighter colored and flavored red wine, well-suited to pair with poultry, ham, lamb and pork. Its flavors are reminiscent of sweet red berries, plums, tomatoes, cherries and at times a notable earthy or wood-like flavor, depending on specific growing conditions.… Join us as we taste through a line-up blends that would be classified as “other” blends (meaning they are not Rhone-style or Bordeaux-style).

Many times these wines turn out to be the most interesting and complex wines, as the blends are unique and provide wine enthusiasts something different for their palate. Tasting Hours: Thursday: 4-8pm Friday: 4-8pm Heights Village Food Truck Fun Get your calendars ready! Food Truck time is back! April 20th, May 18th, June 15th, July 20th, August 17th, September 21st. Share with your friends & family. Private Event (Patio Closed) The patio will be closed for a private event from 12pm to 4:30pm. We will start our Club Pick-up Party at the usual time of 5pm. Stop by for our monthly Club Crush wine tasting/pick-up party. Enjoy a line-up of specially selected wines along with a sampling of select, artisan cheeses. The month’s wine shipments include: * CLUB CRUSH WHITE * CLUB CRUSH PINOT NOIR Tasting Hours: Saturday: 5 – 8pm Many consider Zinfandel the original “California red.” In fact, California is the largest grower of Zinfandel in the entire world (It is also widely planted in Italy as the Primitivo grape).

Zinfandel can range from a light, fruity red wine to a strong red with ultra-intense pepper and jam. Come on by and try a variety of Zinfandels that will be the perfect pairing for your summertime BBQ. Time to taste some fantastic Syrah. Taste the subtle nuances of a cold-climate Syrah against a warmer climate Syrah. Regardless of your preference, you are sure to enjoy this varietal that is increasing in popularity. Join us as we showcase a line-up of wines that will enhance your next BBQ. There are many hearty reds that will stand up to all that great meat coming off the grill this summer. Come see for yourself that all the drinks for your next BBQ do not have to come from a can. Just two-hours up the road you can find some outstanding wines in Santa Barbara. This week we are saving you the cost of gas and are sampling up a selection of wines from the Santa Barbara area. Stop by and taste a great selection of wines from Santa Ynez and Santa Rita Hills to Santa Barbara itself.