Seal Beach Restaurant week is about to take off with something for everyone.
Devour, in Seal Beach on Main Street, which will run from Nov. 12 – 16, is full of specials and “prix fixe” menus.
“We are thrilled to have nine of the best restaurants in Orange County as part of our inaugural week,” said Jason Schiffer, owner of 320 Main. Jason, his wife Rebecca and fellow restaurateur, Gabe Gordon from Beachwood BBQ had been talking about the event for several years.
“Beachwood BBQ has a tradition of building a customer base through our food, beer and ambiance. Some of what we bring to Seal Beach is translating to Devour – creating a new customer buzz through accessible unique food experiences,” Gordon said.
Restaurants are focused on prix fixe menus like this sample from Beachwood:
Roasted Beet Tartare and Beef Carpaccio, Smoked Honey Glazed Baby Back Pork Ribs served with Pickled Corn, Fava Beans, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts and a third course of Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Ice Cream – for $30 dollars.
320 Main is offering both a lunch and dinner prix fixe menu and with each a 50% off handcrafted cocktail. A sample of their $30 dinner is Steamed Mussels with yuzu, lemon grass, Salmon lentils, root vegetables bordelaise and a dessert of buttermilk panna cotta.
Nearly all of the restaurants have multiple choices in their menus so you could dine every night and most lunches and never have the same thing twice.
One is a lunch special with three courses for $18 that 320 Main does with Endive Watercress Salad radish, hazelnut, orange segment, Steak Salad with smoked tomato vinaigrette, trumpet royale mushroom, baby chard and a dessert of Pistachio Financier.
Again, there are several choices of the starter and entrée at both lunch and dinner.
Breakfast and lunch lovers, rejoice for Crema Café has options for you, too. Your choice of two breakfast pastries, two beverages, two entrees and a sweet crepe for dessert, also for just $30 all week long.
The Abbey has a $20 meal deal and not to be outdone, Hennessey’s has a distinctive entrée series for only $10.95 during the week, with items like Orange Dijon Grilled center cut pork chop, topped with an orange Dijon glaze with mashed potatoes and veggies.
At the end, all the participating restaurants will hold a chili cook off in the parking lot of Hennessey’s at 143 Main Street.
“We are working together as a restaurant community to seriously do something extraordinary for years to come,” said Mike Heib, manager of Hennessey’s.
This Devour Restaurant week will be an annual event in support of the Los Alamitos Education Foundation to benefit the school district.
The chili cook off will be from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, or until all the chili is gone.
“We wanted something seasonal, accessible to most customers and a dish that any restaurant could participate in. Some restaurants are making specialty cornbread,” Schiffer said.
There will be a “Best Chili” trophy awarded to the winning chili and the restaurant will be inscribed on the plaque on the trophy.
Tickets are available for $10 and include access to the event and a portion of chili and/or side from every restaurant participating.
The Schiffer’s have been the key drivers of the event. 320 under Jason Schiffer’s leadership founded the Orange County Bartender’s Cabinet, which connected industry professionals in all of the OC. Devour will be the way for Seal Beach restaurants to grow and develop into a new era.
“I am so pleased with the turn out, from Walt’s Wharf to our neighbor Crema Café and Waki Sushi, we are all working together to do something amazing for Seal Beach,” Schiffer said.
From walking fliers down the street to getting the connection with LAEF, the Schiffers reached out to key businesses to make the event happen. “The menu offerings should help our local restaurants talk to one another, access new customers, and with the chili, the $10 help our school district,” Schiffer said.
Participating restaurants are 320 Main, Hennessey’s, Beachwood BBQ, The Abbey, Waki Sushi, Walt’s Wharf, Crema Café, the Hangout and Taco Surf. For more information on Devour and Restaurant Week, including menus and restaurant offerings, visit www.sealbeachrestaurantweek.com or facebook/sealbeachrestaurantweek.
Purchase tickets at 320 Main, Hennessey’s or Beachwood BBQ for the Chili Cookoff. They will be available the same day at Hennesey’s parking lot.
