Tiny Oranges – Fresh, fun blog for OC moms

I have lived in Orange County now for the better part of my (almost) 35 years and just recently went to the Nordstrom Café at South Coast for the very first time.  And, boy have I been missing out all these years!

My sister and I were looking for an outing with our babies (they are 4 weeks apart) and she suggested meeting at the Café for lunch since we both had errands to run at the mall.  

“Is it BABY-friendly?” I had to ask, already knowing she wouldn’t steer us wrong as we are in the same boat.  

And, baby/kid-friendly it is!   It is an upscale order-at-the-counter place and has a very nice ambiance without being stuffy.   It was pretty loud = good for moms like us.  Plus, they also had a great kid’s menu.

They have a nice outside patio where we sat and enjoyed splitting two of their super-delicious fresh salads since we couldn’t decide.  We went with the Blue Cheese & Pear Salad and the Artichoke & Chicken Salad.

I guess they usually toss the salads at the counter for you, but the woman saw we had our hands full with our strollers, so she offered to bring them out to our table.  I LOVE thoughtful service like that!   

It was a great outing and fun place to meet for lunch.  Plus, for those with new babies, it is adjacent to the Brass Plum and Mother’s Lounge, so an easy stop after lunch if you need to feed and/or change your baby.

P.S. Don’t forget today is the Read for the Record!  I hope you can make one of the fun events - click HERE for the list.   I was supposed to be a reader at Main Place, but my daughter got sick yesterday and I am not going to be able to make it .  I am so bummed!   

P.P.S. You have until 11:59pm tonight to enter to win a set of 3 children’s books!  Just enter a comment with your favorite book on the Read for the Record Post!

This awesome guest blog is written by Michele, who’s all about free stuff!   Pair one of these free meals with some free play at a Fun Orange County Parks. 

Michele writes…

“I ran a Kids Eat Free blog for a while – complete with menus – before I got worried about copyright issues. Plus, after doing it for a couple months, I realized all the kid menus are pretty much the same (chicken strips, burgers, mac ‘n cheese, etc.). So here is some leftover info from my days as a kid’s restaurant blogger. Some things to think about:

• Most require purchasing an adult meal.
• Some restaurants limit the # of free kids meals.
• If you see a chain restaurant with a location near you – call to see if they have a kids eat free day.
• Sometimes drinks and desserts are included, sometimes not. Read the fine print.
• Most of the specials are for dinner only.
• ALWAYS call to confirm the kids eat free specials. They change often.
• Finally, you’ll be saving anywhere from $3-$7 per meal. But would you be eating out anyways? Or are you spending $25 for the adult meal that you wouldn’t normally spend? I can feed my whole family a fresh, amazing meal at Albatros in Lake Forest for about $15 (or less) WITHOUT a kids eat free deal!

Monday
Avila’s El Ranchito (Laguna Niguel)
Bad To The Bone (San Clemente)
Buonos Pizza (San Clemente)

Tuesday
Pat & Oscar’s
Coco’s Restaurants
Denny’s
Chick-Fil-A (Irvine and Tustin)
Ruby’s Diner
Lone Star Steak House (Laugna Hills)
Beach Pit BBQ (Costa Mesa)
Buonos Pizza (San Clemente)
Beach Fire
Spoon’s (Orange)
Don Jose Ricardo’s Mexican Cafe (Laguna Hills)
Wingnuts (Costa Mesa, Aliso Viejo)

Wednesday
El Torito (Laguna Hills)
Rainforest Cafe (Costa Mesa)
Coco’s Restaurants
Fish House Market and Grill (Orange)
El Ranchito (Santa Ana)
El Mariachi Mexican Restaurant (San Clemente)
Carrow’s

Thursday
Carrow’s
Wingnuts (Costa Mesa, Aliso Viejo)

Saturday
El Torito (Dana Point)
Denny’s
LoneStar Steak House (Laguna Hills)

Sunday
Taco Mesa (Ladera Ranch)
Avila’s El Ranchito (Lake Forest)

More sources for Kids Eat Free:

• Fast Food Maven columnist for the O.C. Register
• Just Spotted has a Kids Eat Free label in the right-hand column“

See any place that was missed??  Comment below!!! 

One of our favorite restaurants to take our daughter is the Beach Pit BBQ in Costa Mesa.   This restaurant takes the term “family friendly” to a whole new level!  It is relaxing, comfortable, and so wonderful to dine out and not have have to worry about your kids bugging other patrons.  

Tucked off the street on a 10,000 square foot lot, you feel like you are walking into a friend’s home.   There is an outdoor, fenced in play area for kids, and surrounding benches and tables so you can and watch them play.  On the other side of the patio is a cozy fire pit.    

WE LOVE BBQ!  My husband went to grad school in Austin, so we got quite used to the amazing Texas BBQ.   Beach Pit BBQ takes that southern BBQ flavor, but adds a twist of relaxed California style.  My favorite is the pulled pork sandwich with seasoned french fries.   Making me hungry right now thinking about it…

Two special days to note on the Beach Pit BBQ calendar:  Kids eat FREE on Tuesdays and Thursdays are “Wine Night” where you can bring your own wine and there is no corkage fee (I know they for sure do wine night in Costa Mesa - not sure about the other locations.)   Happy hour is Monday – Thursday from 3 – 6pm where select beer and wine is only $2!  Click here for other current specials.
 
Check website for their 3 locations…Costa Mesa, Tustin and Angel Stadium as well as information on Beach Pit BBQ Catering.    

Come celebrate Pomme Bebe’s 1st birthday at their 2nd annual Halloween Party this Thursday!  Here are the details:

Pomme Bebe Halloween Party
Thursday, 10/30
10:00am – 3:00pm
2043 Westcliff Drive, Suite 106
Newport Beach CA 92660

All the fun includes:
Costume contest at 11am, 12pm & 1:30pm with prizes for everyone!
Fun arts & crafts
Photo keepsake by Sandy Heit Photography
Free Pomme Bebe Winter Meal
Lots of delicious organic food & refreshments!

Pomme Bebe was founded by Svetla Lazarova Kibota (mompreneur extraordinaire) who wanted to bring flavorful, nutritious, convenient organic cuisine to families wanting to give their children the best.  Why choose organic? She writes:

“You have heard all of the benefit of eating organic food as an adult, but is even more important when in comes to the health of your baby. Because baby food is mostly comprised of concentrated fruits or vegetables, babies are often exposed to higher levels of concentrated pesticides. During the first few years of life, when children’s bodies are developing, they are especially vulnerable to the effects of toxins. Feeding your little one organic food is one of the best ways of curbing the negative effects of pesticides and hormones. This is what consumer report had to say about feeding your baby organic food : A study supported by the Environmental Protection Agency and published in 2005 measured pesticide levels in the urine of 23 children in Washington State before and after a switch to an organic diet. After five consecutive days on the diet, researchers found that pesticide levels had decreased to undetectable levels, and remained that way until their conventional diets were reintroduced. The study’s conclusion: An organic diet provides a dramatic and immediate protective effect against pesticide exposure.”

Hooray!  It’s a Tiny Giveaway!   Pomme Bebe is giving away a $50 gift certificate to a lucky winner!   To enter (one email per person), please send me an email with POMME BEBE in the subject line to giveaways@tinyoranges.com.   Include the answer to this question:  Name one item on their delicious menu.  Hint: Click here to see the menus!    You can enter all week, emails must be in by Friday, 10/31 at 5pm PST.   I will post the winner on Monday!  

I really love Orange County.  To get me to venture outside my Orange Bubble takes a lot.   But this place was worth the drive to LA!  One of my dearest girlfriends from college lives in LA, and we are lucky enough to have daughters 6 weeks apart, so we met them at Giggles N’Hugs for a play date and lunch.   We left at 10am on a Friday  from Costa Mesa and were there in just over 45 minutes.      

This restaurant is a kid’s wonderland!  There is a HUGE gated play area filled with everything you could imagine for little ones…cars, trains, dolls, stage with costumes, climbing toys, riding toys, tables and coloring items, girly kitchens and doll houses, and it goes on and on and on.    As a bonus, it is actually a REALLY good restaurant too!    You order at the counter, and we were served really quickly.  The food was healthy, delicious and kid-oriented.  If the kids want to dine and dash, you can finish your lunch and still see them from your table in the play area.  It is a great concept, and takes “family friendly”  to a new level!  I wish they had one in OC!  Hopefully it will be on it’s way down south soon.    In my opinion, totally worth the trip, especially if you live in North OC.   Of course, make sure to travel at non-traffic prone times.   Click here for hours and directions.