OC Restaurants

One of my very favorite places to eat at Fashion Island in Newport Beach is Le Pain Quotidien. So, when I heard they were offering OC baking classes at their restaurant and wanted to partner with Tiny Oranges to give one of our readers and a guest a free bakery class in a special giveaway, I jumped at the chance to learn more about their program and share my findings with all of you.

Le Pain Quotidien’s hands-on bakery classes are taught at their Newport Beach restaurant and cater to both novice and seasoned bakers.

The intimate classes are kept small, between 6 and 8 people, and are designed to be fun as well as informative.

During the 2.5 – 3 hour class students learn key baking techniques (and a few special tricks) from Le Pain Quotidien’s own skilled bakers. After the hard work is done, everyone gets to kick back with their fellow classmates and enjoy the fruits of their labor at one of Le Pain Quotidien’s communal tables.

Types of OC Bakery Classes

Classes range from Bread Baking Basics I & II to Biscuits, Scones and Shortbread Cookies and each class teaches both the science and the art of creating delicious baked goods from scratch. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always thought there is something so gratifying about starting with flour, adding a handful of key ingredients and creating something delicious you can’t wait to share with your friends and family around the table.

Click here for a complete list of bakery classes at Le Pain Quotidien Newport Beach

So, if you’re like me, and love learning something new, or getting better at something old, grab a friend and head over to Le Pain Quotidien. You’ll finally unleash the magic of how they get those amazing sweet breads both rich and decadent yet wonderfully light and delicate all at the same time.

And, if you’d rather cut out the baking and just eat, I urge you to stop by Le Pain Quotidien for lunch or dinner. My husband swears by their Mozzarella di Bufala & Plum Tomatoes, but I’m pretty certain you can’t go wrong with anything on their menu – I know I haven’t.

Le Pain Quotidien
Fashion Island
1103 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
949.287.5592

One lucky winner will win a free Le Pain Quotidien Bakery Class for you and a friend at their Newport Beach location in Fashion Island.

To enter, please subscribe to their mailing list by entering your information in the form below.  After you do so, leave a comment on this post telling me you subscribed along with what you love to bake the most. Contest runs through Wednesday, 2/27/13 at 5pm PST. Please leave your email in your blog comment below so I can contact you if you are the winner. Prize expires on 06/30/13 and participants must be 12 years of age and older. Good luck and happy baking!

Jen and I just spent an entire morning perusing the new Whole Foods Market Newport Beach wonderland (the word market just doesn’t seem to do it justice) and WHOLEY MOLY, if it weren’t for a looming preschool pick-up, both of us could have spent the whole day there!

Upon entering the store we were greeted by an inviting rainbow of colorful, perfectly ripened produce, stands and stands of it.  This might sound silly but it felt like happy food: Heirloom tomatoes, Bartlett pears, Honeycrisp apples, golden beets, turnips, endive, swiss chard, cabbage.

The care they put into their produce was subliminally saying: Eat these beautiful whole foods and you will feel happy.

It was a little bit of sensory overload because we wanted to take it all in and enjoy but we weren’t sure where to begin (in a good way).

We worked our way through the produce and noticed some bins of sprouted grain trail mixes and porridges (ooooooohhh) next we found ourselves in front with large vats of different types of olive oils to taste and bottles you can fill yourself  to take home (aaaaaahhh), and behind that were a bunch of empty little honey bear bottles begging you to choose your flavor and fill (I chose a sage flavored selection).

Then the seafood department!  Beautiful selection, amazing whole fish in front packed on ice, the prepped and ready to grill lobster tails and the oysters! Only 99 cents each- what a fun family night, to shuck and eat oysters at home!

As we strolled a little further we encountered the friendliest of helpers in the meat department.  Everyone wanted to be sure we were helped and the employees in every department asked if they could answer any questions. Here’s our new BFF Ryan the butcher…

We were quite enamored by a find in the center cooler for a quick grab: a few different types of pre-packaged dinner kits.  Each prepped complete with the meat and vegetables in an oven proof container. All you have to do is unwrap, season and throw it in a 300 degree oven for about 3 hours for a delicious dinner! And a great deal- priced about $15.99 for about 5 lbs of food (before cooking).

Ryan shared that their meat department also boasts an in-store smoker and they will smoke smaller cuts as you shop or with 24 hours notice they will smoke a larger cut to order. We tasted one of their smoked Texas burgers- loads of flavor!

Our next stop was the cheese department. We were given a sample of this goat cheese called Mitica Capricho De Cabra (he simply called it Mitica) which put the other pre-crumbled stuff to shame.  It had the distinct goat cheese flavor, but was smoother and creamier, Jen and I were dying over it! We couldn’t leave the store without a round of this- and this high quality goat cheese was just $4.65 for about 5 ounces, about the same price you pay for the mediocre stuff.

Here’s another new BFF, George from the cheese section. The employees all made us feel like celebrities! Everyone had such a passion for the products. Their enthusiam was contagious.

Just behind the cheese is the Back Bay Tavern a gastro pub featuring a cozy atmosphere, 24 beers on tap, cocktails and a nice wine selection plus a playful menu of exciting comfort foods.  This could make for a fun “Oh Babe, I didn’t have time to run to the store so I’m just going to run to the market really quick…” and meet up with a girl friend for a bite, a glass of wine and some groceries!

We were rounding out our visit and headed back to the front of the store to The Tea Hive featuring frozen tea drinks, a mixologist’s version of an iced tea and a selection of hot teas.  They even have two kinds of iced tea on tap so you can grab one while you shop and swing back around for a free refill on your way out!

As we were shopping and chatting we made plans for Jen and her family to come over for dinner.  I’ll be preparing a classic slow cooked Beef Short Ribs paired with a Celery Root Puree.  Stay tuned for a post with the photos and recipes for this delicious and easy Fall-feeling feast!  I was inspired when I spotted this gorgeous celery root…

I think the next time my girls and I have an open afternoon I’d like to just take them over to Whole Foods Newport Beach to introduce them to new food items in a fun show & tell sort of way.  Such a great opportunity to talk to them about eating a rainbow of colors and tasting exciting new healthy whole foods.

As we headed out the doors with our shopping bags, we were greeted by a shuttle attendant that offered us a free ride to our car. She helped us with our bags and we rode off into the sunset…

Incidentally, they also offer free valet if you prefer. There is nothing they haven’t thought of! PLEASE do yourself a favor and make a visit to this stellar location. It is an experience you will never forget. But trust us and block out a nice amount of time to take it all in. Once you step foot into the doors, you too, will be taken away into the Whole Foods Wonderland!

www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/newport

Follow Whole Foods Market Newport Beach on Facebook ~ And @WholeFoodsNB on Twitter
Click here for the weekly sales flyer

[Disclosure: We participated in a sponsored campaign by Whole Foods Market to help spread the word about this new location and were provided with a gift card to shop and share. Opinions are 100% our own!]

Oh happy day! Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket and first national certified organic grocer will be hosting the Grand Opening of Whole Foods Market Newport Beach in Fashion Island on Wednesday, September 19th, 2012 and you are invited to come and celebrate!

The Grand Opening celebration will take place from 9am – 10pm and include lots of fun events during the day, including a special “bread breaking ceremony” for the first 300 customers in line in the morning, who will receive a complimentary demi-baguette.  There will also be delicious food and wine tastings throughout the day, local vendor demonstrations and Happy Hour specials in the Back Bay Tavern.

This location, the fifth Whole Foods Market in Orange County, will feature the national debut of the Tea Hive fusion cafe and tea bar.  At the Tea Hive customers will be able to choose green, black or oolong tea in almost any imaginable form – frozen, sparkling, iced or steamed. The specialty drinks are made in martini shakers by the “Tea Tenders.” Try their Pomarita, a blend of pomegranate and lime with green tea or Chocolate Chai, which is a combo of black tea, spiced chai, chocolate and cinnamon. YUMMY!

At this location you will also find their casual bar/restaurant, the Back Bay Tavern. With indoor and outdoor seating for 150 and a rotating selection of 24 craft beers on tap, wine and spirits and a delicious menu featuring beef, seafood, vegetarian and vegan meals, make Back Bay Tavern your new go-to dining spot when shopping with friends at Fashion Island!

In addition to the Tea Hive and Back Bay Tavern, at this store location you will also find:

~ An extensive produce selection of locally grown fruits and veggies.

~ A high quality meat department offering meat from animals raised without antibiotics or hormones. All meats have to adhere to Whole Foods Markets stringent quality standards, including a full line of 100% grass-fed, locally-sourced beef and chicken, ready to take home and cook.

~ Their fresh seafood department has sustainably-sourced fresh filets, steaks and seasonal seafood, which are oven-ready, delivered up to six days a week.

~ Full in-store bakery offers freshly made breads from scratch, including focaccias, baguettes, muffins, and special diet selections like vegan and gluten-free treats.

~ Large selection of bulk and raw foods.

~ Free Wi-Fi and plenty of parking.

~ And much, much more!

For additional information, visit www.wholefoodsmarket.com. You can stay up-to-date on the latest and follow Whole Foods Market Newport Beach on Facebook and Twitter.

To celebrate the opening of their Newport Beach location, Whole Foods Market invites you to enter the Whole Foods Market Newport Beach Photo Contest HERE!

Show them why you love Newport Beach, whether it’s a photo of your feet in the sand, or another favorite NB spot, and you could win a private party suite for 10 people at the Newport Hyatt Jazz Concert or $100 Whole Foods Market gift cards.

Contest runs now through September 21st, 2012.  For more information click HERE.

I am soooo excited for this store to open as it is going to be the closest Whole Foods to my home!! I hope you will stop by to check it out and enjoy all of the many special features this store has to offer.

[Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Whole Foods Market Newport Beach. One of which I am thrilled to share as I am a huge Whole Foods fan and this new location sounds a-mazing!!!]