OC Wino
  • OC Wino
    • Contact
    • About
  • Traveling
  • Eating
  • Cooking
  • Interesting
  • Archive
    • Adventure
    • Entertaining
    • Finds
    • Food
    • Pours
    • OCWino Visits

Happy Hour in Laguna Beach with the OCWino Team

6/19/2014

0 Comments

 
This past Tuesday, I took my tech girl Shelby out on the town to check out some of the best spots for happy hour in Laguna Beach. We went to some great new places, judged some pours, and even bought a bottle of wine!

We started our late afternoon jaunt at Laguna Wine, Coffee, and Specialty Foods. We first got distracted with their amazing selection of wine glasses, olive oils, and gifts. This OCWino got excited over their collection of Riedel Wine Glasses, and overjoyed when I found a beer stein with a wine glass inside.

After checking out the shop, we moved over to their wine tasting section. The store has something that could only be described as a wine tasting vending machine. First you can purchase a $10, $20, or $50 card. You enter the card into either the white or red side of the machine, and make a selection of which wine within the case you would like to sample. Place a glass underneath a spout, press your chosen button, and have a perfect amount of wine to taste dispensed. Each wine varied in price slightly, but we were able to sample about 6 wines for $20. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, quick to offer suggestions based on our palette preferences and show us their estate wines.
Picture
Our favorites included Butter, a nice chardonnay, Meomi, a pinot noir, and Neyers, an aromatic merlot. I decided to purchase a bottle of the Neyers since the bouquet and taste were both incredible.
Picture
Next stop was the newly opened Tortilla Republic and Margarita Bar, located on South Coast Hwy. The restaurant has two other locations in West Hollywood and Hawaii. We first came to the bar with the expectation for Happy Hour pricing. However we learned their happy hour menu was still getting developed and would be released in the coming month. However we were content ordering their wonderful margaritas and appetizers despite the extra dinero.

The friendly bartenders made a whole range of margarita specialties for us ranging from our favorite Sweet Chile Margarita, a spicy Jalapeño, the "Perfect", Cucumber Lavender, Spicy Pomegranate, and Hydration, which blended in coconut water. We got all our margs made skinny to cut back on sugar and calories. These drinks were not strong, so we were able to try a lot and save room for the great food.
Picture
The Sweet Chile Margarita
Jalapeño Margarita
Cucumber Lavender Margarita
Hydration Margarita
Spicy Pomegranate Margarita
To counter the tequila, we ordered many reinforcements. First, we started with a salsa tasting, which included a salsa mesa, salsa de tomatillo fresca, and salsa de payaya habenero. Armed with a basket of freshly baked chips, we finished the colorful and flavor packed dips easily. 
Picture
Next came the Flautas de Pollo. Our bartender recommended them and we were not disappointed. Initially, I remarked how they were too beautiful to eat. However after our first bite, we dove in and demolished the delicious and savory treat.
Picture
We ended our mexican feast with a Queso Fundito. We weren't exactly sure what the dish would be, but since it had the words cheese and fun in it, we assumed it would be awesome. The ramekin filled with hot spiced cheese and fresh tortillas did not disappoint.
Picture
It was hard for us to leave to catch the sunset since our bartenders were so fun, especially Mark who gave us free drinks! 
Picture
My tech guru and our Tortilla Republic Bartenders
Disaster struck as we hit The Deck for sunset. Just as we sat down at the bar, an overhead seagull left a present on my freshly blown out do! People say it is a sign of good luck, but that unexpected surprise could have come a day earlier!

The Deck wasn't too crowded as it can be on the weekends, but it was a great place to watch the sunset, drink a final cocktail, and make new friends at the bar with Laguna locals. An OC musician, Kevin Miso, serenaded the patrons with the sounds of Jack Johnson, John Mayer, and some other beach-y classics. Overall, a great bar for a beach town.
A Custom Raspberry Lemon Cocktail
A Skinny Silver Surfer
As we finished our night, we headed back to Shelby's home in North Laguna, and enjoyed a slice of pizza, a final pour, and great conversation with her family.
Picture
FMI on Laguna Wine Coffee and Specialty Foods, click here
FMI on Tortilla Republic, click here
FMI on The Deck, click here
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    OC WINO
    

    Isn't it frustrating when you go to a nice restaurant, order a glass of wine, and get three sips for $26. 
    OC Wino is here to cut through the BS.

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    For me, enjoying a great lifestyle is key. The OC Wino will guide you to the best pours, restaurants, recipes,   entertaining tips, travel, and great finds around the world. Come explore with me.

    Search Blog

    Categories

    All
    Adventure
    Amaree's
    Anaheim
    Asian
    Aubreys Alley
    Balut
    Bar
    Barbecue Lamb
    Bar Method
    Bartenders
    Beach
    Beauty
    Beauty Tips
    Best Christmas Gift
    Birthday
    Blackberrys
    Bravo
    Brunch
    Burger
    Burrito
    Burritos
    Butcher
    Butter
    Caffeine
    Cakes
    Capri
    Catering
    Champagne
    Chardonnay
    Cheese
    Chicken
    Chili
    Christion Dior
    Cleanse
    Coats
    Coffee
    Commerce
    Cooking Class
    Corona
    Costa Mesa
    Country
    Crowd Pleaser
    Crystal Cove
    Curry
    Day Trip
    Desserts
    Dim Sum
    Dog
    Downtown
    Downtown LA
    Drinks
    Dude Ranch
    Eggs
    Entertaining
    Essentials
    Etsy
    Fashion
    Fifi Venezia
    Fig & Olive
    Filipino Food
    Finds
    Fishing
    Food
    Food Truck
    Fried Chicken
    Graduation Gifts For Girls
    Hair
    Handbags
    Health
    Hipcooks
    Hip Shoe
    Home
    Horses
    Iced
    Irvine
    I-Spa
    Italian
    Jack Winn
    Keepsakes
    Kid Travel
    Kim
    K&M
    Korean
    Laguna Beach
    La Minerva Hotel
    Little Saigon
    Living Juice
    Long Beach
    Los Angeles
    Margaritas
    Martini
    Mexican Food
    Meyer Lemon
    Modern Ensemble
    Mozzarella
    Music
    Nachos
    Newport
    New York City
    OC Fair
    OC Housewife
    Ocwino
    Orange County
    Oyster
    Oyster Farms
    Oysters
    Paella
    Palmeyer Chardonnay
    Panini
    Party
    Pasta
    Peaches
    Picnics
    Pizza
    Porchetta
    Potatoes
    Pours
    Pueblo
    Ramen
    Raspberrys
    Recipe
    Record
    Restaurant
    Salad
    Salon
    San Francisco
    San Juan Capistrano
    Santa
    Santa Ana
    Seafood
    Shelby
    Shoes
    Shopping
    Shopping Capri
    Shops
    Shuck
    Sliders
    Slow Cooked Pork
    Soup
    Spa
    Spicy Chinese
    Steak
    Suglasses
    Summer
    Sun Valley
    Sushi
    Susie Cakes
    Taco María
    Tacos
    Tequila
    The Bar Method
    The Deck
    The Mix
    The Row
    The Winery
    Tomales Bay
    Towels
    Truffles
    Tustin
    Valentines Day
    Vegetables
    Waxing
    Welcome
    Wine
    Workout
    Wyoming

    Archives

    December 2016
    November 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly