Restaurants Coming Soon: Habana, Poke Dot, Hopdoddy + more!
Jul 22, 2015
With so many great new restaurants opening this summer and beyond, we thought we’d whet your appetite a little with a teaser of what’s to come …
California Pizza Kitchen, the authority on California-style pizza, is about to unveil its new prototype restaurant at Alton Square in Irvine in August. With a more rustic, organic atmosphere, CPK is reimagining itself in an effort to “de-chain” and modernize the eatery to create a more personalized and interactive experience for guests. The new design incorporates unfinished, reclaimed wood throughout and the interior will feature a relaxed-but-upscale feel.
While classic favorites remain, the new menu has been designed to include unique offerings made with fresh and unexpected ingredients in every category. Alongside California Pizza Kitchen’s signature hand-tossed pizzas, pastas and salads is a new selection of Main Plates such as Fire-Grilled Ribeye and Hearth-Roasted Halibut; seasonal items such as Sunny Side Up Bacon + Potato Pizza (pictured above) and Roasted Garlic Chicken; and Lunch Duos that offer more than 80 pairing combinations for midday diners. To top it all off, choose from a unique selection of hand-crafted cocktails made with fresh fruits, purees and herbs.
Poke fever is spreading all over Orange County! The latest to specialize in Hawaii’s culinary gift to the world, aka delicious raw ahi salad seasoned with sesame oil and scallions, Poke Dot will offer fresh, customizable bowls at The Square in Irvine when it opens in August. With a choice of more than 20 ingredients, diners start by choosing a base of salad, white or brown rice, tortilla chips or a wrap. Fresh greens such as cucumber and avocado can also be added. The dish’s main star would be a selection of Poke Dot’s raw or cooked sushi-grade seafood that includes salmon, tuna, yellowtail, octopus, shrimp, spicy tuna or scallops – all dressed in a selection of sauces ranging from mild to spicy. The bowl can then be finished off with a sprinkling of sesame seeds, seaweed flakes, masago (smelt fish eggs), green onions and jalapenos or ginger for a healthy and filling meal that’s refreshing and flavorful.
Poke Dot will be located next to Twisted Noodles and Jersey Mike’s Subs. Information: pokedotlove.com.
Hopdoddy Burger Bar, one of the hottest gourmet burger concepts to come out of Austin, TX — is slated to open at Fashion Island late summer. A huge hit in Texas, this will be Hopdoddy’s first California location. Hopdoddy is committed to using the freshest, all-natural ingredients available and grinds hormone-free, antibiotic-free Black Angus beef in-house each day. All burger buns are baked from scratch while all fries are hand cut from select Kennebec potatoes. The menu features a number of dressed-up burgers including the Llano Poblano with pepper jack cheese, roasted poblano chilies, apple-smoked bacon, and chipotle mayo; the Thunderbird with chicken, Tillamook pepper jack, apple-smoke bacon, avocado, seared pablanos, pico de gallo and chipotle; and the Terlingua complete with chile con carne, corn Fritos, Tillamook cheddar and Hopdoddy’s own Sassy Sauce. A variety of craft beers from local, small batch, artisanal brewers complete the Hopdoddy Burger Bar menu. Breweries featured include Grand Canyon Brewing Co., St. Arnold’s Brewing Co., Rahr & Sons, Lakewood Brewing Co. and more.
Hopdoddy will be located near Macy’s, behind Tesla. Information: hopdoddy.com
Hailed as one of O.C.’s most romantic restaurants, Habana is set to open at Irvine Spectrum Center late fall! Definitely look forward to more of the longtime restaurant and bar’s stylish and sultry Cuban-inspired setting, with an expansive patio lit by flickering candles. You’ll find all of their signature hits including fresh-muddled mojitos and housemade sangrias, along with Pan-Latin specialty dishes such as bocaditos, pastry dough stuffed with seasoned ground beef, capers, olives, tomatoes, and raisins, the El Puerco Primo, slow-roasted pork osso-bucco on a bed of mashed potatoes, bacon collards, and maduros.
Habana will be located near Sports Authority.
