A couple of beloved local restaurants bring a breath of fresh air to their neighborhoods.
Two of O.C.’s most popular restaurants were working hard all summer and now they’ll treat us to fresh eats just in time for fall.
Georgia’s Restaurant has brought its signature Southern comfort food menu to the Irvine Spectrum. Meanwhile in Yorba Linda, The Blind Pig has changed over to a new concept by the same owner – it’s now Blind Coyote Cantina, offering Mexican food and craft cocktails.
Here’s the lowdown.
GEORGIA’S RESTAURANT
The concept: Fried chicken buckets, jambalaya, po-boy sandwiches, pulled pork sliders, ribs, sweet potato pie and hurricanes – it’s the same down-home menu but now in an uptown location. Georgia’s has landed at the Irvine Spectrum, making this its fourth Southern California location along with Anaheim, Eastvale and Long Beach.
Georgia’s, in the Irvine Spectrum, serves Southern comfort dishes, like chicken and waffles. PHOTO 1: Chicken and waffles. PHOTO 2: Ribs. PHOTO 3: Homey sides like collard greens. PHOTO 4: An assortment of food from the menu. PHOTO 5: Shrimp and grits. PHOTO 6: Fried chicken. Photos courtesy of Anne Watson and Georgia's.
“We've been in business for 10 years, and we've always had to choose places that were farther from where we live,” said Lake Forest resident Nika Shoemaker-Machado, co-owner of the restaurant with her husband, Marlon Machado. The menu is built on heirloom recipes of her mother Gretchen Shoemaker, founder and the visionary behind this family business.
It's always been a dream of Shoemaker-Machado’s to open in the Irvine Spectrum, but at first, they were told their concept conflicted with Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill, which also offers barbecue dishes in the same shopping center.
But one day, at a presentation designed to attract more businesses to the city, various centers were mentioned as possible locations. “What about Irvine Spectrum?” Shoemaker-Machado casually asked. “And the guy that was running the meeting said, ‘You want to go in Irvine Spectrum?’… He literally told us that he had a spot …. So, we decided to come on in,” she said.
The look: Georgia’s is now neighbors with upscale retailers such as Nordstrom, Apple, Lululemon, Anthropologie and Sephora. Look for a green awning near Dave & Busters, it’s right next to Yogurtland, in the former space of Veggie Grill. Inside the restaurant you’ll see a blackboard style menu and warm wood surfaces.
The feel is like a welcoming home kitchen with cake stands, mixing bowls and pitchers on a shelf, cooking utensils, pots and pans hung on a rack. Tucked into an alcove there are Betty Crocker and Better Homes cookbooks, canning jars and a measurements conversion table. Those who prefer to sit outside can relax on the patio.
What to order: Don’t miss the fried green tomatoes with a crunchy coating and rich lemon aioli for dipping. Try the signature peach sangria or a hurricane, which is fresh and fruity, not red and syrupy like the New Orleans version.
You can’t go wrong with the fried catfish or fried pickles but we also love the pan-fried pork chops, and add the garlic rice to sop up every bit of the bacon gravy. Of course, we think every meal here should start with the moist, flavorful cornbread that tastes like it should come with a hug from grandma.
“We have steak, salads and blackened chicken pasta,” Shoemaker-Machado said. “I really like people to know that there's more here than just soul food; it's Southern, very well-cooked comfort food.”
GEORGIA'S
Address: 732 Spectrum Center Drive, Irvine
Contact: 949-669-2484, georgias-restaurant.com Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Prices: Appetizers: $5.95-$13.95. Entrees: $10.95-$35.95. Desserts: $4.45-$9.45.
BLIND COYOTE CANTINA
The concept: Just days before The Blind Pig Kitchen + Bar was set to open, locals were pulling on the doors and couldn’t wait to get in; likely because there really weren’t many restaurants like it in that part of the county. But it was a tricky time, shortly before the pandemic, and owner Tony Monaco needed customers to find out how it should evolve.
“That was the big question mark, right? We were searching for exactly what Yorba Linda was looking for,” said Monaco. “I think it just didn't really catch on.” COVID didn’t help. “A restaurant called The Blind Pig sitting empty and closed for a year. And people assuming it's like barbecue … and it's not what they expected,” Monaco said.
So, he decided to pivot. He had already been developing Blind Coyote Cantina, a Mexican food concept, for a special space in Arizona intended to attract fans of the Coyotes ice hockey team. When that didn’t work out, he saw an opportunity to launch anyway.
“We were primed and ready to go out there but the city voted it down. So, we were shopping it around out here, because I really wanted to do this concept,” he said. At first, he was going to bring it to Irvine, but there was already a Mexican restaurant in that center. (Instead, he’ll open Monaco Italian Kitchen later this year at the Eighteen Main dining complex.)
So, he decided to use the cantina to reboot his Yorba Linda location.
“There's plenty of Mexican options in the area, but they're all more driven towards fast-casual style. There really aren't a lot of sit-down, more upscale, full-service, with cocktails options in Yorba Linda. And that's not an uncommon concept. So, finding a good location where you know there is that need, we were like, “Let's do it here!”
The Blind Pig in Yorba Linda has been transformed into Blind Coyote Cantina. Photos courtesy of Blind Coyote.
The look: Monaco turned the décor around in about three weeks. He didn’t do much reconfiguring of the 3,000-square-foot space, just replaced some high tops near the entrance with standard dining tables. There's still a big, welcoming bar in the center of the restaurant. And he’s redoing the patio, which will be open in a few months.
Altogether there will be about 75 seats inside. He’s whitewashed the brick walls, put up wallpaper, recovered the booths, added some new tile, art and light fixtures. The look will be ranchero style with turquoise and earth-toned accents.
PHOTO 1: Blind Coyote Cantina serves Vaquero Steak, a 20-ounce ribeye. PHOTO 2: Owner Tony Monaco says don't miss the Torta Milanese at Blind Coyote Cantina. PHOTO 3: The Doble o Siete is a take on a vesper martini. PHOTO 4: A spinach-gin cocktail called La Bamba. PHOTO 5: Combo plates include rice and beans. Photos courtesy of Blind Coyote
What to order: Blind Coyote Cantina’s new menu will tap into Chef Karl’s Pfleider’s Mexican heritage. Expect complimentary chips, salsa and bean dip. There’s tableside guacamole to start and enchiladas are made with carnitas braised overnight. Seafood lovers won’t want to miss the slow-cooked octopus with chorizo and potatoes, and the bay scallop tostada.
Monaco says go for something different, like savory ground lamb empanadas or the Milanese torta. “It’s easy to recommend the burrito mojado or the fajitas but I like to highlight the torta, it’s awesome, one of my favorites,” he said.
Save room for house-made churros with a warm chocolate dipping sauce or a slice of tres leches cake topped with fresh fruit and whipped cream. There’s flan, too.
Drinks: Bar manager Jason Friedman has been working his magic on the drinks list. If you like bold flavors, try the Dusty Bottoms. It’s a margarita made with mezcal and the house-made macha salsa liqueur. “It’s salty, spicy and smokey – it’s amazing,” says Monaco.
The drinks will lean toward agave spirits but by popular demand, The Blind Pig’s signature old fashioned will remain on the list.
The BlinD Coyote
ADDRESS: 4975 Lakeview Ave in Yorba Linda CONTACT: 714-485-2593, blindcoyotecantina.com
HOURS: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday.
PRICES: Appetizers: $10-$19. Combo plates: $15-$26. Entrees: $20-$65. Desserts: $10-$12. Pinching pennies? Blind Coyote Cantina offers daily specials and Taco Tuesday deals. Happy hour runs from 3-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.
