The Event

For all my beer lovers, check out Newport Beach Beer Festival hosted by Rock Star Beer! Located at Newport Dunes Resort, this event has the perfect Southern California vibe. There is parking on site for $10. I highly suggest taking an Uber because the parking lot gets full fast and especially if you want to drink. Set on the sandy beach of the bay, there were dozens of top Socal breweries pouring samples. Make sure to get VIP tickets so you can enter the event 1 hour early. When you enter, one of the staff will hand you a plastic cup for your sample pours. Don’t lose it! If you have VIP tickets, you can access the VIP section and sample exclusive cocktails and beer.

The Beer

Tickets were all inclusive, so we got unlimited samples from over 150 craft beers! Lines were long, but they move quickly. Once you get a full cup, swing over to the next line and enjoy your beer till you reach the front. This year was the most beer they have ever served so there was a wide selection of IPAs, were stouts, lagers, ales, etc. My absolute favorite was from Knee Deep Brewing, they had a Nutella Stout and I fell in love with it! We had a VIP ticket, so we were able to enter the exclusive grassy area and try cocktails made with Bai and a yummy Lemon Shandy.

The Food

If you get hungry, they have a variety of food trucks. So if you’re craving tacos, fries, or dessert, it’s all located in the front by the entrance. Lines are long, so while someone is waiting in line to buy food, send someone else in your group to get some cups of beer! We tried the Super Nachos from Samurai Burrito and it was the best $12 we've ever spent.

The Music

We ended the night with some amazing music from The Black Eyed Tease underneath the large pop-up tent! With cover bands of Black Eyed Peas and No Doubt, of course, everyone will get on their feet and dance! Listening to throwbacks with a drink in hand, everyone was having a great time. In the VIP section, there was a small gazebo with a DJ and room to dance.

I loved the venue because of all the open space, plus we got to see a beautiful Newport Beach sunset. Everyone was happy and having a great time! Events like these are great if you are still new to the beer scene and want to learn more! Some of the breweries were passing out stickers, coasters and pins for free! Overall we had a great time, check out the Rock Star Beer's website for a schedule of future events!

CHEERS!

Ready for a culinary vacation? Sometimes you don’t have to fly to paradise to surround yourself with island vibes and tastes. Last weekend, I got to experience

ONO YUM

’s I Love Poke event in Orange County, and got to try the BEST poke prepared by award-winning chefs! With the poke bowl craze taking over southern California by storm, I was super excited to expand my knowledge about how poke is actually crafted. There are so many other ways to eat and enjoy raw fish, poke style. The event took place in

Irvine Hotel

’s backyard. It was such a fun place to chill, play lawn games and enjoy all the food samples. The venue even looked like Hawaii, with lush tropical plants and palm trees around the perimeter. Each ticket cost $75, which included unlimited tastes from over 20 vendors.

Throughout the day, there was live music, performances and poke demonstrations on the center stage. There was also a panel of judges that got to decide which chef took home the title of Best Poke!

Foodland vendors filled the outdoor section, so we decided to try some dishes out before getting poke inside. Our first stop was the Pocky booth! We got to sample different and unique flavors of Pocky, I liked the corn flavored one a lot surprisingly. L&L Irvine had mini saimin bowls, my favorite comfort food.

Next we entered the Pokeland section, there were tables and tables of poke samples, it felt like foodie heaven. Each vendor had a unique take on their poke, no two dishes were the same. Each table we visited was a new experience in presentation and taste. Each explosion of flavor represented their restaurants well, props to all the amazing chef's for all their hard work! We stopped by Zarlitos from San Diego, their spicy garlic poke was my absolute fave!

Next we caught Sushi Studio Arts arranging their samples on skateboard decks! Loved their presentation and their ahi tuna poke was so delicious. Next we had Poke OG and their refreshing watermelon and poke with cucumber.

ILNLYF Foods served their poke in mini coconut shells. They definitely brought island flavor to OC!

Here are more shots from all the other vendors, notice how fresh and vibrant the dishes look!

To top off all the poke, we indulged in pineapple flavored cotton candy and Rainbow Shave Ice with condensed milk drizzle from Hula Girls! The perfect way to end the day.

Overall, I loved everything about this festival, the ambiance, the music, the food and especially the people. Everybody lived and breathed poke and the Hawaiian lifestyle. I had such an amazing time, I’ll definitely be visiting some of the shops when the festival is over for a full bowl of poke. Till next year!

POKELAND PARTICIPANTS

FOODLAND PARTICIPANTS