A WEEKEND IN THE OC
Hi There!
It’s me, The OC Housewife Who Ran for the Hills.
Yet, I’ll be the first to admit that an occasional dose of The OC is just what every mountain woman needs. And thanks to my friends Ruth, Mark & Rick, I recently got just that, a heaping, delicious, wonderful, whopper of a dose of The OC, and loved every waking moment of it.
If you’re going to spend a weekend in The OC it really helps to have friends with boats.
Boats come in real handy for visiting other friends with beautiful homes on the water. The idea is that you hop on your friend’s Duffy and take yourself on a cruise of Newport Harbor, wine glass in hand.
Along the way you see happy couples taking gondola rides.
You also see big sailboats……
and even bigger party boats.
You see pretty French style homes covered in roses……
and other homes that look like they belong in Cape Cod.
Still other homes are trying to pretend they are actually located in Italy……
while others look like they’d be more at home in Virginia.
Then there are homes like this one (once owned by movie star John Wayne) that remind you that money does not buy taste……
while others leave you wondering: What the heck were they thinking???!!!
But I know everything is right with the world when I arrive at my friend Rick’s home. While many homes in Newport Harbor prove that money can’t buy taste, Rick’s beautiful home proves the contrary.
People with taste, like Rick, have beautiful, tropical terraces……
that are enjoyed on a balmy April evening by his very happy house guests……
who are also very happy to be served delicious Spanish Tapas……
The amazingly delicious octopus was my favorite……
and the cute British waiter wasn’t so bad either.
Our friend Rick is planning a trip to Spain and, in honor of his upcoming adventure, organized a wonderful Spanish Soiree. He hired a great catering company called “Fork, Knife + Spoon”……
and their chef prepared a delicious Spanish feast for us……
in Rick’s spectacular kitchen.
Here is part of the preparation in progress.
After enjoying the wonderful Tapas on the terrace……
it was time for dinner in the dining room.
Dinner began with this beautiful and delicious Sliced Sirloin Steak, served over a bed of Patatas Bravas with a Salsa Verde on the side.
We were then served Garlic Almond Chicken over Barley.
These delicious entrees were accompanied by Spanish Style Grilled Vegetables dusted with a Breadcrumb Picada.
Next came the Charred Brussel Sprouts, Shallots & Garlic topped with Spanish Jamon Serrano.
For the grand finale, Chef Christopher wowed us with a Raspberry Tart, topped with homemade Dulce de Leche Ice Cream and fresh mint.
But things did not end there. Our host-with-the-most introduced us to something new: Himalayan Salt Shot Glasses!
Rick stores them in his freezer along with something else that was new to me: “CINGE”. It is Cinnamon Tequila by Jose Cuervo. While Tequila is not Spanish, it sure was delicious!
And it was a wonderful way to end a perfectly perfect evening in The OC.
Stay tuned and in my next post my friend Rick has agreed to let me take you on a tour of his amazing, Balinese-Style Newport Beach, Waterfront Estate.
Hasta La Vista……
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All opinions expressed in this post are my own. All photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission.
Thank you for visiting!
Celia
