Salt Creek Grille Celebrates National Dessert Month & Fundraiser for Bracken’s Kitchen

Salt Creek Grille Celebrates National Dessert Month & Fundraiser for Bracken’s Kitchen

By Erin

Salt Creek Grille is one of my favorite restaurants to dine at in Southern California (you can check out more of the food I’ve tried before here). For the month of October they are celebrating National Dessert Month with a Fundraiser for Bracken’s Kitchen. If you love all things pumpkin then you will want to have this dessert everyday. It’s the perfect fall treat and it’s for a great cause!

Salt Creek Grille, a bi-coastal, premium casual dining concept with five iconic restaurants in California and New Jersey, is having a fundraiser in October to benefit Bracken’s Kitchen, an much-admired and innovative non-profit organization that recovers, re-purposes and restores food to provide healthy meals to those experiencing hunger and food insecurity in Orange County. During October, which is celebrated across the country as National Dessert Month, proceeds from every dessert sold at Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point will be donated to the non-profit.

Salt Creek Grille’s Corporate Executive Chef has created a special, limited-edition dessert for the month — the Pumpkin Fireball, a delectable mélange of Japanese pumpkin cake, pumpkin cheesecake bites, cinnamon ice cream, crisp graham cracker and pumpkin seed crumble, and topped with a “fireball” toasted marshmallow puff and salted caramel. Guests can also choose among several other perennial dessert favorites on the menu, such as Tres Leche Bread Pudding, Butterscotch Custard, Flourless Chocolate Cake, The Creek S’mores, Butter Cake, Seasonal Fruit Sorbet, and a Chocolate Ganache Soufflé that is made-to-order and finished tableside.

“Here at Salt Creek Grille, we long have admired the amazing and truly valuable work of Chef Bill Bracken and so respect his mission to end hunger in our community,” said Sri Divel, partner, Salt Creek Grille. “We couldn’t’ think of a more fun and delicious way to support his work at Bracken’s Kitchen than with a fundraiser built around everyone’s favorite part of a meal – dessert!”

“With over 299,000 people struggling to put a meal on their table every day here in Orange County it truly takes a village to conquer this monumental problem,” said Bill Bracken, Founder and Culinary Director, Bracken’s Kitchen. “I have always felt that if the culinary and hospitality industry can’t help solve the issues of hunger in America than who can? As a long time fan of the Salt Creek Grill concept, I am truly honored to have them in our corner and helping us to combat food insecurity one tasty meal at a time.”

About Bracken’s Kitchen

Bracken’s Kitchen is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Orange County California.  Founded in 2013 their mission is simple: Through food recovery, culinary training and their community feeding program they are committed to recovering, re-purposing and restoring both food and lives. What that means in practical terms is that the days are spent in the kitchen doing what they do best, cooking tasty and nutritious meals for those who struggle to feed themselves and their families.  Through their food truck Betsy and network of partners, they are able to distribute thousands of complete, hot, tasty and nutritious meals every week.

We all share the two most basic human needs for survival, the need to breath and the need to eat.  The problem is that air is free, and food is not.  It is that simple fact that gives food such enormous power over a person’s life. There is no better way to intimately get to know a person than sitting down and breaking bread with them.  They deliver hope, one tasty meal at a time.  The heart of who they are can be found in a statement first uttered in 1957 by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr;  “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?”

At the core of their mission is a deep commitment to their nonprofit charity partners, business and professional supporters, volunteers, donors and employees.

About Salt Creek Grille

Now with five restaurants in Southern California and New Jersey, award-winning Salt Creek Grille opened its first restaurant in Dana Point, California, in 1996. The upscale yet casual and affordable American-theme grill has since expanded to El Segundo and Valencia in California, and Princeton and Rumson in New Jersey.  Salt Creek Grille’s longevity can be attributed to its legendary hospitality and innovative cuisine from its “scratch kitchen.” Fresh, hand-cut, line-caught seafood, thick, center-cut and aged steaks, slow-cooked ribs, the best-in-town burgers cooked atop a hardwood grille, and the freshest produce available are at the heart of this now iconic restaurant company. Absolutely nothing is pre-made including its delectable desserts and flavorful sauces and stocks such as its famous homemade jus, which is cooked for more than 72 hours. Wines from boutique vineyards and well-known cellars are paired with impeccable service and a friendly and comfortable ambiance. Along with innovative food, Salt Creek Grille has a long history of supporting non-profit organizations in the communities it serves. www.saltcreekgrille.com.

Salt Creek Grille

Salt Creek Grille

By Erin

Salt Creek Grille has some amazing eats and drinks. You will want to make this place a regular or make it a special trip anytime you are in the Southern California area!

About Salt Creek Grille

Tim McCune and his original business partner, Pete Truxaw, dreamed of creating a neighborhood restaurant tailored to their community. They envisioned an upscale yet casual American-themed grille, where friends and family would come to relax and savor a unique dining experience. It was from that dream that Salt Creek Grille was born. I think it’s safe to say this is a success as both the outside patio and indoors were packed upon arrival with folks both relaxing and enjoying a nice meal, on a Wednesday evening.

Salt Creek Grille grills their meats over hot, mesquite embers. With a dedication to sourcing responsibly, their food is crafted with the freshest meats, poultry, fish, and produce available. The menu is paired with unique wines from boutique vineyards and well-known cellars, catering to both the connoisseur and causal taster.

The menu is only one part of the dining experience. Creating a nurturing culture among the staff that emphasizes sincere and attentive hospitality is of the utmost importance and is very noticeable the second you walk through the door. The atmosphere is warm and comfortable to make dining a relaxing and memorable experience for everyone. Take a look!

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The entrance to Salt Creek Grille.

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The beautiful and inviting patio. I chose to wait until we were leaving to grab this shot, it was THAT busy before!

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The cozy and warm fire pit where you can hang out while you wait for your table.

This intimate organization of restaurants is located on the two coasts: Rumson and Princeton in New Jersey, and Valencia, El Segundo, and Dana Point in California.

So come experience the Salt Creek Grille way with me!

First we started out with some drinks of course!

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I love blood oranges, so I just had to try the Blood Orange Margarita. It was divine. We were here on Wine Wednesday where you can get wine for 1/2 off, so my friend ordered some wine.

Next up we tried a couple of the appetizers. Boy were we in for a real treat!

Ahi Tuna Stack

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Served up Sashimi Style with avocado, cucumber, wasabi, and ginger soy. So yummy!

Risotto & Goat Cheese “Beignets”

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Next, we tried one that came highly recommended to us, so we HAD to try it. Arborio Rice, Black Truffles, Asiago, Goat Cheese, Roasted Tomato & Red Bell Pepper Sauce. Let’s just say this didn’t last very long… so yes it is good. These are amazing!

Then we tried one of the side salads.

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