Brunch at Tortilla Jo’s in Downtown Disney!| @TortillajosDTD #TortillaJos

Brunch at Tortilla Jo’s!

By Erin

What could be better than brunch? Having brunch at the Happiest Place on earth, or right next to it at Downtown Disney, then getting to go play at Disneyland afterwards! Tortilla Jo’s is the place to be when visiting Downtown Disney. Even if you don’t have an annual pass or ticket to go inside the parks to experience that magic, you can still have plenty of fun at the Downtown Disney District which has an abundance of incredible shops and restaurants. Thanks to Gigasavvy’s Social Club, I got to experience Downtown Disney’s Tortilla Jo’s weekend brunch, complete with bottomless mimosas and their famous margaritas. It sounded like the perfect start to the weekend to me! 🙂

Tortilla Jos Entrance

Celebrating the culinary heritage of Mexico, Tortilla Jo’s boasts south-of-the-border Mexican cuisine, known for their delicious tableside guacamole, and tequila libations which all promote the authenticity of their open kitchen restaurant. A gorgeous sweeping view of the promenade can be seen from the outdoor patio and balcony. The inside cantina is home to over 100 types of tequila that give your margarita an unforgettable flavor, be sure to try the mango margarita! The vibrant spirit and modern pueblo atmosphere make dining at Tortilla Jo’s an experience not to be missed. Don’t forget your Mickey or Minnie ears and take a look at that view! 😉

TORTILLA-JOS-BRUNCH

After getting a chance to enjoy the view, have a mimosa, and look over the brunch menu, we enjoyed our choice of salsa: red mild, chipotle or green and chips. I had the red salsa, and it was amazing, just look at it! So fresh and the flavor was just right. Our table went through many bowls of this delicious salsa.

Salsa-Tortilla-Jos-Disney

To balance out the salty flavors from the chips and salsa, next up we had the fresh fruit plate. All entrees on the brunch menu at Tortilla Jo’s come with fresh fruit! I could eat fruit all day, even if it’s as beautifully displayed as it is here! Raspberries, blackberries, pineapple, mango, blueberries, melon, strawberries and more, I could snack on this all day.

Fruit-Plate-Tortilla-Jos-Downtown-Disney

Now for the BIG decision we had to make at our table. What kind of Margarita to get? Peach? Mango? Strawberry? Cadillac? It all sounded so good, but it came down to two different favorites at our table. Peach and Mango. Now just to note, only one of those below is mine! I did not have all of those. My choice? The Mango. It had an interesting creamy feel to it, smooth without having any pulp. It had plenty of tequila in it, but not to the point that it was too strong that you could not enjoy it. I just love the glasses they were served in too. So pretty! Of course we were also served the bottomless mimosas if we wanted more of those, but these Mango Margaritas were what I ended up sticking with they were that good.

Mango-Margaritas-Tortilla-Jos

The first entree item that we sampled, was the Huevos Rancheros! A delicious combination of corn tortillas, refried beans, two sunny side up eggs, salsa ranchera, cotija cheese, and papas a la Mexicana. This dish created the perfect blend of spice and seasoning to compliment the cheeses and eggs. This one was my favorite savory dish of the day.

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Cavalia’s Odysseo Captivates Audiences in Orange County| @Cavalia #OdysseoOC

Cavalia’s Odysseo

By Erin

Cavalias-Odysseo-Orange-County-Irvine

The other weekend I had the opportunity to cover Cavalia’s Odysseo under the White Big Top as media, along with three of my most horse crazy friends. Boy, Oh boy were we all in for a treat! We were so close to the stage, front row to be exact, so we couldn’t get any closer unless we were going to be part of the show. As tempting as that thought was, we decided against that, and just watched, but not without constantly picking out which horses we wish we could be riding in the show as they’d prance on by during each act! 😉

Cavalia Horses

Featuring 65 beautiful horses and 48 riders, amazing acrobats and aerialists, musicians playing live music from around the globe to celebrate the bond between man (or woman) and horse. The best part of all is that they announced that tickets to this amazing show are being extended for shows through March 13th!

Cavalia Acrobats

No amount of words can truly describe the beauty of this show, you have to experience it for yourself. I will just share with you some of my favorite parts of the show to try to capture a fraction of the awesomeness that is to behold when you see it in person in all its glory.

Odysseo Horse Hugs

In an enchanted forest, the horses roam freely while the sun is setting. The horses perform a beautiful liberty routine with their trainer, who you can tell they have a very special bond with her. My favorite part is the scene above, when they come together for one big horsey hug!

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BRIO Tuscan Grille Introduces ‘A Tale of Two Risottos’| @BrioItalian #BrioTuscanGrille

‘A Tale of Two Risottos’ at BRIO Tuscan Grille

By Erin

*I was invited as media to come in and try out the new ‘A Tale of Two Risottos’ for purposes of this post. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.*

BRIO Tuscan Grille Irvine Spectrum Orange County

There are few dishes as versatile as risotto, and when it’s made right, it’s perfection. BRIO Tuscan Grille at the Irvine Spectrum has introduced its “A Tale of Two Risottos.” A classic tale of old-world meets new, these limited time offered dishes (through March 27th) are a product of BRIO’s love affair with risotto and the finest seafood available. 

Now, of course before jumping to the main course, we had to order some drinks and something from the PRIMI (Appetizer) Menu.

BRIO-Drinks-Wine-Sangria-Peach-Bellini

 A White Peach Sangria and Peach Bellini. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon, even if it was pouring down rain outside!

BRIO-Bruschetta

For an appetizer, our waitress recommended that we try the Bruschetta Quattro– which is a sampling of their four housemade brushettas. Perfect for sharing and getting a little taste of everything.

Lobster-Bisque

I have soft spot for lobster bisque, so if I see this anywhere on a menu, I just have to try it. Plus it was a cold, rainy day outside, so even more reason to try a cup of their delicious, creamy lobster bisque soup! Topped with a sauteed shrimp garnish. 

Lobster-Risotto

Available during both lunch and dinner, the savory risotto dishes include:

Lobster and Shrimp Risotto: Broiled Maine lobster tail served over risotto with shrimp, mushrooms, asparagus, roasted red peppers, basil and Parmesan. This was my favorite of the two risottos.

Brio-Tale-of-Two-Risottos

Sea Scallops with Risotto: Five large, seared sea scallops served over a roasted vegetable ratatouille risotto.

 These decadent risotto creations are available through March 27.

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