How do you like your margarita? Maybe with tequila, Cointreau and a salt rim? How about tequila, triple sec and agave? Or maybe tequila with fruit and muddled jalapeno? However you lime them, you’re bound to find a winner during the Orange County Margarita Crawl April 12-18.
Presented by Casa Noble Tequila and Mi Campo Tequila, Margarita Crawl is a weeklong invitation to get out, have fun, and explore.
During Margarita Crawl, more than 50 participating restaurants across Orange County – including a handful in Newport Beach – will feature signature margaritas paired with crave-worthy dishes, giving guests the perfect opportunity to discover new hotspots or revisit beloved favorites.
“Our restaurants are the heart of our communities, and this is another opportunity to support our local dining establishments by bringing people together offline,” said Pamela Waitt, founder of OC Restaurant Week and President of OC Restaurant Association. “Margarita Crawl will take full advantage of our amazing SoCal weather by encouraging everyone to share great culinary experiences and create meaningful moments with their favorite people. Think of it as your ultimate choose-your-own fiesta – no tickets, no pressure, just a week of sipping, tasting, and making memories, one margarita at a time.”
Among the participating restaurants in Newport Beach:
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: This popular Fashion Island steakhouse has a trio of margaritas available, including a Classic Margarita ($18) with Mi Campo tequila, Cointreau, salt rim and dried lime; Black Berry Margarita ($18) with Mi Campo tequila, fresh blackberries, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, house-made blackberry syrup, and a salt rim; and Blueberry Margarita ($18) with Mi Campo tequila, fresh blueberries, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, house-made blueberry syrup, and a salt rim. Suggested food pairings include a Cabernet Filet ($35)—a 6 oz hand cut filet mignon topped with Danish blue cheese butter over cabernet demi-glace, served with sautéed spinach and campari tomatoes. Or try the shaved filet mignon sandwich and truffle fries ($30) with caramelized onions, gruyere cheese, fresh arugula and smoked jalapeno aioli on toasted potato baguette, served with truffle fries.
RED O Taste of Mexico: This Fashion Island favorite has two special margaritas—the Margarita Crawler ($16) with Mi Campo blanco, watermelon serrano agave, pineapple and lime; and the Margarita Verde ($16) with Mi Campo blanco, verde juice, triple sec, and agave. Suggest food pairing is their Hamachi Crudo ($18) with citrus ponzu, orange segments, serrano, micro cilantro and sesame seeds.
The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar: They may be known for their impressive wine list, but they also make a mean margarita. Their Margarita Crawl special features a $30 Margarita & Tacos pairing. Choose from either a pineapple ancho margarita with Mi Campo Reposado, caramelized pineapple, ancho reyes, lime, Serrano chile and cilantro, or the Peachys Painkiller with Mi Campo Blanco, guava, strawberry and lime. The tacos are tacos ahogados (drowned taquitos): shredded beef taquitos with green salsa cream and queso fresno.
Vista.Kitchen.Bar: Located in the Newport Beach Marriott Bayview, this is the resort’s signature restaurant with stunning views of Newport’s back bay. They are serving a jalapeno margarita ($18) with Mi Campo tequila, triple sec, fresh lime juice, muddled jalapenos, and Tajin salt rim. They have two pairing suggestions: the Bayview Tacos (3 for $24) with jicama slaw, radish, pico, pickled onions, chipotle aioli and choice of protein (Cajun shrimp or achiote mahi mahi), or the chicken quesadilla ($26) with chicken, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and tortilla chips.
Woody’s Wharf: Woody’s is going all out for the Margarita Crawl by offering four different margaritas for only $14 each including a spicy watermelon with Mi Campo tequila, a champagne margarita with Casa Noble tequila and a champagne float, a classic house Cadillac with Mi Campo tequila and a Grand Marnier float, and a Beer-Rita with Casa Noble tequila and Mexican lager. They have four $24 food pairings: Fish Taco + Mi Campo Cadillac Margarita, Birria Taco + Spicy Watermelon Margarita, Bang Bang Shrimp + Champagne Margarita, and Buffalo Chicken Wings + Beer-Rita.
Also participating in Newport Beach: A+O Restaurant | Bar and Bluewater Grill (their offerings were not available at press time).
Margarita Crawl is produced by the Orange County Restaurant Association as part of its ongoing mission to support restaurants in the region and beyond.
The public is invited to explore all participating restaurants and start planning their crawl at www.MargaritaCrawl.com.
