3 O.C. eateries offering Día de los Muertos dining in Orange County
Día de los Muertos, the holiday dedicated to honoring beloved family members who have passed away, has been celebrated in Mexico and other Latin countries for centuries, but traditions associated with the multiday holiday have become popular in Southern California too.
Typically celebrated on Nov. 1 and 2, families build altars or “ofrenda” with photos of friends and family they have lost along with marigolds, candles and sometimes their favorite food. Other traditions around the holiday also involve making treats, like baking pan de muerto or decorating sugar skulls.
A handful of Orange County restaurants are getting in on the tradition, offering festive feasts to celebrate the Day of the Dead. TimesOC takes a look at three:
Chapter One: the modern local
227 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, (714) 352-2225
Earlier this year chef Luis Pérez earned a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide for his longstanding downtown Santa Ana restaurant, Lola Gaspar. Pérez has also recently taken over the kitchen of another established Santa Ana institution, Chapter One: the modern local.
Pérez is bringing his culinary sensibility to the menu, and his special Día de los Muertos dinner, in partnership with Lalo Tequila, is a great way to taste the changes.
On Nov. 1 at 7 p.m., Chapter One will host a four-course dinner that will celebrate the cuisine of the Mexican region of Jalisco. Diners can look forward to dishes like a fun play on torta ahogada using heirloom blue corn telera and braised hanger steak with Nueske bacon and Rancho Gordo Peruvian beans. Each course will be paired with Lalo tequila cocktails.
Tickets are priced at $99 per person. RSVP by emailing sales@chapteronetml.com.
Calaca Mamas Cantina
1550 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, (714) 215-4226
Located across the street from Disneyland, Calaca Mamas Cantina is run by sisters Angela and Mariam El Haj, who gained restaurant experience managing multiple food franchises. Their Mexican-American Day of the Dead-themed restaurant is their first original concept and honors loved ones who have passed year round with a white double-sided altar at the restaurant’s entrance.
The sisters lost their father in 2009 and their mother in 2019 and during their grieving found comfort in the Día de los Muertos holiday. The menu features enchiladas verdes, shrimp ceviche and beer-battered poblano chili rellano along with tacos, burritos and more.
For Día de los Muertos, a menu of themed cócteles is being offered through Nov. 1, like a Marigold Sunrise, made with tequila blanco, grenadine and orange juice. All diners are greeted with the marigold-adorned altar filled with framed photos of employees’ late loved ones along with photos of the El Haj sisters’ parents.
Raya at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel
One Ritz Carlton Drive, Dana Point, (949) 240-2000
Raya at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel is offering two different Día de los Muertos dining experiences this holiday season. Monday through Thursday until Oct. 31, guests can enjoy a special version of their afternoon tea service, Té de los Muertos. Tea sandwiches are reimagined with Mexican flavors like hojaldras de chicken con mole with queso fresco and pastries like café de olla roll cake and coconut dulce de leche tarte. Two seatings are available at 2 and 2:30 p.m with adults priced at $115 and children at $95.
On Nov. 1, chef Richard Sandoval and chef de cuisine Irving Nunez will present a special five-course Día de los Muertos dinner with dishes like empanadas de longosta and black enmoladas, similar to enchiladas but prepared with a dark, rich mole sauce. Dinner for adults is priced at $193.96, $75 for children.
Guests are invited to bring photos of departed loved ones to add to the elaborate ofrenda at the resort.
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