Taste the OC at the ENC’s Fall Faire!

There are so many reasons to eat at local restaurants: 1. Local independent restaurants often give back to their community. 2. Local independent restaurants keep our money circulating within the community. 3. Food is fresh since it is sourced from a nearby place. 4. Environmentally speaking, there is less distance for food to travel to the restaurant. Big chains produce in mass quantity and contribute to a larger carbon footprint when they utilize more fossil fuels to transport food to their restaurants. 5. Towns start to lose their culture as small “Ma and Pa” restaurants are replaced with corporate restaurants. Keeping local culture helps drive the tourist industry, bringing even more money into a community.

The ENC’s Taste of OC is a showcase of extraordinary local food and beverage choices in Orange County. We don’t invite just any restaurant to participate! Only the best local establishments are invited. Many have healthy, sustainable faire – locally sourced food, organic produce, or green to go ware  – while others are well known for supporting the community. ALL have tasty food!  The ENC’s Taste of OC is a great way for the community to try out local restaurants while  supporting the ENC at the same time.

The ENC has celebrated fall with a Fall Faire since 1974 – for 40 years!  Local restaurants have always donated food, but this year the ENC  renamed the food and drink part of the event. “We feel that this name better represents the participating restaurants, and describes exactly what our guests will experience, literally, a taste of OC,” said ENC Outreach Coordinator Sama Wareh who is coordinating the food donations. “Each year the food and drink selections at the Faire have improved and this part of the event has really become a highlight for our guests.  My advice is to come hungry!”

So far, we have 13 restaurants and the Newport Beach Fire Department participating. Here is a list of who is participating and what they are offering:

NBFD: Grilling hamburgers and hotdogs

Kean Coffee: Hot and Iced Coffee

Sensitive Sweets: Glutten- free cupcakes and sweets

A Market Cafe: Brownies

Blue Water Grill: Clam Chowder

Haute Cakes: Cookies

Pie-Not: Pot Pies

Shirley’s Bagels: Bagels

Pizza Bakery: Pizza

Whole Foods: Fruit cups

Z Pizza : Pizza

Which Which: Sandwhiches

Fork in the Road

Wingstop

In exchange for participating in the event, restaurants donate 150 – 300 servings of one item. Its a great way for the 4000+ people who attend the Fall Faire to experience the best that each restaurant has to offer. Participating restaurants are also featured on the Fall Faire web page, the ENC’s “Hungry?” page about local places to eat, and our “Preferred Vendors” page.  They are mentioned in our email newsletter sent to over 7,000 local families, and (of course) they are featured in this blog post!

For more information about the Fall Faire or the ENC Taste of OC, visit our website.

If you are a restaurateur and would like to participate, visit our website.

– ENC Intern, Jeff Garrett.