About this section: This list reflects restaurant openings and announcements in Orange County between 2012 an 2016. This news column is based on Register reporting, and confirmed tips from readers. If you spot a new restaurant in your community, or a closure, please email nluna@ocregister.com.

(Register staff writers and interns contribute to this report.)

Bear Cheese Tart: Get ready for cheesy molten goodness. A new concept, Bear Cheese Tart, is bringing the Asian treat to Union Market Tustin at The District later this summer. Popular in Japan, Malaysia and Australia, the tiny pastries are made with several kinds of cheese “set in a crisp shortcrust shell for a creamy, savory treat with just a touch of sweet,” according to media reps for Union Market. The $3 tarts will be baked daily in-house. Seasonal flavors will include mango, chocolate, strawberry and blueberry. The latter is the original fruit flavor sold by Bake Cheese Shop, a Hokkaido, Japan store credited for launching the cheese tart craze. Shannon Campbell, marketing director for The District at Tustin Legacy, claims Bear Cheese Tart will be the first store in the U.S. “to bring the famed Hokkaido-style baked cheese tarts right here to Orange County.” “Bear Cheese Tart is expected to open in July across from Market 2 Plate.

Slice Deli & Cakery in Fountain Valley has temporarily closed as it looks for a new location. Co-owner John-Michael Sanchez said he found a new business to take over his lease at the Warner Avenue location, which he said was “too big” at 3,600-square feet for their concept. The deli and cake shop is looking at a 2,000-square foot space in Costa Mesa and Long Beach. Stay tuned for more details. The shop opened in late 2015 in Fountain Valley with a menu of deli sandwiches made by Sanchez, and cakes baked by his wife, Natalie Burke. When they move, he said the menu will be streamlined to focus on sandwiches and cakes; entree meals served at dinner will be scrapped, he said. Stay tuned.

Dunkin’ Donuts: A new location in Fountain Valley opened Feb. 21 at 18022 Brookhurst St. The doughnut store is hosting a grand opening event March 9 at 5 p.m. The store is open from 5 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.

Burgerim: This international burger concept from Israel is expanding into Southern California. Its first Orange County fast-food restaurant, which specializes in custom mini burgers, opens in Orange in spring 2017. CLICK HERE for more details

JimBoy’s Tacos, a Northern California fast-food institution, recently opened its second Orange County location. The Anaheim taco eatery is on the ground floor of the Grand Legacy at the Park hote on Harbor Boulevard near Disneyland. The quick-service taco eatery was founded in a camper trailer in 1954 at Kings Beach in North Lake Tahoe. The Folsom-based eatery operates about 40 locations, most of which are clustered in the Sacramento region. Last year, it opened its first O.C. restaurant in Aliso Viejo. Address: 1650 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim.

Hopper & Burr, a pop-cafe in Santa Ana, has found a permanent home. The coffee bar opened Dec. 13 (2016) at 202 W. 4th Street.

Frosted Cupcakery opened in late November at Lot 579, the food hall at Pacific City in Huntington Beach. Besides its standard size cupcakes, the Long Beach cupcake shop also makes mini cupcakes and Hi-tops. The latter are mini cupcake sandwiches made from the tops of two mini cupcakes. The frosted tops are smashed together to create a petite sandwich cupcake.

The Oyster Bar has become the first full service restaurant to open at ARTIC, the Anaheim train station whose food tenants have been plagued by delays over the last year. ARTIC opened in late 2014. But the restaurants have been stalled for more than a year as tenants have run into construction challenges with the igloo-shaped structure. Oyster Bar opened with a limited menu in mid-Septemeber, owner Linh Nguyen said. The restaurant’s menu features oysters and Cajun and creole dishes. Nguyen and chef Michael Ritter founded the popular kettle bar restaurants, Ritter’s. Initially, Ritter’s was supposed to come to ARTIC, but chef Ritter dropped out of the project earlier this year. Nguyen, who began paying rent to the city in April, said Ritter never had a financial stake in the ARTIC location.

The Butchery: The indie butcher shop, with locations in Costa Mesa and Brea, plans to open a third store at Crystal Cove Shopping Center in Newport Beach. The Butchery sells choice and prime beef, grass-fed beef, dry-aged beef and pork and poultry cuts of meat. Exotic meats such as bison and venison are also offered. The full service butcher sells hand-cut meats to order. The Butchery, slated to open in November, is owned by Robert Hagopian and Brian Smith, who both live in Laguna Beach. Address: 8058 East Coast Highway in Newport Beach.

Moulin: The European-influenced cafe from Newport Beach opened a second location last week (Sept. 27) in Laguna Beach. The 30-seat cafe is taking over the former Scandia Bakery location in downtown at 248 Forest Ave.

Creamistry: The Yorba Linda-based liquid nitrogen shop has 11 shops scheduled to open in the next few months, including one in Huntington Beach. The chain, which opened its first location three years ago in Irvine, has 29 locations. The Huntington Beach shop is at 18502 Beach Blvd. on the first floor of the Elan apartment and live-work building. Creamistry also has been expanding abroad, opening its first location in India three months ago. Five more stores are under construction and should open by December. A total of 50 stores will be open in India in the next 18 months.

Ice cream and doughnuts: Orange County’s first co-branded Dunkin ’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins with a drive-through lane is opening Oct. 4 in Foothill Ranch. The store, at 26722 Portola Parkway, opens at 5 a.m. Irvine-based Precision Hospitality & Development is the local franchisee. The company opened the first Dunkin’ Donuts in Laguna Hills. It also has owns the location in Irvine. The group plans to develop several Dunkin’ Donuts throughout south Orange County and in north Los Angeles.Over the last few years, the Irvine Co.-owned center near UC Irvine has seen several shops come and go as the developer has sought to fill spaces with modern concepts such as Tender Greens, Blaze Pizza and Eureka. Besides Adya, other recent openings include Cha for Tea and Temakira(hand rolls). Slated to open in the coming months: Spoleto

Adya: The fast-casual Indian restaurant by Shachi Mehra, the former executive chef at the now closed Tamarind of London in Newport Beach, opened a second location in late September. The new restaurant is at University Center in Irvine. Adya’s menu features tandoori specialties and curry dishes.

Naugles: Now that summer has come to an end, the Mexican fast-food stand in Huntington Beach said it plans to close down soon. A date has not been set. But Naugles fans shouldn’t fret. Once it closes, the plan is to reopen the test kitchen in Fountain Valley. “When we know the exact details ourselves we will post them very clearly,” Naugles announced Wednesday afternoon on its Facebook page. Earlier this year, Naugles opened the seasonal concession stand located on the city beach boardwalk across from the Waterfront Hilton.

El Mercado: Chef-owner Danny Godinez of Anepalco Restaurants in Orange is finally opening his long-anticipated El Mercado Modern Cuisine in downtown Santa Ana later this week. Godinez calls the restaurant a “journey through Mexico” as the menu offers specialties from 17 of the country’s 31 states. This restaurant and lounge is five years in the making for Godinez, who has earned a loyal following for his French and Mexican influenced dishes at Anepalcos’ two Orange locations. Godinez’s partners are Fernando Franco and José Cerrudo. Godinez said he first came up with the idea to educate people about the various cuisines of Mexico five years ago. Diners at El Mercado will experience “comida de centro,” Godinez said. In other words, dishes will be served in the center of the table for sharing, he said. The owners have tapped Nate Overstreet as chef de cuisine. Overstreet operated Wheat & Sons, a nose-to-tail butcher and sandwich shop at the Anaheim Packing House. The food hall stand closed in early 2015. El Mercado opens Saturday (9/17) at 5 p.m. Dinner will be served Tuesday through Saturday with brunch starting Sunday (9/25). The restaurant will also have late-night “lounge” hours with a separate bar menu. Stay tuned for more information. Address: 301 N. Spurgeon.

Doggone Good Soda & Dogs opened in mid-August at the Anaheim Packing House. The craft soda bar and hot dog stand is a collaboration between the owner of Mustache Mike’s Italian Ice and Bill King, former owner of Old Towne Grinder & Ice Cream Parlour in downtown Orange. King closed the space last summer so he could pursue growing his vintage craft soda company. The food hall space is built like a soda fountain with 20 sodas made from pure cane sugar. The stand serves Italian ice and custard, allowing customers to create their own custom floats.

After closing earlier this year, Buffalo Wings ‘N Things is planning a comeback in Hunginton Beach under new majority owners. The independent wings shop was a fixture in the community for 26 years. A group of minority investors in the former restaurant are planning to reopen the restaurant in lOctober under the new name Wings ‘N Things Grill, said investor Samir Barudi told the Register. Barudi said he plans to keep the same menu; however, some tweaks are in the works including adding more wing flavors and adding pizza to the menu. He also plans to add a beer and wine bar. Address: 18302 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach.

La Rinconada : The new Mexican restaurant recently opened in the ever-evolving downtown Santa Ana at 5 th and Broadway. The vast menu includes 10 different soups ranging from a traditional bowl of albondigas to pumpkin blossom.

Public Steak, which closed after a dispute between the chef and landlord, reopened recently as The Scotchery. The Costa Mesa restaurant, which specializes in steaks ans spirits, is open for dinner daily except Sunday. Public Steak opened under the radar in late March. It was a collaboration between well-regarded chef Matthew Briggs and Connie Ho, whose family owns the building. Ho, who previously ran 8 Steers in the same location, is the owner behind The Scotchery. Address: at 3751 S. Harbor Blvd

Rustic Eats opened July 28 in Los Alamitos. The indie artisanal sandwich shop specializes in “crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside” French baguette sandwiches. “Rustic Eats admits that they spend more time than traditional sandwich shops to thoughtfully prepare each sandwich and are like a fine restaurant where each plate is carefully prepared and presented. The extra minute is worth it,” the restaurant told the Regiter in a statement.

Islands Restaurants: The chain’s 11th Orange County location opened Tuesday at The Shops at Mission Viejo. The new location features a 600-square-foot lounge, 14 big screen TVs and a fire pit in the outdoor patio. The restaurant is relocating from its Kaleidoscope mall, which closed this summer. It is moving into the old Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour space at The Shops.

Pizza Press: The Anaheim-based fast casual pizza company is set to open 18 more restaurants in the coming months. Local location in the pipeline include Santa Ana, Tustin, Lake Forest, Long Beach and Rancho Santa Margarita. The Huntington Beach location is taking over the old U.S. Taco space early next year in downtown Huntington Beach. Pizza Press is one of the early local players in build-your-own pizza sector. The first restaurant opened in June 2012 in Anaheim near Disneyland. The 10-inch, cracker-thin crusts are cooked in a conveyor oven and come with unlimited topping choices. The restaurant sets itself apart from rivals with its large variety of craft beer taps.

Fresca’s Mexican Grill: Irvine-based American Restaurant Holdings is reopening Fresca’s in Lake Forest, at 22681 Lake Forest Dr. The company, which also operates the brands Muscle Maker Grill, Canyon Fireside Grill and JoJo’s Pizza Kitchen, declined to comment.

Mighty Kitchen: Are sliders the next niche restaurant trend? There’s Burntzilla in Irvine, and Hatch in Tustin. Now, Mighty Kitchen is joining the fray with a menu focused on serving mini sandwiches. The Los Alamitos restaurant opened recently in the former SPIN Pizza location. The fresh concept is by the same SPIN operators, Hofman Hospitality Group. The Signal Hill restaurant company also owns Hof’s Hut and Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ. The Mighty Kitchen menu features 12 different sliders, as well hot dogs, shakes and cane sugar sodas. Address: 11122 Los Alamitos Blvd.

Dunkin’ Donuts: The East Coast chain is opening its latest Orange County location Monday in Yorba Linda. The new doughnut shop, the fifth in Orange County, features a new look for stores opening in California with earth tones and contemporary furniture. A redesigned front counter showcases a large assortment of baked goods, and the preparation of coffee and espresso beverages. Along with other Dunkin’ Donuts across the nation, the Yorba Linda store will be debuting cold brew iced coffee on Monday. The shop, at 4858 Valley View Ave., is a brand new building in the city. It opens at 5 a.m. Prizes will be handed out to the first 50 customers.

Ti Amo: In case you haven’t noticed, longtime romantic Laguna Beach hideaway Ti Amo has reopened. The restaurant has been closed for two years before reopening a few months ago. The restaurant’s owner also owns the 1929 building, a house that was converted to a restaurant in the 1980s. It operated as several different restaurants before becoming Ti Amo in 1994. The restaurant has undergone a top-to-bottom makeover — from the food to the decor. “The remodel consisted of repainting and replacing the floors and finishes, as well as making the restaurant brighter and more open,” general manager Massimo Ghalami said. The “old Ti Amo menu had a heavy Mediterranean influence. This menu is more focused on hand-made pastas and sauces, and being strictly classic Italian,” Ghalami added. Ti Amo, at 31727 Coast Hwy., is open Wednesday through Saturday from 4-10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.

Crow Bar and Kitchen: Steve Geary, majority owner of Crow Bar and Kitchen in Corona del Mar, has sold the gastropub to the operators of the The Auld Dubliner in Tustin. When it opened in 2007, Crow Bar and Kitchen was a local pioneer with its gourmet pub grub menu. It was serving brick-oven flatbreads, duck fat fries and gourmet deviled eggs long before other so-called “gastropubs” came along. Geary said the Dubliner made him an offer he couldn’t pass up. He still owns Crow Burger Kitchen in Newport Beach. It’s unclear if any changes will be made to Crow Bar. Attempts to reach the Dubliner operators have been unsuccessful.

Irvine-based Precision Hospitality & Development, which opened the first Orange County Dunkin’ Donuts in Laguna Hills, plans to open a co-branded Dunkin’/Baskin-Robbins shop in Foothill Ranch in September. Precision also operates a Dunkin’ Donuts in Irvine. The franchisee recently announced plans to open eight more Dunkin’ shops in the Los Angeles area, starting in 2018.

Bear Flag Fish: The fast-casual fish eatery, with locations in Newport Beach and Newport Coast, is scheduled to open Monday (June 20) at Pacific City. It will be the first Lot 579 restaurant to open at the mall’s food hall. Burnt Crumbs (sandwiches), PopBar (frozen gelato on a stick), Pie-Not (Australian meat pies), Hans’ Homemade Ice Cream and Petals & Pop (floral shop) are slated to open by June 25, according to representatives for Pacific City developer DJM Capital Partners. Address: 21010 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach.

Black Bear Diner: Redding-based Black Bear Diner is opening a restaurant in a former Carrows at 3355 S Bristol Ave. in Santa Ana. The chain, known for its chicken-fried steak, has about 80 locations in California, Nevada, Utah, Washington, Arizona, Oregon, Colorado, and Idaho). The average check is $11 to $13, according to its website. It’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s other Orange County locations are in Buena Park and La Habra. It is also opening a restaurant in Fullerton, at 1011 N. Harbor Blvd., on July 25 at 6 a.m. The Santa Ana diner opens Aug. 8 at 6:00 a.m.

Tuna Block Poke:The poke craze is hitting Dana Point. The latest restaurant inspired by the Hawaiian style raw food bowl is Tuna Block Poke. It opens Sunday (June 5)in the city’s Lantern District. Owners Steven Maybeno and Greg Provance say they are infusing California and South American influences into their bowls. Address: 34805 Pacific Coast Hwy #109, Dana Point.

Irenia, a seasonally influenced Filipino restaurant, opened earlier this month (May) in downtown Santa Ana. It replaced the North Left, at 400 N. Broadway. Irenia is the evolution of Chef Ryan Garlitos Irenia Supper Club, a roving pop-up he started last year. Garlitos, who previously worked at Slapfish and critically-acclaimed Taco Maria in Costa Mesa, said Irenia embodies his “grandmother’s soulful Filipino cooking.” On Thursday (May 26), the restaurant is launching lunch, a menu of rice bowls featuring chicken inasal and pork belly adobo. Desserts are made by Ashley Guzman, the former pastry chef at North Left and SOCIAL Costa Mesa.

In the fall, Fullerton Town Center is slated to get a Habit Burger Grill and Jersey Mike’s. The restaurants will be part of a new commercial pad being built on the property, which is undergoing is undergoing upgrades.

Orange County fine dining veteran Russ Bendel is opening Ironwood in Laguna Hills on Monday. Bendel is a veteran operator — earning his fine dining operating chops at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Newport Beach. He ventured on his own in 2013, buying the popular Vine Restaurant & Bar in San Clemente. Ironwood represents Bendel’s first restaurant built from the ground up. The wine country inspired menu was created by Vine executive chef and restaurant partner Jared Cook. The restaurant, open daily for dinner at 5 p.m., will offer 25 wines by the glass and 50 selections by the bottle, as well craft cocktails and beer. Address: 25250 La Paz Rd. Stay tuned for more details and photos.

Build your own concept MOD Pizza announced plans to add a fourth Orange County location. The Foothill Ranch restaurant will join the three other MOD locations in Irvine, Laguna Hills and Huntington Beach. The Washington state-based fast casual concept was founded by Seattle native Scott Svenson in 2008 — making it one of the pioneers in the trendy “fast pizza” category. A spokesman said the company is in negotiations for two additional locations in Orange County. The Foothill Ranch restaurant, at 26722 Portola Parkway, is slated to open in late December.

Miguel’s Jr. is opening a fourth Orange County fast-food restaurant later this year. The Corona-based Mexican restaurant chain is coming to the Newland Center in Huntington Beach — the same shopping center as Mother’s Market. It is expected to open by the end of 2016. The opening comes as the chain begins to roll out its first-ever breakfast menu. A handful of restaurants in the Inland Empire began serving breakfast earlier this year. A restaurant in Orange, at 1325 Tustin Ave., began serving the menu of breakfast burritos in April.

Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza, one of the fastest-growing in Southern California, opened Thursday (May 5) in San Clemente. On Thursday, May 12, the chain is opening a location at 9735 Chapman Ave., near Regal Cinemas in Garden Grove.

East Coast burger institution Steak ‘n Shake is opening its first in Orange County restaurant soon in Aliso Viejo, according to the chain’s website. The restaurant is at 27002 La Paz Road in Aliso Viejo. Traditional Steak ’n Shake restaurants offer full-service dining and drive-through lanes. The menu includes ground steak burgers, hand-cut fries and hand-dipped milkshakes. The chain, founded more than 80 years ago, is a cross between In-N-Out (premium fast-food style burger) and Ruby’s Diner (full service, retro atmosphere). In 2014, the chain opened its first two restaurants in Victorville and Santa Monica.

Döner G, a Turkish and Mediterranean grill with locations in Irvine and Anaheim, is opening two more restaurant this spring. The new restaurants are coming to Santa Ana and Lake Forest, according to the restaurant’s website. The menu features pita sandwiches, including gyros and kebab plates. The Santa Ana restaurant is opening at the City Place center near Mother’s Market. (8/20/16: The Santa Ana Doner G’s is now open.)

TLT Food by Lime Truck owner Daniel Shemtob is opening its second Orange County location this summer. The new eatery, whose menu features short rib quesadillas, seared ahi tuna tacos and pork belly nachos, is opening July 1 at The Bluffs in Newport Beach. It is replacing Mozambique Peri Peri, which closed in September 2015, the Irvine Co. said. Shemtob’s first O.C. TLT Food opened nearly two years ago at the Irvine Spectrum Center.

Blast 825 Pizza is hosting a grand opening celebration at its new Huntington Beach location. The fast-casual pizza restaurant is selling half-off pizzas on March 11 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Address: 18541 Beach Blvd.

Speaking of pizza pies, two local chains are celebrating Pi Day on March 14 with special deals. All Pitfire Pizza locations, including the one in Costa Mesa, will be selling signature pizzas for $3.14 until 3:14 p.m. on March 14. Dine-in only. >Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza locations also will be selling pizzas for $3.14. The fast-casual chain has multiple locations in Orange County. Last year, restaurants served over 75,000 pizzas on Pi Day.

Cajun seafood restaurant The Mad Claw has opened in Brea. Read more here.

Lombardi Family Concepts will open Taverna Laguna Beach the first week of March in the restored Laguna Federal Savings and Loan Building. Read more here.

Puesto: This eatery serving Mexico City-style tacos has locations in downtown San Diego and ritzy La Jolla. Puesto is run by brothers Eric and Alan Adler, plus their cousin Isidoro Lombrozo. The Irvine store will be Puesto’s first Orange County location. It is coming to Los Olivos Marketplace, a new retail center near Irvine Spectrum.

Also opening at Los Olivos: Burnt Crumbs (a gourmet sandwich shop by the owners of Burntzilla in Irvine), Phans55 (Vietnamese comfort food) and CUPS Frozen Yogurt.

Moulin, a casual French cafe in Newport Beach, will open a second location in Laguna Beach. Operators for the restaurant said the cafe will open this summer in Laguna Beach. It is taking the space once occupied by Scandia Bakery. Address: 248 Forest Ave. The new restaurant will be similar to its flagship store, which opened in September 2014. The 1,600 square foot space will have indoor and outdoor dining. The menu will feature coffee and espresso drinks, baked breads, classic pâtisserie and boulangerie items and made-to-order crepes and waffles. (2016)

Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern, often referred to as JFAT, is opening two more Southern California locations. David Wilhelm’s concept, which specializes in gourmet pub grub, is opening restaurants in Brea and Santa Monica. The Brea restaurant is opened in early March (2016) at the new La Floresta retail center. In 2010, Wilhelm and a San Diego developer opened the first Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern at Point Loma Marina. The restaurant targeted millennials with its upscale half-pound burgers and bar-centric atmosphere. The Dana Point restaurant opened in 2013. (2016)

Local seafood shack Slapfish is a food truck turned brick and mortar restaurant. The first eatery opened in Huntington Beach, serving a menu of chowder fries, lobster rolls, tacos, and fish & chips. Free lobster rolls will be handed out to the first 100 customers in line. One sandwich per guest. The restaurant opens at 11 a.m. (2015)

Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que opens its 5th Orange County restaurant Wednesday, Dec. 23. The location is at the MainPlace mall in Santa Ana, 2800 N. Main St. The barbecue chain, founded in Long Beach in 1999, is known for its smoked meats, brisket, tri-tip and ribs. The restaurant’s Christmas Eve hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The 22-unit chain will be closed for Christmas. Normal hours resume Saturday.

The Habit Restaurants will open a Habit Burger Grill at The Village at Orange on Dec. 9. The restaurant opens at 10:30 a.m. This will be the company’s 10th restaurant in Orange County.

Tustin Grille opened Tuesday, Sept. 8, in Old Town Tustin. Owner Jim Osborn is a veteran in the hospitality business — focusing the earlier part of his career on the financial side. In 2008, he opened his first restaurant in Orange, The Original Pancake House. He also operates a Pancake House franchise in Norco. His dream, he said, has always been to open a fine dining concept — “white table cloth service and food without the white table cloth” atmopshere, he said. That opportunity finally arrived this year when he was approached to open a restaurant in the former Quinn’s Old Town Grill space in Tustin. After renovating the space, including enlarging the kitchen, Osborn opened Tustin Grille this week. The restaurant’s menu and service is inspired by one of Osborn’s favorite Orange County restaurants: The Winery in Tustin. The menu features prime steaks, and classic hearty entrees such as risotta, braised short rib, roasted chicken, linguini and clams and barbecue shrimp pasta. Osborn said he’s going for five star food and service but in a casual environment. When possible, Tustin Grille is also sourcing from sustainable and organic suppliers, including Mary’s Free Range Chickens. Address: 405 El Camino Real, Tustin.

JimBoy’s Tacos, a Northern California institution, is opening its first restaurant in Orange County this weekend. Franchise operator Michael Freeman said he’s bringing JimBoy’s famous tacos — grilled and seasoned with parmesan cheese — to Aliso Viejo. It opens Sunday in a former Jack in the Box at 27882 Aliso Creek Road. The quick service taco eatery was founded in a camper trailer in 1954. Freeman said the parmesan crusted tacos filled with ground beef are the chain’s signature meal. However, the menu also includes options for carnitas, shredded beef, steak and chicken. Refried beans and rice are made in small batches in each restaurant, he added.

Pizza Press is coming to Fullerton. Click here to read more.

Green Tomato Grill of Orange is expanding to Brea. Click here to read more about this fast-healthy concept.

GD Bro Burger, a food truck turned brick and mortar, opened late summer 2015. Click here to read more about the concept, featured in the Great Food Truck Race

Naugles, the once defunct Mexican fast food chain, has returned. The new owners have brought back the brand which is operating under temporary hours in Fountain Valley. Click here to read more

Sweet Lady Jane opened in early September in Corona del Mar. Click here to read more about the popular Los Angeles bakery here.

One of the much-anticipated restaurants at Union Market Tustin is finally opening. The Kroft , which has suffered numerous construction setbacks at the food hall, said it will open Friday. The fast-casual eatery specializes in Canadian-style poutine dishes and gourmet sandwiches. The first Kroft opened last year at the Anaheim Packing House. It opens 11 a.m . Friday.

Jason’s by the Circle opened Aug. 17 in Orange. Read full story: Jason’s brings global comfort food to Old Towne Orange.

Pandor Artisan Boulangerie & Cafe and Urbana are now open at the Anaheim Packing House. Pandor is open at 9 a.m. for breakfast, which is served all day.

Harbor Prime opened in Fullerton. It replaced the closed Tony Roma’s on Harbor Bouelvard this summer.

California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) is opening one of its “Next Chapter” locations in Irvine on Aug. 26. This will be the first remodel built from the ground up in Orange County. The reinvented restaurants emphasize hand-tossed pizzas, hand-shaken cocktails, seasonal entree dishes, a wider variety of lunch combos, flexible seating and decor that reflects the local community. The “next chapter” look and menus are complete at restaurants in Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and Brea. Earlier this year, CPK said locations in Anaheim, Seal Beach, Santa Ana, Laguna Hills, Tustin and the Irvine Spectrum were also slated for a food and decor makeover. The Irvine restaurant opening next week is at 5465 Alton Pkwy (formerly El Cholo).

Chez Vu Bakery & Cafe opened recently on Balboa Boulevard. The Vietnamese bakery sells baguette sandwiches and boba drinks. It replaced the Sliding Door cafe at 704 E. Balboa Blvd.

The Trough sandwich shop plans to have a grand opening Aug. 20. However, if you stop by this weekend, you might see the chef-driven sandwich shop open for limited hours. Read more: Trough to open second unit in Newport

Mexican pizza chain Pizza Del Perro Negro opened in early 2015. The deep dish style pizza offers ingredients or flavors commonly found in a traditional Mexican restaurant such as a pizza topped with carnitas and chile rellanos. But it also offers some wacky comfort food pizzas such as Mac & Cheese and hamburger pizzas. The restaurant is 2233 W. Balboa Blvd.

Shakeaway — a milkshake bar company — will open Friday, (May 8) at 5th Street and Pacific Coast Highway. The company has 50 stores around the world, including San Diego.Shakeaway, founded 16 years ago in England, features more than 180 ingredients that customers can choose from to build their own shake. Ingredients are hand-blended to order. Read more here

Sessions West Coast Deli in Newport Beach is opening a second location in downtown Huntington Beach. It opens in early summer. Read more here

Jimmy’s John’s is on a hot streak. The Champaign, Ill.-based sandwich chain is slated to open iths 9th location in Orange County later in San Clemente. “Southern California has been a growing market for us since our first store opened in late 2013. We are always looking for where we can go next – you’re definitely going to see more of us,” said Nathan Louer, a company spokesman. The San Clemente restaurant, on El Camino Real between Avenida del Mar and Avenida Granada, should open later this spring, he said. The first Jimmy John’s opened in 1983 in Illinois. The company primarily grows through franchising, with sub shops focused on low-prices and speedy service. The other local restaurants are in Orange, Fountain Valley, Stanton, Fullerton, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Irvine and Huntington Beach.

Los Angelesbased tea shop The American Tea Room will be opening its first Orange County location in November. The shop offers an array of high-quality loose leaf teas including matcha , whimsical rooibos blends, certified organic teas, and Earl Grey blends. The shop also sells customized tea gift sets, teacups and teapots. The flagship store in Beverly Hills opened in 2003. They are expanding to Orange County because the shop’s largest customer base outside of Los Angeles was in Newport Beach. The American Tea Room will be opening in Fashion Island, with construction set to begin this July.

Sushi Roku will be opening its first Orange County location in June. This will be the sixth addition to the popular Japanese restaurant chain since its debut in 1997. The seafood-oriented menu offers Japanese cuisine with contemporary ingredients such as jalapenos, French black truffles and Italian cheeses. The full service restaurant also offers an extensive sake list and unique specialty cocktails such as Fuji apple martini, hot chocolate sake and lemon drop martini. The restaurant offers fusion dishes like salmon sashimi carpaccio, kimchi cucumber sunomono, filet mignon with ginger teriyaki sauce and an extensive sushi and sashimi list. Sushi Roku will be debuting at Fashion Island in Newport Beach this June.

Bronx Sandwich Co. is opening its second location later this month in April. This store is larger the Tustin, which opened earlier this year. It has a rustic Bronx feel with a brick wall, exposed rafters and polished concrete floors. The menu is identical to the Tustin location with less Rice Bowls. Address: 949 S. Euclid St. Anaheim, CA 92802

Anaheim-based The Pizza Press, by entrepreneur Dara Maleki, has finally revealed the opening date of his next restaurant. The Old Towne Orange location is opening Saturday, March 28 at noon. Like other assembly-line pizza players, Pizza Press lets diners create their own 10-inch pizza from unlimited toppings. The first restaurant opened in the summer of 2012 across the street from Disneyland on Harbor Avenue. Because it is a resort area, the pizzas cost $10. In Old Towne Orange, Maleki said he plans to add more seasonal toppings in Orange and will lower the price to $8, which is in line with rival concepts. Pizza Press, he added, sets itself apart from the competition with its wide selection of craft beers on tap. In Orange, the restaurant plans to offer about 20 taps. Maleki said he’s targeting Chapman University students at the 2,900-square-foot eatery, which will have plenty of USB plug-ins for students “cramming” for tests. The Pizza Press plans to accelerate its growth through franchising this year.

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, a scoop shop sensation East of the Mississippi, is opening its first West Coast location next month in Cypress. The Pittsburgh-based premium ice cream chain (think 12 percent butterfat) makes fresh batches and waffle cones in every shop. Unlike other ice cream parlors, Bruster’s is a walk-up concept, where orders are taken from windows. The Cypress Bruster’s is at 9963 Walker St. at Ball Road. Read full story: Bruster’s enters SoCal

Pie Dog, a steak and sausage house, is opening Friday in Fullerton. The full-service concept by Grace Wu and Donny Gaudiano features 24 rotating craft beer taps, house ground steak burgers and sausages. At one point, the owner of Mick’s Karma Bar was involved. But PR reps for Pie Dog say the steak burger meister is no longer part of the project. Leonard Chan, who runs a string of hipster restaurants in Orange County, is acting as a menu consultant. Price: $7-$9. Address: 229 E. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton.

The Irvine Co. must have a sweet tooth, as many of its shopping centers are welcoming a slew of dessert shops. The latest includes Cookie Connection at Crossroads Shopping Center. The menu includes a range of classic cookies, as well as its signature crackle cookie — a soft chocolate brownie rolled in powdered sugar. The shop also sells ice cream cookie sandwiches made with ice cream from Cool Haus, a popular Los Angeles food truck. Address: 3972I Barranca Parkway, Irvine. Later this year, the Irvine Spectrum Center is opening Cream, which makes gourmet ice cream cookie sandwiches. Coming in June. Yogurtland is also opening a location at Irvine Spectrum Center in April, the Irvine Co. said. Scoops N Scoops, a liquid nitrogen scoop shop, is opening later this year at Walnut Village Center on Culver Drive, the same Irvine shopping center where Trader Joe’s and Burntzilla operate.

Irvine-based Ritual Wellness is merging with the San Francisco’s Project Juice, both companies announced Thursday. As part of the merger, the three Ritual Wellness shops in Orange County will be rebranded as Project Juice effective Thursday, the company said. The combined company has nine stores in California. “The business merger immediately multiplies Project Juice’s purchasing power, enabling the company to work directly with more California farms,” the company said in a statement. Ritual Wellness founders Marra St. Clair and Lori Kenyon Farley developed the organic, cold-pressed juices as an online business in 2010. They opened their first shop in 2012 at The Camp in Costa Mesa. They will continue to make their juices and cleanses at their Irvine-based commissary. St. Clair and Kenyon Farley will remain with the company, working B with Project Juice founders Rachel and Greg Malsin and Devon Briger.

Texas premium burger chain, Mooyah Burgers, Fries & Shakes, opened its first Southern California location Monday, March 9 in Irvine. The better burger concept, known for its fresh-cut fries and in-house baked buns, has two locations in Northern California. Newport Beach franchisee Jim Melby, who runs his own accounting firm, is opening his first Mooyah burger in Irvine. The restaurant is replacing a bagel shop in the Alton Square Shopping Center in Irvine. Melby’s son-in-law, who has family experience running La Salsa restaurants in Las Vegas, will be helping him run the restaurants. Melby has plans to open at least five restaurants in the Orange County area. He is scouting locations in Hungtington Beach, Tustin, Newport Beach, Corona del Mar and Costa Mesa. Address: 5365 A-2 Alton Parkway, Irvine.

When my daughter started high school in downtown Santa Ana last year, I started roaming the historic Civic Center area for a quick cup of coffee in the morning. All I could find was Starbucks. Later, someone told me Gypsy Den served coffee for java fans on the run. Now, in just a few short weeks, there’s suddenly a bevy of specialty coffee options in the area. In late February, well-known Orange County barista Truman Severson, formerly of Portola Coffee Lab, has launched a pop-up coffee bar in downtown Santa Ana. Severson’s Hopper & Burr is set up each morning at Little Sparrow on Main and Third. His simple menu includes brewed filtered coffee, espresso, lattes, cappuccinos and mochas ranging in price from $2 to $5. His “white” options include whole milk, and almond milk. The latter is housemade by Andrew Ogden, who also worked at Portola. Hopper & Burr is open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sparrow isn’t open for breakfast or lunch, making the quaint European-bistro setting a perfect fit for his morning experiment. Severson said he’ll keep the pop-up going as he looks for a permanent location — hopefully somewhere in Santa Ana — for his cafe. Next door to Little Sparrow/Hopper & Burr is Paninoteca Maggio. The sandwich shop is open Monday through Saturday for breakfast and serves espresso drinks. With Portola Coffee Lab opening its third Orange County cafe at 4th Street Market last month, Santa Ana is suddenly full of solid options for java junkies. “It’s awesome. Santa Ana went from having no coffee to being a coffee destination,” said Severson. The small businessman doesn’t mind the competition. “High tides make all ships rise,” he said.

Kona Grill, an American grill and sushi bar from Scottsdale, is opening its first California location in Orange County. The Irvine Spectrum Center location is one of 12 restaurants planned for the chain, whose menu offers a wide-range of Asian-inspired dishes, sandwiches, sushi, flatbread, saladds, soups and pastas.

Pour Vida Latin Flavor by Chef Jimmy Martinez is opening soon in downtown Anaheim. The classically trained chef will be using his French and Italian cooking influences for his hand-crafted taco menu, which include sous vide chicken and 24-hour marinated pork. The seafood tacos are served in squid-ink tortillas, according to the website menu. Martinez has worked for Wolfgang Puck, helped develop the menu at Mastro’s in Costa Mesa and ran the kitchen of Dolce Steakhouse in Newport Beach. Address: 185 W. Center Street Promenade, Anaheim.

Andrea and Russell Young, under controversy for their work at Union Market Tustin, have been tapped to open a second Union Market at Kaleidoscope in Mission Viejo. “It will be a great addition to the center and will be embraced by South County residents,” Colby Durnin, chief executive of Sentinel Development, told the Register. Food tenants include: Portola Coffee Lab, Milk Box, Hummus Bowl, Oyu Shabu, Poke Shack, The Kroft, Central Bar, Anchor Hitch, Noodle Bar, Youngstone Cheese Shop, and Market 2 Plate. Retailers include Bambu Earth and Miel.

The Dirty Cookie is the latest new food shop expected to open at Union Market Tustin. The landlords for the food and retail complex have come under scrutiny in recent weeks for not getting the main restaurants open in a timely fashion. Amid the exiting of a few shops, The Dirty Cookie has announced plans to grab a space at the center. The shop will offer cookie shots. What does that mean? Truong Kim, one of the partners, said the shop serves milk inside cookies molded into the shape of a shot glass. The inside of the “cookie glass” is coated with chocolate creating a leak-proof lining, he said. It’s unclear when the dessert shop will open. Union Market Tustin is at The District shopping center, off Barranca and Jamboree.

Centro, a wood-fired pizza eatery and brewery, is coming soon to Old Town Tustin. The brewery-restaurant is owned by Pozzuoli Vineyard & Winery in Paso Robles. Pozzuoli, known for its tradition-defying blends, opened a tasting room more than two years ago in Tustin, off Red Hill. The Main Street location is an extension Pozzuoli‘s winery, as well as home base for “brewing our own Archaic craft beer,” said owner Enrico Pozzuoli. “The food will be Italian including wood fired pizza, panini sandwiches, salads and cheese plates.” Address: 140 E. Main St., Tustin (next to Quinn’s Old Town Grill)

San Diego’s Broken Yolk Cafe, which serves a wide-range of home-style breakfast dishes, opened its second Orange County location Monday., Feb. 23. The Mission Viejo restaurant is part of the renovated Avery Center on Marguerite Parkway. The menu includes standard egg dishes, pancakes, crepes, breakfast burritos and tacos, and espresso drinks. The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch from 6 a.m . to 3 p.m . daily. It’s other O.C. location is in Orange on Chapman Avenue. Broken Yolk address: 28621 Marguerite Parkway.

Also coming to the Avery Center in Mission Viejo: Jimmy John’s. Stay tuned for more information.

Oggi’s Pizza Express, a new build your own pizza concept by the owners of Oggi’s, opened in late February at the Village in Orange. Two locations have opened in San Diego. It replaces the old full-service Oggi’s in the same mall.

Ugly Pie Co., another build-your-own pizza concept, is opening in April in Irvine. Address: 3939 Portola Pkwy.



AFTERS Ice Cream in Fountain Valley, which celebrated its one year anniversary Feb. 15, is expanding. The home of the Milky Bun, or doughnut stuffed with ice cream, recently opened a second location in Chino Hills. Co-founder Andy Nguyen said plans are underway for a third and fourth ice cream shop. The third shop, he tells the Register, will be in Tustin. He did not reveal the location, so stay tuned for more details. Also coming soon: expanding evening hours in Fountain Valley.

Paninoteca Maggio, home to a killer selection of Italian sandwiches and paninis, has finally revealed the opening date of its relocated restaurant. Cordon Bleu graduate of Chef Sharron Barshishat opened the eatery at The City Place in Santa Ana more than two years ago. That location shutdown as he prepared to relocate to downtown Santa Ana. The larger space, which will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, opens Feb. 19. Address: 304 N Main St., Santa Ana (next to Little Sparrow)

Assembly-line pizza chain Blaze Pizza has confirmed plans to move into the prime retail space once occupied by Radio Shack in Old Towne Orange. The “corner” storefront, facing the city’s famous downtown roundabout, will be the second fast-casual pizza restaurant to enter the area. Pizza Press, another build your own pizza concept, is opening soon on Glassell Street across the street from Zito’s Pizza. Zito’s is a tradtional family-style pizza eatery. Like Pizza Press, the Blaze Pizza in Orange is expected to have beer on tap.

Coming to the old Ways & Means space in Orange: Jason’s by the Circle. The company is tied to Jason’s Catered Events, based in Santa Ana. This information is based on the alcohol and beverage permit sign posted in the restaurant’s window. Stay tuned for more details.

Raising Cane’s, a fast-food chicken fingers chain from Louisiana, is expected to enter the Orange County market this year. Restaurants are in the works for Laguna Hills, Costa Mesa and Aliso Viejo, according to the chain’s website. The company, whose limited menu features fried chicken tenders, crinkle cut fries, coleslaw and a fried chicken tender sandwich, said it is expanding to Southern California later this year.

The Market Place in Irvine is set to open TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Famous Dave’s BBQ, Starbucks and Urban Plates. The Starbucks will have a drive through.

On the Tustin side of The Market Place: Mizu Sushi Bar & Grill, at 1228 El Camino Real, opened Jan. 8. Coming in May: Piadina Italian Market Sandwich and Miguel’s Jr. The Flame Broiler is coming in June, while Wokcano is slated for December.

Monterey Park-based Wokcano is opening a restaurant at the MainPlace The Santa Ana mall is also adding a 10,000-square-foot Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que. Lucille’s and Wokcano, scheduled to open in the fall, are on Level 2 of the old Macy’s men’s furniture wing next to Ashley Furniture, the mall said.

Wokcano’s parent company is M2K Group, whose other brands include Le Ka Restaurant, The Backhouse, EMC Seafood & Raw Bar, and The Big Catch Seafood. M2K is also planning to open an EMC Seafood in Irvine, a Big Catch in Huntington Beach and a Backhouse at Pacific City in Huntington Beach, according to the its website.

Creamistry, a liquid nitrogen scoop shop founded in Orange County, has announced plans to expand the concept to Costa Mesa and Rowland Heights. This will be the chain’s fifth and sixth store locations. Yorba Linda resident Jay Yim opened the original scoop in Irvine in 2013. The brand is among several molecular-driven scoop shops popping up in Los Angeles, Denver and San Francisco. Yim is taking the trend seriously, expanding via franchising. Other locations have opened in Cerritos, Corona and Long Beach.

4th Street Market in downtown Santa Ana has revealed its opening date after months of anticipation. The culinary food hall on 4th Street near Jason Quinn’s Playground is opening Feb. 16, the property owner announced Sunday. The public will have a chance to preview the food-centric marketplace during the second Savor Santa Ana food event on Feb 12. (Ticket: www.downtown-santaana.com.) Tenants coming to the 4th Street Market include: Electric City Butcher (a European-style butcher shop by Michael Puglisi);The butcher shop is inside Jason Quinn’s Honor Roll, a large “pantry” of artisan foods and ingredients for grocery shoppers; Quinn is also opening a bar dubbed Recess and three food stands: Noodle Tramp (Thai), PFC (Playground fried chicken) and Wagyu Chuck (house-ground Double-Double-inspired burgers). He’s also moving his recently opened Dough Exchange bakery to Honor Roll; Ink Waffles (“flavor” infused waffles by the operators of Anepalco’s); Radical Botanicals (juice bar); Portola Coffee Lab; Front Porch Pops; The Stockyard Sandwich Company, Torch S’more Co.; MAR (a modern quick-serve mariscos restaurant) and two food trucks: Chunk -N- Chip (ice cream sandwiches) and Dos Chinos.

Los Angeles-based Golden Road Brewing, known for canning its craft beer, is expanding its operation to Anaheim. Golden Road co-founder Meg Gill said the brewery has a huge fan following in Orange County, where they plan to brew specialty limited edition beers. Victor Novak , former head brewer at TAPS Fish House & Brewery in Brea, will be one of the brew masters in Anaheim. Like the Golden Road in Los Angeles , Anaheim will have a tasting room and a restaurant. Golden Road distributes to 4,000 clients in California, including Anaheim Stadium, Honda Center, Whole Foods Market, Costco, Ralphs and Trader Joe’s . The Anaheim brewery, tasting room, and restaurant are expected to open later this year (2015). Address: 2220 East Orangewood Ave., Anaheim

Bronx Sandwich Co. has opened in Tustin, serving piled high hoagies made with Dietz & Watson meats and cheeses. Prices range from $8 to $10. Also, there’s only one size – 10 inches long with up to 10 ounces of meat in between. That’s the New York way,” said Sal Othman, who is using custom breads from OC Baking Company in Orange. Bronx will be adding fresh pre-made salads and sandwiches for takeout. Othman, who operates Bronx Burgers & Street Fries in Los Angeles, plans to open a second Bronx deli in Anaheim in late February at 949 S. Euclid St. The Tustin shop is at 13041 Newport Ave. (formerly Creations Pizzeria near Lost Bean organic cafe.)

Cream, a family-run ice cream sandwich chain founded in Berkeley, announced plans to open 11 Cream shops in Southern California, including 10 in Orange County and one at USC. The local shops will be operated by Orange County franchisee partners Kyle Olson and Hector Haget, who run a string of Jersey Mike’s restaurants in Orange County. The first shop will open in March in Aliso Viejo at 26841 Aliso Creek Rd. The second is slated for the Irvine Spectrum Center. Cream, founded in 2010, is like Stax Cookie Bar in Irvine. But while Stax outsources its ice cream, Cream uses a proprietary family recipe. Cream’s menu features 20 ice cream flavors and 20 cookie flavors.