This week through Jan 29 enjoy discounted menu items at Newport Beach’s finest restaurants. Lunch starts at just $15 for a three course prix fixe menu and dinner between $20 and $40.
Although there are many restaurants to choose from your taste buds won’t be disappointed at what Balboa Island eateries are offering during this annual event.
Here is a round up of the 10 Best Things to Eat on Balboa Island during Newport Beach Restaurant Week:
10. Alex’s Chopped Salad with Chicken at Amelia’s. This salad is filled with fresh lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, mushrooms, artichokes, olives, mozzarella and drizzled with Italian dressing.
9. Beef Stroganoff at Wilma’s Patio. Tender pieces of Filet Mignon, egg noodles in a mouth watering sour cream brown sauce with mushrooms.
8. Italian Gelato at Barolo’s. Part of the dessert course, this portion of the prix fixe menu is the perfect way to end your meal.
7. Chicken Italiano at Ciao Restaurant. The grilled chicken breast is smothered in sautéed peppers and onions and blanketed with a light pesto cream sauce. Steamed vegetables and pasta round out this perfect dish.
6. Pink Plate Special at Amelia’s Restaurant. This rather pretty plate comes with fresh salmon, scampi drizzled in garlic butter and lobster ravioli. Barbie Approved!
5. Philly Steak Sandwich at Wilma’s Patio. This simple, yet delicious Philly steak is served during lunch and includes your choice of cottage fries, cole slaw or fresh fruit.
4. Linguine Primavera at Ciao Restaurant. A classic dish served right. Linguine Pasta tossed in a creamy alfredo sauce with fresh vegetables. Ciao is offering discounted menu items during their dinner seating. Three courses for $20.
3. Porterhouse Pork Chop with Pineapple Salsa. Have a little taste of another island – Hawaii, perhaps? This perfectly cooked pork chop is served with mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables and a tangy pineapple salsa.
2. Open Face Pizza Sandwich at Amelia’s. A dream come true for foodies. A baguette with marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella is just the beginning. Each order grants you three wishes, uh toppings of your choice: sausage, meatballs, artichokes, mushrooms, roma tomato, basil, or fresh mozzarella.
1. Osso Bucco at Barolo’s. Their $30 three course menu comes with your choice of salad, Italian gelato and Osso Bucco. Braised cross cut veal shanks with vegetables are a specialty at Barolos that everyone should try at least once.
For full menu listings please visit www.newportbeachdining.com.


It was like Lite Brite on water as the 103rd Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade kicked off Wednesday in Newport Harbor with a little under 100 boats taking to the water.
Boats are given prizes based on their size and light display, these awards are given out Saturday evening and the boats will sail on Sunday with their award banners displayed.
One of the highlights of visiting Balboa Island is taking a walk around the Bayfront and passing all the beautiful homes. The Balboa Island Holiday Home Walking Tour is the perfect tour to finally see inside the homes you’ve walked past before.
There were three homes on Amethyst. One featured a Tiffany box blue door with matching Christmas tree decorated with Tiffany boxes and vintage 1930s décor. Volunteers greeted visitors at the door and in each room, but had to also manage crowd control as there was a number of people waiting in line to see the homes.
The parade begins after dark at 6:30pm and continues to 9:30pm. Boats travel from Bay Island around Newport Harbor through Balboa Island.
For the best chance at finding parking and a great viewing spot on the Bayfront arrive early and dine at one of the fine restaurants on Marine Ave. Pas Tu, Amelia’s and Ciao restaurants will be open during the boat parade and feature international cuisine perfect for a holiday meal before the show.
Thanksgiving played out on Balboa Island much like it did around the country, with friends and family gathering around tables filled with great eats, followed by naps and some football. Here, some took a walk around the island to work off calories and take a look at paradise. That last part of course is considered normal for islanders and nearby Newport Beach residents.
If memories of nostalgia and happy moments of yesteryear include ice cream treats and carousel rides on the Balboa Peninsula, then you’d better hurry back for one last… quick fix… hurrah of days gone by.
The carousel was built in 1951 and was at Santa’s Village in Scotts Valley, north of Santa Cruz, until being restored and placed in the Balboa Fun Zone in 1985. The new landlords plan to use the patio where the carousel is located for community events and educational programs, said museum President Rita Stenlund. The full plans for the soon-to-be-vacant space will be unveiled at a Newport Harbor Nautical Museum event Oct. 22.
If Palm Springs and Palm Beach were to have a baby (hey! It could happen), it would look something like Ornate, a rather new and colorful home boutique. Upon entry you are surprised at how small it is, but mostly how colorful and interesting the store is. Their furniture and accessories are inspired by the 1950s and 60s – with geometrical prints, and pops of orange and turquoise throughout. Although the store is small in size, customers can browse through a large catalog of goodies that can be special ordered. For those interior design buffs, it is like a mini version of Room Service and Jonathan Adler in Fashion Island.
This store has two front entrances, and rightfully so, they have too much to display for just one. Shirley’s Heart is an island paradise of tea towels, candles, wall art, novelty napkins and any other compactable accessory you can fit in your home. The boutique offers items for the home that give it the finishing touch – that USC napkin for under your martini or the “Where doggy goes, nothing grows” sign for your garden. Shirley’s is a great place to get custom throw pillows for your beachside cottage. You can find them here with maps of Balboa Island embroidered on them.
One of the most iconic home stores on Balboa Island, Island Home is the epitome of fine island living. Many of the accessories you’ll find also at Roger’s Gardens, so you know their home selection is top notch. There is a wide array of design styles at Island Home. In addition to the usual island décor, you can find French-inspired accessories, Americana like rooster themed plates and plenty of holiday themed decorations. It’s not all serious at Island Home though. A humorous tea towel that reads “This home is protected by Killer Dust Bunnies” is an unexpected, yet perfectly hilarious addition to your home.
Oftentimes, when photographers commit to a photo session, they immediately want to know where the location will be. Finding out this detail ahead of time prepares them for the kind of photographs they can expect to take. The more interesting the location the more creative photographers can be with the elements of good composition.
For over 85 years, the Balboa Yacht Club has served to encourage yacht racing and cruising, promote the science of seamanship and navigation, and provide a beautiful clubhouse and marina for the educational, recreational and social use of its members, families and guests.
The Club’s Junior Sailing Program provides a wonderful opportunity for children to learn about sailing and to improve sailing skills. The Junior Sailing Program is a year-round operation open to children ages 6-18. The emphasis of their program is fun and safety, based on proven curriculum from US Sailing. They accommodate all levels of experience, from learning to sail to advanced racing.