Three of the most enduring restaurants at Irvine Spectrum Center, now marking its 30th anniversary, are also among its most innovative. Factors that have kept their patrons returning for decades include new takes on familiar dishes.
California Pizza Kitchen, best known for liberating toppings and launching the California pizza revolution, opened at Spectrum Center in 2004. Don’t overlook the pastas. Fusion favorites include kung pao spaghetti – with garlic, scallions, peanut and hot red chiles – and jambalaya linguini, featuring blackened chicken and shrimp, andouille sausage and tasso ham in spicy Cajun sauce.
A center favorite since 2001, Yard House offers a global spin on classic fare and 100 beers on tap. Poke nachos are ideal as a shared starter or main featuring marinated raw ahi, crispy wontons, avocado, serrano chiles, white truffle sauce, sweet soy ginger sauce, sriracha aïoli, cilantro, green onions, nori and sesame seeds.
The Cheesecake Factory opened at Spectrum Center in 1998. Its massive menu – 250 items, updated quarterly – includes 30 kinds of cheesecake and a dozen Angus-beef Glamburgers. Everybody loves a juicy burger; want a juicier one? Like a French dip sandwich, the French Dip Cheeseburger arrives with a ramekin of au jus for dipping.
