Being a “Foodie,” someone who has a particular interest in food is relatively easy in Orange County. New and interesting restaurants, food halls and food trucks are always opening up. There are some near and far, so you can always use “Yelp” (https://www.yelp.com/irvine-ca-us) to look up restaurants and view pictures and reviews before you visit.
The most common place to eat off campus is at the University Town Center (UTC). This is the shopping plaza right across the street from campus that has the Trader Joes. The UTC has several ramen, sandwiches, pizza, frozen yogurt, and several other kinds of food. Eureka also has a great happy hour. The UTC also has an In-N-Out, a California classic. However, there are other fun places to eat in the area that are always on my personal list of food to eat in Orange County.
Creamistry: Creamistry is located in the Target shopping plaza on Culver Drive. Creamistry makes made to order ice cream using liquid nitrogen. My personal favorite is their taro, which is excellent, although the birthday cake is great as well.
Anaheim Packing District: Although a little bit of a drive, the Anaheim Packing District is a must visit place for foodies (http://anaheimpackingdistrict.com/merchants). It’s a large building that contains several small restaurants with a large communal seating area. The restaurants vary all over the globe: Indian, French, Southern USA, Vietnamese, and more. There is also an outdoor bar.
The Playground: Also a little bit of a drive, but the food is well worth it. The Playground’s menu changes every week based on what food is available and fresh. Their menu is eclectic and made for sharing. If it’s on the menu, their lemon IPA bars are a must have for dessert (http://playgrounddtsa.com/).
Wholesome Choice: In addition to being a grocery store, Wholesome Choice also has an international food court containing Persian, Indian, Chinese, Thai, and other cuisines (http://www.wholesomechoice.com/FoodCourt/i/foodcourt.php).