In the heart of Orange County, Anaheim is a glittering hospitality hot spot, cultivating a red-hot reputation as a foodie destination, with all the Southern California feels. From fuss-free street snacks and quick bites to spectacular gourmet glories, you’re seriously spoilt for choice. Underscoring Anaheim’s epicurean stripes, the Anaheim area boasts over 30 Michelin-recommended eateries.  

One such specimen is Poppy & Seed, in the Packing House District. This is such a dreamy destination to get a flavour for the Southern California brunch scene, with a lounge and bar nestled inside a greenhouse, and outdoor dining surrounded by citrus trees, herbs and flowers. Organic, sustainable and locally grown, raised or caught ingredients are all to the fore, here. Hero dishes include creamy Anson Mills grits topped with gravy and plump tail-on shrimp. Charred eggplant puree and pickled sea beans lend a bite to steak tartare, while fried Brussels sprouts are sweet and salty thanks to bacon jam and pomegranate.   

Locavores flock to the weekly Downtown Anaheim Farmer’s Market, which holds court every Thursday from 11am- 3pm, on Center St Promenade. It’s an irresistible scene for on-the-go delights, like Ensenada Fish Tacos, King's Empanadas and Koko Moo Coconut milk.  

For snacks on the go, Okayama Kobo Bakery & Café. This oven-fresh institution on Center St is beloved by the locals and it’s easy to see why when your sink your teeth into their breads and pastries. Try a Kabocha Custard bun. This soft bun filled with homemade custard made with kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) topped with pretzel stick and sunflower seed. Kids go crazy over their Kobo Kumas – a bear-shaped soft bun, filled with homemade vanilla bean custard. And you’ve got to try a Japanini – an original panini with shiso leaf, basil pesto, bacon, cheese and tomato.   

Okayama Kobo Bakery in Anaheim. Photo / Visit Anaheim 

A great headliner in the historic heart of Anaheim is the Anaheim Packing House. This upscale food emporium is housed in a repurposed, historic 1919 citrus-packing house, where hundreds of growers would previously unload their trucks, groaning under the weight of citrus. Its rich heritage adds to its charm. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2015, a year after this great totem to Orange County’s citrus production was refurbished into an edgy-new food hall. With twinkling fairy lights and an undeniably cool design, there’s a diverse array of interesting vendors and Insta-worthy food options.   

My favourite haunt at the Packing House is the quirky, suitably furtive prohibition-style bar, the Blind Rabbit. It’s very well hidden and can only accommodate a handful of people at any one time. Check in at the counter on the lower level, to the right of the stairwell. You’ll be greeted by the Blind Rabbit’s gatekeeper and reminded of the house rules. Stays can’t exceed 90-minutes due to the small square meterage, phone calls are prohibited and there’s to be ‘no name-dropping’. Behind the thick door and the sake barrels is a cosy, low-lit rabbit hole of bar – perfect for romantic tipples from their wickedly delicious cocktail list, paired with tapas, like Duck Confit Mac & Cheese and Croissant Bread Pudding. The speakeasy has a dedicated Absinthe section on its cocktail menu. The Blind Rabbit is indelible fun – exit out through the bookcase.  

Other top picks in the Packing House would have to include Popbar. The ice creamery offers a zany selection of flavours like Green Tea Kit Kat – a green tea gelato half dipped in chocolate with waffle cone topping and white chocolate drizzle.  Then there’s Strawberry Pocky –  a strawberry sorbetto half dipped in chocolate with waffle cone topping and white chocolate drizzle. Delish!  

Check out 206 BCE and whistle up a bowl of their Insta-famous Anti-Gravity Noodles. These egg noodles are bathed in butter garlic sauce and topped with your choice of protein. As for what exactly makes them ‘anti-gravity’, it’s all an illusion. “Flying noodles” are generally propped up by either chopsticks or a secret prop. For example, a hidden potato, covered with a mound of noodles.  Another signature dish at the eatery is the Garlic Butter Shrimp. 

Anti-gravity noodles at Anaheim Packing House. Photo / Visit Anaheim 

Anaheim is the undisputed craft beer capital of Orange County with an abundance of local brewers to lustily sample from. Raise a glass or two at Golden Road Brewing. The LA brand has expanded its Anaheim taproom into a full-service restaurant and brewery, with the most enormous beer garden I have ever experienced. Why? Its location is the big clue – right across the road from Angel Stadium. There are more than 30 taps and new innovations crafted directly onsite. With tropical IPAs, Mango fruit beer, Boysenberry Wheat ales as well as hard seltzers, the menu offers plenty of refreshing pours.  

Villian’s Brewing Co is another stand-out venue, where you can expect “awfully good beer and villainous vibes”, plus a cranking food hall. The craft beer list features regionally inspired options including a double West Coast IPA called Brethren of Filth and a Mexican-style lager, Saca La Bolsita, which really hit the spot.  

My favourite spot for cheeky libations in Anaheim is Strong Water. The co-founders of the bar, Ying Chang and Robert Adamson, were also the brains behind the Blind Rabbit. Leaning into the history of tiki bars in California (where they originated in the 1930s), Strong Water is the most escapist of confections: a tiki bar in a shipwreck, as the spectacular theming goes. It’s like a magical, whimsical maritime adventure, with meticulous attention to detail in the décor and bar offerings, all infused with an infectiously convivial atmos. As you’d expect, the craft cocktails are ingenious and thoughtfully themed. I plumped for a Corpse Reviver, a tart and resurrecting blend of gin, orange liqueur, lemon and absinthe rinse. The small plates bar menu is mouth-watering.   

Escapist interior at Strong Water. Photo / Visit Anaheim

Tuck into some sticky wings with five spice glaze, topped with scallion and sesame seeds. The Hawaiian Garlic Shrimps won’t disappoint, either. Ying and Robert are just opening their latest enterprise, a new cocktail bar down the street called Double Luck, which is focused on Italian aperitivos and digestivos. They commissioned an artist to paint portraits of their favourite distilling icons (like Gaspare Campari who created the popular Italian amaro) wearing boutonnieres that feature the different herbs and spices that comprise each spirit. This multi-award-winning dynamic duo certainly has the Midas touch, continuing to raise the bar on the craft cocktail culture. Be sure to immerse yourself in the exotic, seafaring world and tiki bar mystique of Strong Water. And double your luck by checking out Double Luck!   

Wining and dining with a view? (And an elevated perch for dreamy Californian sunsets and the nightly fireworks at Disneyland.) There’s two rooftop hotel restaurants I would add to the checklist. Try Top of the V on the roof of The Viv Hotel, swooned over for their sangria selections and Basque Country culinary traditions. I sunk into their Labios Riojia Sangria, a heart-warming concoction of red wine, peach brandy, zinfandel port, lillet and grenadine. Pair that with some beautifully executed pintxos, like patatas bravas and garlic shrimps.   

Great eats at the top of the V. Photo / Mike Yardley

The jamon serrano croquettes with bechamel are melt-in-your-mouth magnificent. Another seductive roost is the Parkestry Rooftop Bar at the gleaming new JW Marriott, Anaheim Resort. This is the tallest of the rooftops, exuding garden party vibes as soon as you step out of the elevator. The craft cocktails are divine – order up a Raspberry Revelry, particularly if you’re partial to vodka. And if you’re peckish, the Smash Burger Sliders will slide down with a smile.   

If you want to have one serious culinary splurge, basking in the cradle of glamour dining, all roads lead to Anaheim White House. Bruno Serato’s beloved restaurant continues to be a glittery scene of posh feasts for celebrities and dignitaries, and the place where 4,000 meals a day are prepared for children in need. For nearly 40 years, Serato has wowed the crowds to his Italian steakhouse, which is also fawned over for its irrepressibly good pasta dishes. But disaster struck in 2017, when fire engulfed this 115-year-old plantation-style mansion. But Serato was unbowed, setting about restoring this gorgeous landmark restaurant in a massive 15-month-long project. An array of eye-catching design elements were incorporated into the multi-million-dollar rebuild, including polished resin flooring and hand-painted frescos and mosaics on the walls. Taking pride of place at the base of the stairway, a framed photo of Serato’s mother, Caterina, shines under the sparkle of the chandeliers. But Serato is not just an acclaimed restaurateur, but a celebrated philanthropist.   

In 2005, Caterina and Serato were visiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Anaheim —in the same neighbourhood as his restaurant— when she noticed a 6-year-old boy eating potato chips for dinner. When she learned the boy’s family couldn’t afford a meal for the child, Caterina told her son to make some pasta for him. Soon realising how many local children were undernourished, Serato launched the “Feeding the Kids in America” initiative, where he fed 72 children a night, five nights a week.   

Dine at Anaheim White House. Photo / Visit Anaheim

That subsequently morphed into Caterina’s Club, which now serves over 30,000 meals a week to underprivileged children. Serato’s efforts have been globally recognised. He was given a CNN Hero award, received a blessing from Pope Francis and was even knighted by the Italian government. Be sure to check-out the gleaming cabinet of awards and accolades in the foyer. For diners, you can expect a sublime formal dining experience in a regal setting. I started with some tasty tapas, including a Volcano Roll, brimming with crab, whitefish tempura, avocado and aioli.   

The Sweet Stuffed Peppers comprise a blend of crab-flavoured seafood, cream cheese, ponzu, mango papaya, and cucumber. There’s a seafood, steak and pizza menu, but you really need to savour Serato’s pasta dishes. My favourite? Cacio E Pepe, a Linguine pasta with Italian Pecorino cheese and freshly cracked black pepper. The most ancient dish in the treasury of Italian cuisine, the story goes it originates from the Roman Empire as the perfect meal of the Roman Shepherds. Grazie. Dining at Anaheim White House is a salivating, star-filled culinary experience that will twinkle long and bright in your memories – and will help Bruno feed hungry kids. www.visitanaheim.org   

I flew from Auckland to Los Angeles with Delta Air Lines. As the airport’s number one global carrier, Delta Air Lines offers nearly 160 peak-day departures out of LAX to nearly 60 domestic and international locations. For extra-comfort, take the step up to Delta Premium Select. With more room to stretch out and premium amenities designed with your wellbeing in mind, including exclusively designed menus, touchdown in LA from the overnight flight feeling refreshed and relaxed. And when flying in Premium Select, you’ll also enjoy accelerated check-in, security and baggage service, plus priority boarding. For best flights, fares and seats to suit, head to www.delta.com   

Mike Yardley is our resident traveller on Jack Tame Saturday Mornings.