The year 1995 was an epic one for Oregon-based Steelhead Brewing Co. It not only opened a second location in northern California, but a third in Irvine. In its heyday, Steelhead accumulated two dozen honors from the Great American Beer Festival.
That was then.
The past year brought a bit of movement to University Center. Pizza Blazed a trail, Gogi took the Chipotle concept for a Korean spin, Snoflakez fell in May, and Britta's shuttered its doors (with Tender Greens waiting in the wings). The next wave begins this fall, as Steelhead unofficially announced its closure.
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We grabbed a pint before catching a Woody Allen flick and started chatting with a regular about movies and food. He's the one we thank for the scoop. When we called to verify the reason, a manager simply said, “Irvine Co.” Yeah, that about sums it up. Steelhead has until Halloween to call last round.
One can speculate what will take its place, but we noticed more change at the other end of the plaza. San Diego's DelSushi is gearing up for its OC debut. Before you conjure up images of awful fusion cuisine, it's a sushi-delivery service. Open from dinnertime until the bars shut down, students can call on a selection of cold and hot rolls to get through those first-world problems. Get to know it here.
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A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.