Retail-restaurant roundup: Bay Area’s Koja Kitchen coming to Tustin; Grater Grilled Cheese opens in Irvine; Roger’s Gardens ‘Tomatomania’ begins

KoJa Kitchen, a blend of Korean & Japanese cuisine, is coming to Tustin side of The Market Place this summer.

The Asian fusion restaurant — born in a food truck in San Francisco in 2011 — is known for its gourmet “KoJa” burgers made with crispy garlic rice buns. Most of its locations are in the Bay Area. The Irvine location will mark the restaurant’s first move to Southern California.

San Diego-based Grater Grilled Cheese has opened in Irvine. The restaurant franchise’s mission is “making the world a grater place, one grilled cheese at a time.” The Lobster Grilled Cheese, seen here, is a fan favorite, made with a “secret” five-cheese blend, butter fried lobster, crab, and signature Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Beer Chipotle Aioli. Other selections include soups, salads, mac n cheese, and pomme frites. (Courtesy of Grate Grilled Cheese)
San Diego-based Grater Grilled Cheese has opened in Irvine. The restaurant franchise’s mission is “making the world a grater place, one grilled cheese at a time.” Seen here is the avocado grilled cheese sandwich. (Courtesy of Grate Grilled Cheese)
San Diego-based Grater Grilled Cheese has opened in Irvine. The restaurant franchise’s mission is “making the world a grater place, one grilled cheese at a time.” Seen here is the Grater Burger. (Courtesy of Grater Grilled Cheese)
San Diego-based Grater Grilled Cheese has opened in Irvine. The restaurant franchise’s mission is “making the world a grater place, one grilled cheese at a time.” (Courtesy of Grate Grilled Cheese)
San Diego-based Grater Grilled Cheese has opened in Irvine. The restaurant franchise’s mission is “making the world a grater place, one grilled cheese at a time.” (Courtesy of Grate Grilled Cheese)
San Diego-based Grater Grilled Cheese has opened in Irvine. The restaurant franchise’s mission is “making the world a grater place, one grilled cheese at a time.” (Courtesy of Grate Grilled Cheese)
San Diego-based Grater Grilled Cheese has opened in Irvine. The restaurant franchise’s mission is “making the world a grater place, one grilled cheese at a time.”(Courtesy of Grate Grilled Cheese)
KoJa’s best-seller is a garlic fried rice bun stuffed with kalbi, Korean-style barbecued short rib. (Photo courtesy of KoJa Kitchen)
A Happy Meal featuring non-fat chocolate milk and a cheeseburger with fries, are arranged for a photo at a McDonald’s restaurant in Brandon, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. McDonald’s will soon banish cheeseburgers and chocolate milk from its Happy Meal menu. Diners can still ask specifically for cheeseburgers or chocolate milk with the kid’s meal, but the fast-food company said that not listing them will reduce how often they’re ordered. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
More than 200 varities of tomato seedlings will be available at Roger’s Gardens annual “Tomatomania” sale, which starts Saturday, March 2. (Courtesy of Rogers Gardens)
More than 200 varities of tomato seedlings will be available at Roger’s Gardens annual “Tomatomania” sale, which starts Saturday, March 2. (Courtesy of Rogers Gardens)
One Potato was co-founded by former model, actress and celebrity chef Catherine McCord, seen here. The service includes organic, semi-prepared boxes and is available in certain cities from Northern California all the way to San Diego. All meals, OP say, can be made in 30 minutes or less. (Courtesy of One Potato)
One Potato includes organic, semi-prepared boxes and is available in certain cities from Northern California all the way to San Diego. All meals, OP say, can be made in 30 minutes or less. Seen here is the chicken arepas dinner entree. (Courtesy of One Potato)
One Potato includes organic, semi-prepared boxes and is available in certain cities from Northern California all the way to San Diego. All meals, OP say, can be made in 30 minutes or less. Seen here is the pot sticker dinner entree. (Courtesy of One Potato)
One Potato includes organic, semi-prepared boxes and is available in certain cities from Northern California all the way to San Diego. All meals, OP say, can be made in 30 minutes or less. Seen here is the stuffed shells dinner entree. (Courtesy of One Potato)
One Potato includes organic, semi-prepared boxes and is available in certain cities from Northern California all the way to San Diego. All meals, OP say, can be made in 30 minutes or less. Seen here is the beef broccoli dinner entree. (Courtesy of One Potato)

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The main event is the KoJa burger. Customers choose their protein — miso-coconut braised pork, Korean barbecue short rib to soy, portobello mushroom patty and Korean barbecue chicken — which is sandwiched between a signature fried garlic buns. You also can opt for a bowl, tacos, salad or sandwiches, which include chicken katsu, tofu or ahi tuna.

Yelp reviews rave about KoJa’s Kamikaze fries, described on the menu as “crisscut” waffle fries, minced Korean barbecue beef, kimchi, red sauce, Japanese mayo and green onions.

According to the Richmond District blog in in Berkeley, the restaurant also touts a secret menu. You’ll have to ask the staff about that when the restaurant opens.

Happier meals?

McDonald’s and Disney are getting together again.

The titans of food and entertainment have signed a multi-year agreement to use the Happy Meal as a promotional campaign for movies from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Disney Live Action, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm.

The last time the duo paired up via the Happy Meals was 2006.

Kids can expect new toys in their Happy Meals boxes starting in June. The alliance will start with Incredibles 2 (in theaters June 15), followed in the fall by Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (Nov. 21).

McDonald’s recently lowered the price of its popular Happy Meals to $3 for its regular size portions. The meals also went on a diet, with the fast-food giant shrinking the fries order, eliminating chocolate milk and its cheeseburger from the menu (but not as a requested item), and including water as a beverage.

The fast-food chain recently revived its bargain menu of $1, $2 and $3 items. It’s too soon to tell if the campaign will undercut sales and profits. In its fourth-quarter earnings report in late January, McDonald’s reported U.S. same-store sales were up 4.5 percent, higher than the expected 4.3 percent expected from Wall Street analysts.

Get your tomatoes on

Roger’s Gardens is hosting its sixth “Tomatomania” plant sale March 2-11.

The Corona del Mar nursery will have tomato-growing seminars with experts each morning at 9 a.m.

More than 200 varieties of heirloom and hybrid tomato plants will be available, including new varieties for 2018 and the Tomato of the Year Madame Marmande. The red beefsteak has “the toughness of a hybrid and the taste and character of a timeless heirloom,” according to a statement. For more information, call 949-640-5800 or go to rogersgardens.com. Address: 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road.

Grand re-opening

A relocated Juice It Up! in Huntington Beach will celebrate its new location on Warner Avenue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 10. The owners chose to open a new location just down the street from the original store. The shop will offer a free small Strawberry Wave smoothies to its first 50 customers, 50 percent off all classic smoothies, and $5 Smoothie Bowls till closing. Address: 7171 Warner Ave., Suite A.

1 Potato, 2?

A new meal kit delivery service has landed in Southern California.

One Potato was co-founded by former model, actress and celebrity chef Catherine McCord with the idea of helping families simplify dinnertime meals. The service includes organic, semi-prepared boxes and is available in certain cities from Northern California all the way to San Diego. All meals, OP say, can be made in 30 minutes or less.

Orange County cities with One Potato delivery include Huntington Beach, Irvine, Orange, Newport Beach, Anaheim
Rancho Santa Margarita, Ladera Ranch, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, Los Alamitos and Mission Viejo.

“As any busy parent knows, finding the time to cook even a simple meal after a long day is unrealistic, no matter your intention,” McCord, chief executive of One Potato, said in a statement. “Research shows that regular family meals can be a more powerful predictor of high achievement scores in children than time spent in school, doing homework, playing sports, or doing art, and we are thrilled that One Potato’s unique approach to helping parents save time while making food that will appeal to even the pickiest of eaters is empowering parents to stop stressing about what’s for dinner and instead spend time on what matters most.”

Menu items the week of Feb. 26 included one-pan chicken, steak frites, sweet and sour pineapple chicken, roasted pepper croquettes, and a Spanish omelete.

Customers can choose from several meal subscriptions that range in price from $77.70 weekly for the Two Potato Plan (two servings per night) all the way up to the Six Potato Plan for $131.70.

The company is based in Los Angeles and serves eight states in all.

Pop-up shop in CM

Prism Boutique and Amuse Society will launch a monthlong pop-up shop Saturday, March 3 in Costa Mesa. Prism features vintage-inspired clothing, specialty jewelry and housewares. Amuse Society is known for its beach chic fashion.

The pop-up will be located at 1796 Monrovia Ave. next to Outpost Kitchen and the barbershop Eagle & Pig.

New in Irvine

San Diego-based Grater Grilled Cheese has opened in Irvine. The restaurant franchise’s mission is “making the world a grater place, one grilled cheese at a time.”

The menu is certainly more than just your mom’s grilled cheese sandwiches, too.

The restaurant uses a trademarked and “secret” five-cheese blend. From there, the options are pretty endless.

The Lobster Grilled Cheese is a fan favorite, made with the five-cheese blend, butter fried lobster, Krab, and signature Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Beer Chipotle Aioli. There’s also a handful of Grater burgers with an Angus beef burger patty on bread with the cheese mixture. Other “burgers” include chicken and surf and turf (beef and lobster). The Chicago sandwich includes roasted ham, fresh tomato, sliced onions, pickles and jalapenos with deli mustart.

Other selections include soups, salads, mac n cheese, and pomme frites.

Grater Grilled Cheese is owned and operated by Santa Monica Group.

Address: 6628 Irvine Center Drive. Phone: 949-387-6455 and online at gratergrilledcheese.com.

New BBQ in SJC

Bad to the Bone BBQ opened an event center and general store on Feb. 23. The center includes a full bar, outdoor patio and spaces for semi-private gatherings. The shop is owned by former rodeo cowboy Marty and Mary Wells. Address: 31738 Rancho Viejo Road.

BBQ meats are slow-cooked in a J&R all wood-burning pits over hickory wood for 12-24 hours. The menu includesribs, brisket, tri-tip and pulled pork and sides chocolate pecan pie, beer, wine and cocktails.

More information at badtothebone-bbq.com or by calling 949-218-0227.

Send new restaurant and retail news to Business Editor Samantha Gowen at sgowen@scng.com.