Bloomingdale's Inc.

Marcus Samuelsson Cooking Demo At South Coast Plaza!

While the commotion usually occurs at Williams-Sonoma or Bloomingdale's, Macy*s Home Store in Costa Mesa will welcome Top Chef Masters Season Two winner and Red Rooster owner Marcus Samuelsson on February 25th. We're happy it's on the side of the street that's easier to park on.Chef will hold a cook ... More >>

A Sneak Peek at Le Pain Quotidien, Newport Beach

The daily bread...​Signage announcing the upcoming Belgian bakery and café has been up for months. Situated directly across from La Brea Bakery inside Bloomingdale's, one can't help but wonder what makes Le Pain Quotidien any different from La Brea -- or any comparable brand, for that matter. Acc ... More >>

Dudes Don Down Dockers!

[Trendzilla] Warriors of Radness and others team up with the iconic khakis to make guys look great!

World's Most Expensive Bowl of Pho Goes for $5,000

Edwin Goei/OC WeeklyAnQi's basic $9 pho. Pretty good, but will $4,991 in gourmet ingredients (and some cash for charity) make it better? We would hope. ​The pho experience is anything but fancy, and that's just fine for all of us at SAFII. Tarnished napkin holders, murky ice water, tattered booths ... More >>

Stars Shine at the Opening of the 12th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival

​The Newport Beach Film Festival's annual occupation of Fashion Island began last night with another boozy, schmoozy and cruisey coming-out party in the Bloomingdale's Courtyard.Stars spotted on the red carpet leading into Big Newport, in front of the screen after the end credits of opening night ... More >>

Madewell Is a Goodshop

[Trendzilla] With its addition to South Coast Plaza, the Costa Mesa luxe mall is going for SoHo heights

DG Burger Is Damned If You Do

Charlie Palmer's downmarket burger at South Coast Plaza tries not to eat up all the profits

Charlie Palmer Opening Burger Joint at South Coast Plaza, Giving Away 300 Free Burgers TOMORROW

Trish Rusthoven Daniels/Courtesy of DG Burger​The news has been around for a while that Charlie Palmer is opening a burger stand within his eponymous South Coast Plaza restaurant, but Nation's Restaurant News--the bible of the industry--weighed in with a piece today, placing it in the context of c ... More >>

OC Restaurant Thanksgiving Round-up

Clay Oven's Tandoori Turkey​This is the post we do every year around this time. This is the part where I say, "Not planning to cook for Turkey Day?!  Well, here's a few restaurants who'll do the cooking for you!!", yadda yadda. And this is the part where I add some funny quip about overeati ... More >>

WTF? Grenade Found at Fashion Island

​An inert hand grenade was found in a parking structure at the tony Fashion Island mall in Neport Beach this morning.Security patrolling the mall around 7:35 a.m. found the pineapple-shaped device standing upright in a parking stall on the second level of the carsoleum between Bloomingdales and No ... More >>

Jason Quinn of The Lime Truck, Part One

Photo by Christopher VictorioJason Quinn and Daniel Shemtob​When I say that The Lime Truck is the youngest of OC's new age food trucks, I mean it. It's as green to the scene as their bright lime paint job. As you read this post, the truck would've been on the road roughly a month. The two guys beh ... More >>

Another New Food Truck Debuts in OC This Week (UPDATE!)

TheLimeTruck.com​For those who think this food truck trend has reached saturation, here's another one that debuted in OC last week. Called The Lime Truck, this roach coach markets itself as serving "California beach cuisine." At the helm is Jason Quinn, a young chef who once worked at Charli ... More >>

Michael Vincent Petronella and Wife to Be Trading "Their Pradas for Prison Garb"

​A Laguna Hills roofing contractor was convicted today of lavishly spending illegal profits on luxury goods by cheating the Workers' Compensation Insurance system in what the Orange County District Attorney's office called one of the largest known fraud cases of its kind in California history.At t ... More >>

AnQi at South Coast Plaza Schedule To Open December 10th

Edwin Goei​AnQi, the restaurant by the family behind Crustacean of Beverly Hills is scheduled to open next week, December 10th, next to Charlie Palmers at Bloomingdales South Coast Plaza. But there was something going on there tonight and as I type this. I happened to be at the mall at aro ... More >>

Tran, Harman and Mansoor: Abuse 'Em and They Won't Sue You

Van Tran, Tom Harman and Allan Mansoor--together at last.​If state Sen. Tom Harman (R-Huntington Beach), Assemblyman Van Tran (R-Costa Mesa) and Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor get hit by a reckless driver as they pull into South Coast Plaza later this morning, do not expect them or their insurance ... More >>

A Taste of Maui Coming to Bloomie's, Fashion Island, October 1

​Can't afford that Hawaiian vacation just yet? Well, here's the next best thing. Maybe. Roger Stettler, Executive Chef of DUO restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, is going to be at Bloomingdale's, Fashion Island, on Thursday, October 1. Among the dishes he'll be demonstrating are ... More >>

Reminder: OC Restaurant Week Starts Sunday, Plus Demos at Bloomie's On Now!

​Oh, yes, it's time to take advantage of the county's best restaurants. In a good way, of course. From September 13 to 19 inclusive, more than 100 of them, from Ambrosia to Zov's, are participating in OC Restaurant Week by offering bargain lunch and/or dinner prix fixes, from as little as $10.Some ... More >>

O.C. Restaurant Week Coming: Now With Even More Restaurants!

As we hinted at a few months earlier, the 2nd annual OC Restaurant Week will take place September 13-19.  And I've gotta say: This year's list is pretty darn impressive.  There are 117 participating restaurants so far.  Some are serious heavy hitters, like Stonehill Tavern. Other ... More >>

On the Line: Amar Santana of Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's

​This week we grilled Amar Santana, Executive Chef at Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's, South Coast Plaza. As well as cooking, the Dominican Republic-born chef also teaches regular kitchen technique classes at the restaurant (for information, check the website).Here, he talks about his love of por ... More >>

Two Upcoming Wine Events (One Tomorrow)

 First up, Saturday July 25, is the monthly 50 for 50 event at the Next Vintage Wine Shop next to Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's, South Coast Plaza. From 3 to 5.30 p.m., around 30 top wines and champagnes will be sold off for half their original price. Expect some stunners among the bargains. ... More >>

South Coast Plaza's Fashion Plates Promo Coming Again Soon

For a ten-day period (July 31 through August 9), 13 local restaurants will be offering bargain prix fixe menus (many with a choice of entrée): three courses as lunch for $20 and four courses at dinner for $40. That's exclusive of tax, tips and drinks, although Nello Cucina and Royal Khyber are gene ... More >>

Drink of the Week: The Flirtini

Feeling under-appreciated after a long week of endlessly slaving away for a thankless boss? Then head on over to Costa Mesa's Clubhouse Restaurant in South Coast Plaza for one of their signature Flirtinis. Comprised of Stoli Raspberry, Champagne, Triple Sec, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, fresh l ... More >>

Reminder: 50 for 50 Event at Charlie Palmer on Saturday

If you're celebrating Memorial Day at home but need some top-class booze to liven up your dinner, head down to South Coast Plaza between 3:00pm and 5:30pm this Saturday, May 23, for the second of four scheduled sales at the Next Vintage Wine Shop, inside the Charlie Palmer restaurant in Bloomingdal ... More >>

Frittata Pans Be Damned! Treat Mom Right With Our Guide To The Best Mother's Day Menus in OC

Flipping through Real Simple last night, I caught a glimpse of what could be the most insulting ad ever.Sure, the visuals were mouthwatering--an enticing asparagus frittata, cooked to perfection and waiting for a fork to sink into it--but it was the text that nearly made me choke:"Mom deserves the b ... More >>

Chocolate-Covered Cheese? There Is A God

I met Cathy and Elliott Pavlos, architects-turned-restaurateurs, and owners of Irvine's Lucca café and deli, during their Wine and Cheese Pairing 101 at Bloomingdales on Saturday. I had been envisaging a low-key gathering of shoppers and foodies (not that they're mutually exclusive, I hasten to add ... More >>

Tippling Treats This Weekend (And Beyond)

Now that Lent is but a distant memory, we can take to the bottle again without fear of recrimination.Tomorrow, Saturday April 25, sees two wine events taking place locally: The first is at WineStyles in Irvine (Portola Parkway) from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, where you can taste up to six wines for just $5. ... More >>

[Newport Beach Film Fest] An Encapsulated Diary Digesting the Decade-Old Newport Beach Film Festival

This Week In Food

Our favorite SAFII posts of the week:  Edwin was outraged, quite rightly, to discover that not a single OC chef will be featured on Top Chef Masters, and even suggested his own list of contestants, should the producers care to reconsider. Gustavo, meanwhile, raved (in a good way) about Mem ... More >>

Reminder: Happy Hour Week Kicks Off This Sunday

Eat, drink and be merry! Happy Hour Week runs from this Sunday, April 12, to Saturday, April 18, with more than 60 local restaurants, bars, breweries and pubs offering drinks and appetizers at "very happy" prices all day, as well as prix fixe happy hour menus. Teetotalers needn't miss out, however: ... More >>

Masters of Mixology Hit Bloomingdale's This Week

As a preview to the upcoming Happy Hour Week (which kicks off this Sunday, April 12--more on that later in the week), Bloomingdale's at South Coast Plaza is playing host to local mixologists (and a chef), who'll showcase some of the drinks and snacks that will be offered during the event. Non-alcoho ... More >>

More Dining Bargains--Fashion Plates at South Coast Plaza

Seems like the OC can't get enough of dining and drinking deals these days, what with the recent Orange County Restaurant Week, upcoming Happy Hour Week and a ton of other random bargains and promos. Lucky us!This time it's the Fashion Plates event at SCP, a ten-day affair running from March 20 to 2 ... More >>

Classy Stuff--This Time At Charlie Palmer, Bloomie's

OK, so Marché Moderne's cooking classes are all booked up - as I noted last week. But if you're quick off the mark you can sign up for one of the "kitchen technique" classes at Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's, South Coast Plaza. According to our sources, they're likely to sell out very quickly.Run ... More >>

Free O.C. Chef Demos at Bloomingdale's SCP

Hopefully you remember that the first ever Orange County Restaurant Week is going to happen soon (February 22-28). To remind you, and to get things off to a tantalizing start, some of the chefs from the restaurants involved will be doing free cooking demos at Bloomingdale's Home Store at South Co ... More >>

O.C. Restaurants With No Corkage Fees

I got the following e-mail from a reader named Dorn: I know you are not an alcohol drinker, but I suspect many of your foodie fans love wine. I would love to see a topic covered on OC restaurants that do not charge a corkage fee. Considering that most restaurants mark-up their wines 200% - 300 ... More >>

Valentine's Menus for Just About EVERY Restaurant at South Coast Plaza

Just in time for Valentine's Day, I got an unsolicited e-mail from a PR person working for South Coast Plaza's restaurants. This time, there's finally some information I'd want to share with you: the special Valentine's menus for just about every eatery at SCP. So if you were thinking of one of SC ... More >>

Spying Charlie Palmer's & Complaining About Crustacean

I don't shop at Bloomingdale's, but I like going through its front entrance to get to the mall. Why? In the store's entryway, you can see into Charlie Palmer's kitchen through this eye-slit of a peep-hole. From it, you can spy all the cooking action and the Top Chef dreamers doing it, and that's ex ... More >>

To Do This Weekend 11/21 - 11/23

Coats for Cubs, until April 22 Bring in your real fur clothing, including trims, accessories and shearling to any Buffalo Exchange and let them know it's a donation for Coats for Cubs. Condition is unimportant. Donations will be given to the Humane Society to provide bedding and comfort to orphaned ... More >>

Culinary Giant Charlie Palmer Fires Up the Burner at His First California Restaurant

Art and Sole Benefit

TOMS Shoes was created in 2006 by Amazing Race contestant Blake Mycoskie in an effort to help curb poverty in third-world countries—for each pair of shoes purchased, TOMS gives a pair to a child in need. Though the brand has seen some sizable success, stores like Macy's, Urban Outfitters, Bloomi ... More >>

Off to Meet the Wizard of Irvine Co.

Apparently there were 500 of them, a swarm of janitors in purple and yellow t-shirts making their way around the sprawling headache known lovingly as South Coast Plaza. They were scheduled to gather at noon on the corner of Sunflower and Bristol and then march to some undisclosed location and hold a ... More >>

Trendzilla

"Though Longchamp is advertised as a luxury leather-goods company, the brand has really come to be known for these Le Pliage bags."

Moderne Love

If shoppings what ails ya, Marche Moderne is the cure

NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL 2007: OPENING NIGHT

Never trust Moviefone's directions. As an OC noob, I actually expected to get the correct map to Edwards Island Theaters, but the step-by-step instructions left me in the middle of Newport Beach before giving up. Fortunately, I found the Lido Theater, and the owner was more than happy to give me d ... More >>

Wild in the Streets

No. 7: Everybody wins with RVCA

Trendzilla

Grayed-out black jeans

This Week in Roughage

Emo Incorporated

High Cost of Freedom

Patriotism means opening your wallet

Dropping Some NYC

Phat Food for Fat People

At Fashion Island, that means you