Subject: Bobby Flay

• Iron Chef to Open Restaurant in O.C.

  Orange County's going to be home to a restaurant by an Iron Chef. No, not Batali. No, not Morimoto either. It's Cat Cora -- the lone female Iron Chef. But first, let me clarify that the planned restaurant -- called CCQ for Cat Cora's 'Que -- is actually going to be paired up with Nancy Silverton's La Brea Bakery and a burger bar by Marcus Samuelsson. Not only that, all three will be housed together inside the Macy's at South Coast Plaza. Also, according to QSR Magazine, she'll be sharing s

  September 18, 2008

• Another Baja Fresh Turns Into a Mesa Grill & Barbeque

  The Baja Fresh on Sunflower near Bristol is now a Mesa Grill and Barbeque. This makes (at least) the second Baja Fresh to be transformed. The first, on 17th St., made the switch earlier this year. At both locations, expect Southwest pizzas, baby backs, the whole BBQ gamut, but also coconut shrimp. Though I haven't tried it, some of the Chowhounds have, including our friend Wonginator and Jason Coulston, who is one of the people behind Hidden Kitchen. Here's their discussion on the original lo

  December 3, 2008

• [Summer Guide] The Grills of Your Barbecue-Loving Dreams

  June 4, 2009

• The Cutting Board Is Sacred

  June 14, 2001

• On the Line: Chef Florent Marneau of Marche Moderne

  Courtesy of Marche ModerneHe is Florent Marneau, chef and proprietor of Marche Moderne, one of the best French restaurants in the county.  We are food bloggers with a few dumb questions that we've always wanted to know but were afraid to ask.  What do you get when you mix?  You get what we hope is an off-the-cuff, quick, fun, entertaining, and marginally frivolous interview (that we hope to repeat with other O.C. food personalities) which goes something like this:  1.  D

  June 24, 2009

• On the Line: Steve Samson of Pizzeria Ortica

  It's hard to believe that Costa Mesa's Pizzeria Ortica, co-founded by David Myers and Executive Chef Steve Samson, has only been open since January. An instant hit, despite being slightly off the South Coast Plaza beaten path, it's known for its stunning pastas, meats, fish and pizzas. Not to mention its outrageously good desserts. We caught up with Samson for a chat. 1. Dish that you cook that most represents you.  That's an easy one...Tagliatelle Bolognese.

  June 30, 2009

• This Week In Food

  In the last five days in Stick a Fork In It:We worked out that, to the best of our knowledge, no OC restaurants closed in June. That's a first!Edwin chowed down on chicken bowls and rated Flame Broiler's above Yoshinoya's.Chef Steve Samson of Pizzeria Ortica worried us all with his "I would like to baste Bobby Flay with Mario Batali's drippings" comment. And we reported that Shabu Shabu in Costa Mesa is finally open. Great news for the owners, but a shame for us, as we'll no longer get to read t

  July 3, 2009

• On The Line: Rachel Klemek of Blackmarket Bakery

  Tim MelideoRachel Klemek is the owner/chef/instructor of Blackmarket Bakery, her made-from-scratch bakery in Irvine.You'll also see Blackmarket weekly at farmers' markets around O.C., but most especially at the Saturday Irvine Farmers' Market across from UCI. Here are her answers to our survey. 1. Dish that you cook that most represents you. Other than baking, my "dish" at home is popcorn - old school style with the pan, lid, oil, butter & salt. 2. What was the last meal you had at h

  August 18, 2009

• On the Line: Jason Kordas of Jason's Downtown

  Photo Courtesy of Jason's Catering​Jason Kordas has catered for Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Pete Wilson. And for the past two years, his Santa Ana restaurant Jason's Downtown has been a fixture of the downtown dining and music scene.Kordas also still offers his catering services if you have people at your shin dig to feed.  And you don't have to have held a political office to secure his talents. Here are his answers to our survey.1. Dish that you cook that most represents you. Caribb

  September 1, 2009

• On the Line: Aron Habiger of The Crosby

  John Gilhooley​Aron Habiger is the wunderkind chef behind the scenes at the so-hip-it-hurts hangout The Crosby in Santa Ana. Here are his answers to our survey. 1. Dish that you cook that most represents you. Jerk torta. 2. What was the last meal you had at home? Peanut butter and jelly on white bread. 3. Your favorite restaurant (other than yours): Momofuko in NYC.

  September 15, 2009

• On the Line: John Q Humphreys, Chef/Owner of Ramos House Café

  ​San Juan Cap's most famous eaterie has been home (literally) to Newport Beach native John Q Humphreys for the last 15 years. During that time it has built a reputation for low-key yet memorable grub, in particular a stellar brekkie/brunch. While succumbing to our inquisition, he gets fruity and violent.1. Dish that you cook that most represents you.Collard greens with smoked bacon and molasses.2. What was the last meal you had at home?Well since I live at my restaurant, that's a loaded questi

  October 8, 2009

• On The Line: John McLaughlin of At Last Café

  Photo By Russ Roca​Every city should have a chef like John McLaughlin, who at his At Last Café cooks gourmet food but charges diner prices.  Long Beach, you're lucky to have him.  And we are lucky that he agreed to answer our silly survey.1. Dish that you cook that most represents you. That's the hardest question! The answer is our newest specials--I try to make them creative and interesting.

  October 15, 2009

• On the Line: David Slay, Chef at Park Ave

  ​Stanton may be an unlikely place to open a destination restaurant, but, with Park Ave, chef and managing partner David Slay has made it work. OK, you may find a burger on the menu, but it'll be sitting alongside the likes of scallops and filet mignon. And those 'fresh-clipped greens (which, as you can see below, Slay is partial to himself)? They're exactly that--he takes great pride in Park Ave's garden (ask your server and you may even get a tour). 1. Dish that you cook that most represents

  September 22, 2009

• On The Line: Yves Fournier of Andrei's Conscious Cuisine

  Photo Courtesy of Andrei's​Yves Fournier was born in Paris and has worked just about everywhere in the world, including France, England, New York, and, of course, Irvine, where he was Chef de Cuisine for 6ix Park Grill at the Hyatt Regency.  Now he is the Executive Chef of Andrei's, which coincidentally is the restaurant that won our kudos for Best French Fries.  Here are his answers to our silly survey. 1. Dish that you cook that most represents you. Braised Beef Short Ribs - they are

  October 20, 2009

• On the Line: Mark Cleveland of Avanti Cafe

  Cleveland: Ex-cellent!​I'm still mad at Avanti Cafe for stopping their International Tuesdays, so that just means I now try to visit once a week instead of every other day. I usually visit in the evening, when Mark Cleveland relieves his co-owner Tanya Fuqua in a transition as seamless as a Jamaican 4x100 relay baton passing. They've made Avanti the place for innovative vegan cooking in Orange County since 2005, and the two concoct the best drinks this side of Memphis at the Santora. We nabbed

  October 27, 2009

• On The Line: James Sar of Cambinos Asian BBQ

  ​ Of all the chefs and restauranteurs we've profiled on this blog feature, I can't say that I've met any of them in person. But I can say that I have had the pleasure of meeting James Sar of Cambinos Asian BBQ . If you eat at there, you will too. James will be the one taking your order and serving your food. His is a joint with no silverware or china; just paper plates. But on those plates he will pile rice, roasted veggies, and mountains of meat, including chicken skewers, beef short rib

  November 3, 2009

• On the Line: Santiago Vallejo of Mariscos Puerto Esperanza

  Courtesy of Mariscos Puerto Esperanza​Santiago Vallejo has an impressive résumé: formerly at the Ritz, he left to open his own restaurant, Mariscos Puerto Esperanza, in a tiny shopping center in Orange. It caused an immediate sensation on the food boards (Chowhound, Yelp, etc.) and Edwin himself weighed in positively (his review is framed on the bar). Chef Santiago took a few minutes out of his day to answer our silly survey for this week's On the Line:1. Dish you cook that most represents y

  November 17, 2009