Craig Medici

A Sign of Good Things To Come? Or Not?

Photo by Craig Medici​Sometimes a sign can say it all. The photo above was taken by our friend Craig, who has been quietly observing the remodel of China Palace in Newport Beach on PCH for months. 

Corona Del Mar Gastropub To Open New Burger Joint In Newport

The Crow Bar and Kitchen ​The Crow Bar and Kitchen, recognized as O.C.'s first gastropub, is now going to be the first O.C. gastropub to spin-off its most in-demand dish to be the anchor of a new eatery.

Review Pile Up on Il Dolce in Costa Mesa

Jennie Warren​Both the L.A. Times' S. Irene Virbila and the O.C. Register's Jeff Overley reviewed Il Dolce in Costa Mesa yesterday. If you count my own review a few weeks ago, this recent critic pile up has turned into a perfect storm of attention for this little Italian/Argentinean pizzeria that ... More >>

Mizuki Ramen To Open Soon In Irvine

Edwin Goei​Our friend Craig Medici has made me aware that a new ramen joint called Mizuki is close to opening up at Jamboree and Michelson, next to Sports Chalet. Not only that, he heard that it will be one of the largest ramen houses in the country. The flyer Craig sent me said that it woul ... More >>

Chimayo at The Beach Will Close This Week; Bought Out By Duke's

​Frankly, I've lost track of how many times Chimayo in Huntington Beach has see-sawed from being Chimayo to become Savannah at the Beach and back to Chimayo again when Culinary Adventures (its parent company) went through some management changes.Well, I'm sort of both glad and sad to say that the ... More >>

Costa Mesa Mother's Market to Move Into Soon-To-Be-Vacated Borders Spot

Photo By Craig Medici​Here's another tip from our friend Craig Medici! In around the Triangle Square area, you might have noticed that Borders is closing. If you didn't, then the signs they put up recently should provide a little bit of a clue.

This Week In Food

Craig Medici​Have you ever seen a more productive and livelier week on Stick a Fork In It? I haven't decided whether this makes my job of recapping it all (while Grace is on vay-kay) easier or harder. Let's see, so Dave "Ubergeek" Lieberman started the week a whole bunch of food-based pran ... More >>

Il Dolce Pizzeria To Debut This Week In Costa Mesa

Craig Medici​Look out Pizzeria Ortica: another artisanal-style pizzeria cometh. Fellow chowhound and frequent tipster Craig Medici has clued me on a place which I've only heard about on paper. This one is called Il Dolce and looks to be a contender to be reckoned with. He writes: "I thought ... More >>

Dosa Place to Open Second Restaurant in Old Sevens Steakhouse Space

Craig Medici​This news comes from fellow itinerant diner cdmedici, (otherwise known as Craig) who sent me an e-mail with only this in the subject line: "The old Sevens Steakhouse in Tustin" Attached was a photo, which you see above.  It really says it all.I was going to call Dosa Place to confirm ... More >>

Letters From OC Weekly Readers

Nana San Open. Already winning raves.

Edwin GoeiNana San, the restaurant that the original Ango Tei folks were developing in Newport Beach, has now been open for a little more than two weeks. And from the looks of the comments on the post that I published a month ago about it, it's a crowd-pleaser, at least from the old Ango Tei crowd ... More >>