Subject:

Food and Cooking

  • Blogs

    May 22, 2013

    Long Beach Lunch: Sliced & Diced Eatery

    Occupying an eggplant purple shack in a parking lot surrounded by Mexican restaurants and a vacuum cleaner repair store, Sliced & Diced is a little schizophrenic food shack that could only have happened in Long Beach. Start with two kooky friends--one white, one Latina--who share a mutual love of c ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 21, 2013

    On the Line: Ali H. Zadeh of Port Restaurant, Part One

    We met chef Ali H. Zadeh during Newport Beach Restaurant Week. Port Restaurant isn't your typical beach-city dining establishment. Then again, Zadeh isn't your typical proprietor. How do you define global cuisine? It is essentially international cuisine, or cuisines of the world. Cuisine is a style ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 17, 2013

    Irvine Korean Cultural Festival This Saturday

    Did I say that there was a glut of food festivals this weekend or did I say that there was a glut of food festivals this weekend? There's The Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival, which starts today and runs through Sunday at the OC Fairgrounds. Then there's the OC Greek Fest, which starts tomorrow ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 17, 2013

    Preview for SoCal Restaurant Show on KLAA-AM 830: Marcus Samuelsson, Montage Eating, and Our Own Bill Esparza!

    If it's a Friday afternoon, that means it's time for the SoCal Restaurant Show on KLAA-AM 830 to give us a scoop on what they'll have on their Saturday morning show. Without further ado, here's producer (and kinda-co-host) Andy Harris with the details!

  • Blogs

    May 17, 2013

    This Week In Food: A Medieval Times Movie, Al Capone's Niece, and Bringin' Home the Banana Stand

    Whew, Mother's Day is over and the rush for goodies and presents can die down until well, whenever that paternal holiday is. Let's take a look at what the week after had to offer... Edwin reviewed the South County chain, Inka Mama's. Then he told us that Layer Cake Bakery is opening a second locati ... More >>

  • Food

    May 16, 2013

    Pho Quyen: Absolutely Sweet Little Saigon

    [Hole In the Wall] This Westminster spot makes good pho, but go for the to-go specials

  • Food

    May 16, 2013

    At Inka Mama's, Mami Knows Best

    The South County chain's fourth restaurant proves there's more to Peruvian than saltado

  • Blogs

    May 16, 2013

    Long Beach Lunch: Wa Wa

    Not to be confused with the East Coast convenience store chain of the same name, Long Beach's Wa Wa is a quick-n-dirty Chinese restaurant with cheap combo plates and made-to-order specialties that has dragged office zombies out of their Downtown cubicles for more than a decade. The red-and-white til ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 15, 2013

    Early Bird Cafe To Begin Dinner Service

    Oversleepers, rejoice! Early Bird Cafe, the Fullerton breakfast spot that makes the county's greatest omelet and other morning jaw-droppers, will begin serving dinner on June 4.

  • Blogs

    May 13, 2013

    Bar Crawl In Progress: Little Sparrow Cafe Opens in Santa Ana

    Remember two weeks ago, when I mentioned that we were just a bar or two short of a real honest-to-God bar crawl in downtown Santa Ana, one that only requires taxis at the start and end? Well, chalk up another craft cocktail bar and restaurant: Little Sparrow Café will be opening in what was former ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 10, 2013

    Long Beach Lunch: On Broadway

    In today's fancy food world of duck fat fries and $15 casual chain burgers, a simple, cheap sandwich shop is a welcome respite. Hand-sliced meats, fresh vegetables and a baked-this-morning French roll are all that's needed to make this girl swoon, but On Broadway--located in an unassuming corner sto ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 10, 2013

    Sunday Brunch: SideDoor

    Slowly but surely, we're rediscovering Sunday brunch. And so is everyone else, as SideDoor demonstrated last month. Expanding from their bar to the greenhouse, they also feature artists, DJs and other merriment in addition to brunch one weekend a month. But our first priority is that favorite meal. ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 10, 2013

    Lineup for SoCal Restaurant Show THIS SATURDAY on KLAA-AM 830: OC Register's Kedric Francis, Arepas, and More!

    We don't hate everyone at the Orange County Register, you know. Roving editor Kedric Francis has always been kind to the paper, and he used to be a staple of our gossip column back when we had a gossip column and he was the editor of Riviera. Anyhoo, he's going to be on tomorrow on the SoCal Restaur ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 10, 2013

    Five Ways To Celebrate American Craft Beer Week In (Or Near) OC

    Next week is American Craft Beer Week, a celebration of brews made in the U.S. of A. Local breweries and restaurants are taking part in the national party. Here's where to go to grab a pint.

  • Blogs

    May 10, 2013

    Valenza Chocolatier Making Things Sweeter In Costa Mesa

    We stepped into a kitchen space known as The Hood (conveniently located down the street from our offices) for a ribbon cutting. This commercial rental space is now the home of Amy Jo Pedone. Her chocolate journey began with the passing of her dear cousin to ovarian cancer. Despite her finance degree ... More >>

  • Food

    May 9, 2013

    For a Hot Time In Old Huntington, Go to the Black Trumpet Bistro

    Dino Ferraro's French/Italian/Spanish/Moroccan menu would be oddball anywhere but Beach Boulevard

  • Blogs

    May 9, 2013

    Tonight: 18th Annual Taste of Anaheim

    Who has a food festival in the middle of the week? Taste of Anaheim that's who. Tonight, May 9th, the 18th Annual Taste of Anaheim will be held at Anaheim GardenWalk. Participating will be restaurants from the GardenWalk itself, like Fire Ice and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., but there will also be a lot, ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 8, 2013

    Sriracha-Flavored Lay's Loses To Cheesy-Garlic Bread Flavor in Potato Chip Contest

    In an upset victory, Cheesy Garlic Bread has triumphed over Sriracha in Lay's Potato Chips "Do Us A Flavor" contest. Short of saying that this might indicate that the Sriracha craze has finally ebbed, we actually never got to taste any of the three finalists...so Cheesy Garlic Bread might have actua ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 7, 2013

    On The Line: Hiro Noguchi Of Sushi Noguchi, Part One

    Hiro Noguchi may have required a translator to answer our questionnaire, but we shared a rapport over his omakase menu one afternoon. While skittish about dining on fresh coronet (pictured), it quickly became apparent that Noguchi would be our sushi hero, saving us from Americanized rolls and introd ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 6, 2013

    Geeta Bansal Interviews Virgilo Martinez, Peru's Newest Chef Star

    Every Monday, Clay Oven Irvine executive chef/owner Geeta Bansal shares an interview that she's done with some of the heavyweights of European cooking. Today, she regales us with a visit to Peru, where Virgilio Martinez is currently the toast of the country's cooking scene. Enjoy!

  • Blogs

    May 3, 2013

    The Santa Ana Daisy at Playground, Our Drink of the Week!

    Here's some cocktail history for you: pretty much every cocktail you've ever had can trace its lineage back to the Old Fashioned: spirit, sugar, water, bitters. Switch the bitters for citrus juice and you have a sour; switch the sugar for grenadine (or raspberry syrup) and add orange liqueur and you ... More >>

  • Food

    May 2, 2013

    Urban Seoul's Bulgogi Nation

    This Irvine restaurant is the latest Kogi knock-off, but it's a damn great one

  • Food

    May 2, 2013

    Delicias Peruanas' Great Chicken Salad?

    [Hole In the Wall] This Lake Forest spot wows with a simple-yet-potent Peruvian menu

  • Blogs

    May 2, 2013

    Pagolac Moves After Nearly 24 Years In Business; Golden Elephant Takes Over And Updates Old Space

    In case you were worried that Pagolac, one of Little Saigon's best and oldest 7 courses-of-beef restaurants, seemed to have been replaced after nearly 24 years in business by a new Thai eatery called Golden Elephant at 14580 Brookhurst in Westminster, do not fret: Pagolac has merely moved to newer d ... More >>

  • Calendar

    May 2, 2013
  • Calendar

    May 2, 2013
  • Blogs

    May 1, 2013

    Long Beach Lunch: Callaloo Caribbean Kitchen

    Authentic Trinidadian restaurants--hell, Trinidadian anything--are about as common in Long Beach as Uzbeki cafés are in Mission Viejo. Yes, the Venezuela-adjacent Caribbean country of Trinidad and Tobago also has sandy beaches, nearly year-round sunshine and the occasional palm tree, but a kitchen ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 1, 2013

    Honda Center Announces Grand Terrace Restaurant Will Be Wolfgang Puck-Branded

    As your Anaheim Ducks charge into the playoffs (and win despite the referees turning a blind eye to the attempt by Detroit and their fans to get a timeout with less than a minute on the clock, not that we're bitter), changes are afoot at the Honda Center for next hockey season. The Grand Terrace--yo ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 1, 2013

    Eat This Now: Pambazo Ahi Crudo at Anepalco's Off Chapman

    So I know all of you go to Anepalco's off Main Street in Orange, the first branch of Danny Godinez's coming empire of alta cocina Mexican food. But not enough of you have yet made the trek to the second Anepalco's, the one off Chapman Avenue kitty-korner from UCI Medical Center. That one gets a good ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 30, 2013

    Mama Hong's, New Vietnamese Restaurant, Opens in Costa Mesa

    I've lost track of how many iterations of pho joint has occupied the space at 3013 Harbor Blvd. in Costa Mesa. A few years ago I ate at one called Pho 99, which at the time was part of a larger chain. That restaurant has since become a blip in the timeline, replaced by another pho restaurant. But w ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 26, 2013

    Lineup for SoCal Restaurant Show THIS SATURDAY on KLAA-AM 830: TAPS, Wing Lam, Bruxie and More!

    As usual, we turn it over to the guys at KLAA-AM 830's SoCal Restaurant Show gives us the preview for their show tomorrow. Here you go, guys!

  • Blogs

    April 26, 2013

    This Week In Food: Black Sleep of Khali Ma, Playground's Cocktails, and Boozy Dippin' Dots

    We've had some colorful stories these past couple of weeks because of Michelle's return. Who knew a new baby mama was so good at writing about food!? Let's take a quick look at what else happened this week... Edwin reviewed Hue Oi in Fountain Valley for his weekly story. They he announced the openi ... More >>

  • Food

    April 25, 2013

    Hue Oi: Boiling Down to the Basics

    This Hue-style joint is one of Little Saigon's best places for bánh bèo and bún bò hue

  • Blogs

    April 25, 2013

    Tavern on The Coast, New Restaurant by Thomas Keller Alums, Opens in Dana Point

    Tavern on The Coast, a new Dana Point restaurant that replaces the shuttered Bella Napoli at 34212 PCH, opened last weekend. The chef, one Bryan Podgorski, was previously the Chef de Cuisine for Thomas Keller's Bouchon at the Venetian in Las Vegas. His wife, Pamela Dickinson, was the GM of Bouchon B ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 24, 2013

    Diatribe with Dave: Eight Restaurant Courtesies You've Probably Never Heard Of

    Every second and fourth Wednesday night of the month, legendary bartender/chef/restaurant insider Dave Mau hosts Dinner with Dave at Memphis at the Santora, where he treats drinkers to a free meal and live music as the evening progresses. To remind ustedes of this great night, Dave treats us every W ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 23, 2013

    Starbucks Testing Handcrafted Root Beer

    Once focused on, well, coffee, Starbucks has evolved into a one-stop beverage empire. Its latest offering may be handcrafted sodas: lemon ale, spiced root beer and ginger ale. Starbucks Melody, an unofficial Starbucks info site, reports that the company is testing the items, which are naturally br ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 23, 2013

    On the Line: Chuy Vidales of Avocado Cafe

    We randomly came across Irvine's Avocado Café at the beginning of the year, tucked into a high rise community off Jamboree. Their Huntington Beach spot opened off Main Street not too long after. Chuy Vidales (aka the one man marketing team) was taking exterior photos for their Facebook page before ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 22, 2013

    Trader Joe's Now Has Its Own Sriracha

    See Also: *Five Signs You May Have A Sriracha Problem *Introducing Sriracha Lip Balm *INFOGRAPHIC: 10 Things You Should Know About Sriracha Trader Joe's has tried its hand at packaged Asian cuisine with varying levels of success. Its Punjab choley? Tasty. Its beef pho? Why?!But its ballsiest creati ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 19, 2013

    Vegan Pizza Opens in Garden Grove

    If Pizza & Chicken Love Letter wins the prize for the most fanciful pizzeria name, the new Vegan Pizza would win for the most no-nonsense. Vegan Pizza serves, you guessed it, vegan pizzas. It just opened in Garden Grove and claims to be the first vegan pizzeria in Orange County. As far as I know ... More >>

  • Food

    April 18, 2013

    Crave Restaurant: The Sweet Smell of Sourdough

    Judy Fleenor returns to Santa Ana with her new restaurant

  • Blogs

    April 18, 2013

    Long Beach Lunch: Number Nine

    Sorry to all the animal-lovers out there, but "vegetarian pho" is definitely an oxymoron, so much so that the very association of it with Long Beach's Number Nine has left many avoiding the place despite its convenient location on Fourth Street's Retro Row. But a recent lunch with a vegetarian broug ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 16, 2013

    Meiji Seimen, New Noodle Shop, Opens in Costa Mesa

    Costa Mesa is OC's ramen country. We know this for a fact. But ramen isn't the only noodle game in town. There's also soba and udon, to name just a few other slurpable options. But so far, if I recall correctly, there's only one notable from-scratch udon maker in town: Sanukiseimen at the Mitsuwa Ma ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 15, 2013

    Rick Bayless Insults Yet Another California City's Mexican Food Traditions

    My lord, does Rick Bayless want all Mexicans in the United States to hate him or something? Back in 2010, the celebrity chef of Mexican food notoriously said Los Angeles didn't have much of a Mexican food tradition, then denied he ever said that while trashing Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Time ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 12, 2013

    Ten Great Pork Dishes in OC (and Long Beach)

    Homer: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Lisa, honey, are you saying you're never going to eat any animal again? What about bacon? Lisa: No. Homer: Ham? Lisa: No! Homer: Pork chops? Lisa: Dad, those all come from the same animal! Homer: HEH HEH! Yeah right Lisa, some wonderful, magical animal! So ... More >>

  • Food

    April 11, 2013

    Taco Nazo: OC's LA Fish Taco Cousin

    This La Habra restaurant sells great fish tacos straight outta La Puente

  • Blogs

    April 9, 2013

    El Corazón de Costa Mesa, Mexican Restaurant Helmed by Rick Bayless-Trained Chef, To Open April 20

    A couple of months ago, I noticed a new banner in Triangle Square (or The Triangle, as the place now calls itself) advertising a coming restaurant called El Corazón de Costa Mesa. Sounds like a son jalisciense, no? Well, we just got the press release announcing a April 20 opening, and there are thi ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 8, 2013

    Geeta Bansal Interviews Jean-Luc Rabanel, the Gypsy King of Cuisine in Provence

    Every Monday, Clay Oven Irvine executive chef/owner Geeta Bansal shares an interview that she's done with some of the heavyweights of European cooking. Today, she regales us with a visit with Jean-Luc Rabane. Enjoy!

  • Food

    April 4, 2013

    Knafeh Cafe's 99 Ways of Sweet

    [Hole In the Wall] This Anaheim bakery sells the best Middle Eastern pastries in Orange County

  • Blogs

    April 4, 2013

    Long Beach Lunch: Modica's Deli

    Long Beach's Cooper Arms Building on the corner of Ocean Blvd. and Linden first opened in 1924. It featured some of the first apartment homes in the city and offered unobstructed views of the water and "amusement zones." Early purchasers were promised their money back thanks to revenue-producing ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 2, 2013

    On The Line: Joe Martin of Masterlink Sausage, Part One

    We admit it. We expected Joe and Mike to be much older. Instead, we were greeted by a couple of business-savvy guys who are not only knowledgeable, but happen to name drop a few of our former subjects. Hardcore since '64, this specialty company produces over 84 types of smoked sausage and meat produ ... More >>

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