Food and Cooking

H2O Sushi & Izakaya Opens at The Triangle in Costa Mesa

Another restaurant is now open at The Triangle, that M.C. Escher-ish mall at the end of the 55 that most of us avoided when it was called Triangle Square. The latest is H2O Sushi & Izakaya and it reportedly occupies some 5,000 square feet of space at the street level part of the plaza.

The Bruery To Start Filling Blank Growlers

It's a common conundrum for California craft beer drinkers: Too many growlers, not enough shelf space. The assumption has been that current law only permits breweries to refill the 64-ounce to-go jugs if they're from their own shop. But in February, the head of the California Department of Alcoholic ... More >>

Father's Day Dining in OC: Something Besides Golf and Ties

Mothers may carry us for nine months, but Fathers are parents, too. So we're taking a moment to check in on a few dining options this weekend. Let's pretend dad doesn't want to grill for once, but have someone cook for him. It's also less clean up in the kitchen. Reservations are always recommended. ... More >>

Lindo Michoacán #2: Fond of the Fonda

[Hole In the Wall] This Anaheim restaurant is where Mexicans eat when they want to eat 'regular' Mexican food

Is Eleven46 Kitchen the Chipotle of Vietnamese Cuisine?

This Foothill Ranch restaurant cooks great food, but it may need to readjust its operational model

Japanese Gourmet Fair Starts Tomorrow At Mitsuwa Costa Mesa; Lasts Till Sunday

Ah, Mitsuwa. Where would we be without your occasional food fairs. This week sees one of the bigger ones of the year. It's plainly called "Japanese Gourmet Fair" but for all intents and purposes, it's just an excuse to pull out the takoyaki booth they have in storage. I saw them already getting it r ... More >>

Diatribe with Dave: A Ribs-Trader Joe's Candied Ginger-Sambal Recipe!

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 >>

Long Beach Lunch: Crystal Thai Cambodian Cuisine

Long Beach might be home to the largest stateside population of Cambodians, but it's still not as easy as one might think to find a home-style hole in the wall that kills it with Khmer classics. Most of the Cambodian restaurants along the culture's main central-city corridor are designed as catering ... More >>

Diego's Downtown Opens in Santa Ana

Diego's Downtown's got a cool logo, a "D" that's half calligraphy, half block letter. It is, perhaps, a hint that the new restaurant by a chef named Richard Espinachio is going to have one foot in Santa Ana's hipster scene, the other reveling in tacos.

On the Line: Gregory Moro of Nieuport 17, Part One

Greg Moro knew he was destined to be a chef. He found a photograph of himself (at age 10) holding a cheeseburger and with the craziest smile on his face, just psyched about eating it. He played with matches as a youngster, lighting everything on fire. He collected pocket knives and swords. Then it d ... More >>

Mesamerica 2013: Dispatch by Geeta Bansal, Part 1!

Every week, Clay Oven Irvine executive chef/owner Geeta Bansal shares an interview that she's done with some of the heavyweights of world cooking. Today, she regales us with a dispatch from Mesamerica 2013, one of the world's premier chef conferences. Enjoy!

Preview for SoCal Restaurant Show on KLAA-AM 830: Umami Burger, Craft Beer, and Las Vegas Dining!

Just a reminder folks to tune in to the SoCal Restaurant Show every Saturday morning on KLAA-AM 830 because it's Anaheim-based and Weekling pal Jet Tila is the host. Here's the lineup for mañana--enjoy!

Is There Any Good Mexican Food in England?

[¡Ask a Mexican!] And what's the difference between Tex-Mex and New Mexican food?

Oh, Sid's! Remembering the legendary owner of Old Newport's much-missed steakhouse

Bistro Anju Moves From One South County City To Another

Bistro Anju--arguably the sushi joint to seek out if you happen to be a Central OC-er lost in South County--has moved from Laguna Niguel to Aliso Viejo. I reviewed them two years ago on a recommendation by Hiro Ohiwa, owner of Cafe Hiro, who is friends with Hideki Saito, Anju's chef and owner.

Long Beach Lunch: Grounds Bakery and Cafe

As old of a city as Long Beach is, it still turns into a typical suburban zone of long, safe streets beyond Pacific Coast Highway and east of Redondo Avenue, lined with boxy houses reminiscent of Lakewood or Huntington Beach or any other nearby neighborhood built out in the decades of post-war boom ... More >>

Tortilla Tuesdays: Mi Familia Flour Tortillas

I sat down as I began to write this article, and I wrote down all the adjectives I would use to describe a flour tortilla from an American supermarket. Gummy, stale, dried-out (which takes talent in conjunction with gummy), oily-tasting, nasty. It doesn't seem to matter who makes the tortillas; whe ... More >>

On The Line: David Coleman Of Michael's (On Naples & Pizzeria), Part One

Chefs are a beast in the kitchen. But when you sit down with them, many are rather quiet. Take executive chef David Coleman. He may have a dozen thoughts racing through his mind, but he speaks calmly and with thoughtfulness. Never mind the fact that he's linked to one of the highest rated LA restaur ... More >>

Peking Dragon's Sweet-and-Sour Splendor

This Dana Point restaurant is a good, old-school Chinese restaurant in a city with very few Chinese restaurants or Chinese people

The Ghost of Steakhouses Past: Sid's on Old Newport

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 >>

Long Beach Lunch: Mosher's Gourmet

The West Coast might not be able to compete with New York on Jewish deli's, but as a native Angeleno, it's still been hard to get used to lunches in Long Beach without a good one around. You know, the places that are always named with a possessive (Canter's, Langer's, etc.) and serve pastrami on rye ... More >>

On the Line: James Nunn of Jimmy's Famous American Tavern, Part One

We try our best to meet up with OTL subjects in person. But in the case of James Nunn, it wasn't possible. His responses are succinct; his personality a bit snarky. Jimmy's may be under construction, but this former Guttermouth musician is ready to rock. Tell us about the cuisine at Jimmy's. How wi ... More >>

Philippe Labbe, Rising French Cooking Superstar, in Conversation with Geeta Bansal!

Every week, 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 conversation with French superstar Philippe Labbe. Enjoy!

Little Sparrow: An Auspicious Egg

[Hole In the Wall] This Santa Ana spot is already great

Bistrot Massilia: Butter Up!

Yorba Linda's hidden gem is good any day of the week you want French, but better on weekends

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 >>

First Look: Provisions Market In Old Towne Orange

With 30 beers on tap and another 300 by the bottle, Wil Dee has his work cut out for him. Haven Gastropub's beverage director dropped in as Greg Daniels conducted our tour of the soon-to-be open Provisions Market (formerly The Bruery Provisions). We discussed their menu, changes to the space and the ... More >>

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 >>

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 >>

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!

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 l ... More >>

Pho Quyen: Absolutely Sweet Little Saigon

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

At Inka Mama's, Mami Knows Best

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

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 >>

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.

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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.

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 >>

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

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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!

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 >>

Delicias Peruanas' Great Chicken Salad?

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

Fourth Annual Orange County Food and Wine Festival

Lyon Air Museum

18th Annual Taste of Anaheim

GardenWalk