Gordon Ramsay

Food Fighters, A New Competitive Cooking Series With Adam Richman, Greenlit By NBC

For those who don't have basic cable to watch the umpteenth season of Top Chef but are already tired of The Taste on ABC, or have been irked by Gordon Ramsay's abrasiveness on his FOX shows, now there is Food Fighters, which has just been greenlit by NBC. Yes, it's another food competition show. Hos ... More >>

Dave Reviews OC Yelp Reviews, Part 2

Ever wonder what it's like to work in food service, retail stores, or really any customer-facing job? Just read the reviews of pretty much any business on Yelp and you'll see the heaping helping of entitled behavior you'll be subjected to on a daily basis. Of course, everyone wants perfection, but e ... More >>

On the Line: Dino McDonough of Slater's 50/50, Part One

​While this Forker knows she's not tall, I felt exceptionally space-efficient meeting up with Dino McDonough of the growing Slater's franchise. It's no wonder; as he's six-foot-three, I was content to sit on the raised bench in the Huntington Beach locale to conduct our interview. He's been with t ... More >>

Jason Quinn Will Meet You at the Playground

Inside the hyperkinetic career of the novice chef-turned-cooking star

This Week In Food: Starbucks Supports Gay Marriage, Craft Cocktail Bar Etiquette, RIP Valhalla Table

​Makes your arteries harden just looking at it, doesn't it? Find out what the heck this is and more in this week's edition of what happened on the blog this week!

On the Line: Paul Zhu of The Balcony Grill & Bar, Part One

​Being the owner of a dining establishment means worrying not only about the food, but also about every other aspect associated with running a business. Marketing campaigns, scheduling of employees and purchasing supplies are just a fraction of the responsibilities Paul Zhu has on his mind at the ... More >>

Tamarind of London Offers Curry for the Cultured

This Newport Coast eatery introduces great Indian cuisine to the rich folks

South County's Foodie Emergence, Steamed Hams and More!

What the Stick a Fork In It bloggers learned about food in Orange County in 2011

On the Line: The Men of the Burnt Truck, Part One

Photo by Meranda Carter​When we suggested the guys behind local luxe lonchera the Burnt Truck split up the answers, it wasn't until after the fact we realized all three (Paul Cao, Phi Nguyen and Minh Pham) submitted answers to the entire questionnaire. So this week, we flex our keyboarding muscles ... More >>

Notes, Quotes and Observations From Luigi D'Italia's Appearance on Kitchen Nightmares

A total gent...​SO . . . did you catch FOX's Kitchen Nightmares this past Friday, the one that highlighted Luigi's D'Italia? Did you catch the one second or so in which I appeared, near the absolute end of the show? How about when the brothers that run Luigi's read my rave review of them--off a Mi ... More >>

Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares Episode With Anaheim's Luigi's D'Italia Airs This Friday

​The day that all of Orange County has been waiting for...okay...too much: The day that a few interested parties who read food blogs and have gone to Luigi's in Anaheim have been looking forward to is upon us. This Friday, the Kitchen Nightmares episode featuring the tantrums of one Gordon Ramsay ... More >>

Letters From OC Weekly Readers

For Luigi's D'Italia, Does Gordon Ramsay Know Best?

The Anaheim restaurant was tapped for FOX's 'Kitchen Nightmares.' Is the food now dreamy?

On The Line: Sea Kyeong Kim of Charlie Palmer At Bloomingdales, Part Two

Photo by Meranda Carter​Our interview with Chef Kim continues as we look into his background in Korea, as well as his aspirations for the future. We also hear about his experience working for previous On The Line subject, Amar Santana. Stay in the loop by reading Part One here, and get your heirlo ... More >>

Gordon Ramsay Helps Luigi's D'Italia Turn its Beloved Irrelevancy into Something Better

Forgot my camera, so no photos of the new Luigi's D'Italia--you'll have to see the restaurant yourself...​For 30 years, Luigi's D'Italia was the place you went when you wanted slops of good Italian food--but that was it. You didn't take a first date there, but rather the girl who already knew all ... More >>

Kitchen Nightmares Films at Anaheim Restaurant Next Week: You're Invited!

FOX​Well, it's finally happened. Gordon Ramsay and crew are descending to Orange County (or is it ascending?) from Hell's Kitchen, and have decided that the restaurant it wants to save from damnation in an episode of Kitchen Nightmares is Luigi's D'italia in Anaheim. They will film next week ... More >>

This Week in Food: Lime Truck Good and Bad, Racist Register Readers, and Fake Poop Meat!

Rally 'round our Lime Truck boyos!​Another great week in Forker land--highlights after the jump!

Gordon Ramsay Tries Planking in Newport Beach, British Media Declares Trend Dead as Result

Gordon Ramsay's Twitter page​Oh, those silly Brits! Gordon Ramsay was in Newport Beach over Father's Day and went fishing off the coast. Somewhere along the line, he had someone take a picture of him "planking," the Internet phenomenon that is lying face down somewhere and taking a picture of it, ... More >>

New Wine and Tapas Restaurant Replaces Pane e Vino in Brea

Photo Courtesy of Two 40 South's Facebook​Pane e Vino, the Italian restaurant that's been in Brea Downtown for as long as Brea Downtown has been, closed around March. Now a new wine and tapas restaurant called Two 40 South has taken over the space at, you guessed it, 240 South Brea Blvd.

Swedish YouTube Cooking Show Uses Violence as Ingredient

You know what today's TV cooking shows need more of? Violence. Nonsensical, random violence. Nudity? That's been done. Anger? We've got Gordon Ramsay for that. But anger coupled with gratuitous headbutting? That's something the medium has sorely lacked. Enter the show above, in which--I'm not kiddin ... More >>

On The Line: Jay DiEugenio From BACON MANia, Part One

Kevin Lara​Who doesn't love a slice of bacon? Chewy with extra grease, or baked crisp, Shuji-style, its universal appeal is probably only outnumbered by oxygen. It was a matter of time before a luxe lonchera came along to steal the snout-loving diners of Orange County. Half of the visionary duo BA ... More >>

FOX's Kitchen Nightmares Looking for OC Restaurants That Need Gordon Ramsay's Tough Love

FOX​If you know of an OC restaurant that needs a big kick in the pots, FOX wants to hear from you. In his reality show Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon Ramsay spends a week at sinking restaurants, trying to whip them back into shape--and now he's looking for his next stops. We got an e-mail from a casti ... More >>

Coming to Newport Coast: Tamarind of London

​The British are coming. The British are coming. And they're bringing their Indian food. Tamarind, a Michelin-starred London restaurant that also got kudos from none other than Gordon Ramsay himself, is opening at Crystal Cove Promenade in Newport Coast. In the Irvine Company press release tha ... More >>

On the Line: Arturo Briones of Wildfish, Part One

Photo by Kevin Lara​Wildfish, for a lot of people (including myself), is known for its generous Happy Hour--one of the best in OC. The discounts extend later than most and continue on the weekends. But it should also be known for its seafood and the man who makes it sing. Here, we talk with exec ... More >>

Jinan Montecristo of Les Amis, Part One

Photo by Todd BarnesLes Amis is the little Lebanese restaurant in Fullerton we reviewed a few weeks ago. Though owner Jinan Montecristo credits her mom for all the wonderful food (as you'll read in the interview) it is Jinan who is the driving force. Here's Part One of out On The Line intervie ... More >>

Ronnie Arnold of K'ya Street Fare, Part One

Photo credit: Meg Strouse​Drive up Harbor Boulevard in the Anaheim Resort and you might think the only things to eat are pre-made burgers, dreadful pancakes and fancy-yet-still-corporate steak. You'd be missing something, though, because at the very top of the district, in the Hotel Ménage, lies ... More >>

Jason Quinn of The Lime Truck, Part Two

Photo by Christopher VictorioDaniel Shemtob and Jason Quinn​Today we conclude our Q&A with Chef Jason Quinn. If you missed the first part, read it here. Stay tuned tomorrow for our final installment: a recipe from the chef. What would you'd like to see more of in Orange County from a culinary ... More >>

New Horror Film Features Celebrity Chef

The one sheet poster for Bitter Feast seems pretty standard. There's a sullen-looking man sitting at dining table in a blood-stained shirt. It looks to be yet another schlocky torture-porn horror film. But watch the trailer and you find out there's more than a few extra ingredients.

Jose Piaggio of Piaggio On Wheels, Part One

Photo by Kimberly Valenzuela​Jose Piaggio is literally the driving force behind Piaggio on Wheels, one of the most sought after and one of the first in the gourmet breed of food trucks in O.C.--one that our own Gustavo Arellano gave a rare, but enthusiastic thumb ups. But before he took to the ro ... More >>

Harry Kho of Harry's Deli, Part Two

Kimberly Valenzuela​Today we continue with part two of our interview with Harry Kho, owner and "Executive Sandwich Creationist" of Harry's Deli in Irvine. Missed the first part of our interview? Click here. Otherwise, read on.

Harry Kho of Harry's Deli, Part One

Photo by Kimberly Valenzuela​Ask a local foodie who the sandwich maker/deli owner/chef of the moment is and they'll tell you it's Harrison Kho, or Harry for short. His Harry's Deli, an Irvine office-park lunch stop, like I said in my recent review, is the busiest and buzziest sandwich shop ... More >>

Gino Buonanoce & Salvatore Ferrara of Antonello Ristorante, Part One

Kimberly Valenzuela​ This may be the first time we've profiled two people at the same time for On The Line, but both men are actually on the line at South Coast Plaza's Antonello Ristorante as co-executive chefs. Forget about that idiom about "too many cooks in the kitchen". Any restaurant w ... More >>

Gabriel Caliendo of The Lazy Dog Cafe, Part One

Kimberly Valenzuela​With the recent opening of Lazy Dog Cafe in the Irvine Marketplace--the chain's third OC location--word is spreading about the little chain of restaurants with rustic decor and an eclectic menu. The man behind the food at all Lazy Dog Cafes is Executive Chef Gabriel Caliendo. P ... More >>

A Tribute to Keith Floyd, the Original Celebrity Chef

​The culinary world is in mourning today for Keith Floyd. "Keith who?," you may ask. Floyd was a legend across the pond, a true "bon viveur", and an inspiration to many of today's chefs. The TV presenter and food personality (in the true sense of the word) died of a heart attack yesterday aged 65, ... More >>

Haven Gastropub in Orange Opening This Friday, September 4

​We've been following the progress of this new venture, and can confirm that it's set to open to the public this Friday. Edwin tipped me off about the launch date, so he gets credit for that, as do his foodie friends who tipped him off, DanGarion and Jay Ruiz.Located in Old Towne Orange, Haven wil ... More >>

On the Line: Cathy Pavlos of Lucca Café

Enthusiasm and authenticity are the bywords at Lucca, the Quail Hill café/deli/wine bar run by Cathy and her husband Elliott. The couple both trained in architecture before turning to the restaurant trade--and we're glad they made the move. We grilled Cathy with our usual set of questions.1.  ... More >>

Chubby British Chef* Looking For American Town To Kickstart His Anti-Obesity Crusade

*No, Not Gordon Ramsay, but Jamie Oliver.Not satisfied with a worldwide culinary empire that includes several charity restaurants, numerous cook books and various TV shows and appearances (over here, Jamie At Home airs on the Food Network), Oliver wants to take on the seemingly insurmountable task o ... More >>

Is JT's New Tequila Biz Venture Justified?

Not content with a hugely successful music career, a record label and a fashion line, Justin Timberlake is now branching out into the world of alcohol.901, his new brand of tequila, is named for the area code of Memphis, Timberlake's hometown, and also (rather unconvincingly) "because 901 is the tim ... More >>

F&*k!! The Credit Crunch Hits Gordon Ramsay

It's been a difficult time recently for British celebrity chefs. First, eateries owned by Antony Worrall Thompson and Tom Aikens hit money trouble. Then last week it was reported that Heston Blumenthal's famed Fat Duck restaurant has had to close because hundreds of diners became ill after eating th ... More >>

The Curious Case of Triple S

There was once a Sizzler on Newport Blvd. in Tustin, beneath the shadow of the 5 Freeway overpass. Then around October of last year the owners severed their ties to the company. They decided that they would rebrand themselves "Triple S". Why "Triple S"? Well because they would serve "Steak, Seafoo ... More >>

Kitchen Nightmares Taking Suggestions

Unlike Hell's Kitchen, which seems just a sadistic exercise to embarrass its cheftestants, Gordon Ramsay's other show, Kitchen Nightmares is educational, enlightening, and sometimes, even feel-good.  And what's more, his help seems to actually turn around failing restaurants. I got a nice e-m ... More >>