Irvine (California)

Irvine Women Ranked Among Top Earners in the Nation from Online Auctions of First Dates

Ladies in Irvine auction off first dates to the highest bidder--who knew? WhatsYourPrice.com knows, having ranked the land of bland No. 10 on its list of "Top 13 Cities Where Women Date-for-Dollars." Irvine got the nod because during the first week of May, 56 women from the city joined the website t ... More >>

Restaurant Roll Call for February 2013

Compared to other months, February seemed slow on restaurant openings, or at least that's what it felt like. Here's our monthly roundup of eateries that we noticed were new; and one restaurant we noticed closed. Do you see any we neglected to list on either front? Share them in the comments.

[UPDATED with Hot Gassing Defended:] Christopher Jordan Dorner War Is Over!

See the update at the end of page 5 on the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department defending the use of "hot gas," which could have sparked the cabin fire, on the suspect.ORIGINAL POST, FEB. 7, 9:48 A.M.: The word coming out of the Los Angeles Police Department this morning is meant to apply to t ... More >>

Korean Burrito Joint Opens Across From UCI

There's no doubt that the Chipotle-style of operation has inspired a lot of copy-cats. We already have an Italian burrito concept in Costa Mesa, countless assembly pizza joints like Pieology and the like, not to mention actual Mexican fast-casuals that aspire to be as successful as Steve Ells' burri ... More >>

Taste Test: Kiki Bakery in Irvine

Irvine is still 85 Degrees C's turf, but it isn't stopping other Taiwanese bakeries from vying for a piece of the pie. Kiki Bakery is a third the size of 85 Degrees C, but it hails from SGV, where there are more of them, in Monterey Park, Alhambra and Rowland Heights. This is its first venture into ... More >>

Taste Test: Tender Greens at The Irvine Spectrum

Tender Greens opened its first OC outlet this weekend at the Irvine Spectrum. For those of you who have not tried the L.A. or San Diego branches, here's a quick "Taste Test" review.In a word: good. In nine words: better than I thought a salad-centric restaurant could be. 

Irvine Is The Most Fashionable City In America, Says A Real Study

Turns out the most fashionable people in America don't dwell in Manhattan or LA. They live in Irvine. Yes, Irvine, California, USA.  That's according to research by Bundle, which measured the percentage of "fashion conscious households" in the country's 50 largest cities. The data company ... More >>

Man Overboard's Chain Reaction Show is Sold Out, But You Can Still Watch It TONIGHT

​Don't cry if you didn't get a Man Overboard ticket to the Chain Reaction show tonight in Anaheim. Thank your technology gods, because the band is streaming the show on ElectricVenue.com. Fans can log in at http://www.electricvenue.com/#/man-overboard-show/4559960491and watch the show for $2.99.&n ... More >>

10 Great Korean Restaurants in Orange County

Edwin Goei​This list was a difficult one. How to just pick 10 restaurant out of the rich bevy of delights found at our Korean District? Or the burgeoning centers of Korean cultures in Buena Park and Irvine? No list could ever be definitive enough to be absolutely conclusive or comprehensive enough ... More >>

Eat Here, Not There: Pork Rice At First Class Sandwich

​ Had I put this out as a Guess Where I Ate item, no one would ever get it. Not ever. It is from First Class Sandwich, a food court vendor in Irvine whose menu consists entirely of, well, sandwiches. That is, with the exception of two items scribbled on a whiteboard and offered by its Chinese owne ... More >>

Playground Festival Announce Free Afterparty at Yost (with Lindsay Lohan and Pete Wentz)

​We're still not sure about Playground Festival. While its lineup has a strong hip-hop component (Game, Lil Jon and Big Sean), the rock bands on the bill are comprised of acts that were big in 2008 (Bravery, Panic! at the Disco and Shiny Toy Guns). It seems totally overreaching that they're callin ... More >>

Jimmy Z Returns With A New Irvine Restaurant

​Those who've lived in Irvine near UCI about a decade or so ago should remember Jimmy Z Grill at Campus Plaza. It folded and then the sushi restaurant that followed it also failed. Now at the vacated spot, another sushi restaurant is poised to open.

Contestants for The Great Food Truck Race Season 2 Revealed

SeabirdsTruck.comThe Seabirds girls in Vegas​We already know The Lime Truck and Seabirds are in the midst of competing in the second season of The Great Food Truck Race at this very moment. Seabirds' website has a picture of Stephanie Morgan and her two gal pals pre-race, along with this not-so-cr ... More >>

New Zealand Blogger Paints Larry Agran Red

​A New Zealand libertarian blogger who has compiled an online list of socialist politicians in the U.S. ("Red Reps" as he calls 'em) has at No. 6 Irvine City Councilman Larry Agran.And, no, this is not another April Fools joke.

Dueling Dishes: Korean Fried Chicken

Edwin GoeiBBQ Chicken's chicken​This week on Dueling Dishes, we compare and contrast the golden fried birds from BBQ Chicken versus that from Pizza & Chicken Love Letter, the two preeminent Korean fried chicken chains in Orange County. Why these two? Well because they're also the only the tw ... More >>

Michael Jackson's Ghost Spooks Propofol Maker Teva

​The worldwide scorn directed at those closest to Michael Jackson in his final days may have extended to the drug Propofol and its Irvine-based maker, which announced it is laying off 200 employees this year after having already let go 70 workers.Teva Pharmaceuticals maintains it already discontin ... More >>

Ex-OC Congressman Dubbed "Rotting Meatbag"

​A letter to KFI's John & Ken Show from a "Concerned OC citizen" contains what may be the most colorful description evah of a certain former local congressman who went on to national shame in the Bush Administration.

Shizuma Ramen Opens in Irvine

Edwin Goei ​As we blogged back in May, a new ramen shop called Shizuma Ramen was being developed in Irvine in the same plaza as Pho Ba Co and Layer Cake Bakery. Well, earlier this month it opened.

Twitter Says Lilith Was Lame

[Mental Notes] Plus, grubbin' with Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, making the band with Chris Shiflett & the Dead Peasants

So What If You Missed Lilith? Twitter Tells All

Megan Strouse​Watch our slideshow here!Due to family obligations, day jobs and matters of taste, OC Weekly couldn't cover the Lilith fair stop at Irvine (which their Web site called the LA stop, duh) last Saturday. As Entertainment Weekly said, "by the time Lilith rolled into Irvine, Calif.'s Veri ... More >>

#98. Pork Chop Anything at Nice Time Deli

Welcome to a new feature on our blog called 100 Favorite Dishes, where we countdown, um, our 100 favorite dishes at local restaurants. We'll be sharing these with you every weekday until our annual Best Of Issue comes out. Enjoy! #98. Pork Chop Anything at Nice Time Deli Technically, you don't hav ... More >>

Jack Johnson Announces Tour Dates, 98 Percent of Orange County Celebrates

Christopher VictorioJack Johnson, wearing a Save Trestles T-shirt, performing at the Irvine Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on August 29, 2008.​​Chief mellow music maker Jack Johnson has announced a new slew of tour dates for his upcoming To The Sea Tour, spanning from early July on the East Coast ... More >>

Dueling Dishes Soft Tofu Battle: BCD v. Kaya

This episode of Dueling Dishes is about soft tofu. Korean soft tofu. This week we pit together two houses of curd, BCD Tofu House and Kaya, who compete in the same town, serving the same dish. That town would be Irvine, where there exists six or maybe more restaurants who offer the same speciali ... More >>

House of Kabob's Persian Rice: The Lake Forest and Irvine Treat

New Santa Ana Rule: Please Do Not Defecate In The Elevator

​An Irvine, California-based property management company was forced last week to remind tenants in a Santa Ana housing complex about common rules of decency. In a letter mailed to each unit, the manager urged tenants to "please be considerate" by using trash cans for trash, keeping noise down at n ... More >>

Take Note, Budding Moviemakers: Kimera Is Running An Ad-Making Contest

​The Irvine restaurant is already offering a movie-related tie-in (each diner purchasing a $20 two-course or $30 three-course Movie Night Menu gets a free film ticket, but you must book--and mention the deal--in advance).But this is different--something that will actually get people thinking. Alth ... More >>

Orange County Mud Run

Hidden Valley Park

Larry Agran, Then and Now

Agran: Follow the bouncing tax dollars.THEN:January 28, 2003 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  #2003-10 SUBJECT:  City of Irvine Announces Funding Plan for Orange County Great Park IRVINE, CA-- Today, the City of Irvine released a detailed plan for funding the development and maintenance of a $353 mi ... More >>

To Do Tonight - 7/2

Film Screening: Rear Window, 7 p.m.View this Alfred Hitchcock classic starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, as it was intended to be seen: on the big screen.UC Irvine, Winifred Smith Hall, W. Peltason and Campus Dr., Irvine, CA; 949-637-0749 Salsa Group Class and Dan ... More >>

To Do Tonight - 5/13

Open Mic Night, 9 p.m.Bring your poetry, acoustic music and snaps to Long Beach's favorite (non-chain!) coffeehouse.Portfolio Coffeehouse, 2300 Fourth St., Long Beach, CA; 562-434-2486 ASID/OCC Design Tour, 3 p.m.New ideas for summer tabletops from Lynn Chichi of Chichi's Tabletal ... More >>

Incoming: No Doubt Returns to Orange County! Eventually.

Full tour dates have finally been announced for archetypal OC success stories No Doubt's tour with Paramore--we've known for a while that they were going on tour at some point and the first date would be May 3 at the Bamboozle Festival in NJ, but now we've got the whole sched, and the three month-is ... More >>

To Do This Weekend 2/20-2/22

The Great Skate, Friday-Sunday 11 a.m. through March 15Irvine's Great Park (you know, home to that dollar-sucking Great Balloon) brings the simple, youthful joy of ice skating to the park in an attempt to well, just do something fun and care-free for the community in these bleak times.Great Park, S ... More >>

To Do Tonight 2/2

Immigrant Lives in the OC & Beyond Exhibit, until May 1 The UCI Langson Library presents a photo exhibit examining the lives of those who have taken that giant leap, legally or not, and showing how they have contributed throughout history to the development of our region. University of ... More >>

To Do This Weekend 12/5-12/7

Lighting of the Bay at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina, Friday 6 p.m.Santa Claus himself will kick off the holiday season by flipping a giant switch to light more than 50 impressively illuminated and decorated Christmas trees situated in the tranquil waters of the bay.Back Bay Bistro, 1 ... More >>

To Do Tonight 11/18

Tight Wad Tuesdays, 8 p.m. We're in a recession people! Spend wisely. $3 drinks all night. 195 Grill and Sports Bar 195 W. Center Street Promenade Anaheim, CA 714-999-8699 Masters of Adornment: The Miao People of China, 8 p.m. Featuring approximately 80 objects, mostly drawn from the Bowers Museum' ... More >>

To Do This Weekend: 11/14 - 11/16

Phil Shane, Friday 9 p.m. If you haven't seen this one man legend gyrate his pelvis yet, you're missing out on one of life's greatest pleasures. THE DISTRICT LOUNGE 233 W. Chapman Ave. Orange, CA 714-639-7777 Imagine Peace Vigil, Friday 4 p.m. All we are saying is give peace a chance. War is over ... More >>

To Do Tonight 10/14

Bad Parents, 10 p.m. Expect a spanking. $5 The Prospector 2400 E. Seventh St. Long Beach, CA 562-438-3839 Oktoberfest, until November 7 Go on a Sunday and watch the dachshund races if you’re in the mood for laughs, or head in any ol’ day if you’re in the mood to say prosit a lot. Old World Vi ... More >>

To Do Tonight 9/24

420, 9:30 p.m. Breathe it in. Mai Tai Bar 97 Aquarium Way Long Beach, CA 562-435-1200 Sling Shot, 8:30 p.m. You'll shoot your eye out. Cook's Corner 19122 Live Oak Canyon Rd. Trabuco Canyon, CA 949-858-0266 Ride the Great Park Balloon, Daily High flying. Orange County Great Park Off the 5 Fwy. Ir ... More >>

To Do This Weekend 9/12-9/14

Los Pinguos, Friday 5 p.m. Looks like the balloon wont be the only stupid thing at the Great Park this weekend. Orange County Great Park Off the 5 Fwy. Irvine, CA 949-724-6247 Casa De Tequila, Friday 8 p.m. This house has worms. Tia Juana's 14988 Sand Canyon Rd. Irvine, CA 949-551-2998 L.B.C. perf ... More >>

To Do This Weekend 9/5 - 9/7

Jay Mohr, Friday 8 p.m. Gimmie Mohr. Brea Improv 120 S. Brea Blvd. Brea, CA 714-482-0700 An Italian Straw Hat, Friday - Sunday 8 p.m. A play with flavors of vaudeville, ragtime, light opera and even barbershop quartet, following a hapless young bridegroom through turn-of-the-century New York as he ... More >>

To Do This Weekend 8/22-8/24

Debra's Girls Present: Going Green Theme Party, Friday 7 p.m. Long Beach's favorite gay bar pitches in to help the environment. Ripples 5101 E. Ocean Blvd. Long Beach, CA 562-433-0357 Hootie & The Blowfish, Friday 8 p.m. Hold My Hand! House of Blues 1530 S. Disneyland Dr. Anaheim, CA 714-778-2583 ... More >>

OC Music Fest 09 Partners with Be The Shirt for Contest

What are you doing in May 2009? Not sure yet? Well, try to pencil in a few days for OC Music Fest 09, which happens in about 10 months in Irvine and promises to feature nearly 100 established and up-and-coming bands. In the meantime, you creative types may want to enter the Be The Shirt band/art ... More >>

$40 Omakase at Gen Kai in Irvine

If you are at a sushi bar and the guy slicing the fish is the also the guy from which the restaurant is named, you are all but guaranteed exceptionally great sushi. In this category, there's Ikko, Hamamori, and Shibucho -- just to name a few in Orange County where the chef responsible for your meal ... More >>

Avocado Pizzas at Stonefire Grill in Irvine

Pizza isn't something you'll see very often on this blog. Don't get me wrong. I eat plenty of it. But this is Orange County, not Chicago or New York. Pho, tacos, and ramen we got in spades -- just as good as those served in in Vietnam, Mexico and Japan, some might say. But pizza? So far, what ... More >>

OC Homewreckers Hung Out to Dry

According to a Department of Justice press release and reported by the Register, Charles Head, a 33-year-old from La Habra and several accomplices have been charged with illegal activities purportedly using the latest mortgage scam to come through the pipeline. One can only expect more scams to ... More >>

Letters

'I no longer sell photos but there are great benefits to being married to the Mattress Maven of the Inland Empire. My sister the Rabbi tells me she is available at a moments notice.'

Irvine Offends Thousands of Its Citizens

An Orange County Grand Jury recently decided that the Irvine City Council is trying to hijack the Great Park, and that the OC Board of Supervisors (who initially approved of Irvine's actions) might look into litigation in order to return control of this huge local resource to the county itself. Irvi ... More >>

Kill the Poor!

Irvine proposes low-cost housing for toxic land

The Ghost of Malthus in OC

Only four days after OC was named the third wealthiest county in the country (with 113,299 millionaire households), news comes that Irvine is taking measures to ensure low-cost housing remains available. Given the state of low-cost housing in OC (mostly nonexistent), and the fact that the LA Times ... More >>

Guilty Pleasures

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