Moscow

University Synagogue's Jewish Film Festival Rolls on with Jewish Soldiers in Blue and Grey

The expansive Jewish Film Festival continues tonight at University Synagogue of Irvine--and, yes, that's continues as your humble servant was slow on the uptake to promote the full schedule of movies that started rolling in October and continue through April at the synagogue, Regal's Westpark 8 in I ... More >>

No. 6: Anything By Taco Maria

I have been known to wait outside Taco Maria for 20 minutes, desperate to be the first in line before the masses come. I've been known to drunkenly tweet that if you don't know Taco Maria, you don't know Mexican food, and fight with people over said sentiments. I've plugged Taco Maria God-knows-how- ... More >>

No. 7: Venison Filet Mignon at Mare Culinary Lounge

Mare is supposed to be known for its seafood. But you should know by now that Alessandro Pirozzi of Cucina Alessa fame has the golden touch, even with game meats, as it turns out. The venison filet mignon he serves at his newest restaurant, two cubes the size of a baseball sitting on opposite side ... More >>

No. 11: Picadita at Alebrije's Grill

You can join the thousands of non-wab Orange Countians who have visited Alebrije's on the corner of Main and Cubbon streets in SanTana, eat nothing but their legendary taco acorazado (which we named our favorite dish in Orange County in 2010 because it was), and you'd be in our good graces forever. ... More >>

No. 12: Blowtorch-Seared Mackerel At Izakaya Ku

The menu said the mackerel would be seared tableside; but I didn't expect the hand-held flamethrower. I admit it:I was nervous. I inched away in my seat a little when the waiter lit it and the thing whooshed like an acetylene torch. We were sitting in an all-wooden booth shrouded with noren, the tra ... More >>

No. 17: Sashimi Sandwich at North Shore Poke Company

The picture you see above is crappy, and it shows only a quarter cut. The sandwich isn't much to look at anyway. Its appearance isn't important. What's important is that it is possibly the best dish at North Shore Poke Company, which is little more than a cold station with the proprietor, Shawn Gole ... More >>

The Ballad of Wade Michael Page

An ex-bandmate of the Sikh temple shooter recalls their shared OC hate-rock past

Dash Berlin at Sutra, March 13, 2012

​ Dash Berlin March 13, 2012Sutra, Costa Mesa This weekend I had the privilege of seeing Laidback Luke, one of my favorite DJs in Hollywood and then San Diego. I would have been perfectly content if the weekend ended there but DJ Mag's number eight DJ in the world, Dash Berlin was making a speci ... More >>

Letters From OC Weekly Readers

How the Church of Scientology Responds to a Reporter's Repeated Requests for Comment

​Asshole. Prick. Handsome. I've been called all three. But Karin Pouw, a spokesthetan for the Church of Scientology, dropped a u-bomb on me in a Feb. 20 email. She called me "unprofessional." Sniffle. Between Feb. 13 and 18, I called the church's media-relations outfit in Los Angeles t ... More >>

No. 18: Pate Chaud at Au Coeur De Paris

ProfessorSalt.com​Pate chaud is a puff-pastry snack sold at most Vietnamese bakeries and banh mi shops. Nestled in the buttery flakes is a spiced meatball of ground pork or chicken. While many places make an overly-greasy puff pastry, or an insipidly flavored, rubbery-dense meatball, the ones from ... More >>

No. 22: Almond Croissant at Layer Cake Bakery

ProfessorSalt.comLayer Cake Bakery's almond croissant​Irvine's Layer Cake Bakery and  Westminster's Au Couer de Paris Bakery went toe-to-toe in Battle Almond Croissant, and the Irvine shop happened to win. I felt bad about calling that close race based on the humid weather that caused the oth ... More >>

No. 25: Happy Hour Pho at Pho Thanh Lich

​Welcome to the Weekly's list of our 100 Favorite Dishes for 2011. Tune in every day until we get to número uno! Now, on to the latest entry.Dave, Edwin, Shuji and I are still pretty pho'ed out from our epic Final Pho tournament earlier this year; otherwise, the winning Pho Thanh Lich would've pr ... More >>

No. 26: Longsilog at Manila Groove

Photo by Das Ubergeek​Welcome to the Weekly's list of our 100 Favorite Dishes for 2011. Tune in every day until we get to número uno! Now, on to the latest entry.Like the recent entries, any breakfast is grand at this Filipino dive. But I cannot lie: I almost always pick the longsilog.

No. 27: Paletas from Nevería Flor de México

Photo by Todd Barnes​Welcome to the Weekly's list of our 100 Favorite Dishes for 2011. Tune in every day until we get to número uno! Now, on to the latest entry. My apologies for the spate of entries here that are more a species than an actual entity, but some places perfect a particular genre to ... More >>

No. 29: Cheeseburger at TK Burgers

​Welcome to the Weekly's list of our 100 Favorite Dishes for 2011. Tune in every day until we get to número uno! Now, on to the latest entry.As I note here about every third sentence, I'm an Anaheim boy, which means I never experienced TK Burgers until enrolling at Orange Coast College in the lat ... More >>

No. 30: Peanut Butter and Jealousy Burger at Slater's 50/50

Dave Lieberman​Welcome to the Weekly's list of our 100 Favorite Dishes for 2011. Tune in every day until we get to número uno! Now, on to the latest entry.

10 Things You Didn't Know About Sonic the Hedgehog

​Sonic the Hedgehog, that cute little blue mascot of the Sega Genesis, turns 20 years old today. Created in 1991 by Yuji Naka and Naoto Oshima, Sonic quickly rose to popularity as one of the most recognized and beloved video game icons, even to this very day.Debuting in the self-titled game Sonic ... More >>

Mike Carona: No More Excuses

[Moxley Confidential] Federal Appeals Court upholds the ex-sheriff's conviction, and he's finally headed to prison

#1 AKA The Best Dish in Orange County RIGHT NOW: Taco Acorazado at the the Two Alebrije's Grill

Photo by the Elmo Monster...​This is it, cabrones: the best dish in Orange County! Want the best restaurant? You'll have to pick up our Best of OC issue next Thursday. Gracias for all the comments, the criticisms and other randomness. 'Til next year, or the next mass list of something or other!Som ... More >>

The Rambles Fight the Good Fight for Pop Music

North Orange County's The Rambles are warriors in the battle of reclaiming pop music from acts like Justin Bieber and Katy Perry. Their pop revival army is made up of guitarist Eric Plunkett, rhythm guitarist and singer Isaiah Silva, lead vocalist and tambourine player Kevin Fry, bassist Brad Babin ... More >>

#17. Mexican Teriyaki Bowl at Mos 2

​You'll have noticed we're changing who writes this feature on a day by day basis: this is how you know we're getting close to the end of our countdown. Make sure to pick up a copy of our Best of OC 2010 when it hits the newsstands October 14!Decades before Kogi was an "inspired" idea in the he ... More >>

Supervisor John Moorlach Defends Crooked Ex-Sheriff Mike Carona

Moorlach is suffering from frightening amnesia​This afternoon on a radio talk show, Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach defended former Sheriff Mike Carona who was arrested by FBI and IRS agents and convicted of public corruption in 2009 after a federal trial.Moorlach, a conservative Republican ... More >>

'Iron Man 2' Was Built to Last

Comic-book-based film will likely lead to more sequels, but that doesn't mean it should

Ex-Sheriff Mike Carona Used All the Weapons In His Arsenal to Trick a Jury. He Still Lost

Can Joe The Juror Help Mike Carona in Corruption Trial?

Brian Sun, the Los Angles-based lawyer representing indicted ex-Orange County sheriff Mike Carona, emerged from U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Guilford's Santa Ana courtroom this afternoon all smiles. Minutes before, Sun and federal prosecutor Ken Julian had selected a panel of 12 citizens to hear ... More >>

She's The (Under) Sheriff

Indicted by the Feds, Carona slides his most loyal soldier into temporary command at the Sheriff’s Department

They Got the Sheriff

OC Sheriff Michael S. Carona’s reign has been equal parts tragedy and comedy. With his indictment, it enters its final act.

The Arts and Other Highfalutin' Stuff

Actors, troubadours, campfire singers, cowboy poets & purty pictures (Please don’t  shoot the piano player!)

More Festival Reviews . . .

What's playing at the Newport Beach Film Fest

Blazing Saddles!

Sheriff Carona takes his posse on a European tour

Summer Grub Guide

Your guide to the best damn eats in OC

Department of Homeland Stupidity

Master of Disasters Mike Carona breached secret anti-terrorism plans

Grub Guide

This week in one-of-a-kinds

Finally a Blow Sheriff Carona isn't Enjoying

According to the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs website tonight, incumbent Sheriff Mike Carona has received a major vote of no confidence in his leadership after eight, scandal-ridden years in office. The group reports that Carona received just 44 percent of the vote of men/women in h ... More >>

OC's 31 Scariest People

Now 25 percent more terrifying!

Sex, Bribes and Jailhouse Scams

Sheriff Carona working overtime to stop reports he's a serial adulterer

The Little Girls Understand

Change is afoot at Ballet Pacifica Academy

Our Pal, Hal

12 questions with OCs living theatrical legend

Diary of a Mad County

This Hole-in-the-Wall County

Orange Countys 74 Greatest Holes-in-the-Wall

The OC Weekly Book Of Food Lists!

Theyre Here, Theyre Queer, Theyre Armed

Orange Countys Pink Pistols are all for peace, love and understanding among straights and gays. Meantime, theyre taking target practice.

The Spoils of War

Sister Act

Vanguards Three Sisters

Tuva or Bust!

Genghis Blues exposes "lost" land, art

The Great Wallenberg of Fullerton

It Lives!

Finally, a good Chekhov production

Debatemon!

Digital Monsters 2000

Head of State