New Year's

Celebrate the Year of The Snake With Ching's Chinese New Year

Ching He-Huang may be a self-taught chef but she was taught by some of the best, her very own family. With a long line of traditional heritage, Taiwanese-born Ching helped out with a lot of the cooking growing up and moves to South Africa and later to London helped mold her tastes and styles but luc ... More >>

Jerkface Bouncer

[Hey, You!] Methinks thou art a dickhead

Sundance 2013: America's Black Indie Film Renaissance

Anaheim Police Chief Accuses Longtime Watchdog Duane Roberts of "Bullshit Lies" in Public Meltdown

The issue of assessing models for a potential police oversight commission was on the agenda during last night's meeting of the Anaheim city council. An impromptu encounter between former council candidate Duane Roberts and Anaheim Police Chief John Welter in the chamber lobby was not. It was there t ... More >>

Expensive Fish

[Hey, You!] Hats off to the inventor of the kids' game that tried to rob me blind

Mark Trahanovsky and His Epic Climb Team Set Stair-Climbing World Record in Jacksonville, FL

Yorba Linda's Mark Trahanovsky went to Jacksonville, Florida, and all he came back with was a lousy t-shirt.Oh, yeah: and a world record.He was part of the "Epic Climb" team that over the weekend past set the 24-hour stair climbing relay record at Jacksonville's tallest building, the 42-story Bank o ... More >>

Dave Reviews OC Yelp Reviews, Part 9

Happy New Year! Won't you make a resolution this year to suck less in your Yelp reviews?Luckily for Yelpers, Christmas and New Year's Day fell on Tuesdays this year; the blithering goons who infest that corner of the Internet had two whole weeks to abuse good sense and the English language.Now that ... More >>

The Five Best Concerts in OC This Week

Monday, January 31New Year's Eve With Kendrick LamarThe ObservatoryLike Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet, Kendrick Lamar's self-explanatorily titled Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City is about children lost to overmedication. A casualty of first-world comfort, Lamar raps of being strung out on pharmaceu ... More >>

Daybreak Party

Yost Theater

Young Dubliners Can't Wait to Return to the OC Pub That Scammed Them

It's not often that a band can look back fondly about a time they were tricked into a playing a venue. But fortunately for world-traveled Celtic rock band Young Dubliner's the luck of the Irish was on their side the first time they were asked to play Muldoon's Irish Pub in Newport Beach. For a band ... More >>

Another "Real Actors Read Yelp" Video Is Up...This One's Also About An OC Venue

Ask, and ye shall receive. We in the food blogging world all willed the production company that's already put out the viral hit "Real Actors Read Yelp Reviews" to come out with more episodes. Now, it has. But with this third and latest installment, I'm noticing something odd.

On the Line: David Man of Palm Terrace and Lounge, Part Two

While not a luxe lonchera, Palm Terrace now has a catering truck, ready to serve parties of five to 500 wherever they can park it (most recently at the OC Fairgrounds). His mom's infamous cooking makes another appearance in this segment as well, but so does Yoda. It'll make more sense once you perus ... More >>

Nicole Longstreath Wants You to Stop Being Closeted

[Trendzilla] The Wardrobe Code offers its services for overpacked closets

Free Firecracker Chicken Breast at Panda Express On Chinese New Year

​The official line explaining why the Panda Express chain is giving out free food this coming Monday for Chinese New Year reads thusly:"The Chinese New Year's Eve feast features ingredients that carry special symbolic meaning. Firecracker Chicken Breast(TM) is created with chicken because it repre ... More >>

Kaskade Masters Time, Space and Big-Room Electronica

The DJ from San Clemente headlines the biggest New Year's parties in the Southwest

Great Night! Great Park Family New Year's Eve

OC Great Park

Tiesto

The Observatory

Insomniac Introduces New White Wonderland Festival at Anaheim Convention Center

​Insomniac is kicking off 2012 by inviting fans to attend an all-new 21 music festival called White Wonderland. The two-day fest will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center on Dec. 31, 2011 and Jan. 1, 2012. Joining headliner no. 1 Kaskade on New Years Eve will be Benny Benassi, Paul Va ... More >>

South Coast Plaza Holiday Survival Guide!

[Trendzilla] Hours, new shops and more!

Dana Point BBQ Championship

ProfessorSalt.comBeef brisket from Los Alamitos team Inhale BBQ​Last Friday and Saturday, September 23 - 24, fifty BBQ teams from across the Western states took over the lush lawns of Sea Terrace Park for the inaugural Dana Point BBQ Championship. Top teams featured on TLC's BBQ Pitmasters show su ... More >>

David Ellis Opens Up About the Fair Board Foundation, the Appraisal and His Reputation

Mr. David Ellis​With that pesky controversial sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds out of the way (or so we hope), it seems the time for bridge building. Relationship mending. Or pointing out any inaccuracies in any accusations that may have been fired off since the land was put on the auction bl ... More >>

Thanh Van Tran Convicted of Murdering Lunar New Year Partier Outside Little Saigon Restaurant

​A man who fatally shot a Lunar New Year celebrator outside D Saigon restaurant in Garden Grove in 2009 was found guilty by a jury today of second-degree murder.The jury also found true the sentencing enhancement for the personal discharge of a firearm causing death against Thanh Van Tran. The ... More >>

Sal Duenas Is a Handball Wizard

The Santa Ana native is king of Orange County's handball courts—but can he go further and bring the sport some much-needed respect?

Comedian Rob Little Brings Big Laughs Tomorrow at the Irvine Improv

​If the comic that hosts this Tuesday night's show at the Improv looks familiar, it's because he's also the doorman rocking the tightest afro ever, comedian Friendly Frank. And if the headliner of this Tuesday night's show Rob Little looks familiar, it's because you have seen him smiling, laughing ... More >>

Celebrity New Year's Resolutions in 2011

myspace.com​​New Year's resolutions are usually either corny or totally boring. However, it's always interesting to read resolutions from celebrities, even if they are pretty much the same corny or boring ones we no-names makes for ourselves. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the p ... More >>

It's the New Year, You've Got Your Resolutions, Don't Ruin 'Em With a DUI Arrest--Hundreds Already Have

​Getting a DUI isn't the best way to celebrate the holidays or the beginning of a New Year or finding your lifemate in bed with another individual. Frankly, there's never a good time for the red and blue lights to start shining in ones rearview mirror after a few too many Mai Tai's or Cosmopo ... More >>

Gettin' Made: Makin' Resolutions

As you're planning your list of New Year's resolutions, keep in mind that the chances you'll actually follow through with them are slim to bupkiss. In denial? The make a stop at Etsy to pick up some handmade goodies that will help you stay on track at least through February. New Year's Resolu ... More >>

Atomic Punks

Atomic Punks

[UPDATED:] What Court Ruling? OC Fairgrounds Board of Directors Meeting Called For New Year's Day--Now Called Off

Update, December 29, 10:28 a.m.: Meeting cancelled. Attorneys threatened to seek contempt of court if the OC Fairgrounds Board of Directors held its emergency meeting, and they backed off. Going against the ruling of the court is never good business. So, for now, the sale of the fairground ... More >>

Free Ticket Tuesdays Wednesday: A Flock of Seagulls

Yes, you are reading this right. A band that hasn't released a studio album in 15 years will be performing live on New Year's Day. As an addition to yesterday's Free Ticket Tuesdays, we are giving away five pairs of tickets to see A Flock of Seagulls at the Galaxy Theater on January 1. Alt ... More >>

AnQi Going the Molecular Gastronomy Route for New Year's Eve

​I've had molecular gastronomy dinners a couple of times--was floored by it at Moto in Chicago (along with a dinner bill that nearly equaled my weekly paycheck), was underwhelmed by it at Bazaar in Los Angeles. Isn't molecular gastronomy a 2007 trend? Not to the folks at AnQi.

Nadya Suleman Gets Vivid Offer That Keeps Her Clothes On and Octomom Away From Porn Sets

​Like a guardian angel, Vivid Entertainment has been there for Octomom Nadya Suleman. When the mother of 14's struggles to stave off foreclosure on her La Habra home were first publicized earlier this year, the pornpresario Steven Hirsch offered Suleman $1 million to have sex in an adult film. She ... More >>

Gettin' Made: Craft Classes for June

How is it June already? If you're running behind on your New Year's resolution to pick up a new craft technique or two, it's not too late - sign up for one of this month's craft classes being offered around the southland! Learn how to make this babydoll dress at Home Ec in Silverlake this mon ... More >>

Jesse James Opens Up and Bleeds About Cheating on Sandy, Their Black Son and Nazis

ABC NewsNightline's Vicki Mabrey sits down with Jesse James, America's most hated grease monkey. ​Portions of tonight's Nightline interview with Sunset Beach's (for now) Jesse James first trickled out via official ABC press release, then it was leaked online, then a chunk of it rolled on this morn ... More >>

What You Missed: Surf City Splash, Reverend Horton Heat, Flogging Molly and More

Keith May10th Annual Huntington Beach Surf City Splash!​ Oh goooooooood, why is it over? Let us remember better days: What'd you do for NYE, Orange County? We were, as usual, all over the place, starting off with the 10th Annual Huntington Beach Surf City Splash where hundreds of Southern Californ ... More >>

This Week in Food

www.safeherbals.com​ Hope you're hanging in there on this glorious New Year's Day (aka National Hangover Day). Remember to drink lots of water and take a look at what you missed this week in Stick a Fork In It to give yourself an excuse to hang out in your shorty robe for a couple more hours! If y ... More >>

Attention, Polar Bears: HB Surf City Splash 2010 Wants You!

​There's still time to give in to your desire to strip down to your bathing suit--the one you always wear under your jammies during the winter--and walk, run or dive into the chilly Pacific Ocean near Huntington Beach Pier with other die-hards at high noon New Year's Day.Would knowing the nuttines ... More >>

Schrodinger's Restaurant: Is Chimayo Open or Closed?

​UPDATED with the official status of the restaurant."Didn't you say Chimayo closed?" asked my wife."Yeah, Edwin blogged about it. They closed right before Christmas.""So why would they buy a print ad for New Year's Eve?"Sure enough, on page 19 of the New Year's Eve guide in this week's print editi ... More >>

Statewide Trans Fat Ban Starts Friday

​Beginning New Years Day, California will be the first state to ban trans fat from restaurants.  The measure was signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger in 2008, but according to the Sacramento Bee, there was a one-year adjustment period. However, bakeries don't need to comply until January of 201 ... More >>

Gettin' Made: Dress Up

Now that Christmas has passed, it's time to focus on the last big holiday of the year (and the first big holiday of the next year). If you're going out to a party on New Year's Eve, you should definitely keep Etsy in mind for handmade party dresses that are sure to keep you from blending into t ... More >>