San Juan Capistrano

Capistrano Terrace Mobilehome Park Residents Successfully Save Their Homes ... for $8.25 mil

In these days of shady foreclosures, robo-bank calls for mortgage payments before your mortgage is due and other assorted example of Mitt Romney's pals trying to royally fuck with us just trying to make ends meet comes a bit of happy news. About 150 families in San Juan Capistrano banded together to ... More >>

12 y.o. Boy Allegedly Leads Deputies on Chase That Ends With Car Burning to the Ground

A 12-year-old boy allegedly led Orange County sheriff's deputies on a car chase from San Juan Capistrano to Dana Point early today before crashing into a tree and fleeing on foot as the family Chevy Aveo burst into flames.Dennis the Menace was found hiding in bushes, and the car burned to the ground ... More >>

Brea and San Juan Capistrano DUI Checkpoints Tonight, Buena Park's is Saturday Night

Labor Day weekend has creeped up, and so has the countywide Labor Day weekend enforcement against boozing drivers on the road.Besides saturation patrols in Orange County's four corners--are there four?--Brea and San Juan Capistrano have DUI checkpoints tonight and Buena Park conducts another Saturda ... More >>

Restaurant Roll Call for June 2012

Our monthly roll call is a little late, but here it is: what we observed on this thing called a food blog. There were several openings this month, with a lot of them in Newport Beach. Our short roster of German restaurants became even shorter when Barth's shuttered, replaced by a Thai joint.The full ... More >>

[UPDATED with God's Motive:] 3.9 Earthquake Shakes OC

UPDATE, APRIL 20, 11:20 A.M.: In addition to shaky stories, we should share with one another the reason God punished us with this earthquake--because as Pat Robertson will tell you, there can be no other reason for seismic activity than a vengeful deity. Gay marriage? The ACLU caravan coming to Sant ... More >>

OC Pioneers Who Were Klan Members: Albert O. Nelson, Placentia Constable

​Placentia usually gets the short shrift in the county's history, even though there was no city that had more of a plantation mentality at the height of King Citrus than this town. Most of the city was orange groves back in the day, with most of the Mexicans working as pickers and most of the gaba ... More >>

Where to Buy Tamales in Orange County this Christmas

​Because nothing exists on the Internet before three days ago, I'm reprinting a 2009 article I did on the best tamales in Orange County for the holidays--and I'm also ripping off a 2007 article I did on the same subject. I will also note that Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen and Taco María make great high ... More >>

Sobriety Checkpoint in Anaheim and Roving Patrols for Boozy Drivers in South County Tonight

​The Anaheim Police Department is holding a sobriety checkpoint tonight through early Saturday.Meanwhile, the Orange County Sheriff's Department has roving DUI patrols in some of the South County cities it patrols tonight.Check after the jump for the exact locations.

Host a Home Bible Study, Get Fined $500

​Hide yo' crosses, hide yo' Bibles?   A San Juan Capistrano couple has been ordered by the city to stop hosting a weekly Bible study unless they obtain the permit required for churches.  Homeowners Chuck and Stephanie Fromm have already been fined $300 for their gatherings, and city ... More >>

Letters From OC Weekly Readers

In-n-Out Demolishes Oldest Remaining Location to Build Museum Honoring Said Location

​The only gift Baldwin Park gave to the world was In-n-Out, and you know this to be so when its hometown paper, the San Gabriel Tribune, describes the chain's oldest-remaining location as the "city's most notable landmark." It hadn't been open since 2004, because In-n-Out officials had unveiled a ... More >>

'Sunday Night Chef Fights' Coming to Huntington Beach This Weekend

​This seems like it could be fun: Something called Sunday Night Chef Fights is coming to Huntington Beach--when else?--this Sunday night. Chefs. Fight. Yeah!

'Taste of San Juan Capistrano' Tomorrow

JC Vera​I was driving up from San Clemente, passing San Juan Capistrano, when I looked up and saw birds, a flock of them, and I swore they looked like swallows. They turned out to be seagulls (I'm not exactly National Audubon Society material), but it did remind me that the Mission's big event is ... More >>

TODAY: New Local Natives Perform Third Daytrotter Session

Johnnie Cluney​At this point in Daytrotter's love affair with Local Natives (who are we to talk, right?) we have to assume that this band is either extremely easy to draw as cartoons or their music is just good enough to earn them a third visit with Rock Island's cyber indie taste m ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Celebrate Your Freedom at a DUI Checkpoint

​UPDATE: Irvine PD reveals location of its checkpoint (detaIls after jump) . . .Is there a better way to celebrate your freedom than involuntarily stopping for a government enforced sobriety checkpoint?

Mitchell Basil Zogob, Insurance Broker Fraudster, Brokers 10 Years in Can

​A San Juan Capistrano insurance broker this week brokered a 10-year deal behind state prison bars after pleading guilty to grand theft and insurance fraud in a $4.6 million scheme involving false certificates of insurance being issued to four companies.Mitchell Basil Zogob, 51, worked as an insu ... More >>

Five Great OC Places to Buy Tamales for Christmas

Not a local brand, but who could possibly have a problem with a rockin' tamale?​Almost three years ago, I wrote up this round-up of the county's best places to get tamales. Rivera's is unfortunately closed, and I still don't understand why Central and South Americans prepare tamales (with the exce ... More >>

Crime Time: Is Tobias Fünke the "Blue Note Bandit"?

It's the Weekly's weekly crime round-up--now with more blatant Arrested Development imagery.Could Tobias Fünke be the "Blue Note Bandit" (Wednesday) or the man making "blown" offers (Thursday)?​TUESDAY, DEC. 1Nice Racks! After pulling over a silver 2004 Acura TL four-door at Newport Boulevard and ... More >>

Juaneno Chief's Wife Cha Cha Belardes Passes Away

Photo by John Gilhooley Chief David Belardes with tribal manager Joyce Perry of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians. ​When the Weekly was covering the conflict between Mission San Juan Capistrano and a faction of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians earlier this year, it appea ... More >>

On the Line: John Q Humphreys, Chef/Owner of Ramos House Café

​San Juan Cap's most famous eaterie has been home (literally) to Newport Beach native John Q Humphreys for the last 15 years. During that time it has built a reputation for low-key yet memorable grub, in particular a stellar brekkie/brunch. While succumbing to our inquisition, he gets fruity and v ... More >>

French 75 Laguna (née 75 Laguna) Chef Now Cooking in SJC

​Mitch Gillan, who was, until recently, the chef at French 75 in Laguna Beach, has updated us on where he is now in a comment made on my review of the restaurant. The meal I reviewed, coincidentally, turned out to be one of the last meals he cooked there.

Flier of the Week: Pop Noir, the Union Line at Detroit Bar

"If you want something done right, do it yourself." This adage seems to explain why Costa Mesa/LA's Pop Noir so often has such ridiculously cool show fliers; the band's brothers Luke and Joe McGarry, other than fronting one of our area's most fun (and stylish!) acts, are both accomplished illustrato ... More >>

Crime Time: Move Over, Trendzilla!

The must-have fashion accessory of the season for robbers in Irvine and San Juan Capistrano.It's the Weekly's weekly round-up of Orange County police calls . . . TUESDAY, JUNE 16Forest Firebug is a Pot Farm Exposer to Boot: Seven fires were ignited within a short distance of each other in Trabuco Ca ... More >>

[Sound Guy] SJC's the Union Line Have Gotten a Lot Done in a Little Time

To Do This Weekend 6/5 - 6/7

Paula Poundstone, Friday, 6 p.m.You probably recognize her name from NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me line up--or from watching early '90s stand up comedy videos (she's the one wearing the vests all the time), either way come and see this funny lady/stand-up comic/mother/writer perform at the Coach Ho ... More >>

[Special Screenings] Polish Film Festival, 'Battle In Seattle,' More

Belardes, Mission San Juan Capistrano Settle Lawsuit

Photo by Matt Coker The fountain gets to stay.Capistrano Dispatch reports the lawsuit pitting the Orange Diocese against Native Americans over a memorial garden installed above burial grounds at Mission San Juan Capistrano has been settled.The dispute produced a Weekly news story on the legal spat a ... More >>

It's a Quick Read 18: Gone Since Friday Edition

Orange County Register: Miss me? Great economic news! Pier 1 Imports will only close 80 or so stores, not the 125 anticipated originally. . . . The California Energy Commission is considering a ban on big screen televisions. It's not the pollution network programmers spew that is spur ... More >>

Orange Residents Gathering to Protest Gang Injunctions

A demonstration will be held in Orange Saturday to warn residents they could become victims of racial profiling by the city police department and gang injunctions by the county district attorney.Gang injunctions are similar to restraining orders courts issue to protect potential victims from someone ... More >>

Howard Ahmanson Jr. Only the Second Biggest Hater

Gustavo's pal Howard F. Ahmanson Jr. just missed the top spot on the Dishonor Roll published online by Californians Against Hate. The Knights of Columbus of New Haven, Conn., gave $1.425 million to the campaign for the same-sex-marriage-barring Prop. 8, while Howie only ponied up $1.395 million.Hey, ... More >>

We Can Do It!

Ladies of Lincoln's Era

Native American Saga, Part 2: So Many Bones, So Little Time

"Next is another fun item," joked Chairman Bill Mungary as the California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) moved on to the controversy surrounding remains unearthed on the mesa above the Bolsa Chica wetlands after a lengthy debate over the treatment of buried remains at Miss ... More >>

Ignacio Lujano Leaves the Swanner Ranch

To Do This Weekend 7/11 - 7/13

GOOD FOOT, Friday 9 p.m. Hop to the Good Foot and do the bad thing. Que Sera 1923 E. Seventh St. Long Beach CA 90813 562-599-6170 BAT WALK, Saturday 7:15 p.m. Fuck yes. Bring good walking shoes and a flashlight. Donna O'Neill Land Conservancy 28672 Ortega Hwy. San Juan Capistrano CA 92693 949-489-9 ... More >>

You're only an Indian if the government says so

Forget that the Juaneno Indians helped build Mission San Juan Capistrano, or that they had a very real and very different name (the Acjachemem) before the Spanish renamed them after the Mission, or that they've been around for 9,000 years. The federal government just ain't buyin' it. The blow came ... More >>

Haunted OC Hotspots

In honor of Halloween the OC Weekly has compiled a list of haunted Orange County locations courtesy the database of haunted places on Shadowlands.net. So take some time and have a read. Even if you don't believe in ghosts, at least you can learn about some local legends and scare yourself silly! M ... More >>

Turning tricks for Jesus

If you like the X Games but wish there was just a little more Christ in the house, the innocuously named Orange County Festival this Saturday in San Juan Capistrano might be right up your alley. In eight years of Catholic school, I never got to the part of the bible where Jesus hits the half pipe, b ... More >>

Surreal Estate

A short, strange trip up the winding road to the brand-new, landfill-adjacent San Juan Hills High

Soil to Soul

Orange County’s freshest farmers, farmers markets, food purveyors—and the chefs who love them

Emeralds

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh

Grub Guide

Orange Countys best damn dining guide

Grub Guide

Tasty morsels from the county's best damn dining guide

Grub Guide

A sampling of Orange County's best damn dining guide

This Week In Choo-Choo Chow

Orange County - The Quiz

Say it with Puppets

Dont say anything with jazz

Calgon, Take Me Away!

Five escapist eateries to make you forget our screwed-up world

Construction Cuisine

Navigating the asphalt jungle

Ghosts of Bodie

High school photographers capture the past and remind the future

Broken Records Act

New law could make it easier for you to find out where the bodies are buried