Everything tastes better with a little bit of cat hair, right? 😹💕 A post shared by Catmosphere Laguna (@catmosphere_laguna) on Jun 28, 2018 at 7:53pm PDT Catmosphere, a cafe where you can drink champagne and eat cheese plates and avocado toasts while you pet cats, has opened in Laguna Beach. All the cats are available […]
Wild Goose Tavern Owners Open Playa Mesa With the Sous Chef From Taco María in the Kitchen
The first thing I noticed upon walking into Playa Mesa was its pastel-colored warmth. Since I knew the restaurant was the latest from owners Mario Marovic and Andrew Gabriel—the partners responsible for the Country Club and Wild Goose Tavern—I wasn’t expecting it. Their style is more dark and slightly claustrophobic. In contrast, Playa Mesa feels […]
Now Open: Hug Life in Orange, Midori Matcha Cafe in Costa Mesa, and MORE!
When you can’t decide what toppings to get 😅 #huglifeicecream A post shared by Hug Life (@huglifeicecream) on Aug 13, 2018 at 12:39pm PDT Hug Life, the all-vegan establishment that serves house-made, dairy-free ice cream, has opened its second store in Orange. Flavors include Mango Chamoy and Vietnamese Coffee. 3505 Chapman Ave, Ste G, Orange, […]
Ooak Kitchen in Buena Park Offers Vegetarian Dim Sum
When people ask me where to find vegetarian dim sum, I tell them it’d be easier to locate an Indian steakhouse or a healthy KFC. Dim sum, by its nature, is not vegetarian. Even if you avoid all the usual dumplings that have pork and shrimp as main ingredients, you’d still encounter pork fat or […]
Now Open: Higo Chicken Peruvian Cuisine in La Habra and MORE
Anyone down with #ceviche ? Especially #peruvianceviche 👌🏼open tonight and tomorrow. 📸 @bermcannon #ocfoodies #sushi #lahabra #fullertonfoodies #losangeles A post shared by Higo Sushi (@higosushi) on Aug 4, 2018 at 5:05pm PDT The owner of Higo Sushi in La Habra has opened Higo Chicken Peruvian Cuisine which offers traditional pollo a la brasa and other […]
370 Common Chef’s ‘Fried Chicken Sundays’ Is Spun Off as Buttermilk Fried Chicken in Orange
It’s been around seven years since chef Ryan Adams shook up the Laguna Beach dining scene with family-style suppers at 370 Common. Called “Sunday Socials,” they were supposed to be evocative of meals at home, with everyone at the table and the TV off. On those nights, Adams and crew cooked only one main dish […]
Now Open: Toast Kitchen & Bakery in Costa Mesa and MORE!
not your average sausage egg mcmuffin. @bakerskneaded english muffin, @thechoriman poblano chorizo, sharp cheddar, roasted garlic aioli, sunny egg 🍳… available for brunch Tuesday through Sunday A post shared by Toast Kitchen & Bakery (@toastamesa) on Jul 25, 2018 at 10:01am PDT Toast Kitchen + Bakery, has opened in the old Golden Truffle spot in […]
Pan y Vino Brings Sangria and Spanish Tapas to Balboa Peninsula
Before going to Pan y Vino on Balboa Peninsula, it might be wise to consider the time of year. Right now, during the height of summer, this area can get as crowded as Disneyland on July 4. But since it’s located on a thin strip of land that has only one way in and one […]
The 10 Rules Of Being A Food Critic As Told To Me By Jonathan Gold – A Tribute By Edwin Goei
In 2007, I was lucky to land a job as OC Weekly’s restaurant reviewer. It was also the year that Jonathan Gold, at our then sister paper LA Weekly, won a Pulitzer Prize–the first ever for a food critic. As a sort of initiation for me, OC Weekly’s editor-in-chief at the time asked Mr. Gold […]
Now Open: TAPS Brewery & Barrel Room in Tustin and MORE!
TAPS Brewery & Barrel Room has opened in Tustin across the street from Orange County Rescue Mission. The 19,000-square-foot space is the first full-scale production brewery for TAPS, whose microbrews first gained acclaim at TAPS Fish House & Brewery in Brea. The new facility also houses a tasting room with vintage pinball and video game […]
JA Jiaozi in Irvine Stands Up to Inevitable Comparisons to Din Tai Fung
It’s hard to talk about JA Jiaozi without comparing it to Din Tai Fung. Outwardly, there are obvious similarities. Both give you a paper checklist onto which you scribble your order. Both focus on handmade dumplings, which are born from raw dough and crimped using nothing more than rolling pins, nimble fingers and patience. Heck, […]
Now Open: Left Coast Brewing in Irvine and MORE!
If you haven't had a chance yet to check out our new Tasting Room in Irvine, come by today. We open at 11am. #leftcoast #leftcoastbrewco #leftcoasttastingroom #leftcoastirvine #Irvine #drinklocal #smokehouse #distillery #brewhouse #handcrafted #bbq #barbecue #ribs #brisket #burntends #kansascitybbq #pulledpork A post shared by Left Coast Brewing Co (@leftcoastbrewco) on Jul 14, 2018 at 8:56am […]
Does Laguna Hills’ Le Peep Measure Up in a Town Ruled by Breakfast Champs the Snooty Fox and Break of Dawn?
It may be to Le Peep’s detriment that it opened in Laguna Hills, the territory of the Snooty Fox and Break of Dawn, both of which, in my opinion, have not only set the high bar for breakfast joints in Orange County, but also become indelible landmarks that designate this city to be more than […]
Now Open: KoJa Kitchen in Tustin, Pink’s in Brea, and MORE!
Our TUSTIN GRAND OPENING is taking place on July 14th at 11am! 🎉 We will be raffling off a NINTENDO SWITCH to the first 300 customers in line and giving ONE FREE KOJA to the first 100 in line! Who's joining us for awesome food and giveaways at our FIRST SoCal location? 🔥 #kojakitchen #kojakitchentustin […]
The Q Joint in Costa Mesa Smokes the Competition
In Texas, Missouri and Tennessee, barbecue tends to happen when you least expect it. You can be driving, minding your own business, when the aroma of brisket suddenly wafts into your open window. I’ve gone to those states specifically to eat barbecue at restaurants such as Pecan Lodge in Dallas’ Deep Ellum; Killen’s in Pearland, […]
Now Open: Playa Mesa in Costa Mesa and MORE!
Com Tam Thuan Kieu, the Little Saigon specialist of broken rice dishes, has opened Thuan Kieu Express in Lake Forest. The new restaurant takes the 7 toppings on their signature broken rice dish and adapts it to a Chipotle-style build-you-own plate concept. 22722 Lambert St, Ste 1704, Lake Forest, CA 92630 Chao Village, a Vietnamese […]
Grandpa’s Kitchen—Dry Noodles 168 Serves a Soupless Version of Pho
Grandpa’s Kitchen—Dry Noodles 168 has a dish I’ve neither seen nor tasted before in Little Saigon. On the menu, it’s called “Grandpa’s Dry Noodles,” but the Vietnamese translation, pho khô, reveals what it really is: the soupless version of pho. To put it another way, it’s a deconstruction of the noodle soup that has become […]
Now Open: Buttermilk Fried Chicken in Orange, Joon Shabu Shabu in Tustin, and MORE!
OPTIONS: Fried Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Strips + Smothered Tots. We got ‘em! #ButtermilkFC Photo: @nncie . . . . . . #friedchicken #cluckingdelicious #realfood #dryrubseasoned #smallbatch #oldtowneorange #buttermilkfriedchicken #oldtownorange #orangecircle #EEEEEATS #dailyfoodfeed #myfab5 #EatersAnonymous #Eater #OCWeekly #foodbeast #yelpoc #ocfoodies #EaterLA #InfatuationLA #f52grams #food52 #foodgps #thrillist A post shared by Buttermilk Fried Chicken (@buttermilkfriedchicken) on Jun […]
![[UPDATE: Owners Issue New Statement] Stricklands Ice Cream To Close; Landlord Chooses Not To Renew Lease](https://www.ocweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/stricklands-348x180.jpg)
[UPDATE: Owners Issue New Statement] Stricklands Ice Cream To Close; Landlord Chooses Not To Renew Lease
UPDATE: JUNE 26, 2018: The Weekly has received the following statement from Stricklands owners Randy and Donna Nettles for their customers. Dear Customers: Many of you already know that it is with deep regret (and shock!) that we have been informed by our landlord that they have decided not to renew our lease early next year. […]
Now Open: Another Kopan Ramen and MORE!
Enjoy Ramen & Sushi at one time #kopanramen #kopan #ramen🍜 #japanesenoodles #sushi🍣 #specialroll #fresh #poke #enjoy #delicious #appitizers #gyoza #takoyaki #일상 #먹스타그램💕 #맛스타그램 #푸드스타그램 #코판라면 A post shared by Kopan Ramen (@thekopanramen) on Jun 14, 2017 at 5:22pm PDT Kopan Ramen, which has multiple locations including branches in Fullerton and Rowland Heights, has opened a […]
Miss Shabu Brings the All-You-Can-Eat Shabu Shabu Experience to New Levels
I begin this review at the end, when our waiter, a chummy chap named Phil, dropped off the check and with it plastic cups of a sweet slushed-ice dessert called sikhye. I didn’t expect the icy treat, nor did I know it was part of Miss Shabu’s all-you-can-eat shabu shabu price, but after nearly two […]
