It seems cruel to lose one of Southern California’s best pitmasters just as barbecue season is heating up, but Bigmista’s Barbecue and Sammich Shop closed for good July 1 in the same manner as it lived—on its own damn terms. Since 2004, Neil Strawder (a.k.a. Big Mista) has been a fixture in the California barbecue […]
Newsletter - Food
OC Movers & Shakers: Summer Edition, Part Two
What a difference a month makes! We are pleased as spiked punch to share all the good news. From Fullerton to Laguna, we cruised around Orange County for your dining pleasure. OC Wine Mart – Orange Julie Lim’s local brand for all your self-pour wine bar desires, she already has storefronts in Yorba Linda […]
Eat This and Drink This Now: Bourbon Steak’s Martini Cart
Most articles about the martini start off with some tired James Bond/Don Draper reference, but here in Orange County, the real star is no doubt Lucille Bluth from the-rescued-by-Netflix Arrested Development. If the narcissistic matriarch were to experience Bourbon Steak’s tableside martini cart, she would undoubtedly roll her eyes, making some snide joke that she […]
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 […]
Braupakt, Our World Cup Beer of the Week!
Nothing can bring the world together like sports…well, nothing except for the appreciation for a well-crafted beer. When Sierra Nevada’s Scott Jennings collaborated with the oldest brewery in the world, his approach was to focus on what each does best: lean on tradition, and when in doubt, add more hops! Weihenstephaner’s (pronounced why-hen-steph-on-er) Braupakt is a […]
What the Ale! Stereo Brewing’s Summer Tour
Stereophonic beer: It’s not necessarily an idea, but rather a way of life at this hi-fidelity brewery in Placentia, where the vinyl records only stop spinning long enough to put on a fresh one , and the beer never seems to stop flowing. I met co-owner/brewer Rick Smets at Noble Ale Works’ second-anniversary party in […]
Wok N Roll Is the Long Beach Chinese Takeout Spot Bourdain Would Have Wanted
There’s an episode of Parts Unknown in which the late Anthony Bourdain explores a pre-Harvey Houston through the lens of its growing diversity. To view it as a landing point for newcomers from around the world, Bourdain insisted that the episode not include any white Texans; instead, he stops at a packed Indian grocery store, […]
Eat and Drink This Now! Cucina Enoteca’s All New Cocktail Menu
A good bartender is like the most trusted hair stylists: They have similar aprons, and sometimes that boost of confidence you get with a great drink can be matched with getting a spiffy haircut. When you find the right bar/hair person, it’s sort of a match made for life. And if they leave their job, […]
Unsung Brewing Sylvan IPA, Our Beer of the Week!
I’m not sure how many superheroes come back from the dead, but when I saw Unsung’s O.G. Sylvan IPA on tap at Anaheim’s Promenade Pub, I felt like my infinity gauntlet of beer just got the final jewel and I took control of time. You see, Sylvan was one of Unsung’s first beers, and to […]
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 […]
What the Ale! Estrella Jalisco and Golden Road’s Mango Michelada
With my head throbbing one fine Sunday morning, I walked the chubby chihuahua to the local Anaheim bodega (which ironically is in No Doubt’s Sunday Morning video) to pick up the fixins to make my favorite hangover cure: a spicy michelada. “You’re into craft beer, right?” asks the older guy behind the counter, TV blasting the […]
Windsor Bottle Shop Anniversary Sale – Our Beer(s) of the Week!
There are very few beers I’m willing to wait in line for. For every hypetrain in our local area, there are just as many hidden gems worth discovering. Whether you’re just beer curious, still falling into craft beer purgatory, or beer satan himself, there are several levels in Dante’s Inferno when it comes to buying bottles. […]
![[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. […]
Del Frisco’s Grille’s Updated Brunch Is a John Hughes Movie
Sometimes a movie title has very little to do with the film, other than a casual reference. As we recovered from our weekend feast at Del Frisco’s Grille, we made our own connection between brunch and a Saturday-morning breakfast back in ’84. Did we mention we love John Hughes’ high-school-set movies? The Princess/Claire Standish: […]
Now Open: Ja Jiaozi in Irvine and MORE!
Craftsman Pizza of Placentia has opened a second location in Anaheim. 5645 E La Palma Ave, Anaheim, CA 92807 The first American location of Ja Jiaozi, a Chinese dumpling chain, has opened at The Market Place in Irvine. The 2,954 square foot space has a menu that includes a signature dumpling with pork, dried shrimp […]
OC Cheesecake Factory Restaurants Dinged in $4.5 Million Wage Theft Case
What’s a more staggering number for the Cheesecake Factory than the calorie bomb counts of its namesake desserts? $4.57 million! That’s how much the state of California announced yesterday that it’s holding the company and its subcontractor liable following a three-year wage theft investigation that targeted a number of restaurants in Orange County. The Cheesecake […]
Offshoot Beer Co Relax: Our Beer of the Week!
Still dark in the wee hours of the morning, the sound of my phone vibrating on my nightstand brought me to a gasp. As my phone’s ‘do not disturb’ is set to my immediate family only to ring when enabled, I knew the call was something serious. “Honey, Anthony is dead,” said my out-of-town wife. […]
Finding Heaven at the BrewHouse: What the Ale!
South Orange County has established itself as a mecca for award-winning brews, and now there’s a brew-pub spotlighting a rotating menu of local and hard-to-find craft beers. On a recent visit to the BrewHouse SJC, as I sampled some brews from visiting vendor Firestone Walker, I found myself wondering, as though I were in the […]
On the Line: Rolando Rubalcava of Playa Mesa
It was over five years ago when I met and became acquainted with Roland(o) Rubalcava. Much has happened since our initial interview: marriage, changing jobs, fatherhood, etc. With Playa Mesa gearing up to open, another chapter is starting in Chef Rubalcava’s professional life. I gladly took the opportunity to check-in with Rolando and see what’s […]
Eat This Now: Popcorn Shrimp Tacos at Memphis Soul Cafe
Ever since executive chef Diego Velasco began cooking food at Costa Mesa’s Memphis Soul Cafe, I’ve been eating one of his most tastiest creations—the popcorn shrimp tacos—at the rate of about one or two times per week. I have always been a fan of Baja-style shrimp tacos, but Diego’s ingenious twist on the classic Mexican […]
Now Open: Maison de Pho in Mission Viejo and MORE!
Foothill Ranch’s Maison de Pho has expanded to Mission Viejo. The menu features the noodle soup, rice dishes, stir-fried noodles, and egg rolls. 26861 Trabuco Rd De, Ste D&E, Mission Viejo, CA 92691 HOK Pizza & Stuffed Potatoes has opened in Lake Forest in the space that used to be Pizza Studio. Specialties include […]