Forking Around With . . . Dr. Orly Taitz, Esq.


“Forking Around With . . .” is our occasional feature meant to spotlight the food likes and dislikes of people of prominence in Orange County.

Dr. Orly Taitz, the Rancho Santa Margarita attorney and dentist who is best known for her challenges of Barack Obama's eligibility for the presidency, is certainly prominent here in our red county.

She graciously took time from her busy caseload to share her thoughts on OC's food scene.

]


OC Weekly: What are your favorite restaurants in Orange County?


Orly Taitz: We love the ocean, and we go for walks by the

OCW: If you could snap your fingers and instantly have any dish delivered to you, what would it be?

OT: If I could snap my fingers and order something, it would be tart frozen yogurt with chocolate morsels.

OCW: Do you drink alcohol? If so, what's your favorite? If not, what do you drink with dinner?

OT: I rarely drink wine, as I work long hours and prefer to stay
alert. Maybe once a week, I would order a glass of white Zinfandel with
dinner.

OCW: If you could import any restaurant from anywhere else in the world to Orange County, what would it be? Why?[OT: This is a tough
question. I traveled a lot. I've been to some 45 countries and nearly 40
states in the U.S. Each place has something special to offer.

In my childhood, we used to visit Odessa, a Black Sea resort and
port. In the very heart of the city, there used to be a restaurant called Ukraina. It had large ovens in which [chefs] baked incredible Ukrainian
dishes. Those dishes were individually baked in little clay pots. Those
pots were covered with baked sourdough-bread crust. When you removed the
crust, you could enjoy the aroma of the dish, and it melted in your
mouth. The restaurant was near the famous Opera theater, which is
considered the third in the world after La Scala in Milano and the Vienna
opera. You could have an incredible evening on the town, which included
both incredible entertainment and a meal.

Unfortunately, due to the economic depression, our local Opera
Pacific closed its doors, so I would transplant both the restaurant and
the opera theater.

Another place I would transplant to OC is New Orleans, with its
incredible beignets in Café du Monde,
carnivals and great Cajun dishes practically on every corner. I
remember my husband and I found a small restaurant, a hole-in-the-wall
called Miss Ruby's. It had only a few tables; it was small in space,
but huge in taste. Chef Paul, of course, was quite a fixture. I decided
to try a few exotic dishes there and settled on frog legs, which tasted
like a cross between fish and chicken (quite appropriate for its
evolutionary standing). My husband didn't care much for my choice of food and threatened that he would not kiss me again if I eat
frog legs. Oh, well, the threat lasted for about 10 minutes or so. . . . 

OCW: What one food would you banish from Orange County if you could?

OT: I would not ban anything from the OC. The beauty of OC is in a
blend of cultures and traditions, which includes the blend of dishes and
cuisines.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *