Shaken not stirred; photo courtesy A Restaurant Six years after we interviewed Chef Jon Blackford of A Restaurant, we found ourselves back in the plush dining room for a conversation with chef. And while we spent a good portion of our interview exchanging dining experiences, our main reason for meeting was to discuss his upcoming concept, […]
Corona del Mar
Feds Seek Ownership of Drug Kingpin's Cash Seized in Corona del Mar
FBI agents, CIA operatives and Delta Force soldiers surveil Mexican drug cartel bosses and employ extra-legal methods to secretly aid more pro-American narcotics traffickers win a larger slice of the multi-billion-dollar annual enterprise in the 2015 award-winning flick Sicario. Hollywood is terrific at dramatizing fictional crime thrillers, but here on Orange County’s streets—even in its […]
On the Line: Rich Mead Of Farmhouse, Part Two
If you haven't stopped by Roger's Gardens lately, you'll soon have a reason to. Rich Mead's Farmhouse concept is taking shape as we head into the holiday season. Stay for a spell and get to know him in today's installment. My interview with Rich began yesterday, so catch up over here. When you're ready to […]
On the Line: Rich Mead Of Farmhouse, Part One
One of the many friends of The Ecology Center, I met Rich Mead a couple of months ago while attending an event there. You may recognize Mead's name from two of his previous eateries, Sage and Sage on the Coast. Rich's newest project, Farmhouse, is in the development stage over at Roger's Gardens. His background […]
On the Line: Brian Huskey of Tackle Box, Part Two
Brian Huskey's oceanfront property melds calming waves with casual eats in Corona del Mar. Today's installment focuses on travel, Titan and tennis. Learn about the chef who said, "No fire, no heat. No heat, no life." over in part one. And then find out what he's referring to below. Tell us something most people don't […]
On the Line: Brian Huskey of Tackle Box, Part One
Back in June, I broke the news of Top Chef alum Brian Huskey's move to Orange County. Setting up shop in Corona del Mar, he's changing the way diners eat at the beach. I spent a lunch hour attacking the menu and learning more about Tackle Box's big picture. You're making breakfast. What are you […]
Top Chef Alum Prepares To Launch Tackle Box In Corona del Mar
Placing an eatery by the water can be a tricky investment. Ideal conditions are a likeable concept, prices that don't break the bank and blue skies with perfect waves. Former Top Chef: New Orleans contestant Brian Huskey is about to take the plunge, officially opening Tackle Box – Local Grub Shack next month. Situated at […]
Mangia, Mangia Pirozzi's Meatballs
I'm pretty sure I've not had a meatball as scrumptious or as soft as the ones Alessandro Pirozzi is serving at Pirozzi, his new restaurant in Corona del Mar. And I don't know why it took me this long to try them. After all, I've been to all of his restaurants: Mare Culinary Lounge at […]
Fireside Tavern Needs No Reservations
We'd made reservations for Fireside Tavern—tucked inside the Crowne Plaza across the freeway from South Coast Plaza—but we didn't actually need one. Aside from the two traveling businessmen who'd just checked in at the front desk and were making a beeline toward the bar, we were the only customers there at 7 o'clock on a […]
Chris Epting Is Burning for a Fight
Chris Epting is the first person to admit he's an unlikely muckraker. The Huntington Beach resident has published 19 books, almost all on pop culture (he's working on a Def Leppard tome right now), Orange County history or baseball. His column for the Huntington Beach Independent, In the Pipeline, is a well-read weekly take on […]
Tomoo Kawai, Accused Dirty Diaper Dumper, Arraigned
Police and prosecutors believe a wealthy Newport Coast resident being arraigned this morning is the dirty diaper dumper of North Coast Highway. Tomoo Kawai, 68, faces a misdemeanor count of disposing of prohibited material–which in this case would be soiled adult diapers that have polluted the thoroughfare between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach for months. […]
Sun Sets on Newport Beach Having the Most Expensive Zip Code
It should surprise no one that four of the five most expensive zip codes in Orange County are in Newport Beach, but the fact none in Newps took the top spot may cause some to pause. The location of the most expensive zip code, based on median sales prices, is after the jump . . […]
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[UPDATED with Dumper Caught?] Dirty Diapers Raise Stink in Corona del Mar
See Update No. 2 at the end of this post about police possibly apprehending the dirty diaper dumper. See Update No. 1 about East Coast Highway's dirty diaper pile rising. ORIGINAL POST, SEPT. 6, 6:06 A.M.: You may think living in Corona del Mar is the shit, but a serial dirty diaper dumper has literally […]
Joseph G. Cavallo, Haidl Gang Rape Lawyer, Wins Personal Corruption Case Dismissal
It wasn't too many years ago when Joseph G. Cavallo was one of Orange County's most well-connected criminal defense lawyers. Cavallo's close, power-hungry pals included Sheriff Mike Carona as well as assistant sheriff George Jaramillo and Don Haidl. But that dream team began to collapse after Cavallo represented Haidl's son Greg in what infamously became […]
Tiger Woods Loses $500k Unloading Corona del Mar Condo
Tournament purses are not the only thing shrinking for Tiger Woods these days. The former top golfer in the world recently got $2.2 million for a Corona del Mar condominium for which he originally paid $500,000 more. That's more than Woods, whose last win of a Major was the 2008 U.S. Open, got for finishing […]
Mangi Con Amore Is a Fellini Fantasy Come True
Mangi Con Amore looks, feels and sounds as though it's an imposter. A checkercloth-style Italian restaurant in Laguna Niguel. Owner Stella Jahandin has a husky voice straight out of a wedding scene in a Fellini film. Dino and other Italian-American crooners play on the stereo. Ravioli, paninis and subs are on the menu. Wine and […]
![Port Theatre Goes Dark for the [M]asses Again](https://www.ocweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/6450437_port_theater_square-292x180.jpg)
Port Theatre Goes Dark for the [M]asses Again
The new old Port Theatre of Corona del Mar is ready to have the butts of locals fill its seats again. Opened in 1950 along Pacific Coast Highway and closed for the past 14 years, the Port opens to the public Friday with a slate of films including Bernie, First Position and Safety Not Guaranteed, […]
Barack Obama and Orange County's Unfriendly Skies
Since Barack Obama will inevitably be venturing back into Southern California to revisit the Hollywood ATM machine during his presidential reelection bid, the military should just keep F-16 fighter jets in the air over Orange County full-time. For a second straight visit by The Chosen One, a small plane pilot was forced out of restricted […]
Orange County “Wealth Coach” Sentenced To Federal Prison For Running $25 Million Scam
Thanks in part to licenses to practice law and mortgage brokering in California, Gerald Lawrence Wolfe once boasted that he and his wife enjoyed monthly income that topped $150,000. Wolfe, 42, bragged so much about his financial acumen that he confidently presented himself as a “Wealth Coach” with a “dynamic” and “entertaining” personality that won […]
Love Clinic Coming to Corona del Mar
You gentle readers in need of sexual healing are in luck. The Love Clinic is having a grand opening in Corona del Mar on May 26 and May 27, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Ann Love (aww, that's awesome!), a behavioral therapist from Arlington, Texas, founded the clinic, and she promises to give a […]
President Barack Obama Set to Land in Bitter Enemy Terrority–Orange County
Under intense security, Air Force One and Barack Obama landed late this afternoon at Los Angeles International Airport for the president's ninth trip to Southern California and, during a series of fund-raising events, touted his administration's accomplishments, including a repeal of “Don't Ask; Don't Tell.” Obama also blasted Republicans for favoring the ultra-rich. Republicans are […]
