Orange Coast Magazine- March 2022

PICKLEBALL

TUSTIN DESIGNER

Sport explodes in popularity

Regina Oswald’s timeless style

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OUTPATIENT PROSTATE CANCER SURGERY. FASTER RECOVERY. MORE TIME WELL SPENT. With top experts in prostate cancer treatment, UCI Health performs innovative outpatient prostate cancer surgery, giving you more time with those who matter most.

To learn more, visit ucihealth.org/prostate Schedule a consultation today.

714-456-7005

NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center

UCI Health

Bringing Healthcare Home

Advances in technology have long made remote monitoring and virtual healthcare possible, even optimal for some patients and conditions.

N

ot until the COVID-19 pandemic, however, have patients begun to connect with their health providers from the comfort of home.

As consumers rethink how they want to receive medical care, UCI Health is taking steps to deliver a better, more cost-effective patient experience from home to hospital and back, says Chad Lefteris, chief executive officer of UCI Health, Orange County’s only academic medical system.

UCI Health is the first California health system to partner with DispatchHealth to offer same-day, in-home care.

DispatchHealth is the nation’s premier provider of comprehensive, top-quality home medical care.

ensures continuity of medical care and helps get patients back to their primary care physician or community specialist.

“This helps us meet our patients where they are and where they want to receive care — in their homes,” says Susanna Rustad, executive director of virtual care for UCI Health.

Dispatch Health teams are equipped to treat common as well as complex injuries and illnesses, including: • Bronchitis • Croup • Diarrhea, nausea or vomiting • Headache or migraine

DispatchHealth mobile teams now provide acute and advanced home care for many conditions that might otherwise require a visit to an emergency room or hospital.

• Respiratory infections

Patients at high risk of readmission also get a proactive home check within the first 72 hours of their hospital discharge.

Known as bridge care, this service

• Strains, sprains and minor fractures

• Pneumonia • Shortness of breath with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

DispatchHealth — which delivers care seven days a week, including evenings and holidays — partners with most major insurers. Its out-of-pocket costs are often the same as a visit to an innetwork urgent care center.

“We are investing in partners and building bold programs that make use of innovative ideas and capabilities to deliver remarkable patient experiences and convenience, simplifying and redefining healthcare in the process,” Rustad says.

“We want to treat each patient at the right level of care, in the right place, in a high-quality, safe and sustainable way by offering a new spectrum of in-home care options.”

UCI Health DispatchHealth services are available from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, including holidays. Call 949-594-0447 or visit ucihealth.org/inhomecare to learn more.

• Urinary tract infections ucihealth.org/inhomecare

The new chapter of healthcare begins here

At UCI Health, we don’t just practice medicine, we create it. Now we are writing the next chapter for healthcare in Orange County.

With UCI Medical Center — Irvine, UCI Health will bring our patients unparalleled expertise, leading-edge treatments and the finest evidence-based care that only an academic medical system can offer.

The 800,000-square-foot medical campus will be anchored by a state-of-the-art hospital, which will offer 24-hour emergency care and personalized cancer treatments, including hundreds of clinical trials by our NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. Our world-renowned experts will also deliver exceptional care in other specialties, such as digestive diseases, neurosciences and orthopaedics, all powered by the University of California. We stop at nothing to build a healthier tomorrow.

Learn more at ucihealth.org/irvinehospital

UCI Health

NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center

Every life story is different and every space holds opportunity. We design custom solutions for the whole home. Like life, no two are the same.

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Michelle Adams & Rufus Grand Rapids, MI

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Wardrobe custom designed

by California Closets

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5/24/21 3:43 PM

Tingting Tan, M.D., Ph.D., Lung Cancer Specialist

WORLD-RENOWNED EXPERTS IN TREATING LUNG CANCER People diagnosed with lung cancer have cause for hope, and one of the best reasons is the expertise offered

by Tingting Tan, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Tan is an internationally renowned medical oncologist who is making lung cancer more treatable.

“Breakthroughs in lung cancer research and treatment offer new options that are reducing symptoms and extending and saving lives,” says Dr. Tan, who practices at City of Hope Newport Beach Fashion Island. “Immunotherapy, genetic testing, and ultraprecise radiation therapy are just a few of the advances that are vastly improving outcomes.”

For Dr. Tan, her interest in medicine began when she was “that kid” who studied frogs, spiders, fish – just about every living creature. This fascination evolved into human biology studies and,

eventually, a desire to find solutions to complex medical issues.

Now, she is part of a team advancing world-renowned cancer research and treatment. She is one of more than 400 City of Hope physicians and 1,000 researchers and scientists focused on only one thing: ending cancer.

THE FUTURE IS HOPE Dr. Tan is renowned for her breakthrough research that has resulted in a better understanding of how tumors function and why certain ones are resistant to chemotherapy. She provides exceptional and compassionate care to her patients, whom she calls her family.

What gives Dr. Tan the most satisfaction is assisting her patients. “I’m a good listener and enthusiastic patient educator,” she says. “I believe that’s

essential for being a good physician.”

Additionally, Dr. Tan advocates for patient participation in clinical trials.

These innovative studies provide leadingedge therapies before they become widely available and often lead to excellent outcomes.

“Many of today’s most effective lung cancer treatments are the result of patients volunteering to participate in a clinical trial conducted by highly specialized clinicians and scientists,” she says.

Dr. Tan says she has found her home at City of Hope, where physicians and staff provide compassionate care throughout the cancer journey. “We’re a family,” she says. “Everyone comes together with one single goal – to fight cancer and to win.

I’m very proud of the work we do.”

TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AT ANY OF OUR FOUR ORANGE COUNTY LOCATIONS, CALL: Newport Beach Fashion Island (949) 763-2204

Newport Beach Lido (949) 999-1400

Huntington Beach (714) 252-9415

Irvine Sand Canyon (949) 333-7580

WE’RE COMING FOR YOU, CANCER

We won’t rest until we’ve defeated cancer, once and for all. City of Hope is advancing world-renowned cancer treatment and research by establishing a National Cancer Institute-designated campus in Orange County. Our more than 400 physicians and 1,000 scientists and researchers focus on only one thing – ending cancer. We offer more than 1,000 clinical trials each year and breakthrough treatment options, all delivered by a compassionate team of experts who take your hand and never let go.

CityofHope.org/OC

COH - P-AD - Orange Coast 03-Mar 2022 - Kim Coming for Cancer_FINAL-.indd 1

Edward S. Kim, M.D., M.B.A., Physician-in-Chief, City of Hope Orange County

Nationally recognized advocate for expanding access to lifesaving clinical trials

© 2022 City of Hope

Cancer doesn’t stand a chance. The future is hope, in Orange County.

1/28/22 9:33 AM

Tɦҽ Poppy Ԑsʈaʈҽ 321 POPPY, CORONA DEL MAR A picture of elegance and grace, the newly remodeled "Poppy Estate" offers the ultimate in stately, indoor-outdoor living on an approx 45-foot wide lot in the Village. A series of French doors connects interior spaces to expansive new "IPE" wood decking designed for outdoor entertainment, and a second outdoor courtyard with in-ground spa surrounded with lush privacy landscaping. The estate boasts six bedrooms, (plus an office), a large TV/game room, formal dining room, living room with marble fireplace

and soaring beamed and coffered ceilings, an adjacent formal seating parlor, a premier kitchen with dual ovens, Sub-Zero refrigerator and a cozy breakfast nook with direct access to spa courtyard. Additional highlights include lushlylandscaped front yard with spacious porch; new white oak wood flooring; an office with chilled wine closet; main floor en suite bedroom; and a viewing balcony with serene panoramas of the Pacific Ocean and Pelican Hill golf course.

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COLDWELL BANKER REALTY | Not intended as a solicitation if your property is already listed by another broker. The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2022 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of

6 BEDROOMS 4 BATHS APPROX 3,352 SQ FT APPROX 45 FT WIDE LOT $5,995,000

See more at ThePoppyEstate.com

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Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and 26837669 the Equal Opportunity Act.

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The brand that defines luxury.

As an exclusive Orange County affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, First Team is distinguished as best in class. Together, we bring the most desired luxury homes to the world’s most discerning buyers. Christie’s International Real Estate commands recognition among high-net-worth buyers and sellers worldwide and is the noted authority on the marketing of high-value properties. Our finely-tuned suite of programs provides a world-class showcase for distinguished homes, and our clients benefit from ties to the world’s leading art business and its worldwide real estate network.

Discover the advantages of partnering with our worldwide network at FirstTeam.com/Luxury. © First Team® Real Estate. All rights reserved.

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MARCH 86

KICKASS WOMEN 2022

The women we’ve chosen for our second edition of this feature live up to the term: powerful, spectacular, and impressive. They’re but a sampling of the leaders in our community doing amazing work in many areas, and they show off the best of Orange County.

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“It’s important to acknowledge that what we’re doing to the environment (is) impacting us on different levels and potentially creating the next mental health crisis that we’re not prepared to handle.”

—RACHAEL COCCIA, PL ASTIC POLLUTION MANAGER FOR SURFRIDER FOUNDATION, PICTURED WITH ANGEL A HOWE (LEFT), SURFRIDER’S LEGAL DIRECTOR

PASSION FOR PICKLEBALL

The pandemic increased the sport’s popularity in Orange County and across the U.S.

BY MILES CORWIN

O N T HE COV ER

Cover graphic by Andrew Hart

12 ORA NGE CO A ST • March 2022

photograph by E M I LY J . D AV I S

New Year New Kitchen

Scan the QR code to schedule an appointment with one of our expert showroom consultants.

SCHEDULE A SHOWROOM APPOINTMENT 655 Anton Boulevard | Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Saturdays 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | subzerosocal.com/costamesa

MARCH 30

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EDITOR’S LET TER PEOPLE & PL ACES A waterfall in Black Star Canyon ’HOODS Hopping around Anaheim PERFECT G E TAWAY Temecula is the perfect wine-tasting escape.

C U LT U R E P H I L E Marytza K. Rubio makes her literary debut.

O.C . E VENT S Women in jazz, American Ballet Theatre, and more ST YLE & HOME A vintage Wassily replica chair from Dana Point

14 ORA NGE CO AST • March 2022

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SOURCED Local vintage pieces for your home

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FOOD TRENDS New bakeries are on the rise.

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S T Y L E TA L K Regina Oswald discusses her timeless designs.

69

MY O.C .

The demise of pantyhose

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FINDS Dress in sunny colors this season.

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ON THE MARKET A home with a woman’s retreat in San Juan Capistrano

RITUAL S A group of cyclists on clunkers and cruisers make noise and friends during the pandemic.

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FOOD & DRINK Roxy’z in Anaheim is a stunning departure from family tradition.

DINING GUIDE Many of our 200plus reviews, plus a spotlight on FernetBranca cocktails at Glasspar in Dana Point

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5 QUESTIONS WITH ...

Carla Arce of O Sea in Orange

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PERSON OF INTEREST Lori Irby and her foster kitt ens bring comfort to seniors.

WEB EXT RA S

Cathy Thomas shows how to take the guesswork, and most of the real work, out of making a scrumptious apple pie. orangecoast.com /cathythomas A local family opens an axe-throwing experience in Huntington Beach. orangecoast.com/stumpys St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations in O.C. orangecoast.com /stpatricksday2022

@ORANGECOASTMAG

photograph by E M I LY J . D AV I S

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1/24/22

4:26 PM

MARCH

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONS IN THIS ISSUE

45

Summer Fun Guide

46 47 48 49 50

Festival of Arts Ocean Institute Casa Romantica PBS SoCal Segerstrom Center for the Arts

59

OC Restaurant Week

60-65 Restaurant Listings 66 San Simeon Wines Wine & Dine Map 67

75

Power Women

76

Michelle Harrington, COO & Hila Pooli, General Counsel First Team Real Estate

77

AJ Whitfield, Villa Real Estate

78

Dr. Wendy Marshall, Ocean Institute

79

Kathleen Monroe, Luxury Coastal Realty

80

Jane Kakkis, MD / Julia Kakkis

81

Andrea Parada, URBANA Mexican Gastronomy + Mixology

82

Mary Vachon, Union Bank

83

Elizabeth Nigro, CFLS, Certified Family Law Specialist

83

Candace Howe, MD, OBGYN, FACOG / Marina Maslovaric, MD, OB/GYN, FACOG

84

Candice-Lee Silver, Pacific Platinum Properties, Inc.

84

Annie Del Rio, Yogurt Glamour

85

Geraldine Ly, ESQ

85

Bronwyn Gorman, Decorating Den Interiors

107 Health & Wellness 109 Rocket Science Fitness 110-111Belmont Village 112 A Perfect Fit 112 AJ Dickens / Bikini Fit Club 113 Resource Guide Directory

OC Scene 54

16 Ora nge C o ast • March 2022

Women of Chapman Luncheon

Orange County’s Premier Litigation Firm Orange County’s Premier Litigation Firm Orange County’s Premier Litigation Firm

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Experience Matters – 28 World Class Litigation Attorneys eDWaRD SUSOliK eDWaRD

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EDITOR’S LETTER

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elcome to our second edition of Kickass Women, just in time for International Women’s Day (March 8) and Women’s History Month. What better occasion to highlight more amazing women in our midst? Yes, we do some of that in every issue, but the impact of seeing so many together always moves me (Page 86).

So how did we choose? We sought advice from women we admire and trust, we asked the original honorees for their recommendations, and we combed the community for suggestions.

The result is a gathering of advocates, artists, and athletes; educators and entrepreneurs; leaders of all ages in various fields doing creative and exhilarating work right here in Orange County. This story requires more coordination and reporting than most of our other cover topics, but it’s also one of my favorites because of the connections that get made. It’s fun to meet successful women and learn what drives them. (It’s much less fun trying to condense all of their accolades and accomplishments into a few hundred words!)

We share common interests or discover we know the same people. And our county of 3 million-plus gets a little smaller and more intimate.

Of course, there are thousands of local women who could be on this list, and we’ll do more of these stories in the years to come. For now, take a moment to read about some people you might know and others you would like to get to know. We hope they will inspire you with their passion, their dedication, their expertise, and, most of all, their commitment to making Orange County better.

MS. AL AN GIBBONS

E D I T O R-I N- C H I E F

A G I B B O N S @ O R A N G E C O A S T.C O M

M Y F AV O R I T E T H I N G S I N T H I S I S S U E Alexis J Roston, Brit Bennett, Stacey Kent, plus an all-female tribute to the pioneering women in jazz: a kickass lineup of events this month.

PA G E 32

18 ORA NGE C O AST • March 2022

I’m all about these sunny colors to brighten up a spring wardrobe.

PA G E 42

Cheers to the hundreds of folks gathering to ride clunkers every week as an escape.

PA G E 72

It seems like everyone I know is obsessed with pickleball now—neighbors, friends, even some of our writers!

PA G E 100

illustration by M A R T H A N A P I E R

EXPLORE

Bar Louie NOW Casa Del Sol OPEN Cocina Mexicana J Zhou Lucille’s BBQ Luna Rossa Prego Restaurant RA Sushi Red Robin Thai Bamboo The Winery Restaurant The Yellow Chilli Union Market Utopia Caffe

COMING SOON Baked Dessert Bar Fast Hot Pot Rakkan Ramen Sal’s Pizzeria Yomies Yogurt

TheDistrictTL.com @DistrictTustin

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EASY ACCESS OFF TUSTIN RANCH ROAD, NEAR BARRANCA IN TUSTIN Photo: Roasted Chicken served with Gnocchi at The Winery Restaurant

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20 ORA NGE CO AST • March 2022

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COMING SOON

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• GOOD TIMES • morongocasinoresort.com

PEOPLE

PLACES

IN PL AIN SIGHT  T H E S C E N E This hidden waterfall is a prize awaiting those who trek the rugged Black Star Canyon Falls trail in Silverado.  G E T T I N G T H E R E Hike the 6.7-mile path (rated difficult by alltrails.com) this season for the best chance at waterfall views.  E X P L O R E R C R E D I T Takoune Norasingh @theasianstoner1  G E T T H E S H O T “ Seeing Black Star Canyon Falls this full is a rarity, so be sure to put on some hiking boots the next time we get rain!”

33°42'52.2"N 117°39'18.73"W

March 2022 • OR A NGE C OAST 25

PEOPLE

PLACES ’ H O O D S

U P-A N D - C O M E R

Everywhere you look in downtown ANAHEIM, there’s a new spot to eat, drink, or shop. by Robin Jones

Ú G O O D TO KN OW

Eco Now offers everything from reusable straws to bulk refills.

You can shop online with free shipping on orders of $50 or more.

E CO N OW

PROME N A D E PIZ Z A

Glass and aluminum refillable containers, plus a variety of plant-based, locally sourced soaps, detergents, and cleaning products to fill them with, dominate the shelves at this zero-waste shop. Like the original location in Costa Mesa, it also stocks all kinds of other eco-friendly products—from basic mesh produce bags to wool sponges, hemp cat toys, and unbleached diaper cloths—in a well-organized, warmly lit space. 207 W. CENTER

Ultra-fresh toppings and house-made dough take the pizzas at this takeout spot on the Center Street Promenade to the next level: The vegetarian pie ($11 to $16), for instance, is smothered in fresh bell peppers, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, red onion, and whole basil leaves.

Unexpected options include the tikka pizza, with chicken or paneer and creamy garlic sauce, mozzarella, roasted red bell peppers, scallions, and cilantro ($12 to $19). 179 W. CENTER ST.

The spacious patio and bright, cheerful dining room draw plenty of diners to the Texasstyle barbecue restaurant, which opened in October. But the smoked meats—brisket, short rib, rack of lamb, pastrami, and turkey—grab the spotlight.

Order them in tacos and burritos ($13 to $20), in sandwiches ($11 to $31), or on their own with sides such as street corn and waffle fries ($5 to $7). Pair with the creative (and cleverly named) cocktails. 195 W. CENTER

PROMENADE, 714-603-7365

ST. PROMENADE, 714-603-7194

26 O RA NGE CO A ST • March 2022

ST. PROMENADE, 714-603-7980

CR A F T BY SMO KE A N D FIR E

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ECO NOW

MO N KI S H B R E WIN G The popular Torrance brewery known for its IPAs opened its second location in the former Anaheim Brewery space in December. The rotating taps—set up in front of huge windows that offer a glimpse of the brewery’s gleaming metal tanks—always include a few juicy, fruity hazy IPAs with colorful names such as Never Sleep and Glitter Yellow Hop, along with other Belgian-style brews like the Feminist, a tripel made with hibiscus. 336 S. ANAHEIM BLVD.

International Award-Winning Author

Connie Spenuzza, MS Ed.

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2022

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AVAILABLE AT ALL BOOK SELLERS

www.ConnieSpenuzza.com

PLACES

P E R F E C T

G E T A W A Y

TE M E CU L A’ S WI N E CO U NTRY A wine-tasting getaway is closer than you think. by Alan Gibbons

28 ORA NGE C O AST • March 2022

PAT I O P E R F E C T

Launched in 2015, Carter Estate Winery and Resort is the perfect option for a serene stay. With 60 bungalows—including 18 two-bedroom, two-bathroom suites—the award-winning resort ensures you have everything you need to relax: soaking tubs, spacious showers, in-room fireplaces, and a private patio overlooking the vineyards ($233 and up).

There’s a free shuttle to sister property South Coast Winery Resort & Spa. Head there for an elaborate dinner at Vineyard Rose or a treatment at GrapeSeed Spa.

TRANQUILITY ABOUNDS

Spread out on 300 acres of rolling hills, manicured greens, and lovely oak trees, Temecula Creek Inn provides plenty of space and a quaint and quiet home base for wine tasting. The secluded property includes 130 guest rooms ($175 and up), which have patios or balconies overlooking lush landscape and a 27-hole golf course. The resort is pet friendly and offers free transportation to its ABOVE Sitting on the patio at Carter Estate Winery and Resort is a lovely way to start and finish the day.

P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F C A R T E R E S TAT E W I N E R Y A N D R E S O R T

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inemakers in Temecula have gotten more sophisticated and abundant in recent years, and people are noticing. Wine Enthusiast magazine named the city one of the 10 best wine travel destinations in 2019.

Warm-weather grapes such as sangiovese and tempranillo do very well, and there are plenty of wineries making sparkling varieties, too. Head out for an easy getaway this spring to indulge in winepairing dinners, golf, spa treatments, and downtime to soothe your spirits after too much time at home.

P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F T E M E C U L A C R E E K I N N ; M E R I TA G E R E S TA U R A N T P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F C A L L AWAY V I N E YA R D A N D W I N E R Y

PEOPLE

T I P

F R O M

A

L O C A L

“ Hike the Dripping Springs trail. If you get there on a nice day after a rainstorm or in the spring, water is flowing through the creek and provides a fun place for kids to splash and investigate nature.”

P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F T E M E C U L A C R E E K I N N ; M E R I TA G E R E S TA U R A N T P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F C A L L AWAY V I N E YA R D A N D W I N E R Y

P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F C A R T E R E S TAT E W I N E R Y A N D R E S O R T

—CIARA GREEN, TEMECUL A RESIDENT

LEFT Temecula Creek Inn offers plenty of space to spread out in tranquil surroundings.

RIGHT Berkshire pork tenderloin at Meritage Restaurant makes a great lunch at Callaway Winery.

partner property, Pechanga Resort Casino, where the enormous spa awaits with healing treatments.

GARDEN GOURMET

The food at Cork Fire Kitchen is inspired by fresh local ingredients, some of them sourced from the property’s own garden. Try the vegan corn and coconut bisque with cilantro and pearled cucumber ($14) or a hearty pistachiocrusted lamb sirloin with mint salsa verde and brown butter carrots ($43). The restaurant partners with local wineries to host wine-pairing dinners. A fivecourse event last year included malbec-braised beef cheek and roasted pig belly. Check with the restaurant for the next event.

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL

After gaining fame and awards in 2013 and 2014 as a food truck, Devilicious opened a restaurant and taproom to serve its signature comfort food with a twist and 34 draft beers. Thirsty Thursdays

MAR K YOUR C A LE NDAR Created by Icon Fair from the Noun Project

mean half-price bottles of wine to go with your asparagus grilled cheese with Brie and caramelized onion ($15). Or try the pork belly tacos with chile-roasted pineapple ($10). There’s also a speakeasy— Apparition Room—that opens at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

GET YOUR WINE ON

One of the classics, family-owned Hart Winery has been a staple in Temecula since opening in 1980. Visit the tasting room any day for four 2-ounce tastes ($20) of this boutique wine and bring your own picnic. Opened in 2014, Avensole Winery combines the Italian words for adventure and one of a kind. The winemakers focus on zinfandel and offer glasses and bottles in a modern tasting room on the hilltop property. For a more intimate experience, try Bottaia Winery’s barrel room tasting, which includes six estate wines and one from the barrel (reservations recommended, $30).

SLOW FOOD

For a leisurely lunch overlooking the Callaway vineyard, head to Meritage Restaurant. Start with the beet carpaccio salad with watercress, honey-braised fennel, and lemon vinaigrette ($20) then move on to prosciuttowrapped Chilean sea bass with pan-fried potato and dark beer sauce ($36). Sunday brunch offers freshly squeezed orange juice for the mimosas, an entrée, and dessert ($40). Dinner is available Friday and Saturday nights.

F R E N C H I N S P I R AT I O N

The Carter Winery is one of the only places in the Temecula Valley that uses the méthode champenoise process for its sparkling wines. Visit the tasting room any afternoon and try the estate brut and penrose that won silver awards at the 2019 Orange County Fair Wine Competition. Sit outside, take in the view, and order a glass, bottle, or flight (five tastings for $25).

March 26: Tower of Power, the band blending R&B, jazz, funk, and rock since 1968, performs at Pechanga Resort Casino. pechanga.com

March 2022 • OR A NGE C OAST 29

PEOPLE

PLACES

C U L T U R E P H I L E

SPELLBOUND

Santa Ana writer and arts activist Marytza K. Rubio makes her literary debut with a wickedly funny, lushly evocative short-story collection, “Maria, Maria.” by Valerie Takahama

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hether the setting is as exotic as the jungles of Brazil or as familiar as a Santa Ana apartment or community college classroom, Rubio catapults readers into oddly skewed worlds where magic spells, witches, and transformations are commonplace. Founder of the Makara Center for the Arts, a now-virtual nonprofit library and arts center, she honed her fiction as a PEN America Emerging Voices fellow and as an MFA student with residences in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Rio de Janeiro; and Santiago, Chile.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Ú When I was in high school, I started going to open mic readings in downtown Santa Ana at a cafe called Neutral Grounds. That’s when the Artists Village was pretty vibrant. The energy was super bonkers. This was probably 1998 to 2000. I spent time there and really expanded what I was reading and (found) that writing was another way to express myself.

Did your time studying in Latin America influence your writing? Ú That just really nourished me, especially because that’s where my imagination gravitates toward, with the animals, the wildlife, the vegetation. I like being out of my comfort zone. I speak Spanish, so I was able to navigate pretty easily. It was all the unexpected things. I remember that we went to this cemetery in Buenos Aires called La Recoleta. I was with friends, and we were walking home 30 ORA NGE CO AST • March 2022

after a very late night. This bat, this giant brown bat, swooped over and you could see its face, this little piggy face. I just love those unexpected things. That experience fed my imagination.

Your stories are filled with flora and fauna. What research did you do? Ú I worked for the Friends of Santa Ana Zoo around 2010.

I’ve always loved animals, and jaguars, in particular, are a fascination. I don’t think the big cat was there when I was working there, but the woman I worked for, the executive director, she volunteered for cat organizations. It was what people talked about. People were so into animals, whether it was a gerbil or a pet cat—just that energy of appreciating wildlife. I loved working there.

Your writing style is wildly imaginative, not naturalistic.

Are others using this style? Ú Yes. In terms of speculative fiction, I think a lot about Kelly Link, Carmen Maria

Machado. One of the writers I really admire, Fernando Flores—he wrote “Tears of the Trufflepig”—he kind of slips in and out of reality and has these speculative elements. I think that allows us to tell the story in a way that is limitless and unbound by rules that aren’t necessary. When I go to L.A., I love to take the train. I love

looking out and there’s the L.A. River, which is always dry, but I think how cool it would be to see alligators out there or wild cats. I’m able to entertain myself thinking about that. It is possible. Like the bat in Rio de Janeiro or a toucan trying to break into someone’s house. I think when I’m writing, that’s the world I want to live in. photograph by E M I LY J . D AV I S

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PEOPLE

PLACES

MARCH 25 “BESSIE, BILLIE & NINA: PIONEERING WOMEN IN JAZZ”

Accompanied by a seven-piece allfemale band, vocalists Charenée Wade, Vanisha Gould, and Tahira Clayton (pictured) perform the songs of Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, and Nina Simone.

The program will include classics like Smith’s “Downhearted Blues,” Holiday’s “Strange Fruit,” and Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam.” Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, 949854-4646, thebarclay.org

her husband, saxophonist Jim Tomlinson, and his writing partner, novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, on her albums. Her most recent release, “I Know I Dream: The Orchestral Sessions,” has been streamed more than 40 million times. Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, 949-854-4646, thebarclay.org MARCH 10 THROUGH 12 SAINT-SAËNS’ ORGAN SYMPHONY

Jazz concerts, classical performances, and more by Robin Jones MARCH 2 THROUGH 20

“FIRST L ADY OF SONG: ALEXIS J ROSTON SINGS ELL A FITZGERALD”

Roston made her name playing Billie Holiday in “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill.” Here she’ll do classics from the singer such as “Summertime,” “The Lady Is a Tramp,” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing.” Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 949-4972787, lagunaplayhouse.com OPENS MARCH 3 “SHIPWRECKS: DUT Y OF MEMORY”

A retired ambassador of Italy, Stefano Benazzo has photographed more than 500 shipwrecks around the world, in places such as Iceland, Greece, and the U.S. The exhibit will spotlight his best photos. Muckenthaler Cultural Center, 1201 W. Malvern Ave., Fullerton, 714-738-6595, themuck.org 32 ORA NGE CO A ST • March 2022

MARCH 6 MILOŠ

A classical guitarist from Montenegro, Miloš has appeared as a featured soloist with the L.A. Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and at music festivals worldwide. His five studio albums have received critical acclaim, and BBC Music Magazine called him one of the top six classical guitarists of the past 100 years. Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, 949-5532422, philharmonicsociety.org MARCH 10 STACEY KENT

With a Grammy nomination and BBC Jazz Awards to her name, singer Kent has recorded everything from French chansons to jazz standards. She frequently includes compositions by

MARCH 11 WALKER HAYES

The country music singer-songwriter known for his hit “Fancy Like” headlines the kickoff concert for the 62nd annual Swallows Day Parade Weekend. The event includes special guest artists as well as food, games, and line dancing. San Juan Outpost, 30753 Avenida La Pata, San Juan Capistrano, sanjuanoutpost.com MARCH 11 JOSHUA BELL AND ACADEMY OF ST. MARTIN IN THE FIELDS

One of the best-known classical musicians in the world, violinist Bell has performed as a soloist and chamber musician for more than 30 years. He’ll lead his chamber orchestra, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, in a program that includes works from Bach, Barber, and Beethoven. Soka Performing Arts Center, 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, 949-553-2422, philharmonicsociety.org MARCH 12 THE PERONDI’S STUNT DOG EXPERIENCE

Dog trainer Chris Perondi rescues pups and teaches them to do eye-popping tricks and

PHOTOGRAPH BY EMMA TRIM

DON’T MISS IN MARCH

P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F I R V I N E B A R C L AY T H E AT R E

E V E N T S

Guest conductor Edo de Waart leads the Pacific Symphony and violinist James Ehnes in Ippolito’s “Nocturne for orchestra” and Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2. In the second half, the William J. Gillespie Concert Organ takes center stage in Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3, “Organ Symphony.” Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-755-5788, pacificsymphony.org

PEOPLE stunts, from juggling flying disks to barrel racing. His cast of creatures has been featured on “The Late Show With David Letterman” and “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.” Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, 949-854-4646, thebarclay.org

MARCH 3 BRIT BENNETT

The author of bestselling, critically acclaimed novels “The Vanishing Half ” and “The Mothers” will discuss the themes of race, family, and relationships in her books in this Library Live lecture. Bennett is also an established social commentator with work in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Paris Review. Newport Beach Public Library, 1000 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach, 949-717-3818, nbplf.foundation

MARCH 16 THROUGH 19 AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE

“Bernstein in a Bubble,” choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky to Leonard Bernstein’s “Divertimento,” addresses the challenges of creating art in the current era; and “ZigZag,” created by Jessica Lang, celebrates the songs of Tony Bennett. A third yet-to-be-named work, a world premiere choreographed by Alonzo King to a score by jazz pianist Jason Moran, will close the program. Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-556-2787, scfta.org

OPENS MARCH 22 “THE BAND’S VISIT”

MARCH 18 AND 19 SUZANNE SIMARD

In this Witte Lecture, Simard will discuss her groundbreaking research on trees, which showed how trees communicate through an underground fungal network, contributing to forest resiliency and adaptation. A professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia, she wrote “Finding the Mother Tree” and has reached more than 10 million people worldwide with her TED Talks. Newport Beach Public Library, 1000 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach, 949-717-3818, nbplf.foundation MARCH 19 ST. JOSEPH’S DAY AND RETURN OF THE SWALLOWS CELEBRATION

The tradition that began in the 1920s continues at the mission. Visitors will enjoy live mariachi music, the ringing of the mission bells, Native American storytelling, flamenco dance performances, crafts for kids, and more. Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949-234-1300, missionsjc.com MARCH 19

MARCH 19 ANDRÉ RIEU AND THE JOHANN STRAUSS ORCHESTRA PHOTOGRAPH BY EMMA TRIM

P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F I R V I N E B A R C L AY T H E AT R E

SONGS OF THE SOUL

This concert from the Pacific Chorale meditates on the spiritual, opening with “Calling,” a wordless piece by Paul Fowler; continuing with Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw’s rendering of Psalm 84; and ending with Frank Martin’s interpretation of the Latin Mass. Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, Newport Beach, 714-662-2345, pacificchorale.org

Violinist and conductor Rieu created the Johann Strauss Orchestra in 1987 with 12 members. Today the group tours with more than 50 musicians and sells out arenas around the world, playing Strauss’ waltzes, other classical music, folk music, movie themes, and songs from musicals. Honda Center, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim, 714-704-2500, hondacenter.com

PLACES

OPENS MARCH 19 “YOUR PL ACE IN THE MULTIVERSE: JEAN LOWE”

Artist Lowe creates rooms out of papier-mâché and paint, from the rugs to the chairs, tables, and even pianos. This exhibition will show new work and some of her past installations.

Laguna Art Museum, 307 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach, 949-494-8971, lagunaartmuseum.org MARCH 19 AND 20 FESTIVAL BALLET THEATRE’S “DON QUIXOTE”

The classic ballet based on the novel by Miguel Cervantes takes the audience on an adventure across 17th-century Spain to a score composed

by Ludwig Minkus. Joffrey Ballet dancers Jeraldine Mendoza and Dylan Gutierrez will perform the lead roles. Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, 714-309-1280, festivalballet.org OPENS MARCH 20 “CLEAN”

A guest and an employee at a luxury Cancún resort are brought together by a storm in this new bilingual play by Christine Quintana.

Adriana, a floor manager dealing with her father’s death, and Sarah, a guest at her sister’s wedding, are forced to face some uncomfortable truths as they wait out the rain and wind. The show is performed in both Spanish and English. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-708-5555, scr.org MARCH 22 LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WITH SIR SIMON RATTLE

Conductor Rattle leads the world-renowned orchestra in this concert, part of his last tour as music director. The program will include works by Berlioz, Sibelius, Bartók, Ravel, and Hannah Kendall. Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 949-553-2422, philharmonicsociety.org

The winner of 10 Tony Awards follows musicians who get lost and end up in a tiny desert town, where their performances and interactions make life-changing impressions. The cast includes Israeli actor Sasson Gabay, who starred on Broadway. Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-556-2787, scfta.org MARCH 27 UKULELE ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN

For more than 30 years, this all-ukulele orchestra has reinterpreted all kinds of popular music, from grunge hits to classical favorites, using just ukuleles and voices. The musicians have performed around the world and even played a private concert at Windsor Castle for Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday. Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, 949-553-2422, philharmonicsociety.org MARCH 27 MATTHEW WHITAKER

The jazz pianist, blind since birth, started performing as a child; he opened Stevie Wonder’s induction to the Apollo Theater’s Hall of Fame at age 10. Now 20, he has toured the world, played at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall, and released two albums. Samueli Theater, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-556-2787, scfta.org MARCH 28 THROUGH APRIL 3 L AGUNA BEACH MUSIC FESTIVAL

Mandolinist, singer, and songwriter Chris Thile will serve as artistic director for the 20th annual festival. The four-time Grammy Award winner will perform along with other musicians in a series of concerts and events. Laguna Beach, 949-553-2422, philharmonicsociety.org MO RE O NL INE !

Find more events at orangecoast.com.

March 2022 • OR A NGE COAST 33

SPON SORED C ON TEN T

CLASSIC CALIFORNIA

PISMO BEACH WORLD FAMOUS PISMO BEACH PIER

EDNA VALLEY WINE REGION

Pismo Beach is the true Classic California beach town, known for its world-famous pier, miles of beautiful white sand beaches, outstanding accommodations, and a rich wine region only minutes away.

Many visitors who come to Pismo Beach are now calling it their Wine & Waves™ destination. With the wine region of Edna Valley only minutes away from downtown Pismo Beach, it’s easy to enjoy the beach and wine tasting all in one fun-filled day.

OCEANFRONT RESORTS You’ll find a wide variety of lodging to meet everyone’s needs and budget. Oceanfront hotels with stunning vistas, affordable motels, family-friendly vacation rentals, and award-winning RV parks are all available.

There are restaurants with original new cuisines or time-honored menus for everyone to enjoy. Pismo Beach offers an outstanding selection of outdoor activities too. Enjoy kayaking, fishing, surfing, hiking, and biking all surrounded by breathtaking scenery.

It’s all here waiting for you—a gentle climate where sand, sun, sea, and sky converge to create the ideal getaway. California’s golden past is alive and well in Pismo Beach.

For more information and to book your stay go to experiencepismobeach.com.

Also, join us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

34 OR ANGE COA ST • M A R C H 20 22

r o f n o s i e v i r !

D h e c a e Th B o m s Pi

Check out our Lodging Specials Online for our Best Prices!

Enjoy miles of beautiful white sand beaches, wonderful places to stay, outstanding dining, outdoor activities that are free from crowds and a rich wine region only minutes away. When you visit Pismo Beach, there is no need to fly, just hit the road and save with our great Lodging Specials.

ExperiencePismoBeach.com

Estate by : Gonterman Construction.

g ae tanoi nc . c om 714.536.6942 CUSTOM INSTALLATION & REFINISHING FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1955

STYLE

HOME

S E CO N D H A N D S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y THE FIND A vintage Wassily replica chair ($595) from Dana Point's Hyde Goods GOOD TO KNOW Owner Alexandra Madsen has a passion for sustainability. “In a world with mass production ... I think it’s important to be intentional when curating your home,” Madsen says. WHERE hyde-goods.com TURN THE PAGE for more local vintage and secondhand home decor items.

photograph by E M I LY J . D AV I S

March 2022 • O R A NGE COAST 37

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VINTAGE DECOR Add these local unique pieces to your home. by Chelsea Raineri

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Round wheel mirror, $930, House of Morrison, Costa Mesa, 949-612-8070

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Chinese vintage stool, $190, Mindy Gayer Design Co., Costa Mesa, 949-791-8022

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Vintage clock, $280, Shop Skout, Newport Beach, 714-606-2363

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Antique Turkish four-handle pot, $495, Layered by Paige Elise, Costa Mesa, 714-628-6071

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Sheepskin chair, $12,598, Pure Salt Interiors, Newport Beach, 949-791-8021

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Bobine pillow, $365, Shoppe Amber Interiors, Newport Beach, 949-662-0155

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T A L K

W I T H . . .

R E G I N A O S WA L D

The Tustin-based fashion designer creates timeless clothing for women. by Chelsea Raineri

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egina Oswald began designing when she was 9 years old. In 2001, she immigrated to the United States from Uzbekistan. This month, she celebrates her brand’s second anniversary. “Every time you put on a garment of mine, you feel loved,” Oswald says. “You feel the thought, love, and care that went into the production.”

Oswald avoids creating trendy pieces—instead, her designs feature minimal detailing.

How did you start designing?  My grandma was a seamstress, and she taught me how to sew. I would make clothes for my dolls out of the remnants of her fabric. I started making clothes for myself, and I used my school as a runway. I was dreaming of becoming a fashion designer really before I understood what a fashion designer is. It brings me so much joy to create.

How would you describe your pieces?  They’re versatile and timeless.

My first collection was inspired by my own closet. I felt that I always needed pieces to connect all other pieces in my closet, so I decided to create them. The essentials collection is made up of wool, silk, and cotton from Italy, Japan, and South Korea. My biggest goal for women is to have something they can wear year after year, and they can invest in something that brings value to their closet; they’re staple pieces. In January, we introduced linen tweed sets.

Every piece that I bring to my collection can be mixed and matched with my previous collections. It’s kind of like a beautiful, continuous story.

How are your designs sustainable?  I decided to use natural fabrics— we try to stay away from synthetic as much as possible. The textile industry is one of the biggest pollutants of the environment, so it’s important to me to create something that will stay in your closet for a long time.

I’m not producing just for the sake of producing. I produce something when I’m inspired.

Where are your pieces made?  I use a factory in Garden Grove, and I go there personally and see the

40 O RA NGE CO AST • March 2022

photographs by E M I LY J . D AV I S

The Emma dress by Regina Oswald

energy of the people who create my clothes. The (pattern and sample) developers are in Costa Mesa. I try to keep everyone close to me so I can have my personal touch into everything that’s created.

Tell us about the charities you work with.  We collaborated with Susan G. Komen and created pink silk scarves and with United Way Orange County and created orange silk scarves. The scarves can be used as masks, and a portion of the proceeds went back to the charities. The third organization we work with is a cause that is very dear to me—the Children of Armenia Fund. I’m Armenian. They have done a phenomenal job creating an environment where Armenian children can get all they need to thrive. We created bracelets, and all the profits were donated to them. We are partnering with CASA and CHOC this year in addition to the organizations we work with already. We’re planning to host trunk shows and donate a percentage of the proceeds.

Our assisted living is accredited for two reasons.

You. And your family.

Because having the confidence and peace of mind of accreditation is important.

That’s why SRG senior living communities are accredited

by CARF International—an independent organization that sets exceedingly high standards for care and service.

We think you’ll find that our accreditation is just one of the many reasons to take a good look at our communities.

Please call to schedule your personalized tour.

INDEPENDENT & ASSISTED LIVING • MEMORY CARE

La Vida at Mission Viejo 27783 Center Drive, Mission Viejo

949.625.1533

Las Palmas

24962 Calle Aragon, Laguna Woods

949.382.1144

INDEPENDENT & ASSISTED LIVING

The Regency

24441 Calle Sonora, Laguna Woods

949.441.4177

The Wellington

24903 Moulton Pkwy, Laguna Woods

949.377.0292

SRGseniorliving.com EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

RCFE# 306005351 RCFE# 306005349

RCFE# 306005350 RCFE# 306005672

reginaoswald.com March 2022 • OR A NGE C OAST 41

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Local Find!

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F I N D S

SHADES OF SUN

Get dressed in these bright, bold colors.

by Chelsea Raineri

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Banner saddle bag, $395, Ganni, South Coast Plaza, 949-612-9300

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Dress, $5,550, Chloé, South Coast Plaza, 714-481-0308

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42 ORA NGE C O AST • March 2022

Gold-filled hoop earrings, $35, Moonchylde Collective, Huntington Beach

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Cult Gaia Hedda tie-waist knit midiskirt, $258, Intermix, South Coast Plaza, 714-754-7895

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T monogram jacquard belt, $198, Tory Burch, South Coast Plaza, 714-689-0450

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Tom Ford metallic lizard-print high-heel sandals, $1,190, Neiman Marcus, Fashion Island, 949-759-1900

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FOR THE LONG RIDE...

I WORKED MOWING LAWNS WHEN I WAS 17 AND ALWAYS WENT TO THE DUMP TO GET RID OF THE LAWN WASTE. I COULDN’T BELIEVE HOW MANY BEAUTIFUL THINGS I FOUND I KNEW I COULD FIX. AFTER MANY TRIPS TO THE DUMP, I DECIDED TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT WOULDN’T BREAK AND SAVE THE WORLD. BEING A SURFER IN THE 60’S, I CAME ACROSS MANY BROKEN SANDALS ACROSS THE BEACH. IT FINALLY CAME TO ME THAT I COULD MAKE A BETTER SANDAL THAT FELT GOOD, LASTED LONG, AND WOULDN’T END UP AT THE DUMP IN A LANDFILL. THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR, I DEVELOPED A “LAYERED CONSTRUCTION” BY COMBINING IMPROVED DENSITIES OF SPONGE RUBBER, WHICH ALLOWED ME TO REPAIR THE SANDALS IF THE STRAPS EVER PULLED OUT. I USED BETTER LEATHER SOURCES AND FORMULATED MY GLUE TO HOLD THE STRAPS AND LAYERS TOGETHER. THE STRAPS WERE SEWN USING BONDED NYLON THREAD AND CAME TOGETHER WITH A 2000 LB. PARACHUTE BOX-X STITCH TOE CONSTRUCTION. FORTY-SEVEN YEARS LATER, MY TEAM ENDEAVORS TO KEEP THE QUALITY HIGH, REPAIR SANDALS IF NEEDED, AND DONATE OLD SANDALS WITH LIFE STILL LEFT IN THEM TO FEET IN NEED. I HOPE YOU ENJOY MY SANDALS. - JAY “SPARKY” LONGLEY, FOUNDER & CEO 4% OF RAINBOW® SANDALS TOTAL REVENUE IN 2021 WENT DIRECTLY TO NON-PROFIT CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS. BELOW ARE SOME OF THE LATEST ONE’S WE HAVE HELPED: CHALLENGED ATHLETES FOUNDATION (CAF) PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES AND SUPPORT TO PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL CHALLENGES, SO THEY CAN PURSUE ACTIVE LIFESTYLES THROUGH PHYSICAL FITNESS AND COMPETITIVE ATHLETICS. THE CHALLENGED ATHLETES FOUNDATION BELIEVES THAT INVOLVEMENT IN SPORTS AT ANY LEVEL INCREASES SELF-ESTEEM, ENCOURAGES INDEPENDENCE AND ENHANCES QUALITY OF LIFE. challengedathletes.org LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND FOUNDED IN 1902, LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED PROMOTES THE INDEPENDENCE, EQUALITY AND SELF-RELIANCE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE LOW VISION. lighthouse-sf.org LONG LIVE THE KINGS RESTORES WILD SALMON & STEELHEAD AND SUPPORTS SUSTAINABLE FISHING IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. lltk.org AMERICAN RED CROSS PREVENTS AND ALLEVIATES HUMAN SUFFERING IN THE FACE OF EMERGENCIES BY MOBILIZING THE POWER OF VOLUNTEERS AND THE GENEROSITY OF DONORS. redcross.org

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WOMAN’S RETREAT $5.39 million San Juan Capistrano

Shawn Andrews teaches a course on women and leadership at UC Irvine.

WISDOM FROM

an instructor

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY …

It’s been around for more than 100 years and is March 8. March itself is Women’s History Month.

The purpose of it is to celebrate women’s achievements and to continue the fight for equality. It started from a women’s rights march in New York in 1908 and became an official international holiday in 1911.

44 ORA NGE CO AST • March 2022

THE GENDER GAP …

As far as CEOs in S&P 500s, women make up only 6 percent.

When you look at entry-level positions, men and women are equal in a lot of industries. But when people get to their first promotion, we start to see the curves diverge, and it gets wider and wider after that. If you’re a woman and you look up top and you don’t see someone who looks like you, it’s discouraging because you don’t see a path to success.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT …

Women historically have had less power politically, economically, legally, and socially. The World Economic Forum’s 2021 report states that it’ll (take) 136 years for the world to close the gender gap completely. It’s important to still raise awareness to the inequities and discrimination that women experience and encourage people to take action.

P R O P E R T Y P H O T O G R A P H S B Y C A L I F O R N I A R E A L E S TAT E P H O T O G R A P H Y; H E A D S H O T B Y T O N Y F L O R E Z

 5,700 square feet  5 bedrooms  5 bathrooms  Enjoy a glass of wine in the temperature-controlled wine room.  Of note: Work from home in an office with a view and unwind in the soaking tub, sauna, garden, and more.  30792 Hunt Club Drive  Paul Armstrong, 714-793-3143

S P O N S O R E D CONT E NT

Summer 2022

FUN GUIDE

Still making up for lost time this summer? Whether you are looking for activities for the whole family, a chance to make unforgettable memories, or even a quick out-of-state jaunt, our Summer Fun guide offers ideas that will inspire and delight!

March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 45

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PAGEANT of the MASTERS JULY 7 to SEPT 2 Watch Art Come to Life in Laguna Beach.

A kaleidoscope of international art becomes your passport to distant lands, cultural celebrations and fascinating history in the 2022 production of WONDERFUL WORLD. Transported through the theatrical art of living pictures, the Pageant sets sail in pursuit of seasonal festivities, ancient and modern, promising new surprises at every turn. Prepare to be amazed by the Pageant’s intoxicating blend of original music, storytelling and stage illusions!

TICKETS START AT $30.

PageantTickets.com, 800.487.3378

CELEBRATING 90 YEARS OF ART FESTIVAL of ARTS FI N E ART S H OW I N L AG U N A BEACH

JULY 5 to SEPT 2 Original Art. Original Experience.

Since 1932.

Celebrating its 90th Anniversary, this highly-acclaimed juried fine art show features 120 of Orange County’s finest artists – offering avid art collectors and festivalgoers an outstanding variety of mediums to browse and purchase in a beautiful outdoor open-air gallery setting. Plus enjoy art demonstrations, live music performances, opportunities to meet the artists, special events, art workshops and more.

CHECK WEBSITE FOR DETAILS. FestivalofArts.org, 949.494.1145

BEST SUMMER EVER! Help us celebrate 45 years of Ocean Institute.

(Register early before camps SELL OUT!) Ages 5-17 Weekly camps are offered June 13 - August 12 Membership Registration: March 14 General Public Registration: March 28

Camps: Sea Squirts (Ages 5-6) Neptune’s Mysteries (Ages 6-7) Buccaneer Adventures (Ages 7-8) Ocean Discovery (Ages 8-9) Shipwreck Hunters (Ages 9-11) Coastal Explorers (Ages 10-13) Internship Academy (Ages 14-17)

Be a buccaneer

Explore Dates:

Spend your summer here!

Session 1: June 13 - June 17 Session 2: June 20 - June 24 Session 3: June 27 - July 1 Holiday Camp: July 5 - July 8 Session 4: July 11 - July 15 Session 5: July 18 - July 22 Session 6: July 25 - July 29 Session 7: August 1 - August 5 Session 8: August 8 - August 12

Discounts: Sea Star, Mariner, Sea Life Sponsor, and Ocean Advocate members recieve discounted camp and early registration.

To register scan here!

OR visit: https://oceaninstitute.org/summer-camp/

Explore the Jewel of San Clemente this Summer

Sunset Adjusted Hours

Tuesday-Thursday, July 12-August 4 @ 4-7 PM Enjoy our 2.5 acres of seaside gardens after hours with an incredible view of the sunset, self guided tour of the historic estate, and art exhibition.

CASA COASTAL

Chiaozza: Shape and Structure Opening Reception June 10 @ 6 PM | FREE

Larger than life plant sculptures by art duo Chiaozza, whose work has been shown internationally including at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2017.

On view June 10-September 4 during public hours.

PLAN YOUR VISIT: CasaRomantica.org/Plan-Your-Visit

@casaromanticasc

415 Avenida Granada San Clemente, CA 92672 (949) 498-2139

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

New Season

March 20 9pm

Mixed Repertory ABT arrives with 3 dazzling short ballets highlighting their incredible artistry and athleticism, performed to the music of Leonard Bernstein and Tony Bennett with Lady Gaga!

MARCH 16–19

THE COMPANY OF THE BAND’S VISIT NORTH AMERICAN TOUR. PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY

THE WORLD’S BEST ENTERTAINMENT, ONLY AT SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS!

“The Best musical of the year!"

— LOS ANGELES TIMES

“It's Ravishing!”

— VOGUE

MARCH 22–APRIL 3

(714) 556-2787 SCFTA.org

FOOD

DRINK

CHILE- G L A ZED BABY BACK RIB STACK THE DISH Try this spicy take on a classic barbecue dish from the same dining family that started Zov’s Restaurants. THE DETAILS Roxy’z dry spice rub, gochujang barbecue sauce, pickled Fresno chiles, green onion, ginger, and a cilantro garnish THE PRICE $15.95 THE PL ACE Roxy’z TURN THE PAGE for our review.

photograph by E M I LY J . D AV I S

March 2022 • OR A NGE COAST 51

52 ORA NGE CO A ST • March 2022

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ROXY’Z

Anaheim newcomer is a stunning departure from family tradition. by Gretchen Kurz

I

dare anyone to cite a more delicious American dream saga than that of Zov Karamardian and family. What started with her three-table cafe in 1987 is today a hospitality juggernaut with outposts throughout Orange County. Her now-familiar name is synonymous with delectable. Yet her newest venture isn’t a Zov’s—it’s a Roxy’z.

The original Anaheim venue shuttered for months to resurface as a breezy watering hole inspired by Roxy, mother of Zov and reputed family renegade and hospitality dynamo.

One peek at the hip list of scratch cocktails says this is something different. The slate of local brews scribbled on the bar’s blackboard confirms these offerings are quite outside the Zov’s canon. Windows flood the island bar with sunlight, supplying a view of the patio and busy intersection just beyond. Multistory townhomes are sprouting like mushrooms after a rainstorm in this neighborhood, and the vibe is increasingly urban.

Large prints of historic Anaheim places and moments surround the interior. There’s even one of a smiling Roxy in 1958—it begs for explanatory details. Big windows open to fresh air and traffic noise, but here’s hoping for the day windows can close and not compete with the likable playlist.

A most excellent Paper Plane cocktail pairs well with eavesdropping on the post-work crowd dribbling in. My friend arrives, and we migrate to a banquette deep inside the no-frills dining space. Most signature dishes aren’t on

this menu. Clearly, we are being nudged into new territory, with the owners trusting that diners will trust in Zov. Crispy eggplant fries are hissing-hot spears with sesame-seed breading that outclasses any mainstream fried zucchini. Chipotle mayo flatters the crunchy dippers. Six baby back ribs with sweet-spicy red chile glaze easily release their sticky meat. Onion strings are a welcome ride-along, though hardly necessary to make this starter a winner. Petite tostadas recall zesty shrimp-avocado ceviche, fancified with pickled onion, napa cabbage, and chipotle spread.

All starters are ideal for sharing—most are large enough to make you forget there is no fabled Zov’s golden lentil soup to be had here.

I’ve yet to visit and not order the Duroc pork belly over velvety hummus dotted with scarlet harissa. The meaty braised slabs are expertly rendered for utmost texture, and gutsy harissa

1801 E. Katella Ave. Anaheim 714-280-9687 5 BEST DISHES

Panzanella

Chile-glazed rib stack

Buttermilk fried chicken sandwich

Lamb sausage pizza

The Roxy Burger PRICE RANGE Starters and salads, $8.95 to $12.95; Pizzas and sandwiches, $13.95 to $17.95; Entrees, $19.95 to $26.95 FYI Free groundfloor garage parking

LEFT (Clockwise from top) Panzanella salad, shrimp and avocado tostadas, and crispy eggplant fries with sesameseed breading RIGHT Buttermilk fried chicken sandwich with a delicate slaw photograph by E M I LY J . D AV I S

March 2022 • OR A NGE COAST 53

FOOD

DRINK is there for the taking or avoiding when scooping the hummus with triangles of pliant pita bread.

Salads are few but discerning. There’s a Caesar with house croutons and snippets of kale and proper ParmigianoReggiano. The tomato-cucumber salad is a perfect ratio of Persian cucumbers, tiny tomatoes, red onion, and mild feta slicked with minty lemon vinaigrette.

Crunchy, warm ciabatta chunks anchor panzanella, a mix of lettuces, leafy basil leaves, smidgeons of soft feta, and heirloom tomatoes all gilded with herby dressing. This is the one to upgrade with grilled salmon or a kebab.

Pizzas just might be the menu’s superpower. It’s a new category for this team, and clearly the challenge was tackled with gusto. There’s not a weak choice among the five variations built on a 14-inch, medium-weight crust with all the best attributes—crispy or chewy where it counts and flavor deep enough

to enjoy on the unadorned bones. I couldn’t wait to attack leftovers of the spicy lamb sausage with caramelized onions. Meatza Pizza has a witty name, but it earns meat credit with pork belly, lamb sausage, pancetta, and pepperoni topping mozzarella and organic tomato sauce. Ditch tomatoes for a white pizza of wild mushrooms amid fontina, goat cheese, and fresh thyme.

A mean burger is a nonnegotiable for a place such as Roxy’z, especially given the rotating, well-chosen taps. The Roxy Burger delivers with its half pound of superb ground chuck, charbroiled and simply adorned with superior cheddar on toasted brioche. Fried chicken tastes unusually clean and rich as the focus of a sandwich with delicate slaw.

Sandwiches include tasty slender fries that somehow hold up once they cool down. A trio of popular Zov’s entrees hides in the favorites corner. This is where to satisfy that stubborn craving

O.C. Scene

for ale-battered Icelandic cod and fries or the epic six-hour short rib and mushroom cream over tender pappardelle. It was all I could do to skip the platter of mixed charbroiled kebabs over alwaysimpeccable, buttery jasmine rice.

Both shareable desserts are a far cry from Zov’s renowned pastries. Apple pizza is unremarkable. The showy chocolate cake sundae-in-a-jar was a treacly letdown of inaccessible cake smothered in marshmallow fluff (the server kindly struck it from the bill).

Bucking the trend in new restaurants, Roxy’z offers a worthy happy hour, weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m. It’s slated to expand once baseball season begins.

Also, look for beer flights starting soon.

Looking back over 35 years of growth and success, Zov and family have built a brand fueled by high standards and fearless adaptation. Roxy’z takes us back to the future of Anaheim, with high spirits and compelling fare.

PROMOTION

PEOPLE

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PA RT I E S

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EVENTS

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OPENINGS

Women of Chapman’s Holiday Luncheon Women of Chapman, Chapman University’s 50-year-old support group, celebrated the 35th anniversary of its famed “Christmas at The Ritz” uncheon at Balboa Bay Resort. The 320-member crowd enjoyed greetings from Santa, a quartet of spirited Dickens Carolers, a cocktail reception, real-life toy soliders and snow sprites, and a hot-hot St. Nick’s Picks opportunity drawing before entering the decorated ballroom. The signature four-course menu with the famous Ritz Egg pleased all, as did the live auction, which saw President Emeritus Jim Doti’s carved wooden bowl sell for $12,000 to WOC supporter Kay Burra. Net proceeds of nearly $320,000 was garnered.

Photo Credit: Tony Lattimore and Peggy O’Donnell

54 O RA NGE CO AST • March 2022

Paella. Tapas. Gypsy Music.

The Best Entertainment Line-Up in OC! Enjoy Live Music 7 Nights a Week, Salsa Dance Classes & Flamenco Dinner Shows!

Orange Coast Subscribers Always Receive Priority Seating, Just Mention You’re an OC Subscriber When Making Your Reservation!

Costa Mesa | (949) 688-1555 | 1870 Harbor Blvd.

Long Beach | San Diego | CafeSevilla.com

DRINK 5

Q U E S T I O N S

W I T H …

CARLA ARCE

The new executive chef at O Sea, which has shifted from counter service to full service in Old Towne Orange, weighs in on the change.

by Jordan Poblete HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE EXECUTIVE CHEF? It’s an absolute honor! I look forward to building on (owner Mike Flynn’s) concept with new dishes and flavors. I am also honored that I can be another example of women Latina chefs successfully running a kitchen.

WHAT WILL YOUR TAKE BE? I am half Mexican and half Chilean and am influenced by that type of cuisine.

I hope to honor my ethnic traditions by infusing the seafood dishes with elements from those influences.

YOUR FAVORITE DISH? The branzino is my favorite dish on the menu. I call it “my baby,” and I’m very proud if it because it’s something I’ve always wanted to make and it explores more of my heritage.

FAVORITE INGREDIENT TO USE? Cilantro. You can see and smell it in some form across many of our dishes. ... I love it, as it makes things crisp and fresh.

DOES MOVING TO FULL SERVICE CHANGE THE KITCHEN? It hasn’t changed our operation at all. ...

If anything, my culinary training and my amazingly talented team of cooks are thriving because of it.

MADE IN ORANGE COUNTY

Huntington Beach

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56 O RA NGE CO AST • March 2022

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF TRUFF

FOOD

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T R E N D S

FRESH OUT OF THE OVEN New bakeries are on the rise. by Benjamin Epstein

FKN BREAD is named for the young sons of owners Dave and Bree VandenBerg: Finn, Kane, and Nash.

Dave was born in San Juan Capistrano and raised in the house where FKN Bread was created. Consider the jalapeno-cheddar sourdough loaf and sourdough cinnamon bun. The baklava croissant and sea-salt peanut-butter dark-chocolate cookies are worthwhile ventures, too. Merchandise featuring the bakery’s acronym is a top-seller. 31760 CAMINO CAPISTRANO, SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, FKNBREAD.COM

The county’s first koshercertified and nondairy bakery, THE BLESSED BRAID presents Jewish baked goods including five kinds of the braided egg bread challah, such as poppy seed and marble chip. Other offerings include Ukrainian kamishbroyt with cherries and raisins; airy, sugary kichel; and onion- and poppy-topped bialies. Owner Cheryl Honig also makes pecan drops, Belgian street waffles, and butterscotch haystacks. All are displayed under cloches amid colors of the Israeli flag. 16277 LAGUNA CANYON ROAD, IRVINE, 714-587-2850

With SCRATCH BAKERY CAFÉ steps from Neiman Marcus, Fashion Island is now bookended with bakeries. Choices at Scratch include sweet and savory croissants, fancily topped éclairs, and English muffins that aren’t flat like store-bought. Marble is practically a theme: There’s a hazelnut ganache marble cake, a marble rye loaf, and three kinds of hot pastrami sandwiches on grilled marble rye. A neon “love at first bite” sign on a wall of black crepe roses sets the vibe.

561 NEWPORT CENTER DRIVE, NEWPORT BEACH, 949-524-8200

Founded in Japan but based in Taiwan since 1986, SUNMERRY BAKERY applies Japanese technique to Taiwanese pastries and desserts. In California, the chain has absorbed locations of Happy Lemon, serving its salted-cheese teas alongside Sunmerry’s prepackaged green tea croissants, egg sandwiches, barbecued pork bolos, and gigantic puffy walnut cookies.

Sunmerry’s no-frills second O.C. location replaces a grass jelly dessert shop but offers those teas, too. 13908 BROOKHURST ST., GARDEN GROVE, 714-462-6888

58 ORA NGE CO AST • March 2022

PHOTOGRAPH BY BENJAMIN EPSTEIN

FOOD

S P O N S O R E D CONT E NT

March 6 - 12, 2022

MARCH 6 - 12, 2022 | ONLY 7 DAYS!

Celebrate Your Way! This restaurant adventure is designed for food lovers to celebrate however they like - date nights, luxury menus, explore new restaurants and more!

March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 59

SPON SORED C ON TEN T

March 6 - 12, 2022

PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS ANAHEIM Anaheim White House 887 S. Anaheim Blvd., 714-772-1381 anaheimwhitehouse.com Puesto Anaheim 1040 W Katella Ave., 714-294-0362 eatpuesto.com/location/anaheim

COSTA MESA Cafe Sevilla Restaurant & Tapas Bar 1870 Harbor Blvd.

949-688-1555 cafesevilla.com

Playa Mesa 428 E. 17th St., 949-287-5292 playamesa.com Seasons 52 3333 Bristol St., #2802, 714-437-5252 seasons52.com

The RANCH Restaurant & Saloon 1025 E. Ball Rd., #101A, 714-817-4200 theranch.com/restaurant

Casablanca The Restaurant 1976 Newport Blvd., 949-423-7990 restaurant-casablanca.com

Terrace by Mix Mix 3333 Bear St., #316 657-231-6447 terracebymixmix.com

BREA

Descanos Restaurant 1555 Adams Ave., #103 714-486-3798 descansorestaurant.com

The Country Club 330 E. 17th St., 949-281-2582 countryclubcm.com

Brunos Italian Kitchen 210 W. Birch St., 714-257-1000 brunosbrea.com Cedar Creek Inn 20 Pointe Dr., 714-255-5600 cedarcreekbrea.com

Fermentation Farm 1125 Victoria St., #R, 949-650-0830 fermfarm.com

ChaCha’s Kitchen 110 W. Birch St., #7, 714-255-1040 chachaslatinkitchen.com

Greenleaf Kitchen & Cocktails at 17th Street 234 E. 17th St., #100, 949-200-3950 greenleafchopshop.com

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ 120 S. Brea Blvd., Unit 1, 714-671-9378 gyu-kaku.com Mendocino Farms 3317 E. Imperial Hwy., 714-924-7100 mendocinofarms.com TAPS Fish House and Brewery 101 E. Imperial Hwy., 714-257-0101 tapsfishhouse.com

CORONA DEL MAR Farmhouse at Roger's Garden 2301 San Joaquin Hills Rd., 949-640-1415 farmhouse.rogersgardens.com Five Crowns 3801 E. Coast Hwy., 949-760-0331 lawrysonline.com/five-crown The Bungalow Restaurant 2441 E. Coast Hwy., 949-673-6585 thebungalowrestaurant.com The Jetty 3029 Ocean Ave., 949-723-0174 thejettycdm.com 60 Ora nge C o ast • March 2021 2022

Greenleaf Kitchen & Cocktails at SOCO 3321 Hyland Ave., #C, 714-862-2480 greenleafchopshop.com Habana 2930 Bristol St., 714-556-0176 restauranthabana.com Mendocino Farms 450 E. 17th St., 949-548-2500 mendocinofarms.com MESA 725 Baker St., 714-557-6700 mesacostamesa.com

The Crack Shack 196 E 17th St., 949-383-5040 crackshack.com Water Grill South Coast Plaza 3300 Bristol St., 949-208-7060 watergrill.com/southcoast Wild Goose Tavern 436 E. 17th St., 949-722-9453 goosebar.com

DANA POINT Waterman’s Harbor 34661 Golden Lantern, 949-764-3474 watermansdp.com

FOOTHILL RANCH Halves Boiling Pot & Grill 45 Auto Center Dr., #116, 949-287-1569 halvesusa.com

Celebrate Your Way

MARCH 6-12, 2022 Restaurant Week Masters Preview Party

MARCH 5

OCRestaurantWeek.com

SPON SORED C ON TEN T

March 6 - 12, 2022

PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS MAMÓN Hillside Eatery 26676 Portola Pkwy D, 949-305-8552 mamonrestaurants.com

FOUNTAIN VALLEY

IRVINE Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine & Cocktails 2607 Main St., 949-387-8887 andreisrestaurant.com

Cambalache Argentine 8780 Warner Ave., 714-375-3305 cambalachegrill.com

Angelina’s Pizzeria Napoletana 8573 Irvine Center Dr., 949-536-5200 angelinaspizzeria.com

FULLERTON

Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen 13126 Jamboree Rd., 714-408-7819 chachaslatinkitchen.com

Summit House 2000 E Bastanchury Rd., 714-671-4111 summithouse.com

GARDEN GROVE NOVA Kitchen & Bar 12361 Chapman Ave., 714-696-0888 novaoc.com

HUNTINGTON BEACH Boardwalk Restaurant 21100 Pacific Coast Hwy., 714-845-8444 waterfrontresort.com/dining/the-boardwalkrestaurant Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ 7862 Warner Ave., #109, 714-842-8333 gyu-kaku.com Heirloom a Modern Farmhouse 18344 Beach Blvd., 714-375-6543 heirloomhb.com Henry's Coastal Cuisine 21100 Pacific Coast Hwy., 714-845-8000 waterfrontresort.com/dining/henrysuncorked-patio-wine-bar Offshore 9 Rooftop Lounge 21100 Pacific Coast Hwy., 714-845-8000 https://www.waterfrontresort.com/dining/ offshore-9-rooftop-lounge

CUCINA enoteca Irvine 532 Spectrum Center Dr., 949-861-2222 urbankitchengroup.com/cucina-enoteca-irvine Curry Up Now 922 Spectrum, 949-932-0153 curryupnow.com Falasophy 920 Spectrum Center Dr., #920, 949-536-5008 falasophy.com Famous Dave’s BBQ 13122 Jamboree Rd., 714-462-9179 famousdaves.com/Irvine Floe Lounge 18000 Von Karman Ave., 949-553-0100 marriott.com/en-us/hotels/laxir-irvinemarriott/dining Habana 708 Spectrum Center Dr., 949-419-0100 restauranthabana.com Heirloom Farmhouse Kitchen 7905 Irvine Center Dr., 949-880-2420 heirloomfarmhousekitchen.com Il Fornaio 18051 Von Karman Ave., 949-261-1444 ilfornaio.com/location/il-fornaio-irvine

Puesto Huntington Beach 7821 Edinger Ave., 714-316-0151 eatpuesto.com

Little Sister 896 Spectrum Center Dr., 949-800-8798 dinelittlesister.com/irvine-info

Tanner's 21080 PCH at Paséa, 714-698-6130 tannershb.com

Mendocino Farms 4175 Campus Dr., 949-783-2900 mendocinofarms.com

62 Ora nge C oast • March 2022

O Fine Japanese Cuisine 6731 Quail Hill Pkwy., 949-748-1896 ofinejapanesecuisine.com Paul Martin’s American Grill 534 Spectrum Center Dr., 949-453-1144 paulmartinsamericangrill.com Puesto Los Olivos 8577 Irvine Center Dr., 949-608-9990 eatpuesto.com Puesto Park Place 3311 Michelson Dr., 949-608-7272 eatpuesto.com Robata Wasa 926 Spectrum Center Dr., #926, 949-536-5064 robatawasa.com Romano's Macaroni Grill 13652 Jamboree Rd., 714-508-7990 macaronigrill.com Taco Rosa 13792 Jamboree Rd., 714-505-6080 tacorosa.com The Melt 665 Spectrum Center Dr., 949-954-6621 themelt.com Y.N.K. 18000 Von Karman Ave., 949-553-0100 marriott.com/en-us/hotels/laxir-irvinemarriott/dining

LAGUNA BEACH Lumberyard Restaurant 384 Forest Ave., #10, 949-715-9300 lblumberyard.com Mozambique 1740 S. Coast Hwy., 949-715-7777 mozambiqueoc.com Nirvana Grille 303 Broadway, # 101 949-497-0027 nirvanagrille.com

O Fine Japanese Cuisine 30872 Coast Hwy., 949-715-5551 ofinejapanesecuisine.com

OC Restaurant Week is better than ever!

This restaurant adventure is designed for food lovers to celebrate however they like.

DATE NIGHTS ALL WEEK EXPERIENCE LUXURY MENUS EXPLORE NEW RESTAURANTS

View restaurants and menus at: OCRestaurantWeek.com

SPON SORED C ON TEN T

March 6 - 12, 2022

PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS Sapphire 1200 S. Coast Hwy., #101, 949-715-9888 sapphirelaguna.com

Scarlet Kitchen & Lounge 30865 Gateway Pl., 949-503-3086 scarletkl.com

Lido Bottle Works 3408 Via Oporto, #103, 949-529-2784 lidobottleworks.com

Skyloft 422 S. Coast Hwy., 949-715-1550 skyloftoc.com

Wineworks For Everyone 26342 Oso Pkwy. #103, 949-582-0026 wineworksforeveryone.com

Lighthouse Café 1600 W. Balboa Blvd., 949-933-1001 lighthousenb.com

Starfish 30832 S. Coast Hwy., 949-715-9200, starfishlaguna.com

NEWPORT BEACH

Malarky's Irish Pub 3011 Newport Blvd., 949-675-2340 malarkyspub.com

Sueños Laguna Beach 222 Ocean Ave., 949-715-8155 sueñoslagunabeach.com

LAGUNA HILLS Ironwood 25250 La Paz Rd., 949-446-8772 ironwoodlagunahills.com Scratch Bakery Cafe 24321 Avenida De La Carlota, 949-859-2253 scratchbakerycafe.com Villa Roma 25254 La Paz Rd., #B, 949-454-8585 villaromarest.com

LAGUNA NIGUEL Bottega Angelina 32441 Golden Lantern, 949-542-8220 bottegaangelina.com

LAKE FOREST Brü Grill & Market 23730 El Toro Rd., 949-305-5757 brugrill.com

Billy's at the Beach 2751 West Coast Hwy., 949-722-1100 billysatthebeach.net Canaletto 545 Newport Center Dr., 949-640-0900 ilfornaio.com/location/il-fornaio-newportbeach Cappy’s Cafe 5930 West Coast Hwy., 949-646-4202 cappyscafe.com Chihuahua Cerveza 3107 Newport Blvd., 949-771-8226 chihuahuacerveza.com CUCINA enoteca Newport Beach 951 Newport Center Dr., 949-706-1416 urbankitchengroup.com Dory Deli 2108 W. Oceanfront, 949-220-7886 dorydeli.com Fable & Spirit 3441 Via Lido, 949-409-9913 fableandspirit.com FIG & OLIVE 151 Newport Center Dr., 949-877-3005 figandolive.com

Modo Mio Rustic Italian Kitchen 7946 East Coast Hwy., 949-497-9770 modomiorusticitaliankitchen.com Muldoon's Irish Pub 202 Newport Center Dr., 949-640-4110 muldoonspub.com Olea, Cellar. Craft. Cook.

2001 Westcliff Dr., #100 949-287-6807 oleanewportbeach.com Rockin Baja Lobster 2104 W. Oceanfront, 949-723-0606 rockinbaja.com/newport-beach Scratch Bakery Cafe 561 Newport Center Dr., 949-524-8200 scratchbakerycafe.com Stag Bar + Kitchen 121 McFadden Pl., 949-673-4470 stagbar.com Super Panga Taqueria 2110 W. Oceanfront, 949-561-1700 superpangatacos.com Taco Rosa 2632 San Miguel Dr., 949-720-0980 tacorosa.com

MISSION VIEJO

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse 455 Newport Center Dr., 949-720-9633 flemingssteakhouse.com

Dublin 4 Gastropub 26342 Oso Pkwy., 949-582-0026 dublin4gastropub.com

Fly N Fish Oyster Bar & Grill 2304 W. Oceanfront, 949-673-8400 flynfishoysterbar.com

The Beachcomber Café 15 Crystal Cove, 949-376-6900 thebeachcombercafe.com

Piccolino Ristorante 28719 Los Alisos Blvd., 949-380-7261 piccolinomv.com

Gracias Madre 1617 Westcliff Dr., 949-386-8100 graciasmadre.com

The Mayor's Table 3300 Newport Blvd., 949-662-6160 marriott.com

Pub Thirty-Two 23962 Alicia Pkwy., 949-716-0687 pubthirtytwo.com

Great Maple 1133 Newport Center Dr., 949-706-8282 thegreatmaple.com/newport

Woody’s Wharf 2318 Newport Blvd., 949-675-0474 woodyswharf.com

64 Ora nge C oast • March 2022

S P O N S O R E D CONT E NT

March 6 - 12, 2022

ORANGE

SANTA ANA

1886 Brewing 114 N. Glassell St., 714-922-8130 1886brewingco.com

Avila’s El Ranchito 2201 E. First St., 714-547-9129 avilaselranchito.com/santa-ana

O SEA 109 S. Glassell St., 714-363-3309 eatosea.com

Chapter One: The Modern Local 227 N. Broadway, 714-352-2225 chapteronetml.com

Prime Cut Café 1547 W. Katella Ave., 714-532-4300 primecutcafe.com

Morton's The Steakhouse 1641 W. Sunflower Ave., 714-444-4834 mortons.com/location/mortons-thesteakhouse-santa-ana-ca

Smoqued California BBQ 128 North Glassell St., 714-633-7427 smoquedcaliforniabbq.com

TUSTIN

The Wall 80 Plaza Square, 714-988-7700 thewall.beer

17th Street Grill 17320 17th St., 714-730-0003 17thstreetgrill.com

SAN CLEMENTE

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ 14181 Newport Ave., 714-731-1719 gyu-kaku.com

Avila's El Ranchito 204 Avenida Del Mar, #A, 949-498-5000 avilaselranchito.com SOL Agave 111 Avenida Del Mar, #1B, 949-312-2210 solagave.com Vine Restaurant & Bar 211 N. El Camino Real, 949-361-2079 vinesanclemente.com

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO Rancho Capistrano Winery 26755 Verdugo St., 949-481-6682 ranchocapwinery.com

Jojo's Hideaway 17320 17th St., 714-261-9911 jojoshideawayat17.com

Prego Mediterranean 2409 Park Ave., 949-553-1333 pregooc.com Stowaway Tiki 2493, Park Ave., #27, 657-208-2088 stowawaytiki.com The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar 2647 Park Ave., 714-258-7600 thewineryrestaurant.net The Yellow Chilli 2463 Park Ave., 714-389-5280 theyellowchillitustin.com Utopia European Caffe 2489 Park Ave., 714-352-5789 utopiacaffe.com

YORBA LINDA TAPS Brewery + Kitchen 23741 La Palma Ave., 714-462-5603 lovetbk.com

TUSTIN

THE DISTRICT AT TUSTIN LEGACY Casa Del Sol Cocina Mexicana 2497 Park Ave. 949-899-6555 casadelsoloc.com

SOL Agave 31111 Rancho Viejo Rd., 949-218-1158 solagave.com

Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que 2550 Park Ave. 714-259-1227 lucillesbbq.com

Sundried Tomato Café 31781 Camino Capistrano, 949-661-1167 sundriedtomatocafe.com

Luna Rossa 2449 Park Ave., 714-259-0861 lunarossatustin.com

The Tea House on Los Rios 31731 Los Rios St., 949-443-3914 theteahouseonlosrios.com

Mendocino Farms 2847 Park Ave., 714-619-5075 mendocinofarms.com/locations/tustin

Ysidora Restaurant and Lounge 31692 El Camino Real, 949-503-5700 innatthemissinsjc.com March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 65

LA HABRA

5

BREA

YORBA LINDA S P O N S O R E D CONT E NT

PLACENTIA

FULLERTON 91

March 6 - 12, 2022

WINE & DINE

ANAHEIM HILLS

91

605 CYPRESS

BUENA In partnership with San Simeon Wines, Orange Coast invites you during OC Restaurant ANAHEIM PARK Week to wine & dine at5one of the below restaurants highlighting the award-winning 55 California Robles and Monterey.

STANTONwines made from their 100% estate grown vineyards in Paso241 ORANGE

57

LOS ALAMITOS

GARDEN GROVE

22

22

261 LITTLE SAIGON

405

5

WESTMINSTER

SANTA ANA

TUSTIN

241

HUNTINGTON HARBOUR

HUNTINGTON BEACH

55



FOUNTAIN VALLEY

IRVINE

COSTA MESA



73

241

405

NEWPORT BEACH



MISSION VIEJO

73 BALBOA

COSTA MESA



Cafe Sevilla 1870 Harbor Blvd., 949-688-1555 cafesevilla.com



Descanso Restaurant 1555 Adams Ave., #103, 714-486-3798 descansorestaurant.com



Terrace by Mix Mix 3321 Hyland Ave., #C, 714-862-2480 terracebymixmix.com

NEWPORT BEACH



Olea Newport Beach 2001 Westcliff Dr., 949-287-6807 oleanewportbeach.com

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA

LAKE FOREST

1

5

CORONA DEL MAR

LAGUNA HILLS

73

133

LAGUNA BEACH



LAGUNA NIGUEL 1

DANA POINT

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

SAN CLEMENTE

LAGUNA BEACH



Nirvana Grille 303 Broadway St., #101, 949-497-0027 nirvanagrille.com

For more information, visit sansimeonwines.com

March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 67

When one place is everywhere you want to be.

Nestled on 2,000 acres neighboring Park City, Utah, Red Ledges was designed for better living.

Red Ledges Homebuilding invites you to discover luxurious living spaces and exceptional architecture within a vibrant and engaging community.

Homes from $1.2M-$6M | On-Site Design Studio | Scan QR Code to View Available Properties Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything.

The California Department of Real Estate has not inspected, examined, qualified this offering. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property.

All recreational facilities are privately owned and operated as a club with mandatory membership fees. This does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy in Ohio or in any other jurisdiction in which registration or any other legal requirements have not been fulfilled. © 2021 Red Ledges Land Development, Inc. ©2021 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. Equal Housing Opportunity.

MY O.C.

The Demise of Pantyhose?

A quest for stockings leads to some discoveries about modern times. by Barbara Neal Varma

I

stood center stage in the lingerie department at Nordstrom, confused. Where had all the pantyhose gone?

All the other underthings for ladies were there—the comfies, the sexies, the out-of-my-price-range designer bras and matching

panties.

But not a nylon in sight—which was worrisome because the next evening I

was supposed to get dressed up for a long-awaited return to Hollywood’s Magic Castle, a rare outing north of Jamboree these pandemic days. I’d met my husband there more than 20 years ago, so it remains a favorite place of ours. The castle was welcoming guests back, in a limited capacity and with its strict dress code still in place: suits and ties for the gents, cocktail dresses for the ladies—and don’t forget to BYOM (Bring Your Own Mask), please.

I’d already dusted off a little black number that I was relieved to discover still fit. Though what was once a tad loose was now a bit snug; blame all the COVID-19 comfort food of late. The greater challenge was covering my winter-pale, spider-veiny legs. I turned this way and that in the full-length mirror, frowning. I would definitely need some highend hosiery to smooth things over and ease back into society.

Which is why I went to my friendly neighborhood Nordstrom, intent on getting emergency hose and a cup of the cure-all tomato soup from the in-store cafe. But so far, I was stuck in lingerie land and starting to sweat.

I LOOKED AROUND AG AIN .

Wait, didn’t there used to be a big hosiery display over there? And above it, a chorus line of mannequin legs, each modeling a different color and style?

Now only a bare wall stared back at me, not even a dusty outline to hint at the glam pantyhose parade that had been there. Crumbs.

I should have seen this coming. Even before the pandemic, the decline in hosiery as a fashion choice had begun. In the late 1990s, records illustration by R A C H E L I D Z E R D A

March 2022 • OR A NGE C OAST 69

MY O.C.

ORANGE COAST & O.C. EATS Your definitive source for dining in O.C.

EAT.SAVoR.toast

70 O RA NGE CO AST • March 2022

show, women began to opt out of wearing nylons altogether, choosing comfort over coverage. It was this generation’s bra-burning movement—a cry of protest against a man-made fashion trend, telling the world hell no(!), we won’t go through hours of discomfort again.

When working from home became more prevalent, many women who had yet to join the resistance suddenly went all in, forsaking their hosiery and high heels for more cozy attire.

Zoom call with corporate at 10 a.m.?

Business attire on top, jammies on the bottom, and you’re good to go, no one the wiser.

For the record, I do realize none of this compares to the larger problems facing Orange County such as virus variants, wildfires, and rising prices at Disneyland, to name a critical few. But when life gets crazy, I tend to reach for familiar. I’d been wearing nylons since I was a teen, and I like the look and feel of them. Hey, if they were good enough for my high school prom—not to mention both my weddings—they were good enough for the next night’s return to the Magic Castle.

A thought occurred. Maybe the store had moved the hosiery—“so yesterday,” apparently—to a less conspicuous area.

I went to the nearby purchase counter and made gentle inquiry.

The saleswoman nodded and gestured for me to follow her. Hope bloomed, then was dashed when she showed me to a small metal A-frame stand so low to the ground I almost tripped over it. A scant half-dozen packages were scattered on its angled sides. I picked one up, saw the color was Midnight Blue and put it back. I chose another one; nude. OK, good start, but size A, petite. Next.

The third choice was a slightly tattered Donna Karan. I couldn’t find a color label on the package, but the tiny patch of nylon peeking through the cellophane looked beige, which was doable. True, it was a size larger than I thought I needed—call me optimistic—

MY O.C. but I was running out of time.

“I’ll get these,” I said, and handed the saleswoman my prize.

TURNED OUT THE DONNA Karans performed well at my return to the castle, and the extra size provided extra comfort, a hosiery hack I wish I’d known long ago. As anticipated, there was lots of magic to see that evening, lots of hand-holding with my husband.

But for me, the truly jaw-dropping moment was when a young woman, also wearing a short black dress, was pulled onstage, ostensibly to help the magician.

I couldn’t stop staring at her legs.

Or more accurately, what she wore on them: sheer black pantyhose with cute little polka dots. They looked good! Stylish. Fun. And the polka dots—any pattern, actually—would provide extra coverage for my gracefully aging gams. Best of all, the gal couldn’t have been more than 30, which meant leg lingerie might be making a comeback.

The next day, I was searching online for sheer black patterned stockings when a friend who’d heard all about my quest sent me a text. There, glowing on my phone screen, were the missing mannequin legs, each one sporting a different style, just like I remembered.

Below the pic, those three little words: “Target has nylons!”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where I finally found a variety of pantyhose for the many date nights to come in 2022. Of course, at Target there were no salespeople helping me make the right fashion choices, so I took my cue from the nearby mannequin. Her dresser had paired patterned hose with a sassy flared skirt I liked so much I bought one, feeling just like Emily in Paris, if a tad older.

I drew the line, however, at copying the model’s footwear. No way was I going to walk around the Magic Castle in a pair of chunky, Doc Marten-esque boots.

Those didn’t look comfortable at all.

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Bring Ireland to your house!!

(We’ve got the liquid supplies)

Mon-Sat 9am-7pm Sunday 10am-6pm

Hi-Time Wine Cellars

250 Ogle Street • Costa Mesa, CA 92627 949.650.8463 • hitimewine.net March 2022 • OR A NGE COAST 71

RITUALS

Shifting Their Focus During pandemic’s worst days, avid cyclists gather to get out of the house. by Laura Saari

Y

ou hear them before you see them. An approaching rabble of hundreds of bicycle bells trilling, gears switching, chains clicking, boom boxes blasting, a steady downbeat.

“Scary racket,” to some of my neighbors.

“Magical” is what legions of onlookers call them. They climb out of their cars to take photos and cheer on this undulation of bicyclists as if they were the Tour de

72 ORA NGE CO A ST • March 2022

France, which they most assuredly are not. For starters, they’re riding clunkers and cruisers.

Meet the So Cal Klunkers, a new group of cyclists who decided in the dark days of stay-at-home orders that there’s strength in numbers. They’ve met every Monday night since summer 2020 to cycle en masse for 15 miles throughout the neighborhoods of Santa Ana, Irvine, Anaheim, Orange, and other parts of central county. Rollout is 7:14 p.m., an area code most of the Klunkers proudly call home. Starting with a handful of friends who were feeling cooped up during quarantine, the Klunkers usually number 250 now. Everyone is welcome, and the rides attract all ages and skill levels.

“At first, nobody even knew each other,” says Robert Vasquez, a Westminster CAD engineer. “But my first ride, I was hooked.” Vasquez shows off his swing bike, which is full of tricks because he can steer the front and back wheels. (A 1970s invention, the swing bike was discontinued in 1978 but recently brought back

by Americas Bike Company in San Diego). Vasquez is a leader of the safety crew, pulling up the rear of the group and heavily loaded with inner tubes, tools, inflators, and tire patches, along with first-aid items.

Many owners of small bike shops donate supplies, and some ride with the Klunkers.

Seeing so many bikes approach might be more overwhelming than hearing them. They look like a hive full of bees migrating, one giant buzzing organism bulging in and out at the walls.

And the laughter. How long has it illustration by K A R A P Y L E

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been since we’ve heard live laughter, Perhaps because of its name, the not from a can? group first attracted a lot of bona fide Of course, not everyone is laughing. A clunkers (’70s-era off-road cruisers), few neighbors have expressed outrage and there are still plenty of those. But on Nextdoor, along the lines of “What the group has evolved in the past year gives them the right” to block traffic. toward more upmarket, homemade One complained she’d been delayed for bikes and specialization. a few minutes as the Klunkers passed As more people took to their bikes through a busy intersection. during the early days of the pandemic, it Normally the Klunkers stick to was hard to find outdoor gear. neighborhood routes, away from major “You couldn’t buy a bike at Walmart thoroughfares. Several group leaders or Target, even at the bike stores,” says take turns mapping out routes away Vasquez, who made his first swing bike from major streets every week. But and then later was able to buy one. some intersections are hard to avoid.

Many of the Klunkers started learn“Things have changed. There (are ing to build their own bikes, some of lots of ) people now in Orange County,” them doing their own welding. Most Orange resident Eli “Pollo” Lopez start with a Schwinn base and add says. “They’re always in a hurry. You parts from Santa Ana, which some conknow what, people? We aren’t living in sider the epicenter of the BMX world Orange County anymore. We’re living in locally, with plenty of welders, bike New York City now.” Lopez, who owns manufacturers, painters, and parts for Shoreline Furnishings, shines his 1930 dealers to access. prewar Schwinn tall frame. It has been fully tricked out in purple with gold leafing, a custom creation by Felix bike T H E R E A L T R I C K I F YO U WA N T shop in Gardena, whose owner rides to go is locating the Klunkers’ weekly routes. They are accessible only on Instawith the Klunkers.

Klunkers cofounder “Big Frank” Peña gram. They meet Monday nights at parks of Santa Ana says safety is the group’s and parking lots. Some of the purists main concern, with skilled cyclists gather an hour before the ride—trading tips, talking of powder coats and spokes. assigned to manage the crowd.

I would not call this two-hour ride Peña rides a gorgeous Schwinn with blue tires and brown gum walls. “We do leisurely, though leaders tell me they positive things for the community,” he try to keep speeds at less than 20 mph.

Collisions are few, but they tend to hapsays. “We bring families and kids out.”

The group also hosts an annual toy pen in the center of the group, where there can be a bunching-up effect. drive for low-income children.

74 O RA NGE CO A ST • March 2022

The ride isn’t for the weather-intolerant. Numbers drop significantly in the dark and cold of winter. But hundreds of these cyclists are ride-or-die types, having been soaked in pounding rains, buffeted by Santa Ana winds, and caught in lightning storms. The nights I meet them, it’s dipping into the 40s.

Similar rides are scattered throughout Southern California. Santa Barbara has a Schwinn group. Las Vegas had a ride that attracted 5,000 participants.

Santa Ana has a second club, known as the 29ers, for their 29-inch BMX bikes.

Anaheim also has its BLVD Toros, fixie road bikes. San Diego and Riverside have clubs, too.

The newly formed Klunkers might already be one of the largest groups.

Varying their route every Monday night, they also change their “pit stops” at mom-and-pop eateries to support local businesses. One restaurant offers the cyclists dollar tacos.

For some reason, most of the real bike geeks are men. I have to look around to find a woman. Monique Gonzalez of Buena Park, who has biked with the group for more than a year, steers toward the parking lot exit because 7:14 p.m. is upon us.

“When you’re on your bike, you feel like a kid again,” she says. She disappears, laughing, into the darkness.

To laugh, to feel like a kid again. To learn how to make your own bike that is a piece of art. To ride among 8-yearold and 80-year-old fans. To feel safe on city streets, riding a bike at night.

I can see where the Klunkers could be a nuisance, but there’s something about them I love. I think it’s that they hearken back to a sense of small town that seems to be disappearing.

I also agree with those who think they could be a safety hazard. But I’d rather have bike lovers out there ringing their bells and lighting up the dark than some of the after-dark alternatives.

FIND T HEM

@socal_klunkers on Instagram

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SO CAL KLUNKERS

RITUALS

S P O N S O R E D CONT E NT

POWER

WOMEN ORANGE COUNTY’S LEADING WOMEN PROFESSIONALS

March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 75

POWER WOMEN

SPON SORED C ON TEN T

MICHELE HARRINGTON COO

HILA POOLI

CHIEF LEGAL COUNSEL

First Team Real Estate

Since 1976, First Team Real Estate has been trusted to represent over 250,000 home buyers and sellers as the largest privately held familyowned company in Southern California. Among the many other women who are a part of First Team’s leadership, COO Michele Harrington and Chief Legal Counsel Hila Pooli are driven with the knowledge, expertise, and vision to provide value to their agents, their clients, and the communities they serve.

In 2021, under Harrington’s leadership, the company achieved its best year on record, successfully closing 10,218 transactions, and thereby ranking #1 in Southern California for the 20th year in a row.

Harrington serves on the board of directors for the Orange County Association of Realtors® and the California Association of Realtors®. She is also a federal political coordinator for the National Association of Realtors®.

“Because I believe in this industry and because I want to make sure that others can enjoy the financial benefits that I’ve been able to, I give back my time on the various real estate boards in California and nationally — not because I want the recognition. And I believe in its ability to change lives for the better.”

Pooli provides legal advice to the company’s corporate department, high-level management, and approximately 2,200 agents with respect to matters of litigation and risk management. Selected as a 2021 Southern California Super Lawyer, a distinction reserved for only 2.5% of attorneys who exhibit excellence in practice in Southern California, Pooli is the best in the business, with a wealth of knowledge and experience in real estate law.

Michele Harrington & Hila Pooli 108 Pacifica, Suite 300 Irvine, CA 92618 949-988-3000 www.FirstTeam.com

76 Ora nge C o ast • March 2022

POWER WOMEN

S P O N S O R E D CONT E NT

AJ OLSON WHITFIELD REALTOR

Villa Real Estate Now a leader among coastal Orange County’s luxury residential real estate professionals, Whitfield first developed a passion for real estate at a young age. Born and raised in Newport Beach, her upbringing often revolved around real estate sales and development, providing her with an affinity and instinct for the profession. Since launching her career in 2009, she has earned a reputation for incomparable client service, impressive market knowledge, a best-in-class network, and delivering exceptional results for her clients.

Today, Whitfield resides with her husband and their two daughters in Eastside Costa Mesa.

She and her husband have built several custom homes, giving her a unique knowledge of the ways a home can be transformed, and what must be done to prepare a home for sale. She appreciates that this has given her an even broader perspective on the many possibilities she can present to her buyers and sellers.

With the support of local industry leaders and award-winning marketing at Villa Real Estate, Whitfield continues to shape the gold standard for service and success. Her clients trust and rely on her extensive knowledge of the local market within Newport, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, and Eastside Costa Mesa, where she has completed many successful transactions.

Beyond the breadth and depth of her market intelligence, Whitfield is known for her innovative strategies, astute attention to detail, and competitive drive. Having represented more than $150 million in career sales, she is one of the highest producing agents of her generation in Orange County.

450 Newport Center Drive, Suite 100 Newport Beach, CA 92660 949.433.8989 awhitfield@villarealestate.com ajolsonwhitfi eld.com

March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 77

POWER WOMEN

SPON SORED C ON TEN T

DR. WENDY MARSHALL PRESIDENT/CEO Ocean Institute

Two decades after her first visit to the Dana Point harbor as a teacher on a field trip, Dr. Wendy Marshall returned to join the Ocean Institute team in 2017. Taking on role of President & CEO at the start of the pandemic, Marshall’s early experiences with the power of ocean education shaped her leadership of the organization.

“Ocean Institute’s history of delivering lifechanging learning experiences for the last 45 years has provided a steadfast foundation that enabled us to hold strong through the toughest stretches of the pandemic. My job is to clear the way for the mission and staff to shine,” says Marshall.

With a 2.5 acre of oceanfront campus, 1100 marine animals, a 118-ft wooden tall ship, and a 65-foot research vessel, “clearing the way” means maintaining a complex facility which offers programs to schools and the general public.

Marshall describes the model as an “economic ecosystem”, in which public programs and fundraising subsidize operations and school field trips. “The generosity and commitment to education, children, and the environment of the residents of Orange County is humbling,” says Marshall. Twenty-percent of school visits are fully funded through the Adopt-A-Class program.

“The community has been a phenomenal support system and we are showing our gratitude by offering new ocean experiences for visitors of all ages”, says Wendy. Distinguished speakers, monthly themes, and special events are among the programs the public can expect to enjoy.

24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive Dana Point, CA 92629 949.496.2274 wmarshall@oceaninstitute.org oceaninstitute.org 78 Ora nge C o ast • March 2022

Photo Credit: Jared Sislin

“We are setting the conditions for the next 45-years to be the best yet!”

POWER WOMEN

S P O N S O R E D CONT E NT

KATHLEEN MONROE BROKER

Luxury Coastal Realty The real estate market in Orange County is crowded and highly competitive. As a seasoned Realtor, Kathleen Monroe has carved a unique niche for herself that she defines as relational rather than transactional.

“Selling residential real estate is rooted in emotion for sellers and buyers – I never underestimate the emotional connection a seller has to their home and the emotion a buyer feels when finding the home of their dreams.”

Kathleen’s uncompromising work ethic is genetically ingrained, having learned the tenets of honesty and integrity from watching her father excel as a real estate broker. After starting her career 17 years ago she

quickly rose from “rookie of the year” to being recognized as a consistent Top Producer. Known affectionately as “Mama Bear” by her clients, Kathleen can be counted on to always look out for their best interests. “I genuinely care about my clients and treat their money as if it is my own. I find ways to save them money in each and every transaction while selling their home for top dollar.”

A shrewd negotiator with a passion for results, Kathleen continually goes the extra mile, earning consistent 5-star reviews. A savvy marketer, she provides a strategic game plan for each seller, including free staging. “Staging increases the perception of value and

garners a higher price for my sellers.”

Her clients rave about the “Monroe Magic” and that if you “Go with Monroe you will make more Dough!”

For Kathleen, it’s all about the joy that comes from making clients’ dreams come true. “My purpose and passion in life is being a Realtor. Truly making a difference for each client is what I find most fulfilling.

2901 West Coast Highway, Suite 200 Newport Beach, CA 92663 949.702.1955 GowithMonroe@gmail.com LuxuryCoastalRealty.com March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 79

POWER WOMEN

SPON SORED C ON TEN T

JANE KAKKIS, MD

JULIA KAKKIS ELITE ATHLETE, HONORS STUDENT

Named a “Best Doctor in America” for over a decade, Dr. Jane Kakkis is respected for being on the forefront of innovative breast cancer surgery and treatment. Dr. Kakkis has also pioneered a survivorship program that addresses the physical and emotional changes cancer patients experience in their journey toward recovery. And, while her professional passion is rooted in helping women win their battle against cancer, her personal passion lies in raising her daughter, Julia, currently a sophomore at Mater Dei high school.

An honors student and acclaimed athlete, Julia expertly navigates the inherent pressures in elite-level beach and indoor volleyball.

Her ability to excel in her academic pursuits – despite the long hours and often stressful circumstances she faces as a multi-sport athlete – have shaped her strength of character and laid a solid foundation for her future aspirations. With her mom as both mentor and inspiration, her long-term goals include postgraduate training in medicine and an eventual career path in Orthopedic Surgery.

Dr. Kakkis notes the most important attributes she hopes to instill in her daughter include a strong work ethic, personal and professional integrity, and the mindfulness and generosity of heart that define true success. “This is the essence of raising the next generation of powerful leaders.”

9900 Talbert Avenue, Suite 103B Fountain Valley, CA 92708 714.378.5011 80 Ora nge C o ast • March 2022

POWER WOMEN

S P O N S O R E D CONT E NT

ANDREA PARADA PARTNER

URBANA Mexican Gastronomy + Mixology

A shared love of food and unique buildings led Andrea Parada and her fiancé Javier Cuadra to become first-time restaurateurs in 2014, designing Urbana Mexican Gastronomy and Mixology in the historic Anaheim Packing House building. Passionate foodies who built a space where you feel the Hispanic heritage, Andrea says when Cuadra first took her to travel throughout Mexico to taste and try regional cuisine, she knew there was a void in Orange County’s restaurant market that they could fill.

“We dreamed of opening a restaurant and at the time there was no modern Mexican cuisine in the area,” we worked with the city of Anaheim to bring this. “One of the things that makes us unique besides our eclectic menu and beverage options is that we use only fresh ingredients daily. Our menu is always changing with a spotlight on the Michoacan region, dubbed the “belly of Mexico.”

Urbana’s success has spawned a second location in Del Mar, CA, and Andrea, who manages all marketing and PR says the whole experience has taught her that she is stronger than she knew. “I feel like I’ve always been more shy, not someone who takes center stage. This experience has helped me break that mold.”

“I really enjoy working next to my fiancé every day,” she continues. “I’m proud of our team and how we have weathered the past few years of the pandemic by sticking together. We showed up every day and proved that nothing is impossible if you work hard and believe in yourself.”

Anaheim Packing District 440 South Anaheim Boulevard Anaheim, CA 92805 714.502.0255 Urbanaanaheim.com March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 81

POWER WOMEN

SPON SORED C ON TEN T

MARY VACHON VICE PRESIDENT PRIVATE MORTGAGE BANKER Union Bank

With 30 years of experience in the Real Estate and Banking industry, Mary Vachon has proven to be a self-driven, meticulous, and professional Mortgage Banker. Her successes have brought trust and confidence to all her clients including those who are purchasing the home of their dreams, or investors who want to expand their business investment portfolios. It’s no surprise Mary is the proud recipient of The President’s Club award, 12 years running.

With a passion for providing exceptional personalized service, Mary always takes the time to explain the complexities of the loan process to her clients. “I describe upfront and in detail the entire process the borrower will experience, so they don’t feel the anxiety that comes with financing their home,” she says. “All lenders have differences in the way they operate, so regardless of how many loan experiences a client has had, it is important to educate them on what to expect with Union Bank.”

Recognizing that communication is key, Mary checks in frequently with her clients to answer questions trouble shoot any issues that arise.

Because she cares deeply for her clients, Mary adds that it’s especially rewarding when successful transactions lead to satisfied clients.

“Home buyers typically comment that the new home was made a reality as a result of my helping them achieve the best financing available. The most rewarding part of my job is receiving the thank you call at the end of the transaction from a happy borrower.”

© 2022 MUFG Union Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Union Bank is a registered trademark and brand name of MUFG Union Bank, N.A. unionbank.com

82 Ora nge C o ast • March 2022

1666 San Miguel Newport Beach, CA 92660 Cell 949.244.5890 Fax 949.257.4782 unionbank.com/mvachon NMLS#322288

POWER WOMEN

S P O N S O R E D CONT E NT

ELIZABETH NIGRO, CFLS

Certified Family Law Specialist, State Bar of California Elizabeth Nigro understands the wants and needs of clients in divorce and child custody proceedings. Whenever possible, she works to reach mutually agreeable resolutions to challenging disputes over child custody, support and property rights. Her expertise includes complex child custody cases, including domestic violence; international child custody cases; and high asset and income cases, including concealed asset and income issues.

“I care deeply for my clients. I love people. That caring is what motivates me to work as hard as I do.”

Passionate about her clients’ families, her family, and her community, Elizabeth is devoted to her three children and two grandsons and her firm regularly volunteers services for Laura’s House.

“I define success as excellence in my courtroom performance, including preparation for every challenge and giving 100% in the pursuit of justice for my clients.”

4 Venture, Suite 320 Irvine, CA 92618 949-453-0530 | 949-453-0531 (fax) nigrofamilylaw.com

CANDACE HOWE, MD, OB/GYN, FACOG

MARINA MASLOVARIC, MD, OB/GYN, FACOG

Dr. Candace Howe and Dr. Marina Maslovaric oversee a patient-centric women’s health practice that focuses on total wellness. The practice incorporates primary and specialty care to treat pelvic pain, menstrual abnormalities, hormonal disorders, low and high-risk pregnancy management, infertility counseling and holistic care for the whole woman.

Both physicians are recognized for their education, expertise, industry awards and accolades, and are passionate about making a difference in their community.

“My job is my calling and my life is dedicated to helping my community. I believe we need our “village” and connectedness to stay emotionally and mentally well,” says Dr. Howe. “Dedicating my life to medicine came naturally. My family has a strong tradition of contributing to society and helping others,” adds Dr. Maslovaric.

500 Superior Avenue, Suite 330 Newport Beach, CA 92663 949.642.3780 hmmedicalobgyn.com March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 83

POWER WOMEN

SPON SORED C ON TEN T

CANDICE SILVER REALTOR®

Pacific Platinum Properties, Inc. Loyal, determined, strategic and committed. These are words that best describe top real estate professional Candice Silver. With a decade of experience to her credit, Candice says that for her, true success is defined not by financial gain, but by having an engaging and meaningful career that also makes a tremendous difference in her clients’ lives.

Coming from a large family real estate background with deep roots in the industry for over 35 years, real estate is embedded in her bones. What immediately stands out is her distinctive solution driven mindset. That being her ability to pair her concierge-level service and intimate knowledge of neighborhoods with market analytic trends and industry leading technology. Candice began her career working in Financial Strategy, Operational Risk and Compliance for Fortune 500 Companies. She also worked with large Banks specializing in Residential Mortgage to leverage her finance background and passion for real estate.

949.910.2518 candice@silver-realestate.com silver-realestate.com CA DRE #02034243

ANNIE DEL RIO FOUNDER AND CREATOR Yogurt Glamour

Founder and creator of the first yogurt skincare eco brand, Annie Del Rio is committed to environmentally conscious, sustainable skincare. With a BSc in Biology and an MBA, Del Rio was inspired by worldly travels where she observed the locals using organic yogurt to care for and preserve their skin. Soon to be WBENC certified, Yogurt Glamour is a womanowned, family-run business bringing the community simple, handmade quality products.

You can find Del Rio and her family at their brick and mortar shop in La Habra, shop online from 230 countries around the world and at various farmer’s markets across Southern California.

2208 West Whittier Boulevard La Habra, CA 90631 800.399.6740 annie.delrio@yogurtglamour.com yogurtglamour.com 84 Ora nge C o ast • March 2022

POWER WOMEN

S P O N S O R E D CONT E NT

GERALDINE LY ATTORNEY

Law Offices of Geraldine Ly As an established Orange County attorney with nearly three decades of experience, Geraldine Ly specializes in representing people who face tough legal challenges. “My expertise is in workers’ compensation, personal injury, and matters related to civil litigation.”

Geraldine oversees an all-female, boutique practice that offers a hands-on approach to every case. “My philosophy is to treat my staff like family and each client as an extended part of our family. We are proactive and aggressive in moving our clients’ cases towards resolution.”

Respected by clients and peers, Geraldine was selected a Super Lawyer each year from 2016 to the present and named 2020 and 2021 Top 50 Attorneys in Orange County and Top 50 Women Attorneys in Southern California.

“My success is defined by being able to make a positive impact on someone’s life.”

2700 North Main Street, Suite 610 Santa Ana, CA 92705 714.442.9998 geraldinely-law.com

BRONWYN GORMAN

Decorating Den Interiors As a sought-after interior designer, Bronwyn Gorman believes that a home should reflect the people who live there — not the designer.

Bronwyn fully embraces this philosophy with each project she oversees. “My greatest joy comes from helping my clients achieve the home of their dreams that feels like their own personal sanctuary.”

Bronwyn has built her business around providing exceptional customer service, and her passion for making people happy motivates her to understand a client’s style so she can deliver designs that make them proud of their home. “My goal is that the design experience is enjoyable for my clients as we work together to create a home that they love.”

949.755.2032 bronwyngorman@decoratingden.com bronwyngorman.decoratingden.com March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 85

86 O R A N G E C O A S T • March 2022

KICKASS WOMEN OF O.C.

Webster’s dictionary offers two definitions for kickass: 1. having a strong effect on someone or something; powerful 2. exceptionally good; spectacular, impressive.

The women we’ve chosen for our second edition of this feature easily live up to both descriptions. They’re but a sampling of the leaders in our community doing amazing work in many areas. They show off the best of Orange County, and we think you’ll be proud to count them as neighbors and friends.

WRITTEN BY ALAN GIBBONS, ANASTACIA GRENDA, CHELSEA RAINERI, VALERIE TAKAHAMA, AND THERESA WALKER PHOTOGRAPHS BY EMILY J. DAVIS

March 2022 • O R A N G E C O A S T 87

Kickass Women

Shachi Mehra Chef-owner of Adya BONA FIDES: Mehra thought she wanted to be a doctor. In her early 20s, she was working in a medical off ice and realized she would never be as happy as the doctor she worked for. Luckily for diners, she found her home in the culinary world and never looked back. She worked with Floyd Cardoz in New York for five years, then did stints in Washington, D.C., and Northern California.

Michelin-starred Tamarind of London lured her to Orange County to be its opening chef. She felt at home in O.C. and opened Adya eight years ago to make the high-quality Indian food she loves more accessible to local diners. She thrives on watching customers’ reactions as they taste something new and find they love it. In fall 2019, she won “Chopped” and had big plans for her next steps, which included using her winnings to launch a sauce company. COVID-19 put a hold on everything. While Adya was closed, Mehra participated in the artisan pop-up market at OC Baking Co and the Orange farmers market, and she started doing virtual cooking classes. Adya off ers catering for big events and small private dinners, and last year Mehra debuted Spice Girl Sauces.

IN HER WORDS: “I really think that (being) forced to rethink everything opened a lot of doors in my mind about what I still have to do, and now I’m moving toward all of those things. Orange County has made such huge strides in food in the time that I’ve been here. I think it’s completely changed, and I feel like the consumers are diff erent. Chefs are doing what we really want to do, and people are appreciating what we’re doing in a way that didn’t happen before.”

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Jane Fujishige Yada Chairwoman of the board of directors for Segerstrom Center for the Arts BONA FIDES: Yada went to see “A Christmas Carol” at South Coast Repertory on a school field trip in the early 1980s. She has been a fan of theater ever since and has 20 years of experience as a board member. She especially enjoys Broadway musicals and classical music performances, and her dream is for Segerstrom Center for the Arts to produce original Broadwaycaliber shows. But first she has had to deal with the challenges of operating the center during a pandemic: She moved quickly to upgrade equipment and institute protocols to make patrons feel safe. Born in Orange, raised in Anaheim, and a resident of Tustin Ranch, Yada is O.C. through and through. Her philanthropic interests also include the CHOC Hospital Foundation, City of Hope, Hoag Hospital, and Second Harvest Food Bank.

IN HER WORDS: “What Henry Segerstrom did was similar to what Walt Disney did in the 1950s. Everybody in the world knows Disneyland, and I’m hard-pressed to find anywhere in the country that has as beautiful and as well-thought-out a performing arts center campus as what we have here. …

The Orange County Museum of Art is going to be the final piece of the crown jewel of a campus here. It’s going to be stunning. So we’ve got a little bit of everything here—Broadway, dance, the symphony, philharmonic, the chorale, now the visual arts.”

Annette Walker President of City of Hope Orange County BONA FIDES: Her favorite quote is from Joan of Arc, commonly interpreted as “I am not afraid. I was born to do this.”

Sometimes Walker “gets her Joan on” by donning a pair of socks or a necklace depicting the 15th-century French teen heroine. Walker adopted the mantra early in her health care career to serve as internal pushback against doubts raised because she was a woman and a mother raising six children.

Now she is shepherding City of Hope’s $1 billion cancer care campus in Irvine. Despite pandemic-related disruptions, and the challenge of hiring several hundred specialized staff, Walker is determined to open the Lennar Foundation Cancer Center for outpatient care and clinical research this year.

Several satellite locations are up and running. Next, the 2025 completion of a specialty hospital to treat and cure cancer.

IN HER WORDS: “Whether we open exactly the day we want or 30 days later, we’re going to open this year. It’s going to be a big relief to me to have those resources on the ground here. So many people need them. It’s a mission with real love and passion. I just want to get it here for people as quick as I can. We’re getting close. It’s no longer conceptual.

It’s so real.”

March 2022 • O R A N G E C O A S T 89

Kickass Women

Angela Howe

Rachael Coccia

Surfrider Foundation legal director

Surfrider Foundation plastic pollution manager

BONA FIDES: Howe learned to surf and snowboard and became awed by the beauty of the environment as a student at the UC Berkeley School of Law in the early 2000s. After practicing at a private law firm and volunteering for the Surfrider Foundation, she joined the San Clemente-based organization as its legal director in 2007. Now she oversees Surfrider’s efforts to protect the coast and marine environment by pushing for good laws and making sure they’re enforced. Last year, the foundation scored more than 80 environmental victories on everything from the passage of several #SkipTheStuff local ordinances reducing single-use plastic utensil waste to the resolution of a long-running battle over water pollution on Maui, a case heard before the U.S. Supreme Court. She has taught at the UC Irvine School of Law, USD Law, and Whittier Law School, and she’s co-leader of the PTA Zero Waste Committee at her children’s school in San Clemente. She’s still an enthusiastic surfer and snowboarder.

BONA FIDES: Coccia has put her poise and communication skills to work empowering and educating young people about the environment practically since she was a kid herself. As a college student, she hosted a syndicated science show, “Aqua Kids,” and ended each episode with a positive message that resonated with viewers. She continues to inspire kids—and adults—to make a diff erence through Surfrider’s plastic-reduction programs, including beach cleanups and ocean friendly restaurants. The efforts are complementary: single-use plastics are the top items collected at the 1,000 or so cleanups conducted each year, and the restaurants program tackles plastic pollution at its source.

IN HER WORDS: “We take cues from our grassroots. We have

80 chapters nationally, 18 in California, three in Orange County. They’re very in touch with what’s going on with our coasts, whether it be water quality, plastic pollution, erosion, bad coastal development. We’re really listening to them and using our knowledge of the legal system looking at how to best address them, coming up with that legal strategy—should we litigate, should we advocate to decision-makers, should we help write new laws?”

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IN HER WORDS: “What Surfrider is, at our very core, is a network, a community of people who care. We are able to keep people engaged and staying with us year after year because they do see the impact they’re making and how it’s changing things in a big way. Environmental work can be overwhelming, but when you’ve got a really great network of people all supporting each other, it makes it easier.”

Jonelle Allen Award-winning actress BONA FIDES: Actors can spend their entire careers trying to get to Broadway; Allen debuted there at age 6 opposite the legendary Helen Hayes. Later, Allen worked with another theater titan, her mentor Joseph Papp, in the original companies of “Hair” and “Two Gentlemen of Verona.” The latter earned her several accolades, including a Tony nomination.

Allen’s career continued to shine in film and TV with an extensive list of credits that includes “ER,” “9-1-1,” and “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” where she was the first Black woman to appear as a regular character in a TV Western. Last fall, Arts Orange County honored Allen with its Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award. The longtime Laguna Beach resident has worked as an arts educator throughout the county, including at Saddleback College, and she is a cofounder of The Lynn House, a Costa Mesa sober living shelter for women.

IN HER WORDS: “My life has taken so many diff erent turns, but I’m still continuing to work. I stay connected to the small voice inside me—call it whatever you want to call it—to guide me in the direction of my highest and greatest good. That’s when unexpected blessings can happen. I call it ‘wow’: world of wonder.”

Claudia Bonilla Keller CEO at Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County; planning commissioner in Placentia BONA FIDES: Her two years at the county’s largest food bank—first as chief mission off icer and as CEO since January— started right as COVID-19 arrived to drive unprecedented need among the county’s most vulnerable residents. Second Harvest’s pantry network continues to feed more than 490,000 people monthly. Keller is the daughter of immigrants to Los Angeles who worked hard to provide a life of what she calls modest but relatively privileged means. A selfdescribed “health, education, and social justice advocate,” she moved in 2005 from a successful career in the retail clothing industry to nonprofits. At Second Harvest, the main mission is addressing food insecurity, the daily uncertainty of a next meal. Keller also aims to ensure that what people eat is nutritious, whether she’s negotiating the bulk price of fresh eggs or helping plan the next harvest at a farm in Irvine.

IN HER WORDS: “I guess I’ve refined my worldview. I always believed that food is a human right, but now I believe food is a necessity for human advancement, however one defines advancement. To me, that can change the course of an individual, that can change the course of a community.”

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Kickass Women

Yassmin Sarmadi Knife Pleat co-owner and two-time Michelin honoree BONA FIDES: Running a successful restaurant requires much more than a great chef, as Sarmadi witnessed often during her time helping finance restaurants in trouble. She learned plenty about the financial underbelly of the dining scene, paired that with her natural grace and knack for finding the best talent in the kitchen, and opened L.A.’s wildly popular Church & State, which earned Bib Gourmand recognition from Michelin. In 2016, she and husband Tony Esnault launched Spring restaurant in L.A. When the opportunity arose to do a French restaurant at South Coast Plaza, Sarmadi knew the clientele would be a good fit for the pair’s vision.

Knife Pleat opened in 2019 and was honored with a Michelin star last year. Chef Esnault’s exquisite dishes are complemented perfectly by the ambience and elegant-yet-warm service Sarmadi oversees in the dining room. Her creativity and positive spirit kept the team upbeat and engaged, even during the toughest months of the pandemic and closures.

IN HER WORDS: “I think through COVID, it shifted my perspective in a positive way. We had a lot of downtime we normally don’t have. Being at home and having time to reflect was actually great. … It opens other things up and allows you space to be creative. We’re so happy to be where we are. The tasting menu dinners have evolved into what the identity of the restaurant is becoming now. We feel really supported, and we’re looking forward to pushing the envelope a little more.”

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Michal Mimi Lee Restaurateur, connector BONA FIDES: Trying to get Lee to talk about herself is nearly impossible. She’s focused on helping other people, no matter what she’s doing. As an integral part of the group behind Toast Kitchen and the new Tableau restaurant at South Coast Plaza, Lee charms diners, business owners, and philanthropists alike with her nonstop smile, deep empathy, and willingness to listen. The daughter of Japanese Americans who were interned as children, she graduated from UC Irvine, became an optometrist, and married Ed Lee, who had just started Wahoo’s with his brothers. Eventually she decided the restaurant business was where she wanted to be, and she devotes herself completely to behind-the-scenes tasks and the philanthropic strategy behind Tableau’s mission.

She rolls up her sleeves at events around the county and remembers everyone she meets. Better still, she connects people with others in the community to deliver phenomenal partnerships, tremendous fundraising potential, and great friendships along the way.

IN HER WORDS: “Human beings are amazingly resilient.

We’re all survivors. We want to get together and laugh and share food and take care of each other. I think most Americans have a heart to give, too. Having this restaurant brings more people along and gets people involved. I think God put me here uniquely to help.”

Heidi Zuckerman CEO and director of Orange County Museum of Art BONA FIDES: Zuckerman believes that access to art is a basic human right, not a privilege. People will be freer to exercise that right when the Orange County Museum of Art opens in October because of a grant she obtained that will cover general admission for the first 10 years. As she pursues her vision of a 21st-century museum—housed in a sleek 53,000-square-foot building by architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis—the former head of the Aspen Art Museum has forged strong ties to the O.C. arts and philanthropic communities. “What’s most exciting and impressive is people’s open-mindedness,” she says. “The people I’ve met here are incredibly entrepreneurial, innovative, freethinking, and it’s a great match for contemporary art.”

IN HER WORDS: “I’m really looking forward to seeing art in person with other people every day. It’s really diff erent to look at art in a defined environment like collection storage or a closed museum. It’s totally diff erent to have unexpected encounters with people you don’t know who are looking at art and talking with them about what they’re seeing.”

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Kickass Women

Alana M.W. LeBrón

Jun Wu

Codirector of the UC Irvine Center for Environmental Health Disparities Research

Codirector of the UC Irvine Center for Environmental Health Disparities Research

BONA FIDES: An assistant professor of Chicano/Latino studies and public health, LeBrón researches how structural racism contributes to health disparities in vulnerable communities and collaborates with local partners to address those disparities. It’s personal to her. She grew up a Latina in a small Texas town and has a vivid memory of negotiating with a pharmacist on a Friday night to get just enough medication for a diabetic family member to manage the disease until the family could pay for more. “Race and socioeconomic status have always been salient in my lived experience,” she says.

BONA FIDES: Wu’s expertise is in environmental engineering and environmental health, and she is a force of nature herself. With the center, she aims to harness UC Irvine experts from a range of disciplines—including engineering, medicine, urban planning, and anthropology—and to tap community collaborators not only in Orange County but also across Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. She works with the Orange County Environmental Justice organization to study lead soil contamination and its sources, and also with a group in Santa Ana’s Madison Park neighborhood to find ways of dealing eff ectively with air pollution issues. Her many other projects include guiding university undergraduates who work with the Anaheim Union High School District installing air-quality sensors in schools, and other students who use high-resolution satellite images to study largetruck traff ic patterns and estimate diesel exhaust exposure and health impacts on aff ected communities.

IN HER WORDS: “What keeps me hopeful is that so much is happening outside of the academy—the work that local health equity leaders are really innovating on.

They’re the folks who are connected on the ground, who are visionaries. The other thing that keeps me hopeful are the students who I have the pleasure of working with on research projects. They often identify as coming from communities where there are mostly low-income residents of color, and they’re committed to strengthening their understanding of factors that shape health inequities and returning to their communities, or communities similar to theirs, to really be part of the sea of change in this area.”

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IN HER WORDS: “Collaborating with local communities is very important because most previous research in academia focuses on finding problems instead of really solving problems.

Communities have the lived experience, and that is essential in solving the problems. … By continuing to work on this model, I hope the center will be a regional leader in Southern California in promoting health equity and environmental justice.”

Chaitali Nangia Codirector of NK Cell Therapy Research at Hoag Family Cancer Institute BONA FIDES: Nangia is at the forefront of cancer research.

She leads a clinical trial studying the treatment of advanced triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease that is more common among women under 40, Black women, and those with the BRCA1 mutation. Her research involves cell therapy, a type of immunotherapy where the body’s immune system helps destroy cancer cells. Specifically, the study uses natural killer (NK) cells in combination with other agents, potentially delaying the cancer’s progression while maintaining the patient’s quality of life. It is the first and only such trial in Orange County.

IN HER WORDS: “What drives me is (patients’) bravery— their resilience and their will to fight all of this. Their tenacity, their desire to be normal, their thought that ‘I’m not a patient; I’m a human being. I want to go on a trip to Hawaii. I have a grandkid who’s just coming home today.’ They’re facing the inevitable but they’re dealing with it so bravely.”

Shauntina Sorrells Chief program officer at Orangewood Foundation; professor; board member at California Conference for Equality and Justice BONA FIDES: Sorrells left foster care after 13 years in the system when she was 18. With nothing but a laundry basket of clothes, she boarded a Greyhound bus to Santa Ana. She had no one to call and didn’t have a ride to Vanguard University, where she would complete her undergraduate work. She earned her master’s in social work at Cal State Long Beach and her doctorate in the same field at USC, one of her proudest accomplishments. From a young age, Sorrells knew she wanted to help foster youth—from starting a peer mentor program in her high school to working at the nonprofit Boys Town, where she managed programs for the organization locally and then nationally. In 2019, Sorrells started at Orangewood Foundation, where she manages all 14 programs that off er support to around 2,000 foster youth per year with education, housing, and more. Her specialty is humancentered design—creating programs that are tailored to a specific individual. She’s working toward having youth hold leadership roles in the organization.

IN HER WORDS: “When you don’t have a safety net, you don’t have someone to call, you don’t have anywhere to lay your head, life is much more diff icult. Our goal is to be the one stability in their life; the people they can count on. They show up, and they know we’re going to be there, and we’ll find a way to help them.”

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Kickass Women

Stephanie CamachoVan Dyke Director of Advocacy and Education at The LGBTQ Center OC BONA FIDES: Camacho-Van Dyke started as a volunteer in 2011 and then was hired as youth program director. Working with volunteers, interns, and staff, she built The Center’s weekly youth drop-in group into a suite of programs for young people. Those services cover social support, mental health, education, and advocacy for LGBTQ youth from ages 10 to mid-20s. Camacho-Van Dyke grew up in south Orange County at a time when homophobic bullying was common at school. As director of advocacy and education, she oversees LGBTQ outreach and advocacy on school campuses, directed at district and school administrators, teachers, studentrun Genders & Sexuality Alliances, and parents. Much has changed, but there has been a rise in hate crimes and hate incidents directed at the LGBTQ community since 2016. Speak out against it, she says.

IN HER WORDS: “What drives me most is this need to create environments where LGBTQ people and youth can have a space where they can be themselves and just thrive. Just come as they are. And no matter how they’re dressed or how they present, they can walk into it and just be themselves, be as creative and wonderful as they want. And be respected and valued for that.”

Jennifer Friend CEO at Project Hope Alliance BONA FIDES: Project Hope Alliance provides school-based programs to students struggling with homelessness. Friend knows that life well—her family lived in Orange County motel rooms during her adolescence. Academic success at Huntington Beach High propelled her to UC Irvine (where she now serves as a trustee), then law school. She left a law firm partnership for the full-time position of CEO at Project Hope Alliance in 2013. She has grown the nonprofit from a staff of two to nearly 20, to work with Orange County students—and their families—on campuses in three public school districts and through a charter school partnership. The organization’s bywords: For the Kids.

IN HER WORDS: “I loved being a litigator, and I enjoyed being an attorney. But this isn’t just a job for me; I feel like it’s my purpose. It gives me the liberty to be able to always think about what’s best for the kids, versus what would advance my personal career or even what would advance the interests of Project Hope Alliance. It changes the ‘why’ I show up to work every day. It changes my perspective in every decision I make.”

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Karen Heath Clark Founder of Women in Leadership; retired partner at law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP; chairwoman of Newport Beach Public Library Foundation BONA FIDES: Clark earned her law degree from the University of Michigan but was eager to leave the climate there and return to Southern California, where she was born. She started at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in the late 1970s as the firm’s first female attorney and later became its first female partner. Her interest in sports helped ease the introduction to her colleagues, who were a little unsure about how to relate to her request to leave work every night by 6 to get home to her young children. In 1993, she helped start Women in Leadership, a bipartisan political action committee whose focus is to support pro-choice women running for off ice. Women’s issues have been a priority for Clark for decades, as is obvious in her participation on boards for Planned Parenthood, Southern California Council on Aging, New Directions for Women, and more. She’s now the board chair of the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation, which has approval to build a lecture hall that will be the home to the Witte Lecture Series and other community events.

IN HER WORDS: “My focus right now is the lecture hall. We have the architectural drawings.

It’s going to be gorgeous—the most iconic building in the city and the center of cultural and civic life. You know the Newport Beach Public Library is one of the best libraries in the state.

People come from Irvine, Mission Viejo; some of our board members live in Laguna, one lives in Huntington Beach. It’s a countywide facility—anyone can get a library card.”

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Kickass Women

Allyson Sonenshine Founding director of the Orange County Women’s Health Project BONA FIDES: Sonenshine started her career as an attorney and has been focused on women’s issues since college. Upon moving to Orange County, she joined the board of Planned Parenthood of Orange & San Bernardino Counties and served as chair. The match was perfect for her passion and led her to transition to the nonprofit world. She worked with the Merage Foundations to create the SOS-El Sol Wellness Center at a school in Santa Ana. She and others saw that there was no group in O.C. that was an umbrella for women’s health—though there were many such off ices around the state. So Sonenshine cofounded the Orange County Women’s Health Project in 2011, a neutral nonprofit to promote education, advocacy, and collaboration. The group connects various state agencies, dozens of nonprofits, and medical providers to focus on specifics of women’s physical and mental health. The pandemic has forced the project to scale back a bit, so it is zeroing in on collaboration and its latest initiative, Healthy Teen Collective. For a fun release, Sonenshine sings with ’80s cover band The New Originals.

IN HER WORDS: “I’m usually an optimist, but the future of abortion access outside of California is quite stark right now, and the deterioration of public discourse isn’t helping. We must relearn how to agree to disagree and find solutions that allow people to coexist peacefully. What does it mean to be an American, or an Orange County resident? What does it mean to live in a civil society? To me, these questions are inextricably linked to a pregnant person’s ability to control not only their physical and mental health but also their reproductive destiny. I’m hopeful that these issues, more urgent than ever, will galvanize a renewed level of activism to protect women’s health.”

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Saachi Pavani Portola High senior in Irvine; adviser to Girl Scouts of Orange County Board of Directors BONA FIDES: At 14, Pavani learned during a Laura’s House workshop for Girl Scouts that one in three women experience domestic violence. So she started a high school Domestic Violence Prevention Club as a freshman, and an Instagram page (@phsdvp) spreading awareness. A presentation by a nurse on how to prevent someone from bleeding to death led Pavani to organize Stop the Bleed trainings that have reached more than 150 youths and adults, and earned her the Girl Scouts Gold Award last year. Other volunteer work, including for Southern California Hospice Foundation, has garnered recognition. All the while, Pavani captained the girls varsity tennis team that won a Division 3 CIF title in 2019. She aims for a career in health administration, hoping to bring affordable and accessible quality care to all.

IN HER WORDS: “Realizing how little I had known about these issues led me to wonder how much did my peers know? If I’m so in the dark, how oblivious might my peers be? Just wanting to bring that kind of awareness to my school and people my age is what drew me into these issues. I want to share things with other people and be part of a community.”

Brooke Weitzman Cofounder of Elder Law and Disability Rights Center in Santa Ana BONA FIDES: As a public law attorney, she champions the rights of homeless people and fights to achieve housing for all. Weitzman has helped initiate more humane treatment of homeless people by law enforcement and local governments through legal action—in particular, a landmark 2018 federal civil rights case in Orange County. The UC Irvine Law School graduate is one of two lawyers who opened Elder Law and Disability Rights Center in early 2017, providing low-cost legal services. She was 33 at the time. Most of the work Weitzman handles involves housing and homelessness. She sits on the American Bar Association’s Commission on Youth at Risk and is working to bring about ABA best practices in local Homeless Outreach Court.

IN HER WORDS: “If people don’t know where they’re going to sleep and have a safe room with a door that closes and know where their next meal is coming from, the idea that we as a community can expect them to do anything other than focus on survival is just not realistic. It seems like people should have that safe place before we ask them to do more or diff erent. And jail doesn’t count. No matter what others may tell you, that is not housing.”

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100 O R A N G E C O A S T • March 2022

PASSION for PICKLEBALL The pandemic increased the sport’s popularity across Orange County and the nation.

by Miles Corwin

A

photographs by Emily J. Davis

t 7 o’clock on a misty Saturday morning, with the temperature dipping into the low 40s, a Tustin parking lot is quickly filling up.

Sleepy folks dressed in sweatsuits and lugging gym bags emerge from their cars. A few minutes later, the early morning calm is shattered by what sounds like a volley of rifle fire. It’s actually the sharp thwack of paddles slamming plastic pickleballs.

Within half an hour, members of the Tustin Pickleball Club fill 10 courts and a dozen people are waiting on benches to play. The sport has exploded in popularity in Orange County, and the Tustin club, based at Sycamore Magnet Academy, is one of the biggest in the region. The immaculate courts—transformed from scruff y, rarely used tennis courts—are filled by members Monday through Saturday mornings from 7 to 10 a.m., then are open to the public. Courts are divided by skill level. Picklers, as pickleball players are known, from throughout Southern

California flock to Tustin. They appreciate the low membership fee—free for the first decade or so, recently raised to $50—the ability to drop in and play without a reservation, and the diverse, friendly crowd.

“The mix of people here is really cool,” says Tracy Morris, one of the first players to arrive Saturday morning. “One day I was playing with a Korean guy, a Black guy, an Indian woman, an Asian woman, and a man in his 80s. I really love the idea of so many people from different walks of life blending together.”

March 2022 • O R A N G E C O A S T 101

Many players at the Tustin Club attribute its success to its founder, Phil Dunmeyer, who some players and coaches in Southern California call “Mr. Orange County Pickleball.” Dunmeyer, who wears a shirt emblazoned with PICKLEBALL ASYLUM WARDEN, spends Saturday morning in a whirl of constant motion. He greets arriving members; congratulates players when he spots a skilled shot; welcomes couples from out of town who are looking for a game; fills in when a player is needed; and uses his bullhorn to move picklers to other courts when he spots a mismatch. During moments of repose, he sells his instructional books and hands out copies of a new pickleball magazine.

cilities. Three years ago, the Tennis Club at Newport Beach transformed two tennis courts into four pickleball courts. There are now 31 pickleball courts, and the club is planning to add another 16. The pickleball membership grew from 75 to more than 1,500 members, with a waiting list of more than 100.

Member Brian Tong says pickleball has an addictive quality. He is so enthusiastic that he follows 11 pickleball podcasts and three YouTube channels. “The day I discovered pickleball was the day I stopped playing racquetball after 30 years,” he says.

“That’s how much I enjoyed it. Within a half hour, I knew this was the sport that I wanted to do the rest of my life.”

“In tennis, the court is so big, you can’t rea y communicate with your opponents. But in pickleba , you can chat with them and compliment them on a good shot.”

—JUDY TONG Dunmeyer, 79, a retired Tustin elementary school principal, says that while the sport has been steadily growing in popularity throughout Orange County for the past decade, the pandemic sparked a dramatic increase. The club grew from 250 members to 2,000 within a year. “It was like a tidal wave,” he says. “People who couldn’t go to the gym or play racquetball or do any other indoor activities were able to play pickleball.

Also, it’s by far the easiest sport to learn. There’s instant gratification.”

Pickleball is a mélange of pingpong, tennis, and badminton. The playing surface is smaller than a tennis court, the net is a few inches lower, the paddles are slightly larger than those used in ping-pong and somewhat square, and the ball is made of perforated plastic. During the past few years, both private clubs in Orange County and city recreational departments have been steadily transforming tennis courts into pickleball courts or building new pickleball fa102 O R A N G E C O A S T • March 2022

Because most of the games are doubles, there is a conviviality to the sport that appeals to Tong’s wife, Judy. “In tennis, the court is so big, you can’t really communicate with your opponents. But in pickleball, you can chat with them and compliment them on a good shot. Some people are more competitive than others, but overall, we’ve found that the community of pickleball players are a really nice group of people. That’s something I’ve appreciated.”

There are public courts in more than 20 O.C. cities, from San Clemente to Seal Beach. The Seal Beach Tennis Center, which is a public facility, changed its name two years ago to the Seal Beach Tennis and Pickleball Center and now has 17 courts. “Court time is hard to get,” says Tim Kelsey, the Seal Beach recreation manager.

“About 2,000 people drop in a month.

We heard from a lot of people that it’s easier on the body than most sports.”

This is one of the reasons the sport is so popular among seniors, says

Joan Brown, president of the pickleball club at Laguna Woods Village, a community of people 55 and older.

In the past decade, the club there has grown from 40 to 450 members. “Because of the size of the court, there’s less running around, so there’s less of a chance of falling down. The ball is lighter than a tennis ball, so you can keep it in play easier, and because men and women often play together, it’s very social.”

T

he game was invented in 1965 when Joel Prichard, a congressman from Washington state, and a friend returned to Prichard’s home on Bainbridge Island after a golf outing. Dismayed that their families were lounging around, bored, they decided to initiate a badminton game

PASSION for PICKLEBALL

because the home had a court. When they couldn’t find a full set of rackets, they started playing with ping-pong paddles and a Wiffle ball. They discovered that the ball bounced well, so they moved the game to asphalt and lowered the badminton net. The next weekend, another friend joined the group, they created a set of rules, and the game soon spread.

There is a raging controversy about the origin of the sport’s name. Some contend it was named after the Prichard family dog, Pickles. Others argue that the derivation stems from a pickle boat in crew, which is composed of random rowers picked from the leftovers of other boats. The United States Pickleball Association, after extensive historical research, has finally settled the contretemps and reMarch 2022 • O R A N G E C O A S T 103

PHIL DUNMEYER

ported its finding on its website: “We looked for dog records, uncovered photos, and interviewed several people. … Based on evidence, we learned that the dog was born in 1968—three years after pickleball was first played. … Pickleball was not named after the dog, but rather in reference to the local pickle boat races.”

As of 2020, more than 4 million people play the sport in the U.S., an increase of 21 percent from the previous year, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. There are numerous pickleball YouTube channels, podcasts, and books, and a new magazine recently printed its first issue.

Several cruise lines have added courts to their ships to appeal to devotees.

While the sport is a low-key diversion for many, pickleball is becoming increasingly competitive. There are professional tournaments across the country, including several in Orange County. Pickleball competitions are aired on CBS Sports Network, ESPN3, and the Tennis Channel. According to a spokeswoman, officials at USA Pickleball are working to include the sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Before the pandemic, the Newport Beach club hosted three to four televised tournaments a year on its stadium court, says Pat Rolfes, who man104 O R A N G E C O A S T • March 2022

ages the club’s pickleball division. “I can teach you to play pickleball in five minutes, but it takes a lifetime to master. That’s why it’s a great sport for all skill levels.”

D

unmeyer had been playing tennis for years, but when he was introduced to pickleball in 2009, he found that the sport satisfied his need for competition and exercise, without exacerbating his back problems. He introduced the sport to his tennis partner, Pete Burns, who was director of maintenance for the Tustin School District.

At the Sycamore school, Dunmeyer converted a tennis court to a pickleball court by using tape to mark off the new boundaries and galvanized steel pipes for a stand to hold up an old badminton net. Soon, friends and colleagues began joining them. A year later, so many people wanted to play that Dunmeyer decided to paint permanent lines and pull up the tape.

Dunmeyer asked Burns, “Who do you suppose we need to talk to to get these lines painted on permanently?” Burns’ reply: “That would be me.” The next year, they obtained regulation pickleball nets. As more

PASSION for PICKLEBALL

and more people joined the group, Dunmeyer and Burns began converting more tennis courts, which were rarely used, into permanent pickleball courts, until they had 10. In the past decade, Dunmeyer spent thousands of dollars of his own money converting the first few courts, and donations enabled him to complete the others. He has taught the basics to newcomers and certified countless instructors, according to standards set by an international pickleball association. The Tustin School District recently began charging the club for use of the facility and the

bathroom. Dunmeyer is concerned he will have to raise membership fees again, and it will be a hardship for some picklers.

Marty Lebowitz gingerly made his way into the gym one morning after a night of playing tennis, when a friend who saw him limping suggested a new sport that would be easier on his aching knees. “I was told to show up at Tustin in the morning where Phil was giving lessons to new players,” says Lebowitz, who drives to Tustin from Trabuco Canyon (even though there are courts closer to home) because he enjoys the atmosphere at

the club. “Phil gets up at the crack of dawn to make it here, spends countless dollars out of his own pocket, and four to five days a week runs drills and programs and gives lessons. He’s a great promoter of the sport.”

Dunmeyer has taught more than 2,000 picklers and has never charged anyone. “I’ve enjoyed it so much, I just want to pay it forward,” he says.

“People are so enthusiastic about pickleball that they reach out and get friends, family, and neighbors involved. That’s why the sport has grown so fast. It’s like a pyramid scheme—but it’s all positive.”

March 2022 • O R A N G E C O A S T 105

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A GUIDE TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS

BE YOUR BEST

“YOU” IN 2022!

Simple solutions to help you prioritize health and wellness

March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 107

A GUIDE TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS

BE YOUR BEST “YOU” IN 2022!

Simple solutions to help you prioritize health and wellness

E

xperiencing vibrant health and vitality involves a lot more than eating right and getting enough exercise (although those are great places to start). Practicing self-care, partnering with wellcredentialed medical practitioners, and pursuing a balanced lifestyle are also essential. In this special section we outline tips and tricks to help you look and feel your best during every stage of life.

Get more ZZZs. Try getting at least seven hours of sleep a night to optimize your health, improve your immune system and sharpen your cognition. A good place to start is by turning off electronics at bedtime. Too much screen time is counterproductive and can interrupt sleep patterns.

SPON SORED C ON TEN T

Try dining in. Delete your takeout delivery apps, grab an apron and try a few home-cooked specialties to wow your friends and family!

Choose a better bra. At A Perfect Fit Fine Lingerie, brafitting experts will assure you the most comfortable bra while also showing you the healthiest way to wear it.

Visit aperfectfitonline.com

Keep your mind sharp. Why not take a class to learn a

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he elders in our families are most often who we turn to for wisdom and comfort as we navigate life’s major moments. Our parents and grandparents are a stable presence, offering guidance and support. Many of us are never truly prepared for the day when those roles reverse.

For Linda Sheff and her sisters, Nancy and Leslie Friedman, that day came when their mother, Harriet, began to show signs of memory loss. Confronted with a challenge they had never faced before, Linda and her sisters sought guidance on how to best care for her.

From in-home care to a range of

community living and care choices, the family had many options. But they ultimately agreed that the right senior living community could provide their mother with the support she needed and allow their father, Richard, to continue offering emotional support without being a full-time caregiver.

“This was certainly new for us,” Linda says. “I started talking to a social worker to understand the disease and its progression. The next stage was navigating and finding a facility that would be a good fit for her. The one that really struck me the most was Belmont Village Senior Living.”

The family’s journey to find the right senior living community and memory care program for their mother was, at times, overwhelming. But as the search progressed, they learned what was most important to look for in a community.

SIX BENEFITS OF SENIOR LIVING REGULAR SOCIALIZATION

Living at home alone can lead to isolation and loneliness that often exacerbates other health issues and accelerates cognitive decline. The Friedmans had

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each other, but their socialization needs were very different. The immediate goal for the sisters was to find the right care option for their mother, but they knew they also wanted a place where their father could thrive as well when he was ready to join her. The right community would offer opportunities for regular engagement with others, suited to each of them.

DAILY ACTIVITIES

Residents should be offered a stimulating daily calendar of educational and creative activities to engage mind, body, and spirit at every stage. A comprehensive calendar offers myriad ways to learn new skills and experience new things — helping improve brain health.

“Once my father decided to move in, his engagement level increased. He’s made good friends and is still very active at 95,” Linda say. “For my mother, the memory programs gave her structure, and the staff adapted activities to her ability, every step of the way. What we loved most was that my father was able to join my mother in her activities, so they were still able to spend her final years together.”

AGING IN PLACE

Essential to the daughters was that their parents could continue to age under the same roof, even as needs changed.

Because Belmont Village communities are licensed for a high level of care throughout their buildings, both parents

could remain in the same community through every care stage.

“The most important part of the search was a continuum of care,” Linda says.

“Belmont Village has assisted living for those like my father and, for my mother who had Alzheimer’s, they have multiple levels of dementia care. It’s not one-sizefits all.”

FITNESS PROGRAMS

Look for an on-site fitness center with dedicated programs for cardiovascular and strength training. Activities should also work mind and body together for improved brain health. Belmont Village offers on-site physical, speech and occupational therapy, which for Linda meant that the Friedmans wouldn’t have to leave the community if they needed therapy services — an added level of care.

NUTRITIONAL DINING

For seniors living at home, meal times can be stressful and hard to manage, especially when one partner is the caregiver for the other. Belmont Village provides gourmet meals that are heart- and brain-healthy.

They also accommodate special diets, so meals are not only nutritious, they’re enjoyable again — a much-anticipated social time for residents.

CARE

Many families realize they need help to provide the best care for their loved one when daily medical care needs

It gave me such peace of mind to know my mother was getting the care that she needed and the love that she needed. become too much for family members to handle. Make sure that the community you choose can meet your loved one’s needs around-the-clock — licensed nurses on-site 24/7, along with a trained care team, can reduce ER visits and rehospitalizations.

“It gave me such peace of mind to know my mother was getting the care that she needed and the love that she needed,” Linda says. “A year and a half after my mother moved in, my father moved in himself. What was so wonderful about that is they were able to spend every day together. That really was such a gift.”

For Belmont Village, health and wellness is a way of life. Recognized as an industry leader, they offer a daily Whole Brain Fitness program that engages residents and provides socialization for all activity and cognitive levels: from self-directed programs for independent residents who want to stay active and maintain mental acuity, to Circle of Friends®, a dedicated seven-day program for Assisted Living residents with mild to moderate memory impairment, to more tailored care plans for late-stage memory loss.

To learn more about Belmont Village’s senior living options, visit BelmontVillage.com/LosAngeles.

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Senior Resource Group La Vida at Mission Viejo Independent & Assisted Living · Memory Care 27783 Center Drive Mission Viejo, CA 92692 (949) 625-1533 Lavidamissionviejo.com Las Palmas Independent & Assisted Living · Memory Care 24962 Calle Aragon Laguna Woods, CA 92637 (949) 382-1144 Laspalmasseniorliving.com The Regency Independent & Assisted Living 24441 Calle Sonora Laguna Woods, CA 92637 (949) 441-4177 Theregencyseniorliving.com The Wellington Independent & Assisted Living 24903 Moulton Parkway Laguna Woods, CA 92653 (949) 377-0292 Thewellingtonseniorliving.com

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March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 113

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DINING GUIDE ORANGE COUNT Y’S DEFINITIVE SOURCE F O R R E S TAU R A N T N E W S & M I N I R E V I E W S P R I C I N G $$$ $50 and up $$ Less than $50 $ Mostly less than $25 Denotes Critic’s Choice restaurant

ANAHEIM BLUSKY BAR Gawk at the view from the 12-story rooftop digs, but know that BluSky Bar’s Basque cuisine is what really makes this hotel restaurant Anaheim’s most interesting newcomer. Executive chef Edgar Beas is fresh off stints at Michelin-starred kitchens, applying mastery to a tight menu of Spanish dishes. Look for Iberico pork items, indulgent salt cod, and lobster paella. Late night, the place thumps with club action. Radisson Blu, 1601 S. Anaheim Blvd., 714-4091458. Dinner only $$ NAPA ROSE Wine country thrives at the Disneyland Resort by way of this classy dinner house— no park admission required. Star chef Andrew Sutton leads his crew in an exhibition kitchen, turning out imaginative, highly seasonal New American fare.

The room mixes rustic with refined, and the notably wine-savvy waitstaff, many qualified as sommeliers, deftly tailors unforgettable meals around wines from one of the region’s finest cellars. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, 1313 Disneyland Drive, 714-300-7170. $$$ POPPY & SEED Chef-owner Michael Reed applies his versatile chops to a spirited, seasonal dinner menu of share plates and thoughtful proteins. Clever variations on of-the-moment produce are high points, as are premium steaks and duck dishes. The one-of-a-kind greenhouse garden setting is a calming contrast to neighbor Anaheim Packing House. Weekend brunch.

Closed Monday and Tuesday. 350 S. Anaheim Blvd., 714-603-7130 $$$ PUESTO Part of a swanky new Westin resort, the latest site of this high-flying taqueria is perhaps the most dramatic. Kinetic lighting, mobile bar shelves, and a tequila temple wall engage diners as they down showy drinks and novel taco-centric fare. Handmade blue corn tortillas and cheesy Oaxacan fri-

cos lend tacos a signature difference. Ask about the monthly taco special. 1040 W. Katella Ave., 714-2940362. $$ See Huntington Beach and Irvine locations.

THE RANCH RESTAURANT & SALOON Oozing top-notch ambition, The Ranch packs some big guns—executive chef Michael Rossi and his brother David, pastry chef. The large venue also includes an upscale saloon and dance hall, sited in the six-story headquarters of Extron Electronics. The whopping (mostly) seasonal American fare is a mashup of down-home and uptown.

1025 E. Ball Road, 714-817-4200. $$$ ROXY’Z Zov’s Anaheim resurfaced as this breezy NEW watering hole inspired by Roxy, Zov Karamardian’s mother and reputed renegade. Cocktails, imaginative share plates, and premier pizzas dominate a menu designed for gathering before or after games, concerts, and Disneyland visits. Don’t-miss dishes include the chile-glazed rib stack, fried chicken sandwich, and kebab platter. There’s an elevated beer program and a midweek happy hour. 1801 E. Katella Ave., 714-280-9687. $$ TRUE SEASONS ORGANIC KITCHEN This sleek storefront by Saifon Plewtong adds wraps, bowls, smoothies, and desserts to a menu that once focused solely on hot pots. Still, the spotlight is on organic, GMO-free local produce and all-natural proteins. Do try the fresh-pressed sugar cane juice for a refresher like no other in these parts. 5675 E. La Palma Ave., 714-462-9223. Beer and wine. $$ URBANA This colorful tenant at the Anaheim Packing House brings vibrancy and a cool cantina attitude to a food hall that really needed a good taco and mezcal cocktail. Executive chef Ernie Alvarado’s short menu of savvy street food changes often, and you can’t go wrong with his daily specials. Cozy surroundings offer a choice of ambience—festive or sultry. 440 S. Anaheim Blvd., 714-502-0255. $$

EL CHOLO A spiffy suburban outpost of the combo-plate chain that started in L.A. in 1923. Many dishes are listed with their year of origin. One of the best dates from the birth of the restaurant: the Sonora-style enchilada topped with a fried egg. Green corn tamales have achieved cult status. 8200 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road, 714-769-6269. See Corona del Mar and La Habra locations. $$ REUNION KITCHEN + DRINK Popular with the locals, this dapper haunt oozes bonhomie thanks to a solid team led by industry vet Scott McIntosh, whose feel-good American classics are consistently executed by a tight kitchen. Service is sharp. Look for a homey meatloaf, laudable fried chicken with yummy mashers and fresh biscuits, and house-made desserts. Modern cocktails and a roomy patio increase the pleasure factor. 5775 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road, 714-283-1062. Second location (not yet reviewed) in Laguna Beach. $$

BRE A BRUNOS ITALIAN KITCHEN One of North County’s best venues boasts advantages that are rare in these parts: thoughtfully executed Italian cuisine, a cozy setting, and appealing prices. This sibling of neighbor Cha Cha’s does winning arancini, steamed mussels, house-made pappardelle, and a fine branzino. Happy hour features steep discounts on terrific appetizers and signature Italian cocktails. 210 W. Birch St., 714-257-1000. $$ CHA CHA’S L ATIN KITCHEN This cool hang with a wraparound sidewalk patio is Birch Street Promenade’s most enduring dining success. Helmed by industry vets Don Myers and Peter Serantoni, the menu of modern Mexican fare is boosted by a wood-burning oven and new dishes that blur some borders—sopes, empanadas, aguachile, and pozole. Taco Tuesday is just one of many weekly specials. Impressive tequila menu.

110 W. Birch St., 714-255-1040. See Irvine location. $$ MACALL ANS PUBLIC HOUSE Chef Andrew Wang’s modern but comforting pub cooking is just one upgrade that’s helping this young venue finally catch on in North County. Topnotch whiskey offerings and a killer Irish breakfast on weekends also entice. Don’t miss the ridiculously authentic Irish coffee, or stop in for the very robust happy hour. The upscale vibe is a welcome switch from the usual timeworn pub conditions. 330 W. Birch St., 714-529-1224. $$ OLD BREA CHOP HOUSE North County’s fine diners can skip the trek south to splurge on old-school steakhouse dinners. Longtime Morton’s veteran Tony Fasulo breaks away, polishing the classy formula to a high sheen. Expect deluxe beef, say a Tomahawk chop or a strapping Delmonico, boosted with first-class seafood, precise cocktails, and cosseting service.

Marinated skirt steak is the sleeper call. Cozy yet utterly contemporary, the venue includes a 25-seat

OUR CRITERIA Restaurants are reviewed by our dining critics and staff and have no relationship to advertising in Orange Coast.

Listings are updated regularly. We do not accept free meals; visits are anonymous. Price classifications are based on a typical three‑course dinner (appetizer, entree, dessert) for one person. Alan Gibbons edits this listing. You can reach her at agibbons@orangecoast.com.

114 Ora nge C o ast • March 2022

bar with charcuterie platters. 180 S. Brea Blvd., 714592-3122. Dinner only. $$$

CORONA DEL MAR THE BUNGALOW Comfy booths, a lively bar with stiff martinis, and lots of premium wines by the glass lure diners to this dinner house darling with the feel of a Craftsman home. Prime beef is king, but you also can get a huge Aussie lobster tail. Desserts are classic berries and cream, and chocolate souffle cake, so you can concentrate on your surf ’n’ turf. Lunch is hearty sandwiches and huge high-quality salads.

Just save us a seat on the charming patio. 2441 E. Coast Highway, 949-673-6585. $$$ EL CHOLO It’s combo-plate heaven at this venerable local chain that started in L.A. in 1923. The Sonora-style enchiladas are topped with a fried egg. Green corn tamales have achieved cult status. 3520 E. Coast Highway, 949-777-6137. See Anaheim Hills and La Habra locations. $ FARMHOUSE AT ROGER’S GARDENS This beguiling patio is chef-owner Rich Mead’s fourth enterprise, an inspired collaboration between a farmer’s dream chef and O.C.’s iconic outdoor lifestyle retailer. The restaurant-gazebo seats 120 with rustic style, making this the fresh favorite for dates and celebrations. Mead’s seasonal menu shifts often to reflect his passion for local family farms and ranches. Craft cocktails have a farmers market tilt, and a nascent cheese program rounds out the ever-changing feast. 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road, 949-640-1415. $$$ FIVE CROWNS O.C.’s beloved, vine-covered, fine-dining landmark of 1965 stays current thanks to a refreshed menu by executive chef Alejandra Padilla (formerly with Hillstone and Patina groups). Foodies thrill to foie gras brûlée and roast goose with wild grains, but sumptuous feasts of prime rib retain a hallowed spot on the carte at this Lawry’s-owned institution.

As always, service is polished and accommodating.

Leave room for the righteous sundae made with C.C. Brown’s hot fudge, an old Hollywood marvel. 3801 E. Coast Highway, 949-760-0331. Dinner only. $$$ SIDEDOOR Nested within the landmark Lawry’s Five Crowns, this gastropub welcomes come-asyou-are diners with a changing daily menu of imaginative small plates, seasonal soups, prime rib sandwiches, potpies, and desserts. Don’t miss the charcuterie station with choice cured meats and artisanal cheeses. Always interesting wines by the glass, craft beers, and signature cocktails boost the inviting room’s jolly British vibe. 3801 E. Coast Highway, 949-717-4322. $$

COSTA MESA [

SEE ALSO SOUTH COAST METRO

]

2145 Santa Ana native and Pizzeria Ortica veteran Eduardo Salcedo brings an artisan mindset and Japanese aesthetic to this Neapolitan-style pizza joint in a cleverly repurposed auto shop. Aromas of almondwood fire whet the appetite for his finely crafted pies and imaginative toasts on house-baked shokupan, Japan’s beloved breakfast loaf. Sit at the white

photograph by E M I LY J . D AV I S

Grilled octopus at Poppy & Seed marble bar or under umbrellas on the patio to enjoy bresaola and burrata salad with pickled fennel, or hyper-tender octopus with diced potato, charred scallions, and squid ink mayo. 2145 Placentia Ave., 949-873-5853. Beer and wine. $$ DESCANSO Descanso’s novel twist is the elevation of the taquero to center stage. Inspired by the dynamic street foods of Mexico City, owner Rob Arellano seats diners right at the plancha grill to watch their tacos sizzled with pizazz. Happy hour is particularly tempting if you can scoot in midweek, from 3 to 6 p.m. 1555 Adams Ave., 714-486-3798. $$ HABANA Flickering candles light the way through a highceilinged dining room, convivial bar, and lush patio at The Lab’s enduring Cuban hang for date nights and late nights. Most of the fare sticks solidly to classics, such as roast chicken and ropa vieja, but the appetizer side is loaded with winners. Updates include a lavish, all-you-can-eat brunch with live island music and an array of delicious baked goodies.

Intimate confines make reservations a smart move.

2930 Bristol St., 714-556-0176. See Irvine location. $$$

MESA At this high-style hipster hang with a retractable roof, expect shareable dishes that play by the seasons and don’t shy away from intense flavors. Highlights include mussels sizzled in cast iron and fried cicchetti olives. An interesting, value-packed wine list beckons, as do inspired artisan cocktails. 725 Baker St., 714-557-6700. $$$ OLD VINE KITCHEN & BAR Popular for its brunch-type fare in a town rife with competing options, this charming nook has upgraded with a larger space. Foodies rave about urbane dishes, many with an Italian accent. Think barbecue pork omelet by day, seasonal tasting menu by night. Chef-owner Mark McDonald likes to pair his dinners with interesting wine flights from the world over, and he regularly leads culinary excursions to southern Italy. 2937 Bristol St., 714-545-1411. $$ PITFIRE ARTISAN PIZZA The first O.C. shop from this thriving L.A.-based chain is not your nonna’s pizzeria. Upbeat and come-asyou-are casual, it’s a Cal-Ital original. A menu packed with classic and seasonal wood-fired pies, pastas, and salads has wide appeal, so this retooled Marie Callender’s stays packed with fans of all ages. Check

March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 115

DINING GUIDE

FERNET ABOUT IT! | GL ASSPAR

out its back-door speakeasy, Pie Society. 353 E. 17th St., 949-313-6333. $ TACO MARÍA Every dish is a marvel of deeply considered modern Cal-Mex cuisine from chef-owner and O.C. native Carlos Salgado, who parked his esteemed food truck enterprise for this site. Even the stripped-down setting draws all attention to the food. Dinners are four-course prix fixe affairs, with thoughtful wine pairings. Lunch—when the tacos appear—is a more laid-back and affordable way to sample the refined slant that snagged Salgado a Michelin star and several James Beard nominations for chef awards. 3313 Hyland Ave., 714-538-8444. Beer and wine. $$$

116 Ora nge C oast • March 2022

handshake”—it’s the beverage that hospitality insiders order when together.

Up to now secret, Glasspar’s Fernet-Branca cocktail menu offers five concoctions ($14 each, $50 for a tasting). The Cure is made with Q ginger beer, Angostura bitters, and expressed lemons; the tropical Fernety Island with Plantation rum, allspice dram, pineapple, and lime. Most pair surprisingly

DANA POINT ENOSTEAK The coast’s most intimate salon for ultrapremium steaks is discreetly tucked just off the lobby at this esteemed resort. Beef—be it grass-fed, grain-fed, bone-in, or dry-aged—is the star of a pithy-if-pricey menu that’s unabashedly loyal. Lavish compound butters to enjoy alongside steaks are a house signature. Polished service and often enchanting desserts. The Ritz-Carlton, 1 Ritz-Carlton Drive, 949240-2000. $$$ GLASSPAR Glasspar is a classic seafooder, oyster bar, and taproom. Veteran top toque and local Rob Wilson

well with chef-owner Rob Wilson’s dishes, such as day-boat scallops with glazed pork belly, kohlrabi pear salad, and parsnip puree. Order one of the cocktails, and general manager Marcos Costas might recite one of his Fernet-inspired haikus or soliloquies. 24961 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949-240-6243, glasspar.com —BENJAMIN EPSTEIN

helms his dream retool of the old Mahé site, paused for dining but open for supporting the community with ultra-fresh goods and his five-star tips for serving seafood at home. A tight focus on topshelf cocktails is sure to be much appreciated once groups gather within toasting distance. 24961 Dana Point Harbor Drive, 949-240-6243. $$$ RAYA Steve Wan is executive sous chef at this posh-butrelaxed dining room conceived by celeb chef Richard Sandoval. After the eye-popping bluff-top ocean view, Pan-Latin seafood dominates the experience.

But prepare to see many Asian touches on the modern menu, in creative dishes that masterfully bend

P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F G L A S S PA R

T

o forgive is to Fernet. A day with Fernet is a day without regret. When it comes to Fernet-Branca wordplay, you pronounce that T because the company that has produced it for 175 years is Italian.

A bitter liqueur and digestif made with 27 botanicals, Fernet-Branca is known the world over as “the bartender’s

ethnic borders. The Ritz-Carlton, 1 Ritz-Carlton Drive, 949-240-2000. $$$

FOUNTAIN VALLE Y AU L AC A miraculous menu of traditional Vietnamese and Chinese dishes, without meat or fish, comprises the self-described “humanese” cuisine at this New Agey bistro. A creamy fish-shaped loaf of tofu is unforgettable; so are the spring rolls. Even desserts are healthful, with fruity selections such as Rainbow in the Sky Pie. 16563 Brookhurst St., 714-418-0658. $$ THE RECESS ROOM This city’s first gastropub exists because five childhood pals needed a local haunt for gathering after their weekly basketball game. Food and booze enjoy equal amounts of love at this 148-seat venue—a cleverly retooled former Coco’s. Expect small-batch, offbeat brews and ace craft cocktails, plus lots of rich, shareable noshes. Think tender octopus with toasted quinoa for contrast, luscious pork cheeks confit, and lime-yuzu panna cotta. 18380 Brookhurst St., 714-377-0398. $$$

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THE CELL AR Fullerton’s abiding choice for classy, old-school French dining is a North County staple for romantic meals, thanks to an underground room that’s

ornate yet cozy. Expect swanky choices such as chateaubriand. 305 N. Harbor Blvd., 714-525-5682. $$$ KHAN SAAB DESI CRAFT KITCHEN This halal bistro serves flavorful kebabs, curries, and street snacks alongside wood-fired wagyu steaks.

Creator and executive chef Imran Ali Mookhi applies a Michelin mindset acquired after years in fine-dining kitchens. 229 E. Commonwealth Ave., 714-853-1081. $$

GARDEN GROVE NOVA KITCHEN & BAR This glamorous sleeper is a terrific dinner choice for distinctive fare that nods to Japan, Korea, and China. The handsome 35-seat covered patio is beyond fine. Executive chef Abel Vargas oversees a sizable menu that also includes showy sushi and top-shelf cocktails. Do consider the tuna tartare, corn tempura, or coriander-braised short rib. 12361 Chapman Ave., 714-696-0888. $$$

HUNTINGTON BE ACH LSXO

Step back in time to colonial Vietnam at this vest-pocket hideaway with only 28 seats.

Chef-owner Tin Vuong amplifies his successful L.A. Little Sister act with a sultry setting (tucked inside of huge Bluegold) and uncompromising Viet fare inspired by his roots and frequent travels to South Vietnam. Nifty craft cocktails and luxe dishes such as salt and pepper lobster make a good date night,

but we also like the street-style noshes such as prawn crepes and lemongrass skewers. Fair warning: The uncensored rap soundtrack is not for all ears. 21016 Pacific Coast Highway, 714-374-0083. $$ PUESTO This high-profile taqueria expands its O.C. presence with a third epic site, this one in Bella Terra. Eyecandy lighting, a rotating steampunk back bar, and breezy patio compete for attention alongside jazzy drinks and dramatic taco-centric eats. Handmade blue corn tortillas and cheesy Oaxacan fricos give these tacos a signature difference. Ask about the monthly taco special. 7821 Edinger Ave., 714-316-0151. $$ See Irvine and Anaheim locations.

SESSIONS Surf City is the ideal spot for the second “West Coast deli,” this time across from the sand. Terrific sandwiches that eat like a meal for two are gourmet creations, meticulous stacks of top ingredients with exacting ratios, so every ’wich is scrumptious to the last bite. From-scratch soups, sides, and dressings. A surfer ethos extends to hearty breakfasts featuring Kéan coffee and house-made granola. 414 Pacific Coast Highway, 714-594-3899. Beer and wine. See Irvine and Newport Beach locations. Fourth location (not reviewed) in Newport Beach at 101 Newport Center Drive. $ WATERTABLE Here’s a rare bird, a hotel restaurant in a tourist resort that the locals love for lots of reasons. Progressive takes on global dishes, tip-top craft drinks, copious happy hours, and the steady hand of long-

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714-502-0226 March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 117

DINING GUIDE time Chef Manfred Lassahn keep this venue on point.

We return just for the white cheddar and thyme biscuits with seasonal butter. The new morning lineup of health-first bowls, smoothies, and toasts caters to beach runners. Hyatt Regency, 21500 Pacific Coast Highway, 714-845-4776. $$$

IRVINE ANDREI’S CONSCIOUS CUISINE & COCKTAILS Irvine’s ever-slicker business zone is a good home for this classy, top-floor, New American choice for power diners, office pals, and couples. Modern craft cocktails enhance a menu that blends California ingredients with global flavors. Top toque Porfiro Gomez’s menu retains favorites such as the beef spring rolls, watermelon salad, and Duroc pork T-bone. Happy hour is a standout in a crowded field. 2607 Main St., 949-387-8887. $$ BISTANGO A longtime airport-area mainstay, Bistango has remained surprisingly contemporary, with creative dishes such as sweet, soulful garlic soup, and black truffle ravioli. It’s also a classy venue for live music, and its rotating art collection adds to the air of urban sophistication. 19100 Von Karman Ave., 949-752-5222. $$$ CHA CHA’S L ATIN KITCHEN This addition to the restaurant family owned by industry vets Don Myers and Peter Serantoni is an inviting casa with a menu of modern Mexican fare boosted by commendable new dishes that blur some borders—sopes, empanadas, aguachile, and pozole to name a few. The indoor-meets-outdoor patio by designer Thomas Schoos is a fine upgrade of the Brea flagship. Weekly specials add value and excitement. Impressive tequila menu. 13126 Jamboree Road, 714-408-7819. See Brea location. $$ HABANA We waited 22 years for this glamorous Habana sibling, and it was worth it—a sprawling 300-seat compound that co-opts Cuba’s frozen-in-time splendor.

A roomy patio open to the sky is made intimate by high walls and lots of beautiful props and vignettes, with alcoves dedicated to house pastries and coffees. Despite the impressive scale, the menu hews tightly to the focused offerings at its Costa Mesa original. 708 Spectrum Center Drive, 949-419-0100.

See Costa Mesa location. $$$ JA JIAOZI Handmade dumplings grace every table, anchoring meals rounded out with other hot and cold dishes.

First-timers, ask your able server for help. Top picks include steamed Flaming Hot and boiled Signature jiaozi, along with refreshing tofu-skin salad. Topnotch shrimp fried rice is a winner, too. 13776 Jamboree Road, Irvine, 714-786-8999. $$ LITTLE SISTER This Irvine Spectrum spot is an XXL bistro to older sister shop LSXO. Chef-partner Tim Vuong musters a team that pulls off a bigger menu, bigger digs, and a bigger profile with ease. Find proven faves—the overstuffed Viet crepe and the Shaky Shaky Beef— plus new lunch porridges and banh mis streaming out of the kitchen to a bustling dining room. Vintage rap tracks and a crackerjack bar keep the vibe lively. 896 Spectrum Center Drive, 949-800-8798. $$$

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Pork, shrimp, and crab dumplings at Little Sister MEIZHOU DONGPO Good seating, engaged service, and touches of elegance elevate this classy Sichuan dining room, a retool of a 6,000-square-foot Marie Callender’s in bustling Culver Plaza. Access is easy, and plentiful parking is free. Beyond that, it’s all about the Beijingstyle roast duck (whole, $77; half, $40), meticulously sliced into petals of tender meat crowned with crackling amber skin, for rolling into thin crepes.

Weeks of aging, drying, and lacquering coax out heady flavors. Spicy values include dan dan noodles and country-style sliced pork. 15363 Culver Drive, 949-433-5686. Beer and wine. $$$ PORCH & SWING This delightful indie serves a “taste BEST NEW RESTAURANT of Charleston” starring original riffs 2021 on American classics and cocktails

by Andrew Parish. Must-try dishes include roasted pork jowl over grits, amazing creamless creamed corn, and gorgeous salads. House-baked breads are a strength, too. The patio is lovely. 2010 Main St., 949-418-7988. $$ PUESTO San Diego’s high-profile taqueria has two Irvine options for O.C. fans. Delectable tacos are the main event, elevated by crispy griddled Oaxacan cheese, and tortillas made by hand from

organic, non-GMO, blue corn masa. The cheese is especially brilliant on vegetarian tacos. Always ask about the monthly taco special. The Park Place center location’s indoor-meets-outdoor venue is intimate and color-splashed. Park Place, 3311 Michelson Drive, 949-608-7272; Los Olivos Marketplace, 8577 Irvine Center Drive, 949-608-9990. See Anaheim and Huntington Beach locations. $$ SESSIONS No. 3 is a charm for O.C.’s indie chainlet of “West Coast” delis. Expect terrific sandwiches that eat like a meal for two, gourmet creations that are meticulous stacks of top ingredients with exacting ratios, so every ’wich is scrumptious to the last bite. Fromscratch soups, sides, and dressings. A beguiling lakeside setting beckons for lazy breakfasts featuring Kéan coffee and house-made granola. 4736 Barranca Parkway, 949-333-3949. Beer and wine. See Huntington Beach and Newport Beach locations.

Fourth location (not reviewed) in Newport Beach at 101 Newport Center Drive. $ TACO ROSA With agave-sweetened margaritas, daily aguas frescas, and house-made churros, these flagships of the Taco Mesa chain take fresh Mex to the max. Try the Oaxacan enchiladas. 13792 Jamboree Road, 714-5056080. See Newport Beach location. $$ photograph by E M I LY J . D AV I S

LAGUNA BE ACH BROADWAY BY AMAR SANTANA Boy wonder chef Amar Santana and industry vet Ahmed Labbate decamped Charlie Palmer to create this sexy urban bistro. Fans old and new keep the tight quarters humming to the backdrop of an open kitchen and vintage flicks playing on the flat-screen over the expansive bar. Santana’s dishes are opulent and intense. The wine list includes many notable half-bottles. 328 Glenneyre St., 949-715-8234. $$$ CARMELITA’S KITCHEN DE MEXICO This is the boutique version of Rancho Santa Margarita’s sprawling shop, but both offer top-notch Cal-Mex fare. Expect prime beef in the steak tampiqueña, and Kurobuta pork in the wonderful carnitas. Don’t miss costillitas—baby back ribs topped with fried onions. Outstanding margaritas.

Warm, spiffy service. 217 Broadway St., 949-715-7829.

See Rancho Santa Margarita location. $$ THE DRAKE The grown-ups sipping cocktails are here for a full serving of primo live music paired with the cuisine of Paul Gstrein (ex of Bistango and Bayside). Laguna’s own Alec Glasser prevails in creating a dashing joint where both the musicians and the kitchen have serious chops. Diners dig into Euro-inflected dishes (try the lamb lollipops, the Alpine Melt, the chile-lime swordfish).

Musicians dig the highbrow sound system, and the

room generates a superlative groove. 2894 S. Coast Highway, 949-376-1000. $$$ DRIFTWOOD KITCHEN With its gorgeous seaside panorama, this place perfectly illustrates the food-versus-view gamble.

Prudent choices on chef Rainer Schwarz’s seasonal menu include whole fried fish, an unusual entree pairing of butcher steak-pork belly, and tarts by pastry chef Rene Baez. 619 Sleepy Hollow Lane, 949715-7700. $$ MOZAMBIQUE The eclectic cuisine shows influences of South Africa.

Peri-peri prawns, curries, and grilled meats are best bets. The wine list includes interesting selections from South Africa and New Zealand. 1740 S. Coast Highway, 949-715-7777. $$$ NICK’S Perched on Laguna’s prime stretch of Coast Highway, this urbane bar and grill lures grown-ups who prefer to skip the surfer grub scene in favor of tasty cocktails and a compact all-day menu of comfort classics with modern twists. Ace bets include the steakhouse salad and blackened halibut sandwich.

Softly lit and cushily appointed, the open-air space boasts a sidewalk patio. 440 S. Coast Highway, 949376-8595. See San Clemente location. $$ OLIVER’S OSTERIA Wedged into an oddball canyon retail center, this tidy shop is chef-owner Erik De Marchi’s all-out defense of faithful fare inspired by his home turf of Italy’s Emilia-Romana region. Pastas are wondrous, but do wait to hear the daily specials that

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can include juicy lamb chops or crepes (crespelle) with porcini mushrooms in truffle-perfumed béchamel. Tight quarters make dining noisy when the room is full. And Oliver? He’s De Marchi’s first child, born on opening day. 853 Laguna Canyon Road, 949-715-0261. $$$ SAPPHIRE CELL AR CRAFT COOK The latest incarnation of Laguna Beach’s historic Coast Highway venue is much better than it has to be, given its bulletproof location.

Upmarket, innovative American cuisine by executive chef Jared Cook includes irresistible weekend brunch waffles and Benedicts, classy lunch salads, and dinners that star fresh oysters and a splendid ribeye. On-site pantry for beach eats. 1200 South Coast Highway, 949-715-9888. $$$ SEL ANNE STEAK TAVERN Anaheim Ducks star Teemu Selanne cements his brand with this polished and popular steak joint on a venerated stretch of Coast Highway.

Prime, pricey beef rules the day on executive chef Vince Terusa’s menu designed for a pro athlete’s appetite and fan base. We like the main floor’s easy, breezy tavern for terrific cocktails, the superlative burger, and world-class people watching. 1464 S. Coast Highway, 949-715-9881. Dinner only. $$$ SUEÑOS This retooled historic venue is forging a contemporary Latin approach that blends the foodways of Mexico with those of Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Puerto Rico. Mexico City-born Alan Sanz brings a worldly resumé to his executive chef post with

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SEVENTEENTH STREET & YORBA ST., TUSTIN — 55 FRWY. NORTH OR SOUTH, EXIT SEVENTEENTH ST. EAST March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 119

DINING GUIDE polished fusion dishes including birria arepas, blackberry mole duck, epazote pesto pasta, and house-made desserts. Patio seating is popular, but the bar also beckons for a fine Cuban sandwich.

222 Ocean Ave., 949-715-8155 Closed Mondays. $$$

LAGUNA HILLS IRONWOOD The savvy team behind Vine in San Clemente notches another hit with this welcoming dinner house in a zone with scant options. Executive chef Jared Cook’s modern, seasonal menu roams from delicate to hearty, but all dishes showcase his knack for upping the crave factor. Examples: chicken schnitzel with mushrooms, Zinfandelbraised lamb shank with mint yogurt. Terrific craft cocktails shift with the seasons. On-point service from a gracious crew. 25250 La Paz Road, 949-4468772. Dinner only. $$$

LAGUNA NIGUEL CALO KITCHEN + TEQUIL A Chic and breezy as a Baja resort, this sprawling spot has its act together, luring local crowds for upscale Mexican classics. An unending flow of worthy margaritas keeps the white marble bar humming while the kitchen churns out well executed shrimp ceviche, carnitas, combo plates, and short rib enchiladas. Huge portions, sharp service, and modern digs seal the deal. Scores of sipping tequilas delight agave fans. 28141 Crown Valley Parkway, 949-4097380. $$$

LA HABRA EL CHOLO It’s combo-plate heaven at this venerable local chain that started in L.A. in 1923. The Sonora-style enchiladas are topped with olives and a fried egg.

Green corn tamales (available seasonally) have achieved cult status. This location oozes a family vibe. 840 E. Whittier Blvd., 562-691-4618. See Anaheim Hills and Corona del Mar locations. $

MISSION VIEJO DUBLIN 4 GASTROPUB Publicans Darren and Jean Coyle welcome a varied crowd to this chipper modern pub, designed to rival Dublin’s finest. Executive chef David Shofner applies fine-dining cred and scratch cooking to a menu of new and old-school fare that sparkles. Don’t-miss items include premium cottage pies, a killer lamb burger, and anything with

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Tian Provençal at Bouillon house-cured meats. Upscale pricing and dapper surroundings prove this is not your frat brother’s Irish pub. 26342 Oso Parkway, 949-582-0026. $$$ WINEWORKS FOR EVERYONE This near-hidden pocket bistro is a top choice for wine-centric cuisine in South County. A retooled menu by chef David Shofner, who also helms the kitchen at Dublin 4 next door, brims with seasonal California fare that flatters a wine list of West Coast and international bottles. Must-haves include sausage flatbread, and a killer cheese plate. 26342 Oso Parkway, 949-582-0026. Beer and wine. $$$

N E W P ORT BE AC H A&O KITCHEN + BAR A serious reboot of this fabled lounge—formerly Duke’s—transforms this waterside venue into a gastropub with a newly youthful vibe. Expect all the usual share plates: battered fries, shishito peppers, bacon-wrapped dates, plus several hearty plates including a worthy Kobe burger with bacon mayo on a cheddar-bacon bun. Bold, neonautical decor plays off the “anchors and oceans” theme and brings the bay view to life. The water’s-edge patio is inviting for sunset drinks or gathering ’round the fire pit. Balboa Bay Resort, 1221 W. Coast Highway, 949-630-4285. $$

BAYSIDE Classy Bayside remains a go-to choice on many fronts. Nightly happy hour stars a winning small-plates menu that keeps the bar hopping.

Rotating artwork keeps the dining room ever fresh for relaxed meals of debonair American fare. Long favored by the coastal set for jazzy brunches, insiders stop in Friday night for a legendary jam session in the bar. Prix fixe menus are a strength here. 900 Bayside Drive, 949-721-1222. $$$ BELLO BY SANDRO NARDONE

Previously of upmarket pizzeria Angelina’s, Sandro Nardone flies solo with this molto moderno Italiano overhaul of a sprawling spot. Nardone’s style is urbane, so expect no lasagna here. Instead, look for distinctive creations such as mortadella mousse canoli with liquid pineapple mustard. Crispy octopus with Calabrian vinaigrette is another crowd favorite.

Cocktails show imagination, and the wine list has some rare gems. Coming soon, Nardone’s take on hip patio brunching. 1200 Bison Ave., 949-520-7191. $$$ BOUILLON Indefatigable operator Laurent Vrigand, the founder of six Moulin cafes, debuts his first full-service restaurant—an homage to Paris’ Bouillon Chartier, his childhood favorite. Expect one all-day menu of nostalgic fare at painless prices, no substitutions, no reservations, and snappy service. Standouts include

photograph by E M I LY J . D AV I S

P H O T O G R A P H B Y M A R I A H TA U G E R

HENDRIX Teeming with natural light and coastal breezes, Hendrix swaggers into Laguna Niguel with a place that promises something for everyone in this optionlean suburb. It’s from the group behind Laguna Beach’s The Deck and Driftwood Kitchen, and partner Austrian-born Rainer Schwarz is executive chef.

A showpiece rotisserie roasts plump chickens, porchetta, and lamb while basting potatoes in the catch bin with juices from the meats. Irresistible small plates include prosciutto fritters, Brussels sprouts with Marcona almonds, and chicken-fontina flatbread. 32431 Golden Lantern, 949-248-1912. $$

P H O T O G R A P H B Y M A R I A H TA U G E R

tian Provençal, beef bourguignon, and profiteroles. 1000 N. Bristol, 949-418-9549. $$ FABLE & SPIRIT From the family behind Dublin 4 BEST NEW RESTAURANT comes this lush addition to the area 2020 across from Lido Marina Village. But don’t assume this is an Irish pub that mimics the other. This plush room features inventive fare that’s a mashup of American and Irish. Here you start with Hares Looking at You, a cocktail starring Wheatley vodka and carrot juice, move on to the refined beet agnolotti with chèvre foam, or share a woodfired duck confit pizetta. Yes, the fish and chips are superior, but so is the rabbit fricassee. 3441 Via Lido, 949-409-9913. $$$ LIDO BOTTLE WORKS This handsome waterfront venue sounds like a liquor store, but it’s a sleeper of a full-service restaurant hiding in the swanky Lido Marina Village development. Hyper-seasonal and prettily plated, notable creations include Dory Fleet catches of the day, opulent Iberico secreto pork, a solid burger, and one glorious chocolate mousse. 3408 Via Oporto, 949-529-2784. $$ MOULIN Moulin is the passion project of Paris native Laurent Vrignaud. After 30 years in the action-sports industry, he lives his longtime dream of serving bistro classics, selling oven-fresh baguettes and grab-and-go dishes, and peddling wines and other French pantry items. The unfussy bistro and patio evoke Paris at every turn. It’s O.C.’s gathering spot for expats and Francophiles. 1000 Bristol St. North, 949-474-0920. Locations in Costa Mesa, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, and San Clemente. $$ OLEA CELL AR CRAFT COOK Eastside’s dapper dinner house is the latest offering from the polished crew behind sister restaurants Ironwood and Vine, a homegrown hospitality group. Fans of chef Jared Cook will recognize some familiar dishes from his sibling shops, but there are exclusives here, too. We’re mad for the opulent duck liver terrine with bacon and bourbon, and those fine oysters baked with blue crab in tarragon butter. Add top-notch cocktails and 50 notable wines by the glass. 2001 Westcliff Drive, Newport Beach, 949-287-6807. Dinner nightly. $$$ SESSIONS This busy “West Coast deli” on the peninsula crafts terrific sandwiches that eat like a meal for two. A surfer vibe extends to hearty breakfasts at 7 a.m. daily, starring Golden State Coffee Roaster coffee.

2823 Newport Blvd., 949-220-9001. Beer and wine.

See Huntington Beach and Irvine locations. Fourth location (not reviewed) in Newport Beach at 101 Newport Center Drive. $ SHOREBIRD Hidden inside the Vue Newport enclave, Shorebird is invisible until you enter the airy split-level space dominated by its waterfront view.

Expect contemporary American fare plus familiar side detours for sushi and tacos. Best bets include Duroc pork chop, lump crab cakes, avocado fries.

2220 Newport Blvd., 949-287-6627. $$$ SUSHI ROKU The sixth location of this Cal-Japanese concept makes a huge impression with striking decor and vibrant cuisine. If the dining room’s busier than the sushi bar, blame the thoughtfully designed and executed menu, notably dishes such

Jumbo lumped crab with heirloom beets at Olea Cellar Craft Cook as fluke kumquat sashimi, blue crab tartare, prime ribeye Japonais, and the deconstructed s’mores. The creative sushi deserves a night all its own, and the bar and patio offer their own vibes. Look for scores of noodles, salads, and bento boxes at lunch, and sakes. 327 Newport Center Drive, 949-706-3622. $$$ TACO ROSA With agave-sweetened margaritas and house-made churros, these flagships of the Taco Mesa chain take fresh Mex to the max. 2632 San Miguel Road, 949720-0980. See Irvine location. $$ TAVERN HOUSE KITCHEN + BAR David Wilhelm, the county’s restaurant laureate, returns to Newport Beach with this fetching and welcome rehab of a waterside venue. Menus read like a playlist of Wilhelm’s champion recipes. Stand out new dishes for dinner and weekend brunch include red snapper Veracruzana, Buddha bowls, sirloin meatballs, and fried chicken with malted waffles. Look for a natty pre-sunset happy hour on weekdays. 333 Bayside Drive, 949-673-8464. $$ THE WINERY RESTAURANT & WINE BAR The snazzy venue overlooks the yacht and Duffy boat traffic in Newport Harbor, flaunting its waterfront charms with 180-degree views from two floors plus a cigar patio. The space sizzles with bonhomie— and diners who love their surf, turf, wine, and VIP treatment. Expect cosseting service from partners JC Clow, William Lewis, and executive chef Yvon Goetz.

Best bets include Goetz’s signature Alsatian “pizza” and the Colorado buffalo carpaccio. 3131 W. Coast Highway, 949-999-6622. See Tustin location. $$$

NE WPORT COAST THE BEACHCOMBER The surf’s-edge view might be better than the food, but the drinks and eats are good enough to keep this iconic spot packed with beachgoers. Stick with basics such as grilled artichokes, lobster club, and stuffed salmon. Executive chef Carlos Olivera oversees the seasonal breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. 15 Crystal Cove, 949-376-6900. $$$ MARCHÉ MODERNE The finest French bistro south of BEST NEW RESTAURANT Beverly Hills is reborn in coastal digs 2018 that express a fresh chapter for the redoubtable Florent and Amelia Marneau. Added space and oversize windows let the outdoors into a room that oozes grace and sophistication. Beloved dishes such as Spanish octopus with chorizo return to the dinner menu alongside new creations from the open kitchen—think crispy suckling pigs and beans, a three-day cassoulet. Amelia’s new desserts include ravishing Napoleons served weekends only.

7862 E. Pacific Coast Highway, 714-434-7900. $$$

March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 121

DINING GUIDE WASA SUSHI James Hamamori cemented his stardom at this striking shopping-center spot brimming with devotees of modern spins on sushi. Renowned for such fare as salmon with ginger sauce and fresh orange. Exceptional selection of salads, appetizers, and entrees as well. 1344 Bison Ave., 949-760-1511.

Beer and wine. $$ ZOV’S NEWPORT COAST This attractive shopping center offshoot of the popular original Zov’s in Tustin is a go-to patio cafe that lures locals with creative Cal-Med dishes such as Moroccan salmon salad, spiced lamb burger, and pomegranate baby back ribs. Desserts are a standout, as are cocktails and chic mezze starters. 21123 Newport Coast Drive, 949-760-9687. See Tustin location. $$$

ORANGE BOSSCAT KITCHEN & LIBATIONS Old Towne’s newest gastropub thoughtfully transforms a historic corner into a lively whiskey bar serving worthy eats with a southern accent. Look for Parm-crusted meatloaf, gulf shrimp and grits, and a yowza burger. The service is sharp. Sunday brunch and a robust midweek happy hour. 118 W. Chapman Ave., 714-716-1599. $$ HAVEN CRAFT KITCHEN + BAR A serious contender in the gastropub category, this popular storefront in Old Towne lures a mixed crowd of brew fanatics and foodies, thanks to a rich roster of esoteric suds and polished pub grub from chef Craig Brady. Dishes such as a braised lamb pappardelle and coriander roasted baby carrots. Lunch and early dinner are options for bypassing the deafening din that rises with the crowd. 190 S. Glassell St., 714-221-0680. $$

Osso buco at Mayfield

NICK’S On a prime stretch of vintage Avenida del Mar, this inviting bar and grill is just urbane enough to lure grown-ups who prefer to skip the surfer grub scene in favor of crackerjack cocktails and a compact allday menu of comfort classics with a modern twist.

Ace bets include the steakhouse salad and blackened fish sandwich. And there’s a sidewalk patio

MAYFIELD Modern, hyper-seasonal California fare meets the timeless food ways of the Middle East at this ingenious newcomer. Breezy two-story digs include a pretty quartz bar for leading-edge

THE BLIND PIG KITCHEN & BAR Lakeside seats, terrific craft cocktails, and daring fare by young chef Karl Pfleider earn local love for this rare gastro-canteen in Rancho Santa Margarita. Midweek tapas start at 3 p.m. with goodies such as steak tartare with pistachio XO sauce. But wait until 5 p.m. for the mahi-mahi with paprika mole. 31431 Santa Margarita Parkway, 949888-0072. Second location (not reviewed) in Yorba Linda, 4975 Lakeview Ave., 714-485-2593. $$ CARMELITA’S KITCHEN This lakefront sprawler offers top-notch Cal-Mex fare from the culinary vision of owner Clemente Heredia Jr., a third-generation operator. Expect prime beef in the steak tampiqueña, Kurobuta pork in the wonderful carnitas. Outstanding margaritas.

Warm, spiffy service. 31441 Santa Margarita Parkway, 949-709-7600. See Laguna Beach location. $$

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SAN JUAN C APISTRANO

cocktails. Do try fried eggplant, lamb meatballs, and shareable dips. By day, look for indulgent brunch dishes. 31761 Camino Capistrano, 949-218-5140. $$$ RAMOS HOUSE CAFÉ A sweet adobe hiding in the historic Los Rios district, Ramos House Café turns out some of South County’s most delectable daytime fare. Contemporary and clever American breakfasts and lunches (brunch on weekends) have a distinct Southern accent that fits the rustic, alfresco setting with passing trains as soundtrack. Look for ethereal biscuits and crab hash. 31752 Los Rios St., 949-443-1342. $$

SANTA ANA [

SEE ALSO SOUTH COAST METRO

]

BENCHMARK Quirky but capable, this Santa Ana newcomer goes all-in for alfresco, luring diners with a tree-shaded setting on a vintage residential street. The modest menu of American bistro dishes is just big enough to have wide appeal. Happy hour and weekend brunch have a backyard party vibe. Dinner surprises with upmarket dishes, say a lovely bavette steak atop celery root puree. 601 E. Santa Ana Blvd., 714-480-0225. $$ MIX MIX KITCHEN BAR DTSA got a major dining upgrade BEST NEW RESTAURANT with this winner from chef-owner 2017 Ross Pangilinan. A veteran of highend dining, his major culinary chops rule the day but not the tab at his breakout venue with zero

photograph by E M I LY J . D AV I S

P H O T O G R A P H B Y A N N E WAT S O N

SAN CLEMENTE

with fireplace. Sociable service is notably polished.

213 Avenida Del Mar, 949-481-2200. See Laguna Beach location. $$ SOUTH OF NICK’S From the festive boxes of Chiclets at the reception station to scores of fine-sipping tequilas at the roomy bar, this beach burg shop from the team behind Nick’s is all about hospitality and scratch cooking. Cocktails are special, so are desserts, but don’t miss the feel-good dishes such as mini-sopes, sea bass in poblano cream, and pork chile verde. 110 N. El Camino Real, 949-481-4545. Second location (not reviewed) in Laguna Beach at 540 S. Coast Hwy., 949-376-8595. $$ VINE A decor revamp of the cozy dining room and a menu overhaul add up to impressive new heights, because owner Russ Bendel Jr. wisely gives sauce monster and executive chef Jared Cook full reign over the kitchen. Look for killer duck wings and nightly specials that tend to sell out. A garden out back only sweetens this beach burg gem. 211 N. El Camino Real, 949-361-2079. Dinner only. $$$

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA

pretension and multicourse meals packed with finesse. Think prosciutto toast with quince honey, and seared foie gras with al pastor spices and charred pineapple. Spiffy craft cocktails, too. 300 N. Main St., 714-836-5158. Dinner only. $$$

SOUTH COAST ME TRO

P H O T O G R A P H B Y A N N E WAT S O N

ANQI

Tight focus on the fare makes dining at this South Coast Plaza hot spot better than ever.

Executive chef Ron Lee makes delicious harmony with matriarch master chef Helene An’s spicy beef tacos and roasted New Zealand lamb rack, as well as her fabled roast crab (Tuesday only). Zen chic decor turns heads. Drinks at the dramatic bar dazzle the cocktail crowd, but try Sunday brunch for a more kickback experience, or snag a padded stool at the adjacent noodle bar. 3333 Bristol St., 714-5575679. $$$ DIN TAI FUNG Fans happily endure long waits to satisfy their craving for xiao long bao, juicy pork dumplings, handpleated with care. Bowls of noodles, rice, and stacks of bamboo steamers crowd tables as diners blend their own aromatic dipping sauce from rich soy, black vinegar, and shreds of fresh ginger. 3333 Bristol St., 714-549-3388. $$ KNIFE PLEAT Knife Pleat replaces long-gone Marché Moderne in the penthouse of South Coast Plaza.

The radically transformed 80-seat setting is a clear signal that this French arrival is wholly apart from its predecessor. Chef Tony Esnault and partner Yassmin Sarmadi are new to O.C. though acclaimed in Los Angeles, and in the case of Esnault, covered in Michelin star dust after years with mentor Alain Ducasse. Esnault is a disciple of the seasons; his style is light, graceful, and precise as revealed by escargot ravioli in broth, his famous legumes de saison, or the ultrarefined cassoulet. Don’t skip Germain Biotteau’s indulgent desserts. 3333 Bristol St., 714-266-3388. $$$ PARADISE DYNAST Y Singapore’s largest restaurant group opts for the Bloomingdale’s end of South Coast Plaza for its first U.S. operation with this wildly popular soup dumpling specialist that pioneered xiao long bao, oozing with luxury ingredients that include black truffles, foie gras, and crab roe. Ultramodern digs seat diners in view of an exhibition kitchen where 20 artisans handcraft a steady flow of dumplings to support a 75-dish menu starring dim sum and Sichuan classics.

Walk-up wait list. 3333 Bristol St., 714-617-4630 $$ TERRACE BY MIX MIX Canny chef-owner Ross Pangilinan leverages the success of his original Mix Mix Kitchen Bar in downtown Santa Ana with this minimalist aerie overlooking the stylish Bridge of Gardens skywalk at South Coast Plaza. This venue lacks a full bar, but it has wine and beer and is open daily with ample free parking. Fans love the three-course lunch for $20, but weekend brunch with its mimosa cart beguiles, and dinner offers the best prix fixe in the center.

Don’t-miss dishes include Asian ribs, hamachi crudo, and pork cheek adobo. 3333 Bear St., 657-231-6447. $$ VACA Top chef Amar Santana and ace partner Ahmed Labbate return to Costa Mesa with an exuberant, singular ode to Spain. Santana sidesteps the “eat

Mussels with longanisa sausage at Terrace by Mix Mix local” crusade, offering peerless jamon Iberico, lush bomba rice for paellas, and verdant Mahon gin for cocktails. Dozens of authentic tapas beg to be tried, but do consider excellent wood-grilled steaks, dry-aged in-house. 695 Town Center Drive, 714-463-6060. $$$

TUSTIN CENTRO STORICO Old Town Tustin’s new kid on the old block transforms a vintage building into a spaghetteria and bar, plus a back pocket cafe. Artisan, fresh daily pasta is the latest effort from the Pozzuoli family behind Centro, the excellent micro pizzeria next door. Signature dishes include Capperi e Olive (casarecca), Aglione (bucatini), and grilled porterhouse for two.

405 El Camino Real., 714-258-8817. $$ THE WINERY RESTAURANT & WINE BAR The O.C. power crowd doesn’t care that this isn’t a winery, but a huge, handsome restaurant that attracts disciples of steak, wine, and cigars. They’re exactly the folks you’d expect would follow partners JC Clow and William Lewis from their previous gig at Morton’s, with executive chef Yvon Goetz in tow. Best bets include Goetz’s signature Alsatian “pizza” and the Colorado buffalo carpaccio. 2647 Park Ave., 714-258-7600. See Newport Beach location. $$$

THE YELLOW CHILLI This place is by Sanjeev Kapoor, India’s megacelebrity chef. The massive menu proves the master chef isn’t stingy with recipes, after writing more than 150 cookbooks. Knowledgeable servers help navigate the options. Don’t miss Sham Savera: open-face spinach dumplings filled with fresh white paneer that float in silky tomato gravy spiked with garlic, cardamom, and mace. 2463 Park Ave., 714-389-5280. $$ ZOV’S TUSTIN BISTRO Fans love Zov Karamardian’s modern, creative way with Mediterranean flavors. Zov keeps her flagship venue fresh and stylish. Expect Cal-Med dishes such as Moroccan salmon salad, spiced lamb burger, and pomegranate baby back ribs. Desserts are a standout, as are cocktails and chic meze starters. The patio cafe out back stays busy at lunch and weekend breakfast. 17440 E. 17th St., 714-838-8855.

See Newport Coast location. $$$

DINING NEWS To keep up with the latest Orange County dining news, subscribe to our O.C. Dining newsletter and follow our food-and-dining coverage at orangecoast.com.

March 2022 • Or a nge Coast 123

O F

I N T E R E S T

LITTERS OF LOVE

Lori Irby was working at an Anaheim Hills senior living community when she realized her foster kittens could bring comfort to the residents there. by Barbara Neal Varma

How did your therapy program begin?

I foster kittens through the ASPCA. When I first started, I didn’t want to leave them home alone, so I asked my boss if it’d be OK to set up a playpen in my office. So many residents came in wanting to hold them. I asked an activity director if we could start a visitation program. Wednesdays (became) Kitten Therapy Days.

Do the kittens enjoy it, too?

Yes, it helps them get socialized. I completed the ASPCA’s “Lion Tamer” training for shy and hissy kittens that would normally have a hard time being adopted out. After they are comfortable 124 ORA NGE CO A ST • March 2022

with me, I bring them in for the residents to hold, and the kittens get socialized even more. The last batch got to go to Seattle to be with their adopted families.

able to hold one—it takes your anxiety and stress away. Dogs are great—I love dogs—but you can’t cuddle them and hold them close like you can a kitten. It’s just not the same.

What is it about kittens that makes them therapeutic for seniors?

A purring kitten is like nothing else. Being

Were you able to keep the program going during the pandemic?

Yes, it was a real lifesaver because the Pet Pals dogs couldn’t come in since they were outside vendors. But if we all wore masks and socially distanced, we could still bring the kittens into the grand salon. That got even more residents to show up. Their families weren’t able to visit, and they were lonely. The kittens were a godsend.

FIND O UT MO RE!

Learn about fostering kittens at aspca.org.

photograph by E M I LY J . D AV I S

Vol. 48 Issue 3 ORANGE COAST (ISSN 02790483 and USPS 360-630) and ORANGECOAST.COM are published monthly by Orange Coast Magazine LLC, 10100 Venice Blvd., Suite 213, Culver City, CA 90232. 949-862-1133. Copyright 2022 by Orange Coast Magazine LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Not responsible for unsolicited material. All manuscripts, artwork, and photographs must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Periodical U.S. postage paid at Los Angeles, CA and additional entry offices. Subscription rates in continental U.S. $19.95 for 12 months.

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P E R S O N

NO. 1 NATIONALLY IN PROMOTING SOCIAL MOBILITY “I owe Cal State Long Beach a great deal.

I’ve always felt that way.

And I believe in its mission.

There is no better or more effective way to improve one’s social mobility than education, and Long Beach delivers a transformative experience without forcing students into heavy debt.” csulb.edu/explore

source: edreformnow.org

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COMING SOON TO MISSION VIEJO

Scan this QR code to get a sneak preview of what’s in store at our new showroom.

Our new showroom on Marguerite Pkwy just off the I-5 in Mission Viejo will be opening in March. We are excited to expand our service to South Orange County.

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1/24/22 12:39 PM