Orange Coast Magazine - November 2022

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NOVEMBER 2022 $5.95

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LUXURY KITCHEN APPLIANCES

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LUXU RY APPLIANC ES FOR YO U R D REAM KITC HEN

Thanks to Orange County’s highest-ranked cancer center, we can say,

“We’re in remission.”

There’s no greater feeling than knowing you’ve chosen the best place to help you beat cancer. At UCI Health, we treat more patients with cancer and more complex cases than any other hospital in the region. And with world-class comprehensive cancer care within your reach, the words “cancer-free” are even closer.

NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center

Visit ucihealth.org/cancer or call 714-500-7891 to schedule a next-day consultation.

Models used for illustrative purposes.

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

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HOPE IS HERE TO END LUNG CANCER

COH - P-AD - Orange Coast 11-November 2022 - Hope is Here - Malhotra Lung_Spread_FINAL-.indd All Pages

City of Hope, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, has opened its visionary cancer and academic research center in Irvine. Research leading to breakthrough lung cancer treatments used around the globe is conducted right here. Patients who once traveled for expert care now have the world’s best cancer-fighting minds close to home, including lung cancer pioneer Jyoti Malhotra, M.D., M.P.H. Dr. Malhotra applies her expertise in precision medicine to target cancer and harness the body’s natural defenses to fight it. This is the Hope you’ve been waiting for.

Jyoti Malhotra, M.D., M.P.H. Associate Professor, Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research

© 2022 City of Hope

888.333.HOPE (4673) | CityofHope.org/OC

9/26/22 4:58 PM

NOVEMBER 72

BREAD

Freshly baked, warm, and wonderful options are all over Orange County. We suggest some of the best examples of all shapes, sizes, and origins of your favorite carb treats.

“(Perfect sourdough is about) texture. I like mine to be super light and crisp. ... Some bakeries make croissants with sourdough; they say it’s healthier. Healthier doesn’t matter in croissants—a croissant is a fat bomb!”

—KARLO EVARISTO, FOUNDER OF 61 HUNDRED BREAD

BY GRETCHEN KURZ

86

FIELD OF BAD DREAMS

Angels owner, broadcasts, and losing streaks make at least one fan ponder her loyalty this season.

BY ELLEN ALPERSTEIN

90

SNAPSHOT

Chapman alum and White House aide Mitchell Rosenberg reflects on his journey creating the online political media platform Now Simplified.

BY RENEE ELEFANTE

O N T HE COV ER

photograph by Emily J. Davis

10 O RA NGE CO AST • November 2022

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

Succeeding over time means seeing beyond the moment W H E N Y O U F I N D Y O U R S E L F N A V I G A T I N G A N E W R E A L I T Y, T R U S T A W E A LT H M A N A G E M E N T PA R T N E R W I T H R A R E I N S I G H T, U N M ATC H E D E X P E RT I S E A N D P ROV E N ST R AT E G I E S TO H E LP YO U U N C O V E R N E W PA T H S F O R W A R D .

Find answers to your questions at northerntrust.com/orangecounty or call Mark Hardtke at 949-717-5523.

660 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1100 • Newport Beach

INVESTING \ BANKING \ TRUST & ESTATE SERVICES \ WEALTH PLANNING \ FAMILY OFFICE Member FDIC. © 2022 Northern Trust Corporation.

NOVEMBER 28

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116 16 21

EDITOR’S LET TER PEOPLE & PL ACES Santiago Creek at Irvine Regional Park

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’HOODS Buzzy restaurants and shops in Fountain Valley

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PERFECT G E TAWAY Visit the Danish town Solvang this season.

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C U LT U R E P H I L E Laguna Beach author Kaira Rouda and her newest suspense novel O.C . E VENT S George Takei, musical performances, and more holiday happenings coming to O.C.

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ST YLE & HOME Modern animal prints from Z Supply in Costa Mesa

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HOT SHOP A sustainable jewelry boutique in San Clemente

42

FINDS Western pieces that can be worn on and off horseback

44 46 49

50

M AIN COURSE Baran Mediterranean Restaurant & Bar in Anaheim

54

S TAT S Thanksgiving means all hands on deck at Polly’s Pies.

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FOOD TRENDS Taco Thursdays are the new day for deals.

59

MY O.C .

Painted rocks are small tokens off ering life-changing energy.

ON THE MARKET An Irvine home with a grand kitchen and wine room, plus wisdom from a caterer

ING GUIDE 104 DOurI Nminireviews, plus

SOURCED Luxury appliances that make up a dream kitchen

116

FOOD & DRINK A trio of after-dinner treats from Baran Mediterranean Restaurant & Bar

cocktails at Tableau Kitchen and Bar

PERSON OF INTEREST Professional food stylist and Westminster native Judean Sakimoto

WEB EXT R A S

Joel Gutierrez, executive chef at Lido Bottle Works in Newport Beach, joins Cathy Thomas to prepare cavatelli with sunchoke cacio e pepe. orangecoast.com /cathythomas A roundup of the restaurants in Orange County serving Thanksgiving dinner this year. orangecoast.com /thanksgiving2022 Join us at the Balboa Craft Beer Festival on Nov. 12. orangecoast.com /balboabeerfest

@ORANGECOASTMAG

12 ORA NGE CO A ST • November 2022

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

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12:23 PM

NOVEMBER SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONS IN THIS ISSUE

63

Winter Travel

64-65 Cosmopolitan Las Vegas 66-67 Omni La Costa Resort & Spa 68-69 Omni Tucson National Resort 70-71 Terranea Resort

93

A Helping Hand

94

Cure Duchenne

95

Goodwill Industries of OC

96

Orange County Community Foundation

97

United Way Orange County

98

Child Guidance Center

98

Children’s Bureau

99

Community Action Partnership

99

Human Options Inc.

100

Illumination Foundation

100

Make-A-Wish Orange County

101

Orangewood Foundation

101

Tilly’s Life Center

102

Charitable Events Calendar

OC Scenes 112

Zoofari

113 Sonesta Irvine Reimagined

Sonesta Irvine Reimagined

14 Ora nge C o a st • November 2022

This celebration started here.

The Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Showroom will help you go from delicious inspiration to memorable meals in a space that truly reflects the way you want to cook, live, and entertain. You’re invited to tour, taste, and test-drive with our team of dedicated product specialists and on-site chefs.

SCH E DUL E A S H O W R O O M APPOI NTM ENT

655 Anton Boulevard Costa Mesa, CA 92626 657-269-5874 subzero-wolf.com/southerncalifornia

EDITOR’S LETTER

I

t’s the holiday season, and at our house that includes making many loaves of zucchini-pineapple bread. I started baking this treat more than 20 years ago to give to friends and to make my apartment smell festive, too. When my kids were little, they helped grease pans, measure ingredients, and stir them together. Now I’m relegated to cleanup duty while they take over the whole process and lick the bowl clean.

It’s a joyous tradition that ends with delicious bread for family and friends, who rave about it every year: “Awesome! It’s zucchini bread time!” It could be made all year, and the kids have lobbied for that.

But I reserve it for the weeks between Thanksgiving and the new year so that it remains significant and something to anticipate. Is there anything better than the scent of baking bread and the delight of that first bite, fresh from the oven? My mouth is watering just writing about this! Hopefully yours was, too, as you saw this month’s cover and the bonanza of varieties we have in O.C. Our team was unanimous when it came to this suggestion for a cover story—YES! We’ve rounded up lots of types of bread, plus talked to a chef-turned-baker, made note of our favorite croissants, and suggested the best bread to be had in O.C. restaurants (Page 72).

Besides the holiday zucchini bread, my family makes rosemary focaccia with herbs straight from the yard, the rosemary aroma lingering across the house for hours. (That’s a year-round pleasure.) We make a lot of bread, and the beer bread mix from Trader Joe’s was a revelation the first time we all tried it. Speaking of beer, be sure to join Orange Coast at the Balboa Craft Beer Festival on Nov. 12.

It will be an afternoon of tastings and indulgence on the Newport Peninsula, perfect for getting ready for Thanksgiving.

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 It’s hard to imagine anything more charming than Solvang all decked out for the holiday season.

PA G E 24

16 ORA NGE C O AST • November 2022

“The Widow,” Kaira Rouda’s newest novel, offers fascinating, behind-the-scenes info about D.C. PA G E 28

It always seems like food tastes better when prepared on top-notch kitchen equipment.

The simplicity and joy of painted rocks around our community fills me with warmth.

PA G E 46

PA G E 59

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

EXPLORE

AMC Tustin 14 Bowlero Bar Louie Casa Del Sol Cocina Mexicana J Zhou Oriental Lucille’s BBQ Luna Rossa Prego Restaurant NOW RAKKAN Ramen OPEN RA Sushi Bar The Winery Restaurant The Yellow Chilli NOW ZIP Korean BBQ OPEN

COMING SOON Alternative Retail InStudio Orthodontics Merry Makers Pop UP Two Hands Corn Dogs

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EASY ACCESS OFF TUSTIN RANCH ROAD, NEAR BARRANCA IN TUSTIN Photo: Enjoy live Mariachi performances, weekend brunch, festive cocktails, lunch specials and more at Casa Del Sol Cocina Mexicana

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

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ACCOUNT DIRECTORS Randy Bilsley, rbilsley@orangecoast.com Edward Estrada, eestrada@orangecoast.com Elysia Gamo, egamo@orangecoast.com Richard Lockhart, rlockhart@orangecoast.com

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EVENTS EDITOR Robin Jones

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EDITORIAL INTERNS Jacob Castro, McKenna Sulick, Raya Torres

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D I G I TA L M E D I A E D I T O R Colette Nguyen

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ellen Alperstein, Elizabeth Arrighi Borsting, Renee Elefante, Benjamin Epstein, Amber Juarez, Lauran Lansdon, Greg Nagel, Valerie Takahama, Cathy Thomas

D I G I TA L C O O R D I N AT O R S Alyssa Gentry, agentry@orangecoast.com Catherine Donahue, cdonahue@lamag.com

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Martha Nippert, Kara Pyle

S A L E S C O O R D I N AT O R Jared Polter, jpolter@lamag.com

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18 ORA NGE C O AST • November 2022

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MORONGO HOME TO FABIO VIVIANI

PEOPLE

PLACES

IN PL AIN SIGHT  T H E S C E N E Santiago Creek at Irvine Regional Park after a rainstorm  G E T T I N G T H E R E Find paved areas to cross at Lot T near the OC Zoo as well as some stair access points that lead into the creek.  E X P L O R E R C R E D I T Shelly Marshall @igo_riding  B E H I N D T H E S H O T “I was in the area enjoying the park after the rain. It was a beautiful time of day with the sun setting, and I wanted to take advantage of there actually being water in the creek.”

33.7963° N, 117.7526° W

November 2022 • OR A NGE C OAST 21

PEOPLE

PLACES ’ H O O D S

FOOD AND FRILLS A pair of buzzy restaurants and shops to get your glam on make this corner of FOUNTAIN VALLEY a must-visit. by Robin Jones

Ú G O O D TO KN OW

INI Ristorante shines with fusion fare such as branzino with yuzu beurre blanc, pomegranate gastrique, fennel, and herb gremolata.

N Q J E WE LLE R S

TH E VOX KITCH E N

Diamonds glitter from the display cases in the 8,000-square-foot showroom of this family-owned jewelry store, where jewelry designers can guide you through the dozens of engagement rings and wedding bands for sale, or help you design your own. The boutique’s not just about rings; it also stocks an impressive array of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, watches, and cuff links, and it provides engraving and jewelry repair services. 16041

This hot spot for Asian comfort food has been open since 2017 and is still going strong; it was included on Yelp’s 2022 Top 100 Places to Eat list and continues to fill tables with diners eager for house garlic noodles and fried rice ($16 to $27). Don’t miss the saltado shaken fries: steak fries, red onion, aji pepper sauce, tomatoes, and rice pilaf with chicken thigh ($16), salmon belly ($18), or filet mignon ($20). 16161

BROOKHURST AVE., 714-277-4046

22 ORA NGE CO AST • November 2022

BROOKHURST AVE., 714-839-8885

BROOKHURST AVE., 657-231-6493

S K Y LIN E B E AU T Y S U PPLY A playground for anyone who loves painting their nails, this small but well-organized shop offers aisles full of OPI, Orly, Gelish, and Essie polishes, among other brands, in seemingly every style and color.

It also sells all the tools necessary for a professionallevel manicure, including clippers, gel LED lamps, cuticle pushers, and nail files, along with dipping powder, gems, glitter, and nail art foils. 16125 BROOKHURST ST., 714-486-1406

PHOTOGRAPH BY DEREK CHOI, COURTESY OF KEI CONCEPTS

IN I R I S TO R A NTE This gorgeous Italian and Japanese fusion restaurant, set around a fig tree growing under a huge skylight in the dining room, is the latest entry from Kei Concepts, the influential group with several eateries in Fountain Valley. The inventive menu offers traditional items such as margherita pizza ($15) and spaghetti alle vongole ($18) alongside more unusual fare such as spicy miso carbonara: udon, shiitake mushrooms, bacon, and egg yolk with spicy miso cream ($22). 16129

SHARON STONE X LENSCRAFTERS

T H E B E ST YO U CAN SEE Los Olivos Marketplace 949.585.9818 ©2022 Luxottica of America Inc. All Rights Reserved.

PEOPLE

PLACES

P E R F E C T

G E T A W A Y

S O LVA N G

It’s time to revisit the one-of-a-kind destination a few hours north of O.C. by Alan Gibbons

24 ORA NGE CO AST • November 2022

CENTRAL DIGS

The Vinland Hotel & Lounge, on Mission Drive at the start of town, welcomes guests with a spacious entry and lobby. Its location makes for an easy walk to everything in the center of the action. The large, updated rooms offer plenty of space to spread out and relax. Try the wine country loft for bigger groups as there’s an upstairs with a third bed and a separate entrance ($259 and up). Many rooms overlook the valley and have patios where you can step out and sip coffee to start your day.

WINE AND DINE

For an elegant dinner, make reservations at Mad & Vin at The Landsby hotel. Caramelized Brussels sprouts with bourbon maple syrup and prosciutto ($18) or a flat iron steak with herb butter and duck fat fries ($40) pair beautifully with local wines. At lunch, try mushroom tacos with pea shoots ($18) at Peasant’s Feast, where the menu highlights the season’s best. Go early; there are no reservations accepted.

ABOVE Fall is a beautiful time to visit the Danish-themed town.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANTHONY FOMIN

I

f there’s such a thing as too precious, this Danish town might be it. But what’s wrong with a throwback as long as it includes new restaurants, pastries galore, and upgraded lodgings?

Solvang could become your new favorite base for a trip to Santa Barbara wine country, which was named 2021 Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast. Stop by Ostrichland, take in an outdoor show, and perhaps spot a celebrity. Just know the town goes pretty dark on Mondays.

South Coast Plaza 714.556.4808

PEOPLE

PLACES T I P

F R O M

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L O C A L

“A hidden treasure in Solvang is the milelong circular walking trail, directly below the Mission Santa Inés, that surrounds a defunct olive grove.

A great jaunt before a day of wine tasting.”

—AMY CHRISTINE, SOLVANG RESIDENT AND CO-OWNER OF HOLUS BOLUS WINERY AND THE JOY FANTASTIC VINEYARD

DELICIOUS DANISH

A trip to Solvang must include pastries. Head to Solvang Restaurant for ebelskivers, puffy Danish pancake balls, served here with raspberry jam and powdered sugar. For a longer and more whimsical stop, try Danish Mill Bakery where you’ll be greeted by an animatronic baker telling stories of the start of the bakery in 1960 as well as the history of Solvang. Nearly every flavor of danish is available, and the cinnamon rolls are fabulous.

BOUTIQUE BLISS

Get away from the hustle at the town’s center with a stay at Corque Hotel, just far enough for quiet nights but still within walking distance of everything. The premier rooms and suites ($168 and up) have balconies, patios, or French doors overlooking the valley. The boutique hotel invites guests in with an elegant entry featuring a lovely brick driveway. Of particular note in this era: There are no resort fees.

M AR K YOU R C ALE NDAR Created by Icon Fair from the Noun Project

SIPS AND SCENERY

Winery options are limitless, but plan ahead and make reservations.

Family-owned Rusack Vineyards invites guests by appointment only to its small property. The vibe is serene while you sip and take in stunning hillside views from the deck under old oak trees. Tastings are customizable as nearly every wine is available to try. Sunstone Winery offers tastings seven days a week in its lavender-filled courtyard reminiscent of Provence.

Shaded by olive and oak trees, the outdoor area is perfect for the five-wine tasting ($25), picnics, and cornhole. It also boasts highend event space: “Modern Family” actress Sarah Hyland was married there in August. A slight detour to Lompoc will lead to Melville, with its grand entryway and plenty of lavender and wisteria. The familyowned spot uses grapes only from its own 120 acres. The Estate Tasting Flight offers five pours ($25) of highly rated wines, which you can find in O.C. at Fable & Spirit and Hi-Time Wine Cellars.

OUTDOOR SHOWS

The Solvang Festival Theater just completed a one-year, $4.7 million rebuilding project and reopened in the summer.

The all-outdoor venue hosts performances year-round, including comedian Brian Regan, who appeared in September, and The Robert Cray Band in October.

This month, the show is Stunt Dog Experience, which promises tricks, stunts, comedy, and more.

K AYA K I N G D AY T R I P

If you want to spend a little time on the water, stop in Ventura on the way up or back and take a day trip to Channel Islands National Park. Santa Barbara Adventure Company leads seasonal kayak tours where helpful and personable guides will show you plenty of wildlife, sea caves, and perhaps even share some history of the area ($124 and up). All levels are welcome, and the Discovery Sea Cave kayak tour is a good introduction and not too strenuous.

Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley, Nov. 3 through 6: A four-day celebration of the valley’s food and wine includes tastings, chef-driven dinners, and other activities spread across six towns in the area. visitsyn.com/taste-of-the-santa-ynez-valley

26 O RA NGE CO A ST • November 2022

WINERY PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE VINL AND HOTEL & LOUNGE; STOREFRONT PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF DANISH MILL BAKERY

LEFT Make an appointment to do the wine tasting on the deck at Rusack Vineyards.

RIGHT Danish Mill Bakery is more than 60 years old and one of many spots to get pastries.

An ECS Senior Living Community. Celebrating 100 years.

Proudly nonprofit. RCFE 306-002255, SNF 060000937, COA 224

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Health and wellness are woven into daily life at The Covington.

Here, you’ll find amenities like an indoor pool, fitness center, and art studio to support your active and creative pursuits; and locally sourced, award-winning food to fuel your every day.

Your legacy is now.

PEOPLE

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

CAPITOL CRIMES

Laguna Beach author Kaira Rouda draws on her time in Washington, D.C., as a political spouse for her newest thriller, “The Widow.” by Valerie Takahama

J

ust in time for a diversion from the general election, the USA Today bestselling novelist tells the twisty tale of a devious D.C. denizen.

Jody Asher is the wife of a long-serving congressman who succeeds him when he dies suddenly in office in a tradition known as the Widow’s Mandate.

Rouda, whose prose has been dubbed “the guiltiest of guilty pleasures” by Kirkus Reviews, is the spouse of Harley Rouda, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021.

What personal experiences did you draw on to portray Washington, D.C., in the novel? Ú Definitely some of the settings in the book—I fell in love with the Library of Congress and was training to be a docent so I could show people around. The book opens with a Congressional Dialogues dinner, and we got to go to those. It’s a bipartisan gathering, and you learn about an important event, usually tied to a book.

Behind the scenes, there’s a lot of jockeying—who’s at the head table, who’s facing the right way toward the stage, who’s sitting with whom, all that stuff is still going on even though you would look at these people and think they’re all powerful.

The main character, Jody, is relentless, scheming, and back-stabbing. What admirable qualities did you find in her? Ú What I see in Jody is, even though she might be all those things, she’s also a survivor.

She’s been standing by Martin, helping him for 30 years in Congress. She’s the best mom that she knows how to be. She’s been volunteering; she’s one of the people who has made D.C. 28 ORA NGE C O AST • November 2022

run for all of these terms that Martin has served in office. She really has been a good partner.

She’s been a model spouse.

She’s been quiet until she can’t take it anymore. When you meet her, she may be tired of taking a back seat.

What are your lasting impressions from your time as a political spouse? Ú When I saw politicians who are really making a difference and bringing people together and not dividing them, that was nice to see. There are some really great parts of it. We got to travel to Selma with John Lewis on his last trip to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Meaningful, deep, historic things that we got to learn about and see and do—that part was amazing. Just knowing that you are a little part of history. On the flip side, there’s all that hate and people giving me one-star reviews on my books when I can tell it’s political. (Laugh) This is your ninth novel. Can you talk about the trajectory of your writing career? Ú I started out in women’s fiction; I hate that term—I think of it as contemporary fiction.

Then I took a two-year turn into romance, which was fun, but then I realized I’m not a romance writer. The whole sex thing, I can’t do it. You have to know how to write that part, and I cannot write that part.

But every type of writing, you learn. So that was good learning.

I was getting back to women’s fiction, and my book, “The Goodbye Year” (2016), started turning darker. I started finding myself dipping into this genre,

but when the character Paul in “Best Day Ever” (2017) popped into my head, that’s when I took the leap into domestic suspense or psychological suspense.

SEE HE R

Kaira Rouda will sign books at The Laguna Art Museum on Dec. 1 from 5 to 7 p.m.

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

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PEOPLE

PLACES

NOV. 9 THROUGH 27 “MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL”

Based on the movie of the same name, the musical won 10 Tony Awards when it debuted on Broadway in 2019, including Best Musical. It retains all the glitz and glamour of Baz Luhrmann’s original film and mixes in new numbers while following the love story of Satine, a dancer at the Moulin Rouge cabaret club in Paris, and Christian, a singer and songwriter chasing the Bohemian ideals of truth, beauty, freedom, and love. Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-556-2787, scfta.org

NOV. 4 THROUGH 20 “SNOW WHITE”

The titular princess reclaims her story in a play that turns the original fairy tale upside down.

Six of the seven dwarves are missing, so she and Dwarf Four play all the characters in the show, explaining what really happened after her stepmother took over as queen. It’s the first show of the season in South Coast Repertory’s Theatre for Young Audiences & Families series and is appropriate for ages 4 and up. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-708-5555, scr.org NOV. 4 AND 5

E V E N T S

DON’T MISS IN NOVEMBER

Modern dance, ‘A Christmas Carol,’ and more by Robin Jones

You probably know more John Williams music than you realize; the prolific composer is responsible for some of the most famous movie scores ever recorded, including the “Indiana Jones” movies, “Jurassic Park,” and “Star Wars.”

He holds the record for most Academy Award nominations, with 52, and has won 25 Grammy Awards. In this concert, the Pacific Symphony, led by guest pops conductor laureate Richard Kaufman, will play some of Williams’ most beloved works. Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-755-5788, pacificsymphony.org NOV. 5

NOV. 2

NOV. 3

“AN EVENING WITH GEORGE TAKEI”

BODY TRAFFIC

The activist who gained fame playing Hikaru Sulu in “Star Trek” will discuss his work advocating for immigrant and LGBTQ rights and his memories of the WWII Japanese American internment camps, where he spent part of his childhood. The lecture is part of the Engaging the World: Leading the Conversation on Ethnic Studies series hosted by Chapman’s Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

Musco Center for the Arts, One University Drive, Orange, 844-626-8726, muscocenter.org

Known for its versatile dancers and highenergy performances, the Los Angeles-based contemporary dance troupe has wowed audiences around the world since its founding in 2007. The company will present a mixed repertory program of its favorite pieces, including dances set to music by Dean Martin, Peggy Lee, and James Brown. Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-5562787, scfta.org

30 ORA NGE CO AST • November 2022

VIJAY IYER TRIO

A jazz pianist, Iyer has been voted DownBeat magazine’s Artist of the Year four times and was nominated for a Grammy for his album “Historicity.” His music combines the sounds of jazz composers such as Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk with the traditional rhythms of South Asia and West Africa and the African American creative music movement of the 1960s and ’70s. He’ll play with bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Jeremy Dutton. Samueli Theater, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-556-2787, scfta.org

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS

JOHN WILLIAMS: A 90TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

S P O N S O R E D C ONT E NT

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BAJA CALIFORNIA A MEDICAL TOURISM MECCA

For over 100 years, Baja California has lured those looking to capture the healing properties of its natural hot springs and spas with destinations like Guadalupe Canyon Oasis Hot Springs and Nature Reserve and Valparaiso Day Spa Aguas Termales. When not slipping into geothermal waters, hot saunas, and mud 59 L A M AG . C O M

baths, there are always spa treatments for addressing specific issues.

As Baja California has perfected healing getaways, the world has taken note. In 2022, Travel + Leisure magazine named Tecate’s Rancho La Puerta Wellness Resort & Spa “Best International Spa.” It’s easy to see why. The ranch’s mind/ body/spirit approach crosses modalities bringing natural elements, like aromatic and medicinal healing plants grown in their organic gardens, into play.

Workshops in yoga and nutritious cooking prep guests to continue new habits at home.

Speaking of nature, Rancho La Puerta harnesses Baja California’s natural surrounds through hiking, trail running, and rock climbing. The resort's labyrinth is ideal for a walking meditation in the great outdoors. Those ready to take on further adventures can undertake Baja California’s famous surfing, sailing, kayaking, and deep-sea fishing.

Over the years, travelers have become aware of Baja California’s outstanding dental and ophthalmologic services, as well as surgical specialties ranging from bariatric and cosmetic procedures to oncology, cardiology, fertility, and regenerative medicine. Pricing is 5075% lower for the same treatments as those in the U.S., out-of-pocket expenses are lower, and many physicians and hospitals take American insurance.

As a result, more than 2.5 million visitors, 77% from the U.S., travel to Baja California for medical tourism.

Convenience comes by way of a special “Fast Pass,” a special lane at the region’s six land border crossings available to patients registered with Mexican doctors. There’s no reason to rush, though. After all, the ocean, vineyards, and cuisine of Baja California welcome: “Stay a while.”

CREDIT BOX

Seaside ambiance, sprawling landscape lush with vineyards (70% of the country’s wine is produced here), a culinary scene that delights...These are just a few of the reasons travelers visit Baja California. Such a backdrop lends itself to another draw: self-care, wellness, and medical tourism.

PEOPLE

PLACES NOV. 5 AND 6 ARTISTIC LICENSE FAIR

Over 2000 Frames To Satisfy Every Personality On-Site Lab

LIFE’S TOO

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TO WEAR

BO RING

GL A S S E S

The fine crafts show returns to the Muckenthaler for a second year. With more than 50 artisans from L.A., Orange, and Riverside counties displaying their work, items for sale at the fair will include jewelry and ceramics, textiles, and upcycled clothing, glass sculpture, and gourd art. Muckenthaler Cultural Center, 1201 W. Malvern Ave., Fullerton, 714-738-6595, themuck.org

Incomparable Service Open Monday to Saturday from 10 to 6

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1294 S. Coast Highway, Suite C, Laguna Beach EuropeanOpticalinc.com | 949.494.6106

NOV. 10 HYEJIN KIM

The classical pianist has performed around the world as a soloist with orchestras and as a part of chamber orchestras. Born in Seoul, South Korea, she has been playing piano since she was 5, and won third prize at 17 in the prestigious Busoni International Piano Competition in Italy. Since then, she has won multiple awards and received an artist diploma at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, where she serves as a faculty member in the Conservatory of Music. Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, 949-498-2139, casaromantica.org NOV. 12 AND 13 “NORTH”

Hi-Time Wine Cellars Wine for every season, temperature and holiday.

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The inaugural Family Series commission for Segerstrom Center for the Arts, this musical for children was written by Ashli St. Armant, the singer for the popular kids’ band Jazzy Ash and the Leaping Lizards. It tells the story of Lawrence and his mother, Minnie, who are traveling the Underground Railroad north from Louisiana in search of freedom; it’s based in part on St. Armant’s family history. Samueli Theater, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-556-2787, scfta.org NOV. 13 VIANO STRING QUARTET

First-prize winners at the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition, this group consisting of Lucy Wang (violin), Hao Zhou (violin), Aiden Kane (viola), and Tate Zawadiuk (cello) formed at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in 2015. The artists have performed at multiple festivals and competitions, winning several prizes, and toured throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Soka Performing Arts Center, 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, 949-480-4278, soka.edu NOV. 16 THE SMASHING PUMPKINS

250 Ogle Street • Costa Mesa, CA • 949.650.8463 • hitimewine.net 32 ORA NGE CO A ST • November 2022

The alternative rock group broke out with the 1993 album “Siamese Dream” and enjoyed commercial success and critical acclaim throughout the 1990s. The group broke up in 2000 but got back together in 2018 for a reunion tour and has been recording and performing ever since. In this stop on the Spirits on Fire tour, the musicians will share the stage

PEOPLE with another 1990s alternative rock favorite, Jane’s Addiction. Honda Center, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim, 714-704-2500, hondacenter.com NOV. 16 “AL AN CUMMING IS NOT ACTING HIS AGE”

In addition to multiple TV and film roles, Cumming has been acting on West End and Broadway stages since the late 1980s. He starred in the revival of “Cabaret” as the Master of Ceremonies, winning a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for his portrayal, and staged a production of “Macbeth” in which he played all the roles. In this cabaret show, he’ll sing and tell stories about getting older. Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, 949-8544646, thebarclay.org

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“THE PL ANETS”

With guest conductor Karen Kamensek and the women of Pacific Chorale, the Pacific Symphony will perform Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” while celestial videos play on the big screen as the main event at this concert. Rounding out the program: “PIVOT” by English composer Anna Clyne and Max Bruch’s “Scottish Fantasy,” performed by guest violinist Stefan Jackiw.

Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-755-5788, pacificsymphony.org

PLACES

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Enderle Center

17300 E. 17th St., Ste. A, Tustin

714-665-5994

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NOV. 19 “A FAMILY AFFAIR”

Cabaret singer and “American Idol” vocal coach Peisha McPhee joins forces with her daughters, fellow “American Idol” vocal coach Adriana McPhee and singer-songwriter and actress Katharine McPhee-Foster, to explore the Great American Songbook. Fellow singers Monica Mancini and Lee Lessack will join them for selected numbers. Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, 949-8544646, thebarclay.org

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NOV. 20 VIENNA BOYS CHOIR: “CHRISTMAS IN VIENNA”

Known around the globe, the Vienna Boys Choir was founded in 1498 and is one of the oldest musical organizations in the world.

Mozart, Gluck, and Schubert have written pieces for the group, and alumni include the conductors Hans Richter, Clemens Krauss, and Lovro von Matacic. Here the choir will perform Austrian folk songs, classical pieces, and popular holiday tunes. Soka Performing Arts Center, 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, 949480-4278, soka.edu OPENS NOV. 25 LIGHTING OF THE BAY

Every evening through New Year’s Day, Back Bay in Newport Beach transforms into a glittering holiday scene worthy of a card, with more than 50 electric trees and holiday decorations.

BENTLEY~FERRARI~MASERATI~ASTON MARTIN~LAMBORGHINI~MCLAREN

Pick Up and Drop Off Service Available for Your Convenience

986 West 17th Street, Costa Mesa 949-646-1875 www.ragingbull-performance.com

November 2022 • OR A NGE COAST 33

PEOPLE

PLACES

Families from all over come to the bay at dusk to watch the lights come on. Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort, 1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach, 949-729-3863, newportdunes.com

OPENING NOV. 12 “GUO PEI: ART OF COUTURE”

The world-renowned Chinese designer selected the gowns on display in this exhibit, all couture pieces reflecting China’s cultural heritage, along with mythology, history, art, and architecture.

This return engagement, following the popular 2019 show focusing on some of her most famous dresses, will include a selection of her couture bridal wear.

Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana, 714-567-3600, bowers.org

NOV. 25 THROUGH DEC. 18 “CHARLES DICKENS’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL”

It’s the most traditional of Christmas plays with a twist: Charles Dickens himself becomes a character, walking on stage before the start of the play to present a reading of his latest script. As he reads, the action begins behind him, and eventually, he starts to participate, playing small roles and adding asides while the story unfolds. Camino Real Playhouse, 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, 949-4898082, caminorealplayhouse.org

putting together her 12 bestselling cookbooks.

Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, 949-854-4646, thebarclay.org

NOV. 25 THROUGH 27 CHRISTMAS WITH THE ALLEY CATS

In this annual Christmas show, the popular fourman doo-wop group performs holiday favorites in a 1950s style. The performers have sung for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and at the White House, served as Jay Leno’s opening act for 10 years, and opened for Jerry Seinfeld and Joan Rivers. Curtis Theatre, 1 Civic Center Circle, Brea, 714-990-7722, curtistheatre.com NOV. 26 NIGELL A L AWSON

about her favorite recipes, her TV shows, and her rules for entertaining with KCRW “Good Food” host and restaurateur Evan Kleiman.

She’ll also tell behind-the-scenes stories about

The holiday classic, staged at South Coast Repertory since 1979, has become a local tradition. SCR founding member Richard Doyle takes on the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, who discovers the true meaning of Christmas when he encounters the Ghosts of Christmas past, present, and yet to come over the course of one fateful night.

South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-708-5555, scr.org

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SCAD

The British cookbook author and TV host talks

NOV. 26 THROUGH DEC. 24 “A CHRISTMAS CAROL”

34 ORA NGE C O AST • November 2022

Segerstrom Center Presents

Chita

Rivera Dec 11 • 2 pm

“

Chita Rivera is more than a musical theatre star. She’s a force of nature.”

Y

LI

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The Associated Press

TH

E RHYTHM

OF

M

The living legend

shares songs and stories from her historic career

including West Side Story, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and more!

scfta.org

AH

AN & BL A

E IN

CA

38 LL

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2022

Y

1984

VERSA

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Orange County’s Premier Litigation Firm callahan-law.com

3 Hutton Centre Drive, Suite 900 / Santa Ana, CA 92707 / 714-241-4444 • f. 714-241-4445

SPON SORED C ON TEN T

Experience AND Expertise Matters

E

stablished in 1984, Callahan & Blaine consists of 28 experienced trial attorneys.

The firm was founded by Daniel J. Callahan, one of the country’s top trial lawyers. For example, the National Law Journal named Dan one of the “Top 10 Attorneys” in the United States, and California Lawyer magazine designated him “California Lawyer of the Year.”

CALIFORNIA’S PREMIER LITIGATION FIRM

Callahan & Blaine has achieved record breaking verdicts and settlements across a diverse range of litigation issues. “We don’t have a narrow focus in any one area of the law,” notes Managing Partner Ed Susolik. “Instead, our attorneys have expertise in a broad spectrum of complex litigation matters, including business litigation, insurance law, labor/ employment defense and catastrophic personal injury. We are also equally adept at both plaintiff and defense perspectives.”

RECORD BREAKING VERDICTS AND SETTLEMENTS

Callahan & Blaine has a broad range of historic results. Most notable is the firm’s $934 Million jury verdict in a complex business litigation case, which is the largest jury verdict in the history of Orange County. In addition, Callahan & Blaine obtained a $50 Million settlement which is certified by West Trial Digest as the largest personal injury settlement in United States history. Callahan & Blaine also has the largest insurance bad faith judgment in Orange County history ($58 Million), and the largest employment settlement ($38 Million). Most recently, the firm settled a bicycle accident case for $17 Million.

A SPECIALTY OF WINNING

Each of Callahan & Blaine’s 28 senior attorneys is an experienced and accomplished litigator. Callahan & Blaine’s attorneys have expertise in a wide diversity of practice areas, including insurance law, intellectual property, trade secrets, employment law, catastrophic personal injury, real estate, business torts and corporate governance. For example, Ed Susolik, the partner in charge of the firm’s insurance department, has handled over 1000 insurance disputes on behalf of businesses and individuals over the last 31 years. As explained by Susolik, “Callahan & Blaine specializes in the one thing that matters most to clients: winning.”

HONORS AND AWARDS

Callahan & Blaine’s attorneys have achieved many awards and honors over the years. For example, Susolik has been named to the “Top 100 Attorneys in Southern California” list by Super Lawyers magazine from 2009 to 2022. Similarly, partners Michael Sachs and Brian McCormack have all achieved numerous judicial victories in recent years, and represent the next generation of Callahan & Blaine trial lawyers. For example, Brian McCormack was recently named Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association.

BUSINESS LITIGATION INSURANCE LAW LABOR/EMPLOYMENT DEFENSE PERSONAL INJURY

g a e t a n o in c . c o m 714.536.6942 CUSTOM INSTALLATION & REFINISHING FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1955 Photo credit: The Bowman Group

STYLE

HOME

H O L I DAY G I F T I N G THE FIND Pippa animal long-sleeved top ($79) and Sia animal tank bra ($38) from Costa Mesa’s Z Supply GOOD TO KNOW Launching this month, this set features a modern take on animal print. WHERE zsupplyclothing.com

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

November 2022 • O R A NGE COAST 39

STYLE

HOME H O T

S H O P

RG BY THE SEA

The San Clemente jewelry boutique opened in January. by Chelsea Raineri

S

an Clemente local Rachel Karcich created her sustainable jewelry line, Rose Gypsy, in 2014. In January, she and her husband, Justin, opened their second RG storefront, RG by the Sea on Avenida Del Mar, the first location being in L.A. “It’s always been a dream of mine to open a little shop down here, and the opportunity presented itself,” Rachel says.

The interiors—inspired by the couple’s travels to the Mediterranean and Mexico—feature a soft, neutral color palette with pops of green from various plants. Customers can shop dainty-yetdurable gold-filled, sterling silver, and 14-karat gold necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, and more. “There are so many (fast-fashion pieces) being thrown away that it’s really important for me to make stuff that lasts,” she says.

RG by the Sea offers handcrafted heirloom pieces, engagement rings (which can be designed at the store), and jewelry with gemstones. The boutique also carries an assortment of ecofriendly brands, as well as gift items, shoes, hats, skincare, and home decor. Any item can be giftwrapped on-site.

This month, look for upcoming events on the shop’s Instagram as well as holiday pieces including a hand-set diamond tennis bracelet and inside-out diamond hoops that showcase diamonds in the front and back.

132 Avenida Del Mar San Clemente 949-503-2039 rgtheshop.com

G I R L’ S B E S T F R I E N D

Diamond curb-link bracelet, $4,200 40 O RA NGE CO AST • November 2022

SUCH A CARD Greeting cards, $5.95

WAV E S O F G R AT I T U D E Ocean jewelry dish, $24

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

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STYLE

HOME

1

3 2

F I N D S

OUT WEST

Sport this look on and off horseback.

by Chelsea Raineri 4

5 6

Kim White threepierced ring belt, $150, Atmosphere Atelier, San Juan Capistrano, 949-324-3067

1

Jacket, $7,450; pullover, $1,725; pants, $3,725; boots, $1,800; leg warmers, $1,475, Hermès, South Coast Plaza, 714-437-1725

2

42 ORA NGE C O AST • November 2022

Kobi Halperin Inka herringbone jacket, $458, Neiman Marcus, Fashion Island, 949-759-1900

3

Ralph Lauren Collection Janet ankle skinny pants, $590, Saks Fifth Avenue, South Coast Plaza, 714-540-3233

4

Lee Radziwill double bag, $1,098, Tory Burch, South Coast Plaza, 714-689-0450

5

Isabel Marant Lomero leather knee-high Western boots, $1,770, Intermix, South Coast Plaza, 714-754-7895

6

THE COMFORT CLASSICS Single Layer Arch Premier Leather Upper Slip-On loafer Double Stitched Triple Glued Bonded Nylon Thread Non-Slip Rainbow® Bottom Original Rainbow® Woven Label

REPAIR

•

REUSE

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RECYCLE

Our commitment doesn’t end when you leave the store. Since 1974, we have repaired and reused over 400,000 sandals that are donated to needy feet around the world. Our goal is to help those in need and stop broken sandals from going to a landfill and polluting our oceans.

WWW.RAINBOWSANDALS.COM

STYLE

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DINING IN $39.9 million Irvine

WISDOM FROM

a caterer

Duane Greenleaf is co-owner of Colette’s Catering & Events. He shares the allure of having parties catered this season.

SERVICES OFFERED …

We really specialize in service … from the initial phone call, to creating the menu and designing the tablescape, to the servers being there. If you tell us what your concept is, we’ll fulfill that. What you look for in a full-service caterer is someone who is going to be able to make all of those elements have a seamless feel.

44 ORA NGE CO AST • November 2022

FAVORITE MEMORIES …

There’s a trending term in the food industry right now: modern nostalgia. People want those holiday favorites that remind them of family get-togethers, and they’re putting a modern spin on those things, such as taking the traditional turkey and roasting it with sage, fresh herbs, and infused butters. We have a client whose holiday party we do every year, and she brings out the same Christmas china. She

wants that dinner to be authentic, and that brings people back to those childhood memories.

BENEFITS …

The biggest thing we provide is being able to give that experience back to the person who’s hosting the party. You get to sit back and enjoy your family and friends and let somebody else make that experience for you so you can participate.

P R O P E R T Y P H O T O G R A P H S B Y T O B Y P O N N AY; H E A D S H O T B Y D AV I D A L O N Z O P H O T O G R A P H Y

12,978 square feet  7 bedrooms 12 bathrooms  Store more than 1,000 bottles in the wine room.  Of note: The grand kitchen features a separate catering kitchen, where caterers can set up for a worry-free holiday meal.  76 Golden Eagle Tim Smith, 949-678-1070

STYLE

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KITCHEN ESSENTIALS

These luxury appliances make up a dream kitchen. by Chelsea Raineri

5

4 6

Hamilton Beach premium dough and bread maker in stainless steel, $150, Bed Bath & Beyond, multiple locations

1

30-inch professional coffee maker, $3,499, Fisher & Paykel, Costa Mesa, 949-790-8900

2

46 ORA NGE CO AST • November 2022

24-inch built-in wine dispenser, $5,999, Dacor, Irvine, 949-617-5440

3

60-inch dual-fuel range with six burners and French top, $21,935, Wolf, Costa Mesa, 657-269-5874

4

Beast blender and hydration system, $185, Crate&Barrel, Costa Mesa, 714-825-0060

5

Gaggenau 400 series wall oven, $3,317, and combimicrowave oven, $3,137, Pirch, Costa Mesa, 949-429-0800

6

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In partnership with the Balboa Village Merchant Association

Afternoon full of tastings, food, music & more on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH 12:00-4:00 PM

Tickets & more information:

orangecoast.com/balboabeerfest

Photography by: Mike Leavitt

FOOD

DRINK

SPECIAL DESSERTS THE DISH A trio of delicious after-dinner treats: from left, tiramisu, exotic, and roche THE DETAILS Critic Gretchen Kurz’s favorite is the roche—vanilla hazelnut mousse, praline, and caramel filling, covered with milk chocolate and roasted almonds. The exotic is a tropical mousse with mango and passion fruit filling and pistachio cake. THE PRICE $10 to $11 each THE PL ACE Baran Mediterranean Restaurant & Bar TURN THE PAGE for our review.

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

November 2022 • OR A NGE COAST 49

50 ORA NGE CO A ST • November 2022

FOOD

M A I N

DRINK

C O U R S E

BARAN

Newest occupant in Anaheim center shines with delicious food and stunning makeover. by Gretchen Kurz

W

hether it’s bad luck, weak management, or dreary fare, some addresses just refuse to sustain good restaurants. We’ve all noticed—those locations where eateries die a lingering death every couple of years, forgotten the moment the next victim arrives.

That’s how I found Baran Mediterranean Restaurant & Bar. After watching three yawners come and go at this site in a meandering Anaheim center, I gave the newbie a test drive and something unusual occurred—I returned.

Five times at last count.

The location is, to be polite, challenging— buried in the farthest corner of a center adjacent to busy train tracks. But it is freeway-close and steps from a 10-screen cinema. Early snooping in June yielded little background about the freshly open Baran Mediterranean Restaurant.

A rudimentary website and a few dubious Yelp raves were all I dug up before trying dinner on a weeknight. The first shock was a tasteful endto-end makeover starring roomy booths, glittering chandeliers, and a dramatic wall mural that extends across the ceiling. This dining room never looked so chic.

Navid and Elnaz Daneshpour plus partner Kyle Naderi are the team behind this sweeping transformation. They also recast the so-so patio as a walled garden with fountain, twinkle lights, and scrolled iron gate. It’s a laid-back wonderland for friends and families sharing kebab feasts on sultry nights. Clearly, this trio taps into north county’s Persian community, though all are welcomed with gracious hospitality.

Straight-up classic Persian cuisine is the draw here. Expect zero fusion fare. Don’t rush taking in the vast menu, just order a drink to accompany the gratis warm lavash and cold butter as you nibble and narrow your choices. Several traditional hot and cold appetizers beckon, leading with the straightforward panir sabzi—a finger food array of walnut halves, chunks of smooth feta, and a bouquet of fresh herbs for bundling.

Vibrant house-made hummus is addicting and seems to complement everything on the table.

Dolmeh—slow-simmered grape leaf bundles of rice, ground beef, split peas, and herbs—are even better dunked in maust musir, yogurt with chopped shallots. Zeytoon parvardeh are a rare menu find in O.C., green olives stuffed with garlic, pomegranate, and ground walnuts. Each olive is tart, sweet, savory, smooth, and crumbly. Splendidly complicated.

Two salads stand out—the fresh chopped Shirazi salad, a glistening heap of tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, and onions; and the Baran house

5645 E. La Palma Ave. Anaheim Hills 714-340-0035 5 BEST DISHES

Zeytoon parvardeh

Baran or Shirazi salad

Lubia polo

Any kebab

Saffron rosewater ice cream PRICE RANGE Lunch, $12 to $18 Dinner appetizers, $7 to $14 Entrees, $21 to $36 Desserts, $5 to $11 FYI Baran means "rain" in Farsi.

LEFT Zereshk polo, house-made hummus, and the standout Shirazi salad lure diners at Baran.

RIGHT The patio is perfect for lingering over a meal with friends and family. photographs by E M I LY J . D AV I S

November 2022 • OR A NGE C OAST 51

FOOD

DRINK special of crisp greens, tomatoes, fresh corn, lentils, cranberries, and feta. If you’re not into vinaigrette of lemon and olive oil, there’s a balsamic vinegar option. No ranch or honey mustard on this menu.

All roads eventually lead to fragrant stews, elaborate rice, and, of course, succulent kebabs with grilled vegetables and a profusion of fluffy basmati rice. Kebabs are straightforward affairs: There’s little to no intervention before various meats are threaded on skewers.

That puts a lot of pressure on both the kitchen’s grill skills and the fundamental quality of the featured proteins. Not a single kebab was under- or overcooked.

From giant shrimp to flavorful chicken to the lavish filet mignon, every meat was luscious with expertly singed edges.

Even the koobideh (beef and chicken)— those long, crimped planks of spiced ground meat—remain succulent.

Though available all year, stews are

Rack of lamb

especially alluring right now. Hearty gheymeh bademjan, a tomato-y blend of sauteed eggplant, yellow split peas, dried lime, and chunks of tender veal is a winner. One visit, the vegetable-rich ghormeh sabzi was over-simmered into a texture-free sludge—far better is the baghali polo with its tender lamb shank in a soupy broth with lima bean rice on the side. Four more mixedrice dishes can be ordered as sides or entrees, each featuring a star ingredient, say sour cherries or lentils. Entree

portions include braised chicken, or, in the case of my favorite lubia polo, green beans and diced filet mignon.

Leaving with leftovers is inevitable given the generous portions. Sweets fiends should save room for fabulous options. L.A. has many premium purveyors, which allows Baran to select the silkiest saffron rosewater ice cream and delicate baklava. Four delectable non-Persian specialties come from an off-site patisserie. Midweek lunch specials include a few sandwiches and popular kebab plates, reduced in size and price. Follow lunch with 30 percent off any drink at happy hour and voilà, an ace excuse for exiting the office early on Fridays.

After a decade of slow fails, this quirky corner at last has a keeper. A stylish makeover, appealing fare, and gracious hospitality have a way of building repeat business. I hope Baran will anchor this location for a long and happy tenure. photograph by E M I LY J . D AV I S

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DRINK S T A T S

P O L LY ’ S P I E B O N A N Z A For this pie shop that started in O.C., Thanksgiving means all hands on deck.

by Elizabeth Arrighi Borsting

P

olly’s Pies is Orange County’s original when it comes to all things pie. Brothers Eddie and Don Sheldrake opened the first one on Raymond Avenue in Fullerton in 1968. Nearly 55 years later, all 13 locations are still family owned. “People want to know who exactly Polly is,” says Jacklyn Mitosinka, brand director for the restaurant group and Eddie’s granddaughter.

19,300

$18

Pumpkin pies ordered for the holiday

MADE IN ORANGE COUNTY

Costa Mesa

Average cost of a whole pie

“My grandfather, being the frugal businessman he is, named the restaurant Polly’s because the building’s door handles were shaped like the letter P.” In the days leading to Thanksgiving, the ovens are on for 72 hours with dedicated bakers rolling dough, filling tins, monitoring the ovens, and boxing the pies until the last one is picked up at noon Thanksgiving Day.

35

Years that Felipe Cortez has been making Thanksgiving pies at Polly’s

98

Baking shifts, with three bakers per shift, over three days

60,000

Pounds of flour needed for Thanksgiving pie orders

Natalie Sofia named C A L A F I A T E A after her family’s favorite local beach. The brand offers unique tea blends directly from Costa Mesa. Flavors include Vanilla Lemongrass, Peach Apricot Hibiscus, and Orange Pineapple Sencha Green Tea—each of which can be enjoyed hot or iced (2-ounce package for $15). Available at calafiatea.com or at Teacup, Succulents & More in Mission Viejo and The San Clemente Store in San Clemente

54 O RA NGE CO AST • November 2022

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CAL AFIA TEA

FOOD

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

HOLIDAY

Private Dining AT SALT CREEK GRILLE

EXECUTIVE CHEF HECTOR ARROYO

Born and raised in Dana Point, Hector Arroyo was destined to become a culinary master. Hector follows in his father’s footsteps, who led the kitchen at another local Dana Point restaurant for many years. Swayed and mesmerized by watching the likes of Julia Child, Emeril Lagasse and Martin Yan on television after school, the culinary arts became Hector’s lifelong passion. Joining Salt Creek Grille in 2008, Hector now serves as Executive Chef. He is driven by an insatiable appetite for creating inventive and delectable American cuisine, while also subtly infusing his culinary roots into the menu.

www.saltcreekgrille.com | (949) 661-7799 32802 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point CA 92629 DANA POINT & VALENCIA, CA • RUMSON & PRINCETON, NJ

DRINK F O O D

T R E N D S

TACO THURSDAYS

It’s a new day—perhaps the best day—for aficionados, especially in Santa Ana. by Benjamin Epstein

CHATO’S BAR AND GRILL

EL MERCADO MODERN CUISINE

Known for his stylish Cal-Michoacán comfort fare, chef-owner Sergio Ortega expands his Tuesday specials to Taco + Tequila Thursday. Street-style tacos on guajillo-infused corn tortillas—notably masabattered crispy fish with lychee slaw and burnt-chile aioli, and the al pastor taco with trompo-roasted pork and pineapple—are $3, preposterous for this quality.

Draft beers ($5) and house margaritas ($6) are deals, but Patron Tequila flights ($15 for blanco, reposado, and añejo, plus extra añejo for $5) add a learning experience. 400 N. BROADWAY,

Chef Fernando Franco can hardly contain his zeal for seasonal and regional Mexican ingredients, and he often expresses it on Taco Thursday. Past creations on house-made tortillas have included a white molé taco; a tinga-style hibiscus taco; and one with adobo carnitas and nanche salsa, made from the cherry-like fruit.

The restaurant presents a trio of colorful, contrasting specialty tacos on a wooden board for $12. Margaritas, including tamarindo and serrano versions, are made with tequila ($8) or mezcal ($10). 301 N. SPURGEON ST.,

SANTA ANA, 714-852-3256

SANTA ANA, 714-338-2446

56 O RA NGE CO AST • November 2022

BLINKING OWL DISTILLERY

Chef Luis Perez made some of the county’s best tacos at Lola Gaspar. For Taco Thursdays at nearby Blinking Owl, he does the same—only more elaborately and with more elevated ingredients.

Versions on organic corn tortillas have featured 48-day, dry-aged New York strip and heirloom-tomato pico; wild tiger prawn, lamb merguez, Satina potatoes, and bourbon fry sauce; and grilled cauliflower, esquite, pecorino cheese, and worm salt. The weekly tacos are two for $20; seasonal boozy aguas frescas ($14) are a huge draw. 802 E. WASHINGTON AVE., SANTA ANA, 714-852-3947

L A VIDA CANTINA

Popular for its massive palapa-topped patio with fire pits and pentagonal bar, this traditional-withtwists Mexican destination offers taco specials all day on Thursdays and Tuesdays.

Chef Juan Martinez’s offerings are relatively straightforward: mahimahi soft tacos for $6 and shredded beef, shredded chicken, and, perhaps best of all, crispy potato tacos for $3. Buckets filled with Coronas and Bud Lights fly by at $5 per bottle; house margaritas are $7.

The restaurant is adjacent to the cinemas atop the Triangle. 1870 HARBOR BLVD., COSTA MESA, 949-612-2349

P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F M I N T VA L U E M E D I A

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Five Acres, founded in 1888, is one of the oldest child mental health organizations that started as an orphanage. The L.A.based Five Acres is a great example of the importance of a safe and loving family for our diverse children to thrive. Five Acres’ historical headquarters is located in Altadena, California, on a beautiful 5-acre property designed by Myron Hunt.

When Chanel Boutakidis began treating preadolescent girls as a therapist for Five Acres in 1999, the mother of two wasn’t just saddened by what she saw and heard—she was discouraged.

“Many children had been in the system from age three, some even younger than that, and they go from placement to placement,” she says. “So many children growing up without a family.”

To get to the root of the problem, Boutakidis transitioned from therapist to advocate; she became CEO of Five Acres in 2011 and now focuses on a better solution for foster kids.

That means pushing for protective legislation and a focus on permanency, a step that increases their odds of adoption but one that the government doesn’t well fund.

Today, there are about 20,000 children in L.A. County foster care, with 58% under the age of 10, including many infants.

Boutakidis admits that working with foster youth is essential but not the most effective solution. She shifted her focus toward prevention by reducing the number of families split up in the first place, a feat that’s going to require the county to invest in access to resources—such as communitybased mental health and linkage services to affordable childcare, transportation, and fresh food—to keep that family safe, healthy, and intact.

“The majority of children enter the system due to neglect,” she says. “Maybe they look underfed, aren’t properly supervised, or have many school absences. But that looks no different from a child growing up in poverty with a family who lacks the resources to stay safe and healthy.”

Today, Five Acres serves over 7,000 clients annually and has expanded across five counties as leaders in high-quality outcomeinformed care. They have been nationally accredited by Council on Accreditation

Meet

Chanel Boutakidis

since 1957. They are an outcomes-driven, mission-focused organization with support departments that include a research and training department, IT and network support, and quality assurance department.

Through the growth of prevention services, Five Acres achieves an 81% permanency success rate across their programs.

“In the past few years, we have developed collaborative partnerships with certain healthcare companies offering our prevention services to their high-risk members.

The results are even better, with a 91% permanency success rate. Early access to community-based mental health and linkage services is a better solution to keep families together and reduce the likelihood of children entering the foster care system.”

“We have more children than we can serve,” she says of the 20,000 kids currently enrolled in L.A. County’s foster care system; the entire state of New York has about the same number. “Investing in preventative mental health and access to resources is one way to help. Another way we can help is to consider adopting locally.” Foster homes are often temporary, so encouraging people to adopt locally ranks high on her priority list. “Many people do international adoptions. But there’s such a great need with many beautiful children waiting for their forever family in our community.”

5acres.org

MY O.C.

Stone-Cold Inspiration Painted rocks are small tokens offering life-changing energy. by Lauran Lansdon

A

tiny pink heart in the parking lot at the El Modena Post Office in Orange caught my eye. It was on a painted rock about the size of a quarter whose placement on the ground seemed accidental, as if someone had dropped it. The rock itself was the color of asphalt.

Only someone paying attention would notice.

My first painted rock was spotted on a tree stump, along the McKenzie River

in Oregon. It was the summer of 2019, and my husband and I were on our way home from a three-month road trip to Alaska. It had a marbled acrylic finish and fit nicely in my hand. A treasure. Concerned about taking something that was not mine, I left it. But not before taking pictures and noting the hashtag on the back.

That hashtag led me to a local rock-painting group where I posted my photo. Further research unearthed The Kindness Rocks Project, started in 2015 by Megan Murphy.

Coping with the loss of her parents, Megan started writing messages on rocks and leaving them on her local beach. As if by divine guidance, a friend of Megan’s found one. The message, written in Megan’s familiar writing, was one she really needed to hear. She reached out, wanting Megan to understand the impact and power contained in this simple act of kindness and the movement it inspired. Now there are rock-painting groups all over the U.S. establishing “kindness gardens” in their communities with instructions: “Take a rock if you need one. Share one with a friend who needs inspiration. Or leave one for another.” Members leave rocks in random places, too. All are usually marked with the group’s hashtag, like the rock I found in Oregon. This helps spread the word. (Find Orange County’s group on Facebook and Instagram: #OCROCKSUSA.)

I DABBLE IN CRAFTS ENOUGH to know I could paint a halfway-decent kindness rock, and the riverbank was full of rocks waiting to be painted. I filled a bucket. Those rocks sat in my illustration by K A R A P Y L E

November 2022 • OR A NGE COAST 59

MY O.C. garage for months collecting dust, until Christmas, when I got the idea to make stocking stuffers. I painted a few others after that, but the COVID shutdown started the kindness rock project for me.

I left painted rocks along my daily walking route. Everyone whose birthday I had on my calendar received one.

When 2020 graduation signs popped up on the lawns of my neighbors, I painted rocks commemorating the occasion and left them anonymously on doorsteps. Obsessed with this mission to spread joy, I asked myself how I could reach more people.

Everyone walked in 2020. It was our only means of getting out and seeing others. So I created an art gallery in my front yard, frequently adding designs to maintain interest, often focusing on an occasion, and sometimes honoring a current event such as the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg or the need to vote in an upcoming election. Soon my rocks showed up in photos on my

A PAINTED ROCK, WHEN FOUND OR HANDED TO ANOTHER OR SIMPLY LOOKED UPON, NEVER FAILS TO DELIGHT; THEY ARE GROUNDING, LIKE STANDING IN THE GRASS BAREFOOT. neighbors’ social media accounts. For a while I encouraged engagement, adding faces with movable rock parts and a tic-tac-toe board with rock pieces. The art gallery created muchneeded moments of connection during a time of isolation, and it strengthened ties with my community. Even today,

when my husband and I are out front, neighbors walking by will stop and share how much they enjoy the rocks and seeing what’s new. Sometimes they have a painted rock story to share or questions about the work.

My efforts grew as the world adjusted to another year with COVID. I painted batches of rocks and sent them with friends, who through their connections brought them to hospital emergency rooms. The Santa Ana Red Cross Blood Donation Center, where I give blood, received a box of 15. My husband and I left a rock every day on a three-week road trip to South Dakota, recording each location on Instagram.

Rock painting is a great outdoor activity, so I invited friends and family to come paint with me.

E A R L I E R T H I S Y E A R, A F R I E N D introduced me to Timmaree Rocks Foundation, a nonprofit that celebrates

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MY O.C. the legacy of Timmaree, a 9-year-old KINDNESS ROCK GARDENS BY girl who spread hope and positivity OCROCKSUSA through the rocks she painted during Orange Home Grown Education Farm her lengthy stays at CHOC. The foun356 N. Lemon St., Orange dation’s mission is to lift the spirits of other children fighting cancer, mostly Girl Scouts of Orange County by bringing Timmaree Rocks Foun9500 Toledo Way, Irvine dation Craft Day to the hospital and Trabuco Elementary School supplying thousands of rock-painting 31052 Trabuco Canyon Road, Trabuco Canyon kits to sick children. Timmaree’s story and the way in which her family turned To find kindness gardens, search for the this loss into a light for others touched rock-painting group in your community.

Each city typically has their own, such as my heart. A foundation based on rock Tustin Rocks and San Clemente Rocks. painting expanded my awareness of what is possible. I donated rocks for their fundraising efforts, and soon I “You Are Loved” written on the back, hope to volunteer my time. a surprise when you turn them over.

People who paint rocks believe they No signature. No association with a can make a difference in another per- group. I want the person who finds son’s life. Creativity is a tool they use one of them to feel as if the message to offer hope, encouragement, kind- is from the universe or whatever deity ness, and compassion. Rocks are gifts they worship. A painted rock, when from Mother Nature. The painter then found or handed to another or simply adds the gift of their care and pres- looked upon, never fails to delight; ence. Many of my heart rocks have they are grounding, like standing in

the grass barefoot.

Robin Wall Kimmerer sums up this energy perfectly in one of her “Braiding Sweetgrass” essays: “A gift creates an ongoing relationship.” Making something with my hands that is intended for another, that reaches out to another, has become a way for me to use my voice, a way to express and share goodness, a way to cope when life feels hard. It reminds me that we are all connected. The relationship Kimmerer refers to exists even if we never meet, or between you and a divine entity, or simply with yourself.

Remember that tiny heart rock I found in the post office parking lot? It’s with me now, acting as a muse of sorts.

This essay resonates with the energy of the person who painted it and all the people whose hands it passed through, including mine. Its work is done and it’s time to set it free. If you find it, keep it—either physically or in your heart—as long as needed.

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No v e m be r 2 022 • ORA NGE COAST 63

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CRAVEABLE DINING AT

THE COSMOPOLITAN OF LAS VEGAS Known for its first-to-market, sought after restaurants, The Cosmopolitan is serving up some of the most delicious bites in Las Vegas. The newest, Superfrico, will take you on a mind-altering full sensory journey through explosive flavors, mouthwatering textures, and original techniques. It’s ItalianAmerican Psychedelic and it’s unforgettable.

Momofuku is a place to celebrate with friends. Chef and founder David Chang took inspiration from locations around the world and created an experience where crafted cocktails and dishes go hand-in-hand with the open kitchen. Here, there’s always something to see.

Scarpetta creates bold flavors by amplifying the essence of seasonal ingredients, making simple dishes simply unforgettable. Like their signature spaghetti with tomato and basil, or their veal chop Parmigiano.

Find your fill at The Cosmopolitan with a $150 dining credit on us. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com 64 OR ANG E C OA ST • No v e m b e r 20 22

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OMNI LA COSTA RESORT & SPA For travelers seeking an autumn getaway that’s more sun-kissed and less foliage-focused, look no further than the coastal gem that is Omni La Costa Resort & Spa. Touched by fresh ocean breezes and set within a captivating 400acre Spanish Mission-style village, the iconic resort, located in the charming surf town of Carlsbad, is the perfect retreat to enjoy all that Southern California has to offer. And insiders know that fall is the perfect time to visit. With November being the sunniest month of the season with just a hint of crisp autumn air, travelers can truly have the best of both worlds.

The resort features over 600 spacious guest rooms and suites, championship golf and tennis, world-class dining, an award-winning spa, a kids club and eight distinct heated pool experiences— including a family pool with two 100-foot water slides and play area, as well as an adult-only pool for rest and relaxation.

Make your fall a season focused on fun … with a variety of room package offers and activities to choose from, there are infinite options to create an unforgettable vacation. Experience a half-day, full-day, or multiple-day wellness retreat in the spa.

Book a trip that gives back to the community. Stroll through the resort's exclusive monthly artisan market every third Saturday.

Explore the area’s uncrowded pristine beaches and live like a local.

No matter what your ideal trip looks like or whomever you’re traveling with—whether taking a long weekend with family, a romantic getaway, or looking for a beautiful backdrop to celebrate the holidays—the resort has it all.

Book your fall getaway now at omnilacosta.com.

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You can absorb the unique scenery by exploring nature, stargazing, playing on legendary golf courses or relaxing by the pool. Within hours of your doorstep, and quietly nestled in the natural splendor of the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Omni Tucson National Resort is a destination for relaxation and renewal.

After an action-packed day on one of our highly acclaimed golf courses, rejuvenate your senses in our fabulous resort-style pool before relaxing over fine dining – all while surrounded by the bold colors and warm hues of the Arizona desert.

68 OR ANGE COA ST • No v e m b e r 20 22

Spacious guest rooms and lofts boast expansive king or two queen bed accommodations surrounded by serene desert landscaping and mountain or golf course views.

In addition to the stunning resort lifestyle experience, guests are just a short drive from the culture and regional attractions of Tucson. From high end retail at La Encantada to the thriving culinary scene of locally and independent restaurants, the city offers a flavor for every traveler.

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TERRANEA RESORT

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS AT A LUXURY RESORT LIKE NO OTHER

Enjoy the ultimate luxury getaway to Terranea, a resort like no other, on the Southern California coast.

Winter blues take on a delightful new meaning at this 102-acre oceanfront resort. Celebrate the season while surrounded by warm ocean breezes, sunshine, and the tranquil Pacific, with a view like nowhere else on the west coast − yet just minutes from Los Angeles.

Terranea's collection of premium suites, bungalows, casitas, and private villas provide chic and elegant spaces, each balanced and inviting, and replete with modern conveniences and plenty of room to roam. Get some fresh air and one-on-one time with the brilliant surrounding natural habitat with a variety of recreational offerings, including kayaking, paddle boarding, nature walks, archery, and

more. Learn more about our resident falconer and his majestic birds of prey at a private meet and greet, or stop by the Experience Center to find an adventure that is perfect for you.

Savor the Southern California sunshine at Terranea's four pools.

Find tranquility amongst the coastline with an oceanfront treatment at The Spa. Play a round at The Links, Terranea's award-winning par-3, nine hole golf course. And taste exceptional cuisine and service at one of Terranea's many restaurants, each offering its own unique and delicious menu.

For a truly memorable family tradition, experience Terranea during the holidays, from the perfect Thanksgiving dinner to an unforgettable New Year's Eve. Celebrate with gingerbread sandcastles, holiday golf, s'mores by the fire, and postcards to the North Pole. Time spent at this spectacular coastal destination is an experience that you will forever cherish.

Traditions at Terranea Resort is much like the views - glimmering, picture-perfect, and truly awe-inspiring.

For more information and to experience all that Terranea has to offer, please visit Terranea.com.

100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275 (855) 938-4047 | Terranea.com 70 OR ANGE COA ST • No v e m b e r 20 22

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72 O R A N G E C O A S T • November 2022

Bread FR ES H LY BAKED, WAR M , AN D WO N D ER FU L O P TI O N S AR E ALL OVER O R AN G E CO U NT Y. WE S U G G EST S O M E O F TH E B EST E X AM PLES O F ALL S HAPES , S IZES , AN D O R I G I N S O F YO U R FAVO R ITE CAR B TR E ATS .

by G R E TC H E N K U R Z p h o to g r a p h s by E M I LY J. DAVI S

November 2022 • O R A N G E C O A S T 73

BREAD

74 O R A N G E C O A S T • November 2022

BAGUET T E Pillowy white inside and craggy outside, the golden baguettes stacked like firewood behind the counter at Porto’s in Buena Park are essential to the scores of terrific Cuban media noche sandwiches churned out daily. But plenty of fresh baguettes are sold for takeout at this bustling minichain started by Rosa Porto and family after they fled Cuba in 1971. 714-367-2030

CHALLAH Burnished, bulbous loaves of superb, eggy challah are a mainstay at Efren’s Bakery in Lake Forest, where many a customer has a standing Friday order for pickup preShabbat. Fans also swear that the flavorful bread is ideal when day-old for French toast and Thanksgiving turkey stuffing.

Unexpected tip: Efren’s makes a mean tres leches cake. 949-699-0930

DA N I S H RY E Of course, the ambitious crew at Rye Goods would painstakingly produce the finest, darkest, most wholesome loaf in all of Newport Beach. Danes adore seedy and dense breads for toast and cheeses—this version is thick with fresh seeds and malty notes that taste great under avocado, cream cheese, or cultured butter and berry preserves. 949-432-5550

FOUGA S S E Bread Artisan Bakery in Santa Ana shows us how easy it is to love this chewy, leaf-shaped bread laced with kalamata and Castelvetrano olives and adored in southern France. Flattish with staggered holes, it’s a natural for tearing and sharing, no knife necessary. Find at select farmers markets; some Trader Joe’s locations have other bread varieties from Bread Artisan Bakery. 855-282-7323

S OUR D OUG H BOUL E Moses Kwon uses rigorous French tradition and modern passion to create deep flavor and stunning textures from four ingredients: flour, Baja sea salt, water, and airborne wild yeast. The giant, crafty crusted boule from Moses-Bread in Tustin stays fresh and tasty for days at room temp, but only if there’s any left.

Baguettes, too. 714-659-1717 November 2022 • O R A N G E C O A S T 75

BREAD

76 O R A N G E C O A S T • November 2022

BAG E L S

PR ETZ E L S

WA L N U T

Carlos Perez’s sleek new bagelry, Boil and Bake, is a Costa Mesa muststop for artisan craft bagels. They’re naturally leavened, shaped by hand, and creatively adorned with top-shelf ingredients. The Lox is superlative, starring house-cured salmon by his chef pal, Luke Bram. Bagels by the box as well.

Mahogany brown pretzels the size of Frisbees are a Costa Mesa tradition at Globe Deli. Baked fresh daily, the hearty twists are simultaneously soft, chewy, and malty. Crunchy salt crystals light up bites that beg to be coupled with beer, brats, or a bold German mustard. 949-642-3784

Always a sellout, the tan squat walnut loaves at Cream Pan easily outrank the local competition thanks to a lavish use of fat, fresh walnuts.

They are ideal for a cheese board, avocado toast, or binging alone.

Request slicing for same-day sharing or freeze airtight to enjoy within a month for best flavor.

Fountain Valley, 714-760-4854; Tustin, 714-665-8239

November 2022 • O R A N G E C O A S T 77

78 O R A N G E C O A S T • November 2022

BREAD

G E R M A N FA R M E R S BR E A D German Deli in Huntington Beach is an enduring source for carefully crafted sausages, imported mustards, and site-baked breads such as Bauernbrot, a nutritious traditional rye with a dense crumb and thin crust. The round 24-ounce loaf is supremely suited to hearty liverwursts, sturdy soups, and Black Forest ham sandwiches.

714-879-1470

JA L A PE NO C H E DDA R FKN Bread is a bakery on the rise.

It started in the Vandenberg family’s humble garage, but today the retail storefront woos downtown San Juan Capistrano with giant loaves dominated by a fully loaded jalapeno-cheddar boule. Order in person or email hello@fk nbread.com.

PA R K E R HOU S E ROL L S A traditional favorite for Thanksgiving feasts, these yeasty, feather-light rolls are rarely attempted at home, hence their dominance at supermarkets. OC Baking Company bakes them for top restaurants, but you can score them Saturdays at Orange’s Home Grown market. 714-998-2253

S A LT & BU T T E R ROL L S Okayama Kobo Bakery in downtown Anaheim is a Japanese jewel. It imports custom, additivefree flour milled from Hokkaido wheat to create these radically fluff y rolls that resemble anime croissants and taste like savory clouds. Order ahead or arrive early as they often sell out. 714-603-7332

November 2022 • O R A N G E C O A S T 79

BREAD

BOL I L L O

E NG L I S H M UFFI N S

S A NGA K

El Molino de Oro expertly bakes these Mexican white bread rolls— beloved for sandwiches, with the migajón (center) often torn out to make room for fillings. A gently chewy crust holds things together while the spongy center soaks up meaty juices. Take some home or, if you’re hangry, they’ll assemble a mighty good sandwich. Lake Forest, 949-581-8113; Orange, 714-602-9607; San Juan Capistrano, 949-489-9230

Scratch Bakery Cafes are dependably swamped for breakfasts starring variations on eggs Benedicts—built on their very own English muffins. Buy them by the half dozen while they last and discover the wondrous crunch and chew beyond those supermarket brands baked days ago.

Laguna Hills, 949-859-2253; Newport Beach, 949-524-8200

Sangak, the dimply whole-wheat Persian flatbread dotted with sesame seeds, is baked throughout the day in special ovens at Crown Valley Market in Mission Viejo.

Sold in sheets longer than your arm, the warm, soft flatbread is folded in paper to avoid sticking to itself.

949-340-1010

80 O R A N G E C O A S T • November 2022

Baker On the R ise

K AR LO E VAR I STO, FO R M ER LY A FI N E - D I N I N G C H EF, HA S B EEN S ELLI N G S O U R D O U G H LOAVE S A S A COT TAG E ENTER PR I S E FO R T WO Y E AR S . S O U N D E A SY ? IT’ S N OT. H E PL AN S TO O PEN 61 H U N D R ED B R E AD I N SANTA ANA I N E AR LY 2023.

by B E NJA M I N E P STE I N RESEARCH “I went to Paris, I went to the U.K. The pastries were better in the U.K. Before the trip, I asked some French bakers, ‘Where are the best croissants in Paris?’ They’re like, ‘You’re better off going to Korea or Japan—lots of up-and-coming bakeries there!’ I did a croissant crawl in San Francisco and New York— the best were at Arsicault in San Francisco.”

BA K I N G VS . C O O K I N G “It’s crazy; I’m even more obsessed with this than I was with cooking. And it’s worse because I do it in my home—I can do it anytime. There are times when it’s 3 or 4 in the morning, I want to redo something, and I just start mixing. … It’s really triggered something in me.”

LI F E BA L A N C E “I lack sleep. Three hours one night, four the next. Baking is long hours. Sourdough takes at least eight hours start to finish—eight consecutive hours. … It’s easier to work at night when (my wife and two children) are sleeping.”

H I S S I G N AT U R E B LU E - C O R N M A SA S O U R D O U G H “Bub and Grandma’s makes the best sourdough in L.A. When I was doing pasta pop-ups, Bub and Grandma’s and a Mexican concept using blue-corn tortillas did pop-ups in the same kitchen. Those blue-corn tortillas were so good! I tasted the sourdough and the blue-corn tortillas … and had an idea.”

OTH E R PA S S I O N S “Food photography (Instagram: @61hundredbread and @karloevaristo). I also play drums. Music was my first passion.

My brother and I had a band in the Philippines. I have an electronic drum kit … that I haven’t touched in months.”

D E L AY E D O P E N I N G “I want to have products I’m happy with—in that sense, the delays have worked out for us. We’ll mostly offer bread and pastries, but I also want to tap into my chef experience with composed toasts and sandwiches. And I’m very happy with my cruffins (croissant-muffin hybrids).”

November 2022 • O R A N G E C O A S T 81

BREAD

Restaurant Bread Service PL AC ES WH ER E TH E B R E AD I S S O G O O D, YO U ALM O ST FO RG E T AB O UT TH E M E AL

Gratis fresh bread, baked daily on-site, is a rich tradition at A NTO N E LLO, where owner Antonio Cagnolo serves the michetta of his hometown, Bistango, Italy. The fist-sized rolls come with herb-flecked olive oil for dipping.

Glistening, melting ranch butter drips down the domed center of just-baked country bread at the new B O S S C AT K ITC H E N in Irvine. Nicely crisp and oh so fluff y on the inside, the pullapart loaf vanishes quickly once the ripping and dipping commence. $6 A customer favorite at TH E R A N C H since opening day in 2011, the complimentary bread wheel is a variety of rolls baked in a flower shape with a whole-wheat rye bread center.

Pluck the flavor you favor and slather with soft butter.

Splurge on a surf-and-turf dinner at C A P ITA L G R I LLE and poof, a stellar breadbasket appears for free on your linen-draped table. Just try to avoid spoiling your appetite with lavosh, white bread, and pumpernickel raisin rolls.

82 O R A N G E C O A S T • November 2022

When G U LF STR E A M advises that its oven-hot Heavenly Biscuits are “worth the wait,” accept that patience and $5 is a small price to pay for four of the lightest rosemary-flecked buttermilk biscuits you’ll have this year. Add butter and honey to hear angels sing.

To be its very best, focaccia must be eaten soon after leaving the oven, as it is at C U C I N A E N OTEC A .

The bouncy, dimpled bread is jazzed up with toasted garlic, a shower of grated Parmesan, and a crock of soft butter. $9

Far too lavish to be a side carb, the Truffle Cheese Bread at I N I R I STO R A NTE (see Page 22) is worthy of center stage—a pyramid of soft, toasted cubes stacked with whipped truffle-tinged ricotta and shaved mozzarella. Drizzle with honey—or not. $12

The stout-spiked Guinness Brown Bread at FA B LE & S P I R IT stands above mere pub grub by virtue of its elevated accompaniments: rich European butter, delicate clover honey, and flakes of hand-harvested Jacobson sea salt. $10

For years, home bakers have tried to duplicate BA N D E R A’s almost custardy sweet-savory cornbread.

Now sold in cubes as finger food, the rich bites will have you wondering, is this bread? Is this dessert? Does it matter? $4

Virtuoso pizza dough is the star at A R TI SA N C A FÉ , where sourdough is carefully “ripened” at least 48 hours to attain the soulful flavors and crispymeets-chewy crust on three new specialty pizzas just added to the existing trio of more conventional pies. $14 TO $16

November 2022 • O R A N G E C O A S T 83

Croissants of Distinction 10 TO P D ESTI NATI O N S FO R TH E I CO N I C B R E AK- O F - DAY PA STRY

by B E NJA M I N E P STE I N

“Plain” croissants are not plain; the name is used interchangeably with butter croissants. Purists might dismiss flavored versions such as almond as a tad obvious, and more creative ones as sacrilege—but both are popular. Often shaped like crescents, but not always, croissants of many varieties abound in O.C. Not in order of preference, here are some favorites.

C R E A M PA N (1)

Diminutive and pretty strawberry croissants—featuring one or two delicate strawberry slices, fresh-made custard cream, and a dusting of powdered sugar—have for two decades been the star attraction at the Japanese-French boulangerie-pâtisserie.

They’re a screaming bargain at $1.80. FOUNTAIN VALLEY,

C H A U PA I N A R T I S A N F R E N C H B A K E R Y

The butter croissant at this storefront bakery-cafe is downright exuberant, sometimes audibly crispy, flaky, the fluff y innards a joy to pull apart, plus crazy buttery. The almond chocolate custard croissant on the same shelf is a delirious triple whammy ($5). LAGUNA HILLS, SAN CLEMENTE

TUSTIN

R Y E G O O D S ( 2)

Mavericks! The croissants here use a rye sourdough that’s denser, darker … and fascinating. The formidable butter croissant is super flaky; the caramelized onion and Brie version, topped with seeds and salt flakes, is super tasty ($6, $6.50).

FKN BREAD

The hybrid Everything Croissant at this bakery (pronounced eff -kay-enn) resembles neither croissant nor bagel—maybe a mini loaf. Like its namesake bagel, it’s seed-topped and creamcheese-filled, but inside it’s croissant-light as opposed to bageldense ($5.50). SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

NEWPORT BEACH

S H O K U H PÂT I S S E R I E (3 )

This croissant befits a pâtisserie displaying meticulously crafted creations. Consider it a special-occasion item—a thing of beauty made with French butter and finished with a delicate sweet gloss. The almond croissant is exquisite, not obvious ($4, $4.90). NEWPORT BEACH

PA N D O R A R T I S A N B A K E R Y A N D C A F É (4 )

Known as much for paninis and tartines as pastries, this spot presents a croissant that’s commanding in stature, buttergenerous, satisfyingly crunchy, light gold in color, and gleaming with egg-washed dark stripes ($3.50). IRVINE, NEWPORT BEACH, ORANGE

TA B L E A U K I T C H E N + B A R ( 5 )

Near the entrance are creative croissants including the kimchi Spam & cheese, a Korean-inspired riot of savory deliciousness that pairs ideally with the Spam-garnished Budae Jjigae Bloody Mary (see Page 108). The ube blueberry almond croissant is its sweet-side equal ($5, $4.50). COSTA MESA

84 O R A N G E C O A S T • November 2022

B O U L A N G E R I E P I E R R E A N D PAT I S S E R I E

Your croissant might look like a huge, menacing hunchback crab, but beneath that intimidating facade lurks an ingratiating softy; the shell seems to ooze butter. Caveat: If you only want one, the $10 credit card minimum might make you the crab ($3.25). GARDEN GROVE

B L AC KMAR KET BAKE RY

The twice-baked almond croissant gets lots of attention, but the novel Jalapeno Popper version at this spot—cheese-crusted, with bacon, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese inside—has our attention of late. It begs to be twice-ordered ($5.50).

COSTA MESA

S T PÂT I S S E R I E C H O C O L AT

Chef Stéphane Tréand heads the Pastry School. Several days a week he sells pastries in its front-room pâtisserie, notably a pain au chocolat, an airy and crackling cuboid croissant filled with a modest yet immodestly seductive layer of Valrhona dark chocolate ($4.50). TUSTIN

BREAD

2 1

3

5

4

November 2022 • O R A N G E C O A S T 85

86 O R A N G E C O A S T • November 2022

FIELD OF BAD DREAMS Angels owner, broadcasts, and losing streaks make at least one fan ponder her loyalty this season.

by ELLEN ALPE RSTEIN

W

e buckled under another fiery, climate-changing summer. We swooned at the idiocy of once-venerated institutions (looking at you, Supreme Court) and municipal corruption (hello, Anaheim!). We grappled with the supply-chain/ labor-shortage/$6-a-gallon gas residue of a pandemic, not to mention Russian aggression and Chinese hissy fits.

Some of us sought escape in the usual place. Sports.

Summer means baseball. For some of us, that means the Angels—the team with the confused communications, clueless management, and mercurial talent that plays in Anaheim but is branded by Los Angeles.

As always on opening day in April, Angels acolytes were as sunny as Pollyanna. By mid-May, the team was playing jaw-droppingly good ball and leading its division, which it hadn’t won since the Ice Bucket Challenge was a thing. Less than a month later, planet Angel had spun off its axis, and our summer salve turned toxic.

November 2022 • O R A N G E C O A S T 87

88 O R A N G E C O A S T • November 2022

Trout, the $426 million man, was back among the well-healed and waging a bro battle with Ohtani for team home run honors.

The space-time continuum?

California saw home runs land before Jersey found them in the air.

Jersey saw a homer when California saw a clear foul ball. Bally soon realized that calling games across the continent was a bad idea, but it committed other boneheaded errors throughout the summer. Games played in the East were rebroadcast during California prime time. Because a baseball game can last from 2 ½ hours to infinity, the replay must be edited deftly. Bally doesn’t do deft. In one Boston game, the Angels were behind one run in the top of the ninth. When the Angels were down to their last strike, Bally cut to a hamburger commercial, and replay

viewers missed the Angels score the tying run.

You’d have to be truly uncharitable not to forgive the occasional broadcast error—it’s not an easy job.

But when the play-by-play announcer gushed over an inside-the-park home run that was really a threebase-error single? When an opposing team’s batter is named Haggerty, and the announcer commented that, to his knowledge, the player wasn’t related to Merle?

On May 10, with the team riding high, fans anticipated a joyous ceremony honoring Ohtani, the 2021 American League MVP, before the game at Angel Stadium. Chosen as emcee was the Angels’ radio an-

STADIUM PHOTOGRAPH BY KALEB TAPP; TROUT AND OHTANI PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM

God, it was good while it lasted.

For a while, the Angels were the talk of Major League Baseball. For a while, one player led the league in batting average. Another pitched a no-hitter. MLB’s only two-way player, Shohei Ohtani, hit two home runs in a single game, including a grand slam, four days after striking out 11 batters ... with his other arm.

(If you don’t know a baseball from a debutante ball, you still might know that Ohtani is the only hitting and pitching MLB player since Babe Ruth, throwing right, batting left.)

For a while, fans forgot that the team’s other star, Mike Trout, had missed more than half the 2021 season with a calf injury—now he was on pace for another boffo home run-hitting season.

The spectacular early-season play of the Angels frequently contrasted with the dysfunction of Bally Sports West, which broadcasts their games on TV. In April, games against the Rangers in Texas were broadcast remotely. The play-by-play announcer was in New Jersey, and the color commentator was in Santa Monica.

The feed went from Texas to California to New Jersey to California, and what could possibly go wrong?

June 7, and an interim manager appointed. Between the pregame show and the TV broadcast that night, Bally Sports aired a commercial for Indeed.com. It depicted a glum basketball coach in a gym. The voiceover said: “Your team is on a losing streak. It’s time for a change.”

STADIUM PHOTOGRAPH BY KALEB TAPP; TROUT AND OHTANI PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM

B

MIKE TROUT AND SHOHEI OHTANI

nouncer, Terry Smith, the Ambien of the airways.

Smith, who joined the radio team in 2002, read a few sentences ... from a note card. He sounded like the monotonal teacher in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” No one else said a word. Anyone? Anyone? Not the team manager, Joe Maddon. Not the team’s other MVP, three-time win-

ner Trout. Not Ohtani. Not owner Arte Moreno, whose affect was that of someone just released from the Botox ward. What should have been a jubilant event for the world’s most exciting athlete playing on a (then) great team was prime time for the concession line.

By June, the Angels had fallen and couldn’t get up. Maddon was fired

y the time the Angels tallied their record 14 consecutive losses, the franchise had slipped from first to third place. By mid-June, Real Life America was train-wreckwatching the Jan. 6 Congressional committee hearings, and California was in deep drought. But the fans’ thirst was slaked intermittently, momentarily, courtesy of Trout, with five home runs over four days; and courtesy of Ohtani, with two home runs and a career-best 13 strikeouts in one remarkable game.

On June 22, Moreno regifted fans with another poorly conceived pregame celebration to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Angels’ sole World Series championship.

Radio guy, again, was emcee.

Radio guy, again, read from a note card. Some folks thought he mispronounced the names of some of the World Series players. Two of them spoke—Darin Erstad with a few warm, spontaneous remarks, and Tim Salmon (a current Bally postgame show yakker), who read his “how we spent the season” term paper. Looking on in silence was Mike Scioscia, the manager of that championship team—a guy who’s filled with baseball stories and knows how to tell them. The TV camera captured Moreno briefly, looking imperious from the owner’s suite high above the field.

At a time when fans needed relief from the team’s midseason slump, at a time when Moreno had $245 million to spend on a third baseman who’s injured more often than he plays, we got past-glory PR from Dollar Tree.

The Angels kept losing and the interim manager was desperately seeking the fight in a wilting club. He (Continued on page 115) found it, sorta, November 2022 • O R A N G E C O A S T 89

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MITCHELL ROSENBERG

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MITCHELL ROSENBERG

BREAKING IT DOWN S N A P S H O T

Chapman alum and White House aide Mitchell Rosenberg reflects on his journey creating the online political media platform Now Simplified. by Renee Elefante

During his first year at Chapman University as a TV production major in 2016, Rosenberg volunteered at an event for the Hillary Clinton campaign. He says he was bitten by the political bug and started learning about the ways in which policymaking can lead to large-scale change.

After the event, Rosenberg decided to double major in political science, which eventually led him to create Now Simplified, a social mediabased political platform that uses short videos and graphics to teach the public about topics such as climate change, the filibuster, Medicare for All, and gun reform. The Washington, D.C., resident now works with the group in an advisory capacity alongside his other job—associate director of special projects and personal aide to the second gentleman of the United States.

“For years, people asked me, ‘Why are you double majoring in television and political science? It doesn’t make sense.’ I always told people, ‘Because I’m learning a lot about storytelling.’

A lot of politics is storytelling and how you get people to actually pay attention to things that matter. Now Simplified is the exact byproduct of my education at Chapman and Northwestern University—where I earned a master’s in public policy and administration. It really just came into fruition with this project to find a new way, a creative way, to get people to pay attention, to get people to care.”

Now Simplified enables people to feel that they can go sit at a dinner table and have something that they can contribute to the conversation.

Before Now Simplified, whenever a news story broke or an election was happening, Rosenberg’s friends would text him to ask what they should do or what it meant. He began thinking about how he could educate his friends and others on the issues that news sites and channels were highlighting. “I figured there had to be a better way, because my friends are not alone in this. They’re not paying a ton of really close attention like I am, and not by fault of their own. It’s just that I’m interested in politics, so I choose to spend time reading and researching it.”

Wanting to have a solution that would invite people to learn the basics of government and political issues without intimidating them, Rosenberg formed the idea that would become Now Simplified.

“It was just me in my bedroom, and I have funny pictures that my roommate took of me stacking 30 books on top of each other and putting the camera up there and trying to film myself doing an explainer video before we had (the graphic explainers).”

Since its start in April 2020, Now Simplified has grown to more than 150,000 followers on Instagram and 40 volunteer team members. “I’m the only one who actually works in politics, of all those people. Everyone brings forward a really unique perspective and also knows what the average person wants to know about.”

This month, the platform turns its attention to covering the midterms. “We want to be ahead of the game (and) make sure that we’re covering them in a way that helps people really understand what’s happening and that gets people out to vote, since people often don’t in midterm elections. We’re really focused on building up our content leading up to that.”

November 2022 • OR A NGE COAST 91

Follow Us! Tips on the best O.C. dining, shopping, events and more.

@orangecoastmag More info: orangecoast.com

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

A HELPING HAND PROFILING LOCAL NONPROFITS & CHARITIES

December 2021 • Or a nge Coast 93

Cure. Care. Community.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a devastating muscle disease in children. It affects roughly 1 in 5,000 male births and is 100% fatal. But it doesn’t have to be.

with Duchenne has increased by 10 years. But that’s not enough— we won’t stop until there is a treatment for every person with Duchenne.

For 20 years, we have funded groundbreaking research, early diagnosis, and treatment access and pioneered education and support programs to improve care.

In fact, since our inception, life expectancy for individuals living

For the first time, there is hope for this destructive disease affecting thousands of children and their families. You can advance the care, treatment and cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

DONATE TODAY TO ACCELERATE THE CURE

WWW.CUREDUCHENNE.ORG

CD - Orange Coast 09 2022_FINAL.indd 1

10/3/22 10:21 AM

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

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UPCOMING EVENTS The Good Lunch

November 3, 2022 On Thursday, November 3, we are hosting our 2nd annual fundraising event, The Good Lunch. Held at our Corporate Headquarters in Santa Ana, we are so excited to be continuing this wonderful in-person community event.

RSVP to communitydevelopment@ ocgoodwill.org.

See The Good Tours

December 7, 2022 + monthly dates Come see all that we do here at Goodwill of Orange County. Join us on a behind-the-scenes tour of our mission and retail operation hosted by President & CEO Nicole Suydam. RSVP to communitydevelopment@ocgoodwill. org to join the next tour.

2023 Goodwill Golf Classic May 24, 2023

GOODWILL OF ORANGE COUNTY Goodwill of Orange County has been part of the fabric of the Orange County community for nearly 100 years. In that time, Goodwill has changed thousands of lives through its Workforce Development programs, helped many on their pathway to greater independence, sold millions of thrifted items, revolutionized online thrift shopping, and much more.

Join Goodwill of Orange County for its annual Golf Classic to support local veterans and their families. The tournament will raise important funds for the Tierney Center for Veteran Services, a comprehensive resource for veterans in Orange County that provides job placement, housing assistance, support navigating and accessing benefits, emergency services, and more. Email communitydevelopment@ ocgoodwill.org to learn more about tickets and sponsorship opportunities.

As a nonprofit social enterprise, everything we do points back to our mission: helping people who are facing barriers find and keep jobs, which provides purpose, pride and dignity.

When you shop at our stores, you fuel that mission.

When you hire a Goodwill-trained employee, you fuel that mission.

When you give to us financially, you fuel that mission.

Our mission makes independence and sustainable employment a reality for the people we serve.

MISSION Goodwill helps people who are facing barriers find and keep jobs, which provides purpose, pride, and dignity.

410 North Fairview Street Santa Ana, CA 92703 714.547.6308 ocgoodwill.org

WHY DONATE Help people on their pathway to greater independence and sustainable careers.

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A HELPING HAND

OCCF gathers philanthropists and local nonprofit leaders to discuss community needs and funding solutions in the areas of workforce development, childcare, and school readiness.

ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION It’s our passion to help you find yours. Whether your philanthropic interests are close to home or a world away, we’ll help you chart a course for meaningful impact on the causes closest to your heart.

Giving through an OCCF fund brings a wide range of benefits, flexibility, efficiency, and accountability. There is no cost to establish a fund and with our thoughtful planning and diligent stewardship, you can maximize the impact of your charitable investments.

Offering personalized services and extensive local knowledge since 1989, we simplify the process of charitable giving, helping you make meaningful, well-informed, and lasting gifts to the causes that matter most to you. Since its inception, OCCF has awarded $900 million in grants and scholarships, making OCCF the 3rd most active grantmaker among more than 750 U.S. community foundations.

What’s Your Legacy?

A Legacy Fund ensures that your philanthropic vision lives on beyond your lifetime. With careful planning, you can structure your gifts to accomplish philanthropic, family and financial goals in the present and build a legacy that will grow for generations to come. By planning a legacy gift during your lifetime, you sow seeds of generosity that will bear fruit for generations. It’s a lasting way to give, share and grow.

With the long-term goals of providing for your loved ones, reducing taxes, and supporting worthy causes, there are many ways to structure your future giving that can mutually benefit you, the community, and your favorite charitable organizations.

Engage and Learn We offer educational and networking opportunities for you to join us and other charitably minded individuals making an impact in Orange County, across the country or around the world.

Family Foundation Alliance: Local family foundations meet quarterly for engaging presentations and peer learning opportunities to bolster their knowledge and impact on the issues they care about most.

Impact Philanthropy: Participants determine the program focus for each year and engage in a collaborative grantmaking program to boost their community knowledge and expertise as funders.

MISSION We inspire a passion for lifelong philanthropy, faithfully steward the intentions of our donors, and catalyze sustainable community impact.

96 Ora nge C oast • November 2022

4041 MacArthur Boulevard, Suite 510 Newport Beach, CA 92660 949.553.4202 oc-cf.org

UPCOMING EVENTS OC Nonprofit Central Year Round

OC Nonprofit Central is Orange County’s only online resource with in-depth information on more than 600 local nonprofits administered by OCCF’s knowledgeable team. Find detailed financial and programmatic metrics, make informed charitable decisions, and give all in one place.

Visit ocnonprofitcentral.org to learn more.

Iheartoc Collaborative Giving Days Year Round

OCCF powers cause-specific giving days for local nonprofits throughout the year. Having grown from a single countywide day of giving in 2015, the effort now comprises a yearlong series of Giving Days bringing together donors and nonprofits tackling Orange County’s greatest challenges. In total, OCCF’s Giving Days have raised $18 million in support of local nonprofits. Visit iheartoc.org to learn more.

WHY DONATE It’s our passion to help you find yours.

We’ll help you chart a course for meaningful impact on the causes closest to your heart.

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

A HELPING HAND

UPCOMING EVENTS Donate a Holiday Food Basket Help ensure struggling OC families can enjoy a delicious meal together by donating a Holiday Food Basket.

Help make the holidays brighter for OC families this year by donating to our drives. You can create food baskets for holiday meals, or fulfill children’s wish lists by donating gifts! Learn more in our profile.

ORANGE COUNTY UNITED WAY Orange County United Way is committed to ensuring local students succeed, struggling OC families gain financial security, and our homeless neighbors find a place to call home. We are hands-on, delivering 50+ programs countywide to break barriers and improve lives for everyone who lives here.

Last year, we served 726,960 OC residents through direct services and programs, our funded partners network, and essential community outreach.

We step up to actively address the critical issues facing our community and we go the extra mile to make sure our residents have the support they need. We genuinely care for one another. That’s The OC Way.

For more information and to receive a list of items to include in the basket, contact Daisy Benitez at 949.263.6124 or DaisyB@UnitedWayOC.org.

Fulfill a Family’s Wish List with SparkJoy Bring joy to a local family in need this holiday season by fulfilling an Orange County family’s holiday wish list. Presents will go directly to the children of families participating in Orange County United Way’s SparkPoint OC financial wellness program.

To sign up, visit: ocuw.to/sparkjoy2022 For more information, contact Alessandra Gonzalez at 949.263.6173 or AlessandraG@UnitedWayOC.org.

2023 Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast May 2023 The Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast is not just Orange County’s ultimate power breakfast, it’s an opportunity to make a significant impact in our community. More than 950 highly regarded philanthropists and leaders gather at this signature event to share their passion for empowering OC families. Funds raised support our programmatic work to help struggling OC residents transition from surviving to thriving.

Stay tuned for the exciting announcement of our 2023 celebrity guest!

Susan B. Parks, President & CEO of Orange County United Way (left), with 2022 Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast co-chairs Dilanthi De Alwis, Chief Financial Officer – Supply Chain Solutions, UPS (center), and Melinda Masson, Co-founder & CEO, Lifestyle of Giving (right).

To learn more, contact Jessica Vanderwell at 949.263.6123 or JessicaV@UnitedWayOC.org.

VISION

WHY DONATE

We envision an Orange County where every person receives a quality education, is financially stable, is healthy and thriving, and has a place to call home.

When you contribute to Orange County United Way, your gift transforms lives right here in our community.

UnitedWayOC.org/Donate

18012 Mitchell South Irvine, CA 92614 949.660.7600 UnitedWayOC.org

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UPCOMING EVENT 40th Annual Holiday Tree Fantasy

ONE OF ORANGE COUNTY’S TOP 50 NONPROFITS CHILD GUIDANCE CENTER Mental health matters. Since 1967, Child Guidance Center of Orange County has served as leading nonprofit provider

MISSION Empowering children, youth and families to reach their full potential through innovative mental health programs and services.

Sunday, December 4, 2022 Balboa Bay Resort, Newport Beach htf2022.givesmart.com

of compassionate and comprehensive mental and behavioral treatment services for the most vulnerable children and families in our community. Last year alone we served the needs of

4,500 children, youth, and their family members - impacted by trauma, chronic depression, anxiety, self-harm behaviors and more. Together we can change, and save, lives.

525 Cabrillo Park Drive, Suite 300 Santa Ana, CA 92701 714.953.4455 childguidancecenteroc.org

The demand for our services has never been greater. Help us and supportive services expand urgent access to CGC’s transformative mental health services.

WHY DONATE

YOUR DONATION SUPPORTS AT-RISK CHILDREN IN ORANGE COUNTY BY: • Preventing child maltreatment • Providing mental health services

CHILDREN’S BUREAU

Children’s Bureau of Southern California is a private nonprofit that has been serving the community since 1904. We provide services to nearly 40,000 children and parents who are facing serious stressors like financial strain, housing insecurity, and mental health struggles - stressors that research has shown can make it harder for families to address children’s needs.

MISSION Children’s Bureau’s mission is to protect vulnerable children through prevention, treatment and advocacy.

98 Ora nge C oast • November 2022

515 N. Cabrillo Park, Suite 100 Santa Ana, CA 92701 855.685.HOPE (4673) all4kids.org

• Facilitating foster care, adoptions and related services • Creating place-based community initiatives

WHY DONATE Your donation strengthens at-risk families in Orange County communities so every child can thrive. Give today at all4kids.org/donate.

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COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP OF ORANGE COUNTY

Community Action Partnership of Orange County exists to end poverty by stabilizing, sustaining and empowering people with the resources they need when they need them.

HOW TO SUPPORT

Our services meet people where they are at and when they need us most. From food, diaper, utility, and rental assistance we address immediate needs. We empower communities through financial empowerment workshops, workforce development, as well as youth programs.

Visit linktr.ee/capoc for others ways you can get involved with CAP OC!

Together, we can end poverty. Join us and learn more at www.capoc.org.

MISSION We seek to end and prevent poverty by stabilizing, sustaining and empowering people with the resources they need when they need them. By forging strategic partnerships, we form a powerful force to improve our community.

WHY DONATE

11870 Monarch Street Garden Grove, CA 92841 714.897.6670 capoc.org

Bring hope and resources to those who need help the most.

UPCOMING EVENTS Fall Luncheon: Igniting Social Change October 20, 2022 Marriott Irvine Spectrum We invite you to join us for our Fall Luncheon: Igniting Social Change.

This event will include keynote speaker Taylor Armstrong focusing on the particularly timely topic of mental health and trauma as it relates to relationship violence. call 949-380-8144 ext. 218.

HUMAN OPTIONS

Human Options breaks the cycle of relationship violence at every stage—from prevention, identification, education and intervention, we support each family member on their journey to healing. Our wraparound approach allows us to assess risks, evaluate options and educate people to prevent future harm. We empower survivors to transition to safety and independence through counseling, therapeutic services, and legal support. For over 40 years, we have helped transform more than 500,00 lives with the support of our community.

MISSION We are committed to a future in which every person and family in Orange County experiences safe, healthy relationships and lives free of fear.

5540 Trabuco Road Irvine, CA 92620 949.737.5242 humanoptions.org

Serious Fun Gala May 20, 2023 | Balboa Bay Resort Join us at our Serious Fun 2023 Gala!

Help raise critical funds for Human Options’ life-changing services.

WHY DONATE Through YOUR generous partnership, we can continue to support victims and survivors and their families on their journey to healing from relationship violence.

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ILLUMINATION FOUNDATION

Illumination Foundation has been providing integrated housing and healthcare services to those experiencing homelessness for the past 15 years. Illumination Foundation believes that every person has an intrinsic right to home, health, and dignity. We provide interim housing and emergency shelter, recuperative care/medical respite, navigation centers, permanent supportive housing, and partnerships to provide onsite medical, dental, and behavioral health services. From street to home, we provide a full continuum of care and resources to bring people the support they need.

UPCOMING EVENTS Fall/Winter 2022 Give the Gift of Home this holiday season. Your gift today will directly help individuals and families in need. Donate ifhomeless.org Host a meal service or holiday donation drive for one of our shelters.

Contact volunteer@ifhomeless.org

Chef’s Table

MISSION

Illumination Foundation’s mission is to disrupt the cycle of homelessness by providing a comprehensive safety net of client-centered services for the most vulnerable individuals, families, and children.

WHY DONATE

You can impact a life today. You can be part of the solution to disrupt the cycle of homelessness. By supporting Illumination Foundation, you are investing in people’s lives, our communities, and our future.

March 12, 2023 Join us for our 10th Annual Chef’s Table Culinary Gala where the best chefs cook tableside for guests.

For sponsorship information or to purchase a table or tickets, go to ifhomeless.org or contact amurphyduehring@ifhomeless.org

1091 North Batavia, Orange, CA 92867 | 949.273.0555 | ifhomeless.org

UPCOMING EVENT It’s In the Bag April 23, 2023 The Waterfront Beach Resort Huntington Beach, CA

MAKE-A-WISH ORANGE COUNTY AND THE INLAND EMPIRE Every 20 minutes, a child is diagnosed with a critical illness. For these children, life looks different, including increased isolation and vulnerability when they can’t go to school and be with friends, and treatment plans that limit their ability to play and feel strong.

Since its inception, Make-A-Wish has understood that when a wish is granted, a child replaces fear with confidence, sadness with joy and anxiety with hope. Every child deserves a childhood and now, more than ever, children with critical illnesses and their families need hope.

MISSION Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

100 Ora nge C oast • November 2022

3230 El Camino Real, Suite 100 Irvine, CA 92602 714.573.9474 wish.org/ocie

Come dressed for fashion week and bid on designer handbags and luxury getaways with all proceeds supporting local wishes.

Learn more at: itsinthebag-wish.org

WHY DONATE Hope is found in a wish – and you have the power to create it for local children, like fouryear-old Colin from Anaheim.

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

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UPCOMING EVENT Orangewood Challenge

ORANGEWOOD FOUNDATION

Established in 1981, Orangewood Foundation is a privately funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves nearly 2,000 foster and community youth annually. The organization is committed to helping youth prepare for independent adulthood, providing various programs and services that focus on health & wellness, housing, life skills & employment, and education. To learn more, please visit orangewoodfoundation.org.

MISSION Prepare foster & community youth to reach their greatest potential and strive for equity for youth by valuing and supporting the life that each individual envisions.

Saturday, April 29, 2023 Newport Dunes, Newport Beach This exciting and fun multi-sport, team-based obstacle race is a physical, mental, and teamwork challenge designed for competitive adults of all ages. To learn more, please visit orangewoodfoundation.org.

1575 17th Street, Santa Ana, CA 92705 714.619.0200 orangewoodfoundation.org

TILLY’S LIFE CENTER

Please help us stop the mental health crisis among our youth.

Tilly’s Life Center (TLC) equips teens with life skills and coping techniques in an effort to combat the staggering rates of suicide, anxiety, depression, violence, and addiction. Our curriculum focuses on the core competencies of socialemotional learning in an effort to provide learners with viable, lifelong solutions. Through consistent application, teens adopt healthier habits that enable them to successfully move past trauma, navigate challenges, and thrive.

MISSION Our mission is to inspire today’s youth to reach their full potential as productive, kind, happy, and responsible individuals.

WHY DONATE The mental health crisis among adolescents is at an all-time high. This is why Tilly’s Life Center is on a mission to bring transformational SEL-curriculum to as many teens as possible.

But we cannot do it alone, we need your help!

UPCOMING EVENTS TILLYS 16th Annual Charity Golf Tournament, Benefiting Tilly’s Life Center April 24, 2023 Mission Viejo Country Club This themed golf tournament, hosted

by TILLYS, brings together 144 golfers from various companies in the action sports, construction, and banking industries, as well as entrepreneurs and athletes for a day of 18 holes, shotgun style/scramble format with endless food, beverages, prizes, swag and more!

Tilly’s Life Center’s 9th Annual “I Am Giving” Gala October 7, 2023 | A/V Irvine Join us for our biggest event of the year, as we bring together 400 generous supporters from Southern California to enjoy cocktails, a culinary experience, moving program with an exciting live auction and top-notch entertainment.

17 Pasteur Irvine, CA 92618 | 949.484.8464 | tillyslifecenter.org November 2022 • Or a nge Coast 101

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Charitable Events

CALENDAR FALL/WINTER

DECEMBER 2022

Host A Meal Service or Holiday

4 40th Annual Holiday Tree Fantasy

Donation Drive Illumination Foundation Contact volunteer@ifhomeless.org

Donate Holiday Food Basket

United Way OC Contact daisyb@unitedwayoc.org

Fulfill A Family’s Wish List w/ SparkJoy United Way OC ocuw.to/sparkjoy2022

YEAR ROUND How To Support

Community Action Partnership linktr.ee/capoc

OC Nonprofit Central

OC Community Foundation ocnonprofitcentral.org

Iheartoc Collaborative Giving Days

OC Community Foundation iheartoc.org

NOVEMBER 2022 3 The Good Lunch

Goodwill of Orange County Corporate Headquarters, Santa Ana RSVP communitydevelopment@ ocgoodwill.org

12 Mixology Masters

Barks of Love Animal Rescue Porsche Irvine bit.ly/3y5aWDA

12 Balboa Beerfest

Balboa Village Merchant Association Newport Beach Peninsula orangecoast.com/balboabeerfest

102 Ora nge C o ast • November 2022

Child Guidance Center Balboa Bay Resort, Newport Beach htf2022.givesmart.com

7 + monthly dates See The Good Tours

Goodwill of Orange County RSVP communitydevelopment@ ocgoodwill.org

8 Friends of CASA Holiday Luncheon

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) OC VEA Newport Beach casaholidayluncheon.org

10 Christmas Carol Ball

Hoag Hospital Foundation Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach hoaghospitalfoundation.org/ christmas-carol-ball

MARCH 2023 5 Table for 10

Pascal Culinary Arts VEA Newport Beach tableforten.org

12 Chef’s Table Culinary Gala

Illumination Foundation The Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim ifhomeless.org/events

APRIL 2023 23 It’s In The Bag

Make-A-Wish Orange County The Waterfront Beach Resort, Huntington Beach itsinthebag-wish.org

24 Tilly’s Charity Golf Tournament Tilly’s Life Center Mission Viejo Country Club tillyslifecenter.org

29 Orangewood Challenge

Orangewood Foundation Newport Dunes, Newport Beach orangewoodfoundation.org

MAY 2023 TBA Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast United Way OC TBD unitedwayoc.org

7 CHOC Gala Miracles Under The Stars

CHOC Foundation The City National Grove of Anaheim foundation-choc.org/choc-gala

20 Serious Fun Gala

Human Options Balboa Bay Resort, Newport Beach humanoptions.org

24 Goodwill Golf Classic

Goodwill of Orange County TBD communitydevelopment@ ocgoodwill.org

OCTOBER 2023 7 I Am Giving Gala Tilly’s Life Center AV Irvine tillyslifecenter.org

New Season

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DINING GUIDE ANAHEIM HILLS

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 BARAN MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT & BAR Straight-up classic Persian cuisine is the NEW draw at this fresh and stylish spot. Expect fragrant stews, elaborate rice dishes, and, of course, succulent kebabs and mountains of fluffy basmati rice. Don’t miss zeytoon parvardeh (stuffed olives) or a filet mignon kebab. Inviting patio and full bar.

5645 E. La Palma Ave., 714-340-0035 $$ CATAL RESTAURANT AND UVA BAR Dead center in Downtown Disney, Catal is the Patina Group’s nod to Spain’s Mediterranean cuisine.

Expect an urbane spin on rustic fare such as lobster paella, making this one of the zone’s better spots for fine dining. Just outside, Uva Bar is an alfresco saloon with light eats and great people-watching.

1580 Disneyland Drive, 714-774-4442. $$$ NAPA ROSE Wine country thrives at the Disneyland Resort by way of this classy dinner house— no park admission required. Star chef Andrew Sutton leads his crew in an exhibition kitchen, turning out imaginative, highly seasonal New American fare. The room mixes rustic with refined, and the notably wine-savvy waitstaff, many qualified as sommeliers, deftly tailors unforgettable meals around wines from one of the region’s finest cellars. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, 1313 Disneyland Drive, 714-300-7170. $$$ 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 $$$

THE RANCH This upscale venue boasts a yowza saloon and a fine dining room so serious about sourcing, it maintains a private farm in the nearby foothills. A whopping menu of decidedly seasonal American fare boasts both uptown and down-home dishes.

Live entertainment and dancing keep the place hopping on weekends. 1025 E. Ball Road, 714-8174200. $$$ ROXY’Z Zov’s Anaheim resurfaced as this breezy watering hole inspired by Zov Karamardian’s mother and reputed renegade Roxy. Craft cocktails, imaginative share plates, and premier pizzas dominate a menu designed for gathering before or after games, concerts, and Disneyland visits. Don’t-miss dishes include the chile-glazed rib stack, fried chicken sandwich, and kebab platter. There’s an elevated beer program and a midweek happy hour. 1801 E. Katella Ave., 714-280-9687. $$ 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 spot at Anaheim Packing House brings vibrancy and a cool cantina attitude to a food hall that really needed a good taco and mezcal drink.

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 festive or sultry ambience. 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. $$ REUNION KITCHEN + DRINK Popular with the locals, this dapper haunt oozes bonhomie thanks to a solid team led by industry vet Scott McIntosh, whose feel-good American classics are consistently executed by a tight kitchen. Service is sharp. Look for a homey meatloaf, laudable fried chicken with yummy mashers and fresh biscuits, and house-made desserts. Modern cocktails and a roomy patio increase the pleasure factor. 5775 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road, 714-283-1062. Second location (not reviewed) in Laguna Beach. $$ ROSINE’S MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT This neighborhood darling includes a 20-seat bar, complete with a full liquor license and a clutch of specialty cocktails. Fragrant rotisserie chickens are always popular, though the menu now offers wine-braised lamb shanks, and Pacific ono skewers.

A sizable roster of gluten-free choices anchors a spinoff menu. 721 S. Weir Canyon Road, 714-2835141. $$

BRE A BRUNOS ITALIAN KITCHEN One of North County’s best venues boasts advantages that are fairly 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. A notable happy hour features steep discounts on terrific appetizers and signature Italian cocktails.

210 W. Birch St., 714-257-1000. $$ CHA CHA’S L ATIN KITCHEN This cool hang with a wraparound sidewalk patio is Birch Street Promenade’s most enduring dining success. Helmed by industry vets Don Myers and Peter Serantoni, the menu of modern Mexican fare is boosted by a wood-burning oven and new dishes that blur some borders—sopes, empanadas, aguachile, and pozole. Taco Tuesday is just one of many weekly specials. There’s also an impressive tequila menu. 110 W. Birch St., 714-255-1040. See Irvine location. $$ 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. $$

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.

104 Ora nge C o ast • November 2022

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 bar with charcuterie platters. 180 S. Brea Blvd., 714592-3122. $$$ TAPS FISH HOUSE & BREWERY Taps continues to be O.C.’s landmark pick for dining on a wide range of appealing seafood, pasta, steaks, and spunky New Orleans specialties that go down well with award-winning ales and lagers that change often. Happy hour is a big draw for valueseekers. Sunday brunch is a popular feast. 101 E. Imperial Highway, 714-257-0101. $$

CORONA DEL MAR 608 DAHLIA Chef-owner Jessica Roy transformed the alfresco gem inside iconic Sherman Library & Gardens with a new name and joyous take on seasonal fare. Dreamy salads are impeccably fresh, pastas imaginative, and vegetarian tacos are a signature dish in the making.

Effusive wine cocktails. 2647 E. Coast Highway, 949220-7229. Lunch only. $$ EL CHOLO It’s combo-plate heaven at this venerable local chain that started in L.A. in 1923. The Sonora-style enchiladas are topped with a fried egg. Green corn tamales have achieved cult status. 3520 E. Coast Highway, 949-777-6137. See Anaheim Hills and La Habra locations. $ FARMHOUSE AT ROGER’S GARDENS This beguiling patio is chef-owner Rich Mead’s fourth and busiest enterprise yet, an inspired collaboration between a farmer’s dream chef and O.C.’s iconic outdoor lifestyle retailer. The restaurantgazebo seats 120 with rustic style, making this the fresh favorite for dates and celebrations. Mead’s seasonal menu shifts often to reflect his passion for local family farms and ranches. Craft cocktails have a farmers market tilt, and a nascent cheese program rounds out the ever-changing feast. 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road, 949-640-1415. $$$ 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

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

Lubia polo and kebabs at Baran Mediterranean Restaurant & Bar 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 EATS 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 almond-wood 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 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. Star dessert: horchata tiramisu. 2145 Placentia Ave., 949-873-5853.

Beer and wine. $$ BUTCHER’S HOUSE BRASSERIE Chef-owner Jeoffrey Offer—native of BEST NEW RESTAURANT Toulouse, France, and son of a 2022 butcher—brought his pandemic dream to life with this intimate spot focused on steaks, chops, and scratch sausages. Eight specialty sauces are house-made to suit meats and starters.

Wood-grilled options range from a mighty fine burger to a grand aged ribeye for two. The tidy bar

boasts a kitchen view, and the patio offers a quiet alternative to the lively hubbub of a packed house.

Weekend brunch stars Offer’s distinct take on croque madame and steak and eggs. There’s also a succinct wine list. 3321 Hyland Ave., 714-714-0662. $$$ DESCANSO Descanso’s novel twist is the elevation of the taquero to center stage. Inspired by the dynamic street foods of Mexico City, owner Rob Arellano seats diners right at the plancha grill to watch their tacos sizzled with pizazz. Happy hour is particularly tempting if you can scoot in midweek, from 3 to 6 p.m. 1555 Adams Ave., 714-486-3798. $$ 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. $$$ IZAKAYA HACHI A handsome, modern izakaya from the owners of Manpuku, Hachi is a boisterous, convivial gem.

The charcoal-grilled skewers shine, including the chicken meatball and chicken thigh. Expect a little

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bit of everything here: gloriously marbled beef, fresh oysters, composed salads, fried chicken, and unique pressed sushi. 3033 Bristol St., 657-231-6566.

Dinner only. $ 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. $$$ OLD VINE KITCHEN & BAR Popular for its brunch-type fare in a town rife with competing options, this charming nook has upgraded with a larger space. Foodies rave about urbane dishes, many with an Italian accent. Think barbecue pork omelet by day, seasonal tasting menu by night. Chef-owner Mark McDonald likes to pair his dinners with interesting wine flights from the world over, and he regularly leads culinary excursions to southern Italy. 2937 Bristol St., 714545-1411. $$ SOCIAL Social brought hipster dining to a scruffy westside strip mall, opening the area to considerable gentrification. The 118-seat retooled venue surprises 11:35 AM with Page 2 sophisticated cooking and a nicely refreshed menu, especially now that executive chef Jeffrey Boullt is back and managing two scratch kitchens.

Yes, a second Social is open in Huntington Beach.

New signature items include lamb empanadas,

wagyu beef tri-tip, and all-new craft cocktails.

Service is variable. 512 W. 19th St., 949-642-2425.

Weekend brunch. Second location (not reviewed) in Huntington Beach at 21214 Beach Blvd. $$ TACO MARÍA Every dish is a marvel of deeply considered modern Cal-Mex cuisine from chef-owner and O.C. native Carlos Salgado, who parked his esteemed food truck enterprise for this site. Even the stripped-down setting draws all attention to the food. Dinners are four-course prix fixe affairs, with thoughtful wine pairings. Lunch—when the tacos appear—is a more laid-back and affordable way to sample the refined slant that snagged Salgado a Michelin star and several James Beard nominations for chef awards. 3313 Hyland Ave., 714538-8444. Beer and wine. $$$

DANA POINT GLASSPAR Glasspar launched as a classic seafooder, oyster bar, and tap room. Veteran top toque and local Rob Wilson helms his dream retool of the old Mahé site, supporting the community with ultra-fresh fare, delicious dishes, and his five-star service. A tight focus on top-shelf cocktails lures groups who want to gather for toasting. 24961 Dana Point Harbor Drive, 949-240-6243. $$$ JIMMY’S FAMOUS AMERICAN TAVERN Big and welcoming, this 225-seat harborside venue is a utility player thanks to a broad menu

of modern comfort fare. It’s a handy call for patio lunches, upbeat happy hours, hearty dinners, and bossy brunches. Locals swarm the upbeat space, noshing on mighty burgers, fried chicken, and prime rib. Desserts are fantastically huge, if ordinary. 25001 Dana Point Harbor Drive, 949-388-8900. $$ RAYA Steve Wan is executive sous chef at this poshbut-relaxed dining room conceived by celeb chef Richard Sandoval. After the eye-popping blufftop ocean view, Pan-Latin seafood dominates the experience. But prepare to see many Asian touches on the modern menu, in creative dishes that masterfully bend ethnic borders. The Ritz-Carlton, 1 Ritz-Carlton Drive, 949-240-2000. $$$

FULLERTON KHAN SAAB DESI CRAFT KITCHEN Born in the crucible of the pandemic, 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.

Khan Saab has the best-stocked alcohol-free bar in O.C. 229 E. Commonwealth Ave., 714-853-1081. $$ SUMMIT HOUSE Set high above Fullerton’s northern city limits, this imposing Tudor manor house offers a sparkling citylights view at night, though the attractive grounds are pretty by day, too. The American menu offers

TREE CARE FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES Professional Tree Trimming • Tree Removal Tree Pruning & Crown Reduction • Sod Removal Palms Skinned, Trimmed & Removed Ivy Topping & Removal • Power Stump Grinding Lot & Hill Clean-ups for Fire Regulation Liability Insurance • Workers Comp. Insurance WE ACCEPT VISA, M/C & AMERICAN EXPRESS

Facsimile: 714-776-0821

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website: State License 765846

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714-502-0226 106 Ora nge C o ast • November 2022

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few surprises; British-style prime rib and oak-grilled Skuna Bay salmon are reliable. Polished service brings back plenty of special-occasion diners. The cozy tavern bar is popular for light meals and happy hour. 2000 E. Bastanchury Road, 714-671-4111. $$$

HUNTINGTON BE ACH HENRY’S COASTAL CUISINE This Surf City resort’s fine dining choice prevails with expertly executed fare that’s mostly familiar and gorgeously presented. Goat cheese fudge is a surprising outlier on a tight menu of classics, some worthy of special occasions—think lobster bisque and côte de boeuf for two. Polished service. Live music. Waterfront Beach Resort, 21100 Pacific Coast Highway, 714-845-8000. Dinner only. $$$$ 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. $$

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. $

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. $$ 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

GIFTS.

You’ll find just the right mix of

BALLOONS.

unique gifts, whimsical party

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supplies and fabulous balloons.

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 It’s all about handmade dumplings here. They 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. Top-notch shrimp fried rice is a winner, too. Watch the masters at work from a five-seat bar. 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

220 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, CA 92672 949.503.3326 Instagram @MikiisOnDelMar

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DINING GUIDE

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ou no longer need to be a day drinker to enjoy cocktails from Jeff Tran, known for his creations at breakfast-lunch destination Toast Kitchen & Bakery in Costa Mesa. Six months after opening at South Coast Plaza, sibling Tableau Kitchen and Bar—the second collaboration of chef John Park and restaurateur Ed Lee—has launched its own cocktail program. Highlights include the Che Chu Hai, with rhum agricole, pineapple,

overstuffed Viet Crepe and the Shaky Shaky Beef— plus new lunch porridges and bánh mìs 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. $$$ 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

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coconut, lime, and frozen cubes of pandan; request a spoon! Gin and tonic Holly’s World, We’re Just Living in It—Empress gin, lychee, hibiscus, berries, and Fever Tree Elderflower—has been a huge hit; the cocktail changes from purple to pink as the tonic is added tableside. The Tinder Box— Cognac Park VS Carte Blanche, Islay Scotch, tobacco demerara, and Angostura—uses loose-leaf tobacco from the nearby Tinder Box cigar store. “I’m not a smoker but love the smell,” Tran says. “I made a tobacco tea,

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

then the tea into a syrup that brings subtle notes of dried fruit.” Lest day drinkers be forgotten, a mimosa flight spotlights flavors such as kalamansi mandarin and blueberry hojicha. The Budae Jjigae Bloody Mary— with Tito’s Vodka, Shin Ramyun-inspired V8, sambal, gochugaru chile salt, lime, and Spam garnish—pairs ideally with chef Park’s kimchi Spam & cheese croissant (see Page 84). 3333 Bear St., Costa Mesa, 714-8728054, tableaukitchenandbar.com —BENJAMIN EPSTEIN

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. $$ 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. From-

P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F TA B L E A U K I T C H E N A N D B A R

A TOAST TO TABLEAU | TABLEAU KITCHEN AND BAR

scratch 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, 714-505-6080. See Newport Beach location. $$

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 topnotch 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. 2894 S. Coast Highway, 949-376-1000. $$$ NICK’S Perched on Laguna’s prime stretch of Coast Highway, this inviting, urbane bar and grill lures grown-ups who prefer to skip the surfer grub scene in favor of tasty cocktails and a compact all-day menu of comfort classics with modern twists. Ace bets include the steakhouse salad and blackened halibut sandwich. Softly lit and cushily appointed, the openair space boasts a sidewalk patio. Sociable service is notably polished. 440 S. Coast Highway, 949-3768595. See San Clemente location. $$ 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 can include juicy lamb chops or crepes

(crespelle) with porcini mushrooms in truffleperfumed 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. $$$ RUM SOCIAL This handsomely retooled rookie on quaint Peppertree Lane lures locals with its tropical vibe and novel menu of island-inspired fare and luscious cocktails. Downstairs is open to the breezy parade of beachgoers, whereas the upstairs bar is a quieter treetop retreat. Both share a menu of boundaryblurring dishes such as crispy Haitian chickpeas, jerk chicken, and Caribbean short rib cassoulet. 448 S. Coast Highway, 949-549-4014. $$$ 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,

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17,2022

P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F TA B L E A U K I T C H E N A N D B A R

5:00 PM–9:00 PM

DINING GUIDE breezy tavern for terrific cocktails, the superlative burger, and world-class people watching. 1464 S. Coast Highway, 949-715-9881. Dinner only. $$$

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, Zinfandel-braised lamb shank with mint yogurt. Terrific craft cocktails shift with the seasons. 25250 La Paz Road, 949-446-8772.

Dinner only. $$$

LAGUNA NIGUEL BOTTEGA ANGELINA This chic Italian is a grand showpiece by the team behind Pizzeria Angelina. House-made pastas, roasted meats, and pizzas share a succinct menu, supported by sophisticated cocktails from an imposing marble bar. Vast patio with dazzling views.

32441 Golden Lantern, 949-542-8220. $$$ CALO KITCHEN + TEQUIL A Chic and breezy as a Baja resort, this sprawling spot lures local crowds for upscale Mexican classics. An unending flow of worthy margaritas keeps the white marble bar humming while the kitchen churns out well-executed shrimp ceviche, carnitas, combo plates, and short rib enchiladas. Huge portions, sharp service, and modern digs seal the deal. Scores of sipping tequilas delight agave fans. 28141 Crown Valley Parkway, 949-409-7380. $$$ HENDRIX Teeming with natural light and coastal breezes, Hendrix swaggers into Laguna Niguel with a place that promises something for everyone in this option-lean 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. $$

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 housecured 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

110 Ora nge C o ast • November 2022

Maryland lump crab cakes at Shorebird 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 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 cannoli with liquid pineapple mustard. Crispy octopus with Calabrian vinaigrette is another crowd favorite.

Cocktails show imagination, and the wine list has some rare gems. 1200 Bison Ave., 949-520-7191. $$$ BOUILLON Indefatigable operator Laurent Vrigand, the founder of six Moulin cafes, debuts his first full-service restaurant—an homage to Paris’ Bouillon Chartier, his childhood favorite. Expect one all-day menu of nostalgic fare at painless prices, no substitutions, no reservations, and snappy service. Standouts include tian Provençal, beef bourguignon, and profiteroles. 1000 N. Bristol, 949-418-9549. $$ 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. $$ MOULIN Moulin is the passion project of Paris native Laurent Vrignaud. After 30 years in the action-sports industry, he lives his longtime dream of serving bistro classics, selling oven-fresh baguettes and grab-and-go dishes, and peddling wines and other French pantry items. The unfussy bistro and patio evoke Paris at every turn. It’s O.C.’s gathering spot for expats and Francophiles. 1000 Bristol St. North, 949474-0920. Locations (not reviewed) in Costa Mesa, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, and San Clemente. $$ 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, 949-287-6807. Dinner only. $$$ SESSIONS This busy “West Coast deli” on the peninsula crafts terrific sandwiches that eat like a meal for two. Gourmet creations with kooky names are meticulous stacks of top ingredients with exacting ratios, so every ’wich is scrumptious to the last bite.

A surfer vibe extends to hearty breakfasts at 7 a.m. daily, starring Golden State Coffee Roaster coffee.

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

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 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, 949706-3622. $$$ TACO ROSA With agave-sweetened margaritas and house-made churros, these flagships of the Taco Mesa chain take fresh Mex to the max. 2632 San Miguel Road, 949720-0980. See Irvine location. $$ 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 tweaked for 2020. Standout 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, especially in summer. Stick with basics such as grilled artichokes, lobster club, and stuffed salmon. Executive chef Carlos Olivera oversees the breakfast, lunch, and

dinner menus that change slightly each season. 15 Crystal Cove, 949-376-6900. $$$ BLUEFIN Adroit chef Takashi Abe applies his considerable talents to pristine ingredients he fashions into gorgeous works of edible Japanese art. His omakase is transcendent (and cheaper at lunch). The setting is suitably spare and visually soothing. Superior sake selection. 7952 E. Pacific Coast Highway, 949-7157373. $$$ 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. $$$ 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. $$$

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November 2022 • Or a nge Coast 111

DINING GUIDE 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 Parmesan-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. $$

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA 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, 949-

888-0072. 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. $$

SAN CLEMENTE BRICK The menu of authentic, seasonal cuisine says Italy, but the unfussy setting and beach-casual regulars make for a solid California vibe at this trattoria by chef-owner David Pratt. Thin-crust pizzas from the wood-fired Valoriani oven are composed with care, but don’t miss the house-made pastas and seasonal salads. Amazing meatballs, too. 216 N. El Camino Real, 949-429-1199. $$ 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 all-day menu of comfort classics with a modern twist. Ace bets include the steakhouse salad and blackened fish sandwich. And there’s a sidewalk patio with fireplace. Sociable service is notably

O.C. Scene

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. $$$

SAN JUAN C APISTRANO 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 cocktails. Do try fried eggplant, lamb meatballs, and

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STARRY, STARRY ZOOFARI Over 300 guests attended the “Starry, Starry Zoofari” themed event hosted by The Friends of Santa Ana Zoo (FOSAZ), the non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that was founded in 1972 to support and improve the Santa Ana Zoo. KTLA 5’s Henry DiCarlo served as emcee and auctioneer for the evening. The event netted over $100,000, which included almost $63,000 from the silent and live auction. The special Fund-A-Need also raised enough funds to purchase needed equipment for the Vet Hospital on sight.

Photo Credit: Ann Chatillon

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shareable dips. By day, look for indulgent brunch dishes. 31761 Camino Capistrano, 949-218-5140. $$$ RAMOS HOUSE CAFÉ A sweet adobe hiding in the historic Los Rios district, Ramos House Café turns out some of South County’s most delectable daytime fare. Contemporary and clever American breakfasts and lunches (brunch on weekends) have a distinct Southern accent that fits the rustic, alfresco setting with passing trains as soundtrack. Look for ethereal biscuits and crab hash. And don’t miss the killer bloody mary. 31752 Los Rios St., 949-443-1342. $$

SANTA ANA [

SEE ALSO SOUTH COAST METRO

]

BENCHMARK Quirky and 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., 714480-0225. $$ CHATO’S BAR AND GRILL This intrepid Mexican canteen offers less-familiar dishes—corundas, roast quail—alongside comfort favorites such as ceviche and chilaquiles. Michoacán native Sergio Ortega previously of Descanso, is executive chef. Inaugural meals include dinner

nightly and Sunday brunch. Commendable drinks.

400 N. Broadway, 714-852-3256. $$

SOUTH COAST ME TRO 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., 714-557-5679. $$$ ANTONELLO RISTORANTE For more than three decades South Coast Plaza’s Italian grand diva has reigned for ultrafine feasting on authentic, traditional dishes backed by a savvy wine selection deep with Italian stars. House-made pastas, breads, and desserts. The restaurant’s aura of privilege is underscored by pampering service for VIPs. . 3800 South Plaza Drive, 714-751-7153. $$$ DIN TAI FUNG Fans happily endure long waits to satisfy their craving for xiao long bao, juicy pork dumplings, hand-pleated with care. Bowls of noodles, rice, and stacks of bamboo steamers crowd tables as diners blend their own aromatic dipping sauce from rich

O.C. Scene

soy, black vinegar, and shreds of fresh ginger. 3333 Bristol St., 714-549-3388. $$ HAMAMORI Sushi master artist James Hamamori applies persuasive talent to this South Coast Plaza penthouse dazzler of a sushi bar. Son Jim is now behind the bar, too, but this heavenly venue also shows off non-sushi dishes such as uni floating in edamame puree, Kobe rissole, and miso-marinated lamb chops. Omakase is truly top-notch. 3333 Bear St., 714-850-0880. $$$ KNIFE PLEAT South Coast Plaza’s rarefied penthouse shines ever brighter with Orange County’s newest Michelin star recipient, helmed by chef Tony Esnault and partner Yassmin Sarmadi. The Michelinacclaimed duo from Los Angeles was destined to see stars again with this radiant backdrop for Esnault’s graceful cuisine and Sarmadi’s courtly hospitality. Look for butter-poached lobster, forest mushroom melange, and the signature legumes de saison when nature allows. Save room for Germain Biotteau’s inimitable desserts. Friday and Saturday night tasting menus are utterly indulgent. 3333 Bristol St., 714-266-3388. Closed Sunday and Monday. $$$ 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,

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OPENINGS

SONESTA IRVINE NEWLY REIMAGINED Sonesta Irvine hosted an exclusive event where they debuted the newly reimagined hotel. General Manager Diane Blake and Executive Chef and Beverage Director John Ruiz were on hand to greet guests and provide details around the renovations as well as the new onsite restaurant, Haven Point Provisions & Spirits.

Attendees were able to tour the hotel, including the freshly appointed guest rooms, new Fitness Center, expansive “Social Space” meeting area, and charming outdoor dining area, and nosh on bites and libations from Chef Ruiz and his team.

Photo Credit: Destination Irvine

November 2022 • Or a nge Coast 113

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Phone: 248.691.1800 x187 8. Complete mailing address of headquarters or general business office of Publisher: 5750 New King Dr. Ste. 100, Troy, MI 48098 9. Publisher: Shelby Russell - 10100 Venice Blvd., Ste. 213, Culver City, CA 90232 Editor/ Managing Editor: Alan Gibbons - 10100 Venice Blvd., Ste. 213, Culver City, CA 90232 10. Owner(s): Orange Coast Magazine, LLC John Balardo, Stefan Wanczyk, Both addresses same as #8 11. Known bondholders, mortgages and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: Stefan Wanczyk. Address same as #8 12. Tax status: Has not changed during the preceding 12 months 13. Publication title: Orange Coast Magazine 14. Issue date for circulation below: 10/1/2022 15. Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months / actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date a) Total number of copies: 38,000 / 38,000 b1) Paid outside-county mail subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541: 27,246 / 26,395 b2) Paid in-county subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541: 0 / 0 b3) Sales through dealers, carriers, street vendors, counter sales and other non-USPS paid distribution: 625 / 534 b4) Paid distribution by other classes of mail through the USPS: 0 / 0 c) Total paid distribution: 27,871 / 26,929 Free distribution by mail: d1) Outside-county: 8,175 / 9,596 d2) In-county: 0/0 d3) 0/0. d4) 0/0 e) Total free distribution: 8,175 / 9,596 f ) Total distribution: 36,046 / 36,525 g) Copies not distributed: 1,954 / 1,475 h) Total: 38,000 / 38,000 i) Percent paid: 77.32% / 73.73% 16. Electronic Copy Circulation a) Paid electronic copies: 0 / 0 b) Total paid print copies + paid electronic copies: 27,871 / 26,929 c) Total print distribution + Paid electronic copies: 36,046 / 36,525 d) Percent paid (both print & electronic copies): 77.32% / 73.73% 17. Publication Statement of Ownership publication required Will be printed in the November 2022 issue of this publication 18. I certify that all statements made above are correct and complete (signed): Shelby Russell, Publisher, September 20, 2022

114 Ora nge C o ast • November 2022

Rigatoni Amatriciana at Tableau Kitchen and Bar 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 $$ POPUL AIRE Showing loads of promise, this modern bistro is the new dream collaboration of veteran chefs and longtime friends Nick Weber and Ross Pangilinan (owner of nearby Terrace by Mix Mix). The setting and the fare are at once elevated and lighthearted.

Look for innovative French, Asian, and American flourish in dishes that include crab chawanmushi, roast duck, and the yowza Royale With Cheese burger. There’s a prix fixe midweek lunch and special brunch dishes on Sunday. 3333 Bristol St., 714-760-4555 $$$ TABLEAU KITCHEN AND BAR South Coast Plaza’s shiny new addition categorizes its cuisine as New American—a hazy designation for chef-owner John Park’s canny brunch and dinner menus that defy easy labels. Think fried burrata sandwich with pumpkin seed pesto, souffle-light berry pancakes with chamomile whipped cream, and shrimp and grits with surprise slices of lap cheong.

Desserts are dazzlers. 3333 Bear St., 714-872-8054. $$ TERRACE BY MIX MIX Canny chef-owner Ross Pangilinan’s minimalist aerie overlooking the stylish Bridge of Gardens skywalk at South Coast Plaza lacks a full bar, but it has wine and beer and is open daily with ample free parking. Fans love the three-course lunch, but weekend brunch with its mimosa cart beguiles, and dinner offers the best prix fixe in the center. Don’tmiss dishes include Asian ribs, hamachi crudo, and pork cheek adobo. 3333 Bear St., 657-231-6447. $$ 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 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, dryaged in-house. Dinner tables at prime times are scarce, so plan, wait, or aim for lunch. 695 Town Center Drive, 714-463-6060. $$$

TUSTIN CHAAK

Gabbi and Ed Patrick of Gabbi’s Kitchen chose Old Town to show off the county’s most sophisticated take on the regional fare of Mexico’s wondrous Yucatán Peninsula, naming their new location after the Mayan rain god. The dazzling space features a retractable roof and sliding Roman shades to lovely effect. Must-have dishes include sikil pec, a roasted pumpkin seed dip, as well as cochinita pibil and carne cruda. A 16-seat bar invites lingering over elaborate cocktails or a glass from an uncommonly diverse wine list. 215 El Camino Real, 657-699-3019. $$$ THE WINERY RESTAURANT & WINE BAR The O.C. power crowd doesn’t care that this isn’t a winery, but a huge, handsome restaurant that attracts disciples of steak, wine, and cigars. They’re exactly the folks you’d expect would follow partners JC Clow and William Lewis from their previous gig at Morton’s, with executive chef Yvon Goetz in tow. Best bets include Goetz’s signature Alsatian “pizza” and the Colorado buffalo carpaccio. If the 7,500-bottle wine cellar isn’t enough, you can always purchase a private wine locker. 2647 Park Ave., 714258-7600. See Newport Beach location. $$$ THE YELLOW CHILLI The Yellow Chilli is another franchise by Sanjeev Kapoor, India’s mega-celebrity chef. Bigger than Wolfgang or Martha. The massive menu proves the master chef isn’t stingy with recipes, not after writing more than 150 cookbooks. Knowledgeable servers help navigate the options. Don’t miss Sham Savera, one of Kapoor’s most famous creations: 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. $$ ZOV’S TUSTIN BISTRO Fans love Zov Karamardian’s modern, creative way with Mediterranean flavors. Zov keeps her flagship venue fresh and stylish. Expect Cal-Med dishes such as Moroccan salmon salad, spiced lamb burger, and pomegranate baby back ribs. Desserts are a standout, as are cocktails and chic mezze starters. The patio cafe out back stays busy at lunch. 17440 E. 17th St., 714-838-8855. See Newport Coast location. $$$ photograph by E M I LY J . D AV I S

(continued from page 89)

PHOTOGRAPH BY HERSILVERHAMMER

but it cost him a league suspension, and forced the team to appoint an interim interim manager for 10 days.

If you like road rage, you’d like what happened at Angel Stadium in midsummer when the team played the Seattle Mariners. All the benches, all the bullpens, all the broadcast maturity breached their boundaries when an Angels pitcher threw a strike to a Mariners batter’s hip. A melee the likes of which had not been seen on an MLB field in decades delayed the game for 18 minutes and resulted in suspensions for 12 players and coaches.

One Angels pitcher was razorsharp, tossing a bucket of dugout bubblegum past third base. In his enthusiasm to join the fray, another pitcher fell over the dugout railing, fractured his elbow, and joined the pricey third basemen on the injured list.

For two days, the Bally broadcast boys gushed about the team’s “brotherhood,” how the mayhem was all about supporting the “family.” If these are Angels family values, I’m a hard pass on Thanksgiving.

In mid-July, our concern about Trout’s durability was renewed when he was injured again, and missed more than a month with costovertebral dysfunction. That’s physiospeak for a weird spinal owie.

W

hen the Dodgers’ longtime radio announcer Vin Scully died in August, the Angels’ broadcast product fell further into stark, depressing relief. No one is or ever will be half the broadcaster—or human being—that was Vin Scully.

But baseball doesn’t understand that the standard he set is something to which everyone should aspire. What

set Scully apart from the chattering jock masses was his curiosity. He was a huge consumer of information, from the ridiculous to the sublime, and his listeners were better people for it.

Team Bally is curious only about “exit velo” and “OPS” and “WAR,” the brain-liquefying terms and statistics that render a poetic sport a physics class. These guys think “storytelling” is talking about a player’s favorite stadium food, an announcer’s birthday, and who gets to eat the cake. Scully waxed eloquent about Shakespeare and show tunes, and related them to a beautiful sport whose objective, as George Carlin observed, was “to go home!”

By September, there were still reasons to watch Angels baseball.

Ohtani was killing it on the mound.

Trout, the $426 million man, was back among the well-healed and waging a bro battle with Ohtani for team home run honors. On Sept. 10, the Angels beat the division-leading Houston Astros, Trout set the Angels record for most consecutive games with a home run at six, and was aiming at the MLB

record of eight.

Of course, the next day in Houston the mismanagers kept the hottest player on the team sitting on the bench because ... he had a scheduled day off. Although Ohtani delivered his 34th homer that day, the Angels got hammered 12-4, by which time most TV viewers had migrated to the NFL, where stupid sports tricks had yet to manifest on the opening Sunday of the football season.

Trout hit consecutive No. 7 on Sept.

12, but the streak ended there, the team lost three consecutive games, and the mojo again went missing.

At season’s end, against the noisy rancor of the political campaign season, we watched the playoffs at home from the halo hell of a witlessly constructed, poorly managed, shabbily presented baseball team. It looked to be a grim autumn.

Still, a glimmer of hope—the Angels are for sale!

When does spring training start?

Ellen Alperstein is an independent writer.

She was an editor for the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service and a contributing writer to laobserved.com.

November 2022 • O R A N G E C O A S T 115

O F

I N T E R E S T

B E H I N D T H E P L AT E

Westminster native Judean Sakimoto is a professional food stylist who has worked with many of the county’s top restaurants and food brands. by Amber Juarez

What does a food stylist do?

I’m not the photographer. I style the food for photos or videos. Sometimes I’m at restaurants shooting a menu. Then there are a lot of things that are live action, like for a commercial.

How did you get into this?

It happened by accident seven years ago. My husband does marketing. He has a client who owns a high-end olive oil company, and he hired a chef to create some recipes using their olive oil. I would test the recipes at home. We started putting them on plates and taking pictures of them so we would remember what they looked like. I started playing with

116 ORA NGE C O A ST • November 2022

it, and the photos were used for their social media. Then when they hired a real photographer, he found out I had been doing the food styling, and I got to work with him and learn more.

Who have you worked with?

Norms Restaurants, SOL Mexican Cocina, Truff Hot Sauce, Kodiak Cakes, Poached Neighborhood Kitchen, South of Nick’s, and Slater’s 50/50, to name a few.

What’s the hardest part about being a food stylist?

Dealing with how much food is wasted.

To get maybe one good hamburger, you might go through multiple bags of buns to

get that perfect bun. Then the rest all get thrown away. I would love to be able to donate it, but we can’t because if something makes somebody sick, it’s a liability.

Do you ever use fake food?

I don’t use a lot of fake food, but sometimes.

The most common one is ice cream. People use different things for fake ice cream, like mashed potatoes. I use powdered sugar and cake icing.

SEE HER WO RK!

judeansakimoto.com

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

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