My cough was so nasty, it could take paint off a wall. Like so many, my flu-cold misery lasted and lasted. Christmas. New Years. Beyond … Determined to cure it before Groundhog’s Day, I called Kaiser’s on-call nurse. I didn’t want to spend untold hours among other sickies in the E.R., so I put my faith in the phone professional….
Restaurants
Branzino That Is Delectable Artwork from Chef Alessandro Pirozzi Branzino has become an everyday staple on upscale restaurant menus. The delicate, white-fleshed Mediterranean seabass (called “loup de mer” on French menus) tastes almost sweet when cooked correctly. Orange County chef-restaurateur Alessandro Pirozzi knows how to serve it at its very best. He showcases the mild-mannered fish in different ways in…
Fifi Chao, much respected and beloved food writer for the Orange County Business Journal for more than three decades, recently passed away. In the photo above, Fifi embraces her much-adored husband, Patrick. Some of Orange County’s best chefs gathered at Break of Dawn Restaurant in Laguna Hills to create a 10-course dinner in her honor. They dubbed it “Fifi’s Best.”…
It’s hard to believe that it could get any better because it was absolutely exquisite in the old spot. When the news hit that the star culinary couple Amelia and Florent Marneau were uprooting their highly successful Marche Moderne restaurant from South Coast Plaza to move to Crystal Cove Shopping Center, I was puzzled. Why change the site of this…
Chef Gardener Kathryn Agresto, owner of Native Soil Gardens, tends and oversees the 1,000 square foot garden next to Studio at Montage Laguna. Studio’s talented executive chef, Craig Strong, is inspired by the garden, creating dishes that are rich tasting, yet light and healthful. Here’s a shot of Studio’s raised beds. Fruit trees are espaliered against the wall on the…
Whimsy teams with artistry atop Michelle Bracken’s decorated cutout cookies. Themed to holidays, these impressive treats have become a kind of edible calendar for patrons at Zov’s Bistro and Bakery in Tustin, where Bracken is the longtime executive pastry chef. Valentine’s Day through Christmas, these glamorous goodies represent symbols of the season. For me, my favorites are her Easter cookies:…
Orange Coast Magazine’s restaurant critic Gretchen Kurz just named Mix Mix Kitchen Bar as “Restaurant of the Year.” Vision, talent and guts. That’s what it takes for a chef to leave a much respected restaurant to plunge into the hazardous waters of restaurant ownership. Count award-winning Chef Ross Pangilinan as one of those brave owners. In December he opened Mix…
When I was attending college in Los Angeles, downtown L.A. was a ghost town after dark or on weekends. Needless to say, that was a long time ago. A recent weekend spent downtown, gave me a new perspective. It was a tease – a little three-day taste of delicious fun and thought-provoking sites. The city bustles with activity fed by…