by Diane | Feb 13, 2019 | Best Restaurants, Uncategorized
Heading into my dining review last week, I circled the block a couple times before I realized there was a spot right there in front of the restaurant. I whipped into the space, put the car in park and gathered my camera, notebook, purse and key to make my exit. At the...
by Diane | Feb 13, 2019 | Best Retail in Laguna Beach, Holiday Events & Gifts
If red “heart” boxes of stale chocolates aren’t your Valentine’s style, Laguna Beach’s Chocolate Soldier is for you. Squeezed into the little alley between the Sapphire Restaurant and Tootsie’s/Laguna Beach Books at the old Pottery Shack, Chocolate Soldier will...
by Diane | Feb 7, 2019 | Best Restaurants
Yesterday, I was talking to one of our Laguna chefs about Valentine’s Day. Oddly, reservations for Valentine’s Day tend to occur well in advance, while Mother’s Day reservations tend to happen at the last minute. Imagine that. If you’re one of the few who’s still...
by Diane | Jan 25, 2019 | Best Restaurants
Chef Mariano (“Maro”) Molteni still remembers the November day when Mo Honarkar suggested that Maro take over the Royal Hawaiian space as the new restaurant owner/operator. “All the hair stood up on my head,” he says with his wide grin. “The Royal Hawaiian … now,...
by Diane | Jan 4, 2019 | OC & LA Chef Interviews
Meet Chef Peter Lai, new Chef of the award-winning Blind Rabbit speakeasy in Anaheim. Chef Peter Lai wasn’t even looking for a new job when he was invited to take a look at The Blind Rabbit … and then he couldn’t even find the door when he showed up for...
by Diane | Jan 4, 2019 | Best Activities
Can you stand still for 90 seconds? The Pageant of the Masters is looking for volunteer cast members fr next summer’s show, The Time Machine. Individuals of all sizes and ages are needed to be cast members in the world’s most famous presentation of...
by Diane | Jan 2, 2019 | Best Restaurants
I know this might sound like a really odd thing to say, but after 30 years of interviewing and marketing some of the most iconic individuals in the world, I still find chefs to be some of the most unique human creatures on our planet. Every time I interview a chef, I...
by Diane | Jan 2, 2019 | OC & LA Chef Interviews
Meet Chef Linda Johnsen, Owner and Chef of the ever-popular Filomena’s in Costa Mesa. Chef Linda purchased the restaurant in 2009 when the real estate market tanked (her primary career at the time), and she’s never looked back. Click to learn more about...
by Diane | Jan 2, 2019 | OC & LA Chef Interviews
Meet Chef Rich Mead the unassuming chef of Farmhouse in Newport Beach at Roger’s Gardens. Chef Mead has been cooking for GIANT tables of guests for years, so he’s looking forward to his return to OC Chef’s Table where he simply tends to 10 guests...
by Diane | Jan 2, 2019 | Best Restaurants
Last night, I stopped in at South of Nick’s with my good friend, Ali North. It was early – 5:00ish – and we had an unexpected number of seats available to us. (If you’re a fan of South of Nick’s, you know that an empty seat is a rarity.)...
by Diane | Jan 2, 2019 | Arts + Laguna Culture
The Sawdust Art Festival will be the new host for the Drepung Gomang Monks Sacred Tibetan Arts Tour, Jan. 28 – Feb. 5. This is a big switch-up from the Tibetan Monks’ usual temporary residence at the Neighborhood Congregational Church. I began covering the...
by Diane | Jan 1, 2019 | Best Restaurants
This year, I have the distinct pleasure and honor of interviewing all the top Orange County chefs participating in the annual March 2019 OC Chef’s Table. For years, I had heard about this “must attend” gala, which raises funds for the Illumination...
