“You’ve never been to The Galley?” asked fellow scribe Lynn Selich after a recent Newport Beach Indy morning staff meeting. “And you live in Newport?”

            It’s true. Of course, Stasha has an excuse—she’s from L.A. But I’m from OC, and the fact that The Galley is something of a local legend somehow escaped my culinary radar. It’s been a hidden Newport Beach gem for more than 50 years, and was one of John Wayne’s favorite breakfast spots.

            “If it’s good enough for The Duke, it’s good enough for me,” I said to Stasha in my best John Wayne voice.

            “I hope the food is better than your impression,” she said with a laugh.

             “I guess we’ll find out,” I replied.

            We found our way to The Galley, which is on the water overlooking Balboa Island, next to a boatyard and marina. Upon entering the restaurant, we discovered an unpretentious, old-school diner that probably has changed little over the last five decades. The space is cramped, with a handful of booths and a short row of counter stools providing the only seating options. We grabbed two open stools, plopped ourselves down at the Formica counter, and perused the menu.

            “This looks pretty basic, which means it’s probably really good,” I said.

            “At least they have egg whites,” noted the health-conscious Stasha.

            Apparently the specialty is a chili-covered omelet, but we passed on that indigestion-inducing delicacy. I opted for a Denver omelet, while Stasha went for an egg white omelet with spinach and mushrooms. We added two cups of Joe and sipped the hot coffee while soaking up the ambiance, trying to read the faded newspaper articles about John Wayne that hung on the wall.

            After a short wait our breakfast arrived, and I could see why The Duke enjoyed dining here. This was classic comfort food, and plenty of it.

            “This is just what I needed,” stated Stasha as she dug into her meal.

            “Indeed,” I agreed while stuffing a large forkful of food into my mouth.

            We finished breakfast in record time. The bill came, and I started to slide my credit card onto the counter until I saw a sign that read “Cash Only.” Good thing I had hit the ATM that morning.

             With enough ammo in our bellies to handle a posse, we paid our tab and left the Galley, knowing we’d found a restaurant that The Duke would say had “True Grit.”  

            The Galley is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and does not take reservations or credit cards. It’s at 829 Harbor Island Drive, (949) 673-4110.         

En Garde for Swordfish

            My windowless office was starting to get to me, so I asked Chris to recommend a place for a quick business lunch.

             “My requirements are seafood, quick service, and marina/outdoor dining.” I told him. “Before I head back to my dark cubicle, I need sea air and sunshine.” .

            “I’ve got just the place.” Chris said. He recommended the Bluewater Grill Seafood Restaurant and Oyster Bar, located on Lido Peninsula at the former site of The Sea Shanty and Delany's.

            Bluewater Grill is a classic fish house that has items to satisfy any craving or budget, but right now the haute seafood du jour is harpooned swordfish. What’s so special about this? Bluewater Grill has their own deep-sea vessel fish the local waters between Catalina and San Clemente Island to deliver mature swordfish the same day via special on-board blast refrigerators.

            Excited about trying this high-quality “Gladiator Fish” but enthralled by all the other seafood choices, I suggested to Chris we share a few items from the menu. We started with Bluewater Grill’s famous oyster shooters in tomato, cucumber and wasabi, followed by the Shrimp and Crab Louie Salad, which was loaded with seafood. I was excited to see Old Bay Seasoning on the table and explained to Chris that this was the seafood spice of choice back east.

            “I haven’t seen this in ages. I grew up along the Chesapeake, and you put Old Bay on everything. Everything,” I said, sprinkling it over my salad with a heavy hand.

            We decided to split a glass of Ferrari-Carano 2009 Fumé Blanc, and its citrus, mango, and vanilla notes complemented our selections perfectly.

            Our entrée arrived and I looked up at Chris after my first bite.

“If I’d known how good this Blackened Swordfish with citrus salsa was going to be, I seriously would have ordered my own.” 

            “I seriously wish you had,” Chris stated as he watched the meaty, tender and terrifically spicy fish disappear from the plate.

            Swordfish season runs for a limited time, so rush to Bluewater Grill soon. However, be prepared to protect your portion. Call (949) 675-FISH or visit BluewaterGrill.com.

For those food zealots in the know, the opening of True Food Kitchen is the equivalent of having a culinary Mecca right in our own backyard, because the new place to worship organic, sustainable, heart-healthy food is as close as Fashion Island.

The wellness guru behind the restaurant is none other than Dr. Andrew Weil, the best-selling, healthy-living author, pioneer and leader in the field of integrative medicine.

Dr. Weil’s motto for True Food Kitchen is great tasting, globally inspired cuisine that nourishes the body, mind and spirit. The restaurant celebrates high-quality, locally sourced ingredients with a menu that emphasizes vegetables, whole grains and proteins, yet never sacrifices flavor.

Curious to find out what all the masses had been raving about since his flagship store in Phoenix opened, Stasha and I set out on a culinary pilgrimage to the Newport Beach shrine. And because Stasha is a proponent of healthy dining, this is her take on our experience dining at True Food:

 “Normally you would have to go to a destination spa and resort to eat this way,” I explained to Chris. “This is a big deal for Southern California and especially Newport. This kind of cuisine has cult status, not only because it’s healthy, but it’s good for the environment, the farmers - it’s just good on so many levels.”

Upon entering the restaurant we noted how the interior design was an integral part of the body, mind, and spirit connection. Simple, inviting, and at 7,200 square feet, extremely spacious and open, the True Food design is green at heart with a lovely patio setting and outdoor dining area. A long, narrow fire pit and a "living wall" of live plants enhance the ambience. The subdued décor is modern yet comfortable - a place Frank Lloyd Wright would definitely appreciate.

After being seated at a cozy table for two, we perused the menu, which listed a variety of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free items among the many delicious-sounding dishes. While we debated which appetizers and entrees to order, Beverage Director Regan Jasper came to our table to enlighten us about the beverage and wine program at True Food, which not surprisingly adheres to the healthy dining concept.

“We want to reward wineries that do things right with their farming practices,” said Regan. “We are after sustainably farmed, organically, or bio-dynamically farmed vineyards and want to reward the wineries that farm without pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals. Almost half of the wineries on our wines-by-the-glass menu are certified organic, the rest are sustainably farmed. You’ll be surprised by some of the names that are organically farmed.”

He was right - Frogs Leap and Robert Hall were just two of many names we recognized on the wine list. Chris ordered a glass of Robert Hall Syrah from Paso Robles, but after listening to Regan describe the organic, and chemical-free ingredients used in the signature cocktails, I chose to put myself in his expert, mixologist’s hands. My faith served me well.

“This is a cucumber, kumquat skinny margarita,” said Regan, as he placed the cool libation in front me. “We use organic tequila, fresh kumquat, cucumbers, agave nectar, and a splash of soda water. I think you’ll find it very refreshing.”

“This is delicious. It tastes so fresh, and alive. I can tell there’s nothing artificial in it, but it doesn’t taste skinny. I don’t feel guilty at all. In fact, after tasting this, I don’t ever want a regular margarita again.”

“We don’t use simple syrups, additives, or artificial sweeteners. Everything is live, organic, and then muddled,” he explained before returning to the bar to whip up more cocktails.

We chose to share Edamame Dumplings and the Hamachi Sashimi for appetizers, the Tuscan Kale salad and the Ahi Tuna salad, and finally, Wild Pacific Halibut with Peruvian potatoes, asparagus, snap peas, ginger and umami sauce, as well as the grilled Steelhead Salmon with local arugula, beets, lemon and pomegranate.

“I am so excited about this restaurant,” I said as Regan handed Chris his wine and placed another cocktail in my hand. I took a sip and exclaimed, “You have got to be kidding me- - this is crazy good. What is this?”

“An Acai Mojito with muddled blueberries,” he replied.

“Wait until you taste this,” I said, thrusting the drink into Chris’ hand.

“Nice,” he agreed, “I’m wondering if maybe I should have stuck to cocktails tonight instead of wine.” 

“No way. You love your wines. Plus, you can’t swirl a martini glass.” I grinned.

“Are you a whisky girl?” Regan asked me. I nodded. “This is called Temecula Honey. We take black tea, steep it to ten times its strength, add rye one whisky, a splash of Averna from Italy, then mix in lemon and honey.”

“I love this! It has a maple quality to it; an oaky, smoky, honey maple, whiskey flavor. The sweetness is balanced with the honey. I swear this makes Jack Daniels and coke taste like an imposter.”

Our attention was diverted by the dishes that arrived.

“Oh! Look how absolutely exquisite and vibrant this food looks,” I said to Chris.

“Kind of like you,” he said with a smirk on his face.

I ignored his remark and proceeded to dig into the appetizers.

“The Hamachi, ginger and radishes are an unbelievable combination. I’m going to fight you for the last piece. And the Edamame dumplings are to die for.”

Our salads arrived, and this time I actually had the pleasure of seeing Chris swoon over the Tuscan Kale salad. “I’ve never had a kale salad, never thought I’d want a kale salad, but now that I’m eating a kale salad, I think it is phenomenally good.” he said with awe.

We shared the entrees and marveled at the intense flavors that exuded from the Steelhead and Halibut.  

Dr. Weil strolled past our table and stopped to ask what we thought of the food.

 “Amazing, wonderful, brilliant, gorgeous food,” I said, beaming.

 “This salmon is amazing,” said Chris. “Unbelievable. This may be the most healthy and delicious dinner I’ve ever had. This has really been an educational food experience for me. I was skeptical at first, but I was sold after tasting the Kale salad. I could eat here every day.”

We were so full we had to pass on dessert, but we both agreed that we’d return to the holy temple of healthy food preparation very soon. Mind, body and spirits nourished, True Food Kitchen made staunch believers out of both of us.

Read our 10 Questions with Dr. Andrew Weil here.

By Stasha Surdyke

After a long day of work, deadlines before us, and little time to catch dinner, Chris and I found ourselves at a point where sustenance was definitely in order. A mutual desire for Mexican food and the encroaching 11^th hour might have meant a trip to the local taco joint, but Chris suggested we comb the late-night dining listings before making a hasty decision.

Thank goodness he did, because we stumbled upon SOL Cocina, a shining example of traditional Baja-style cuisine that’s fresh, fabulous, and aesthetically stunning.

“I’ve been meaning to go there, they just celebrated their first year at the old Mama Gina’s location on Coast Highway so it’s about time we went,” said Chris.

Upon entering the restaurant, old-world Mexican charm greeted us: plush leather booths, wrought-iron chandeliers, dark wood ceiling beams, hammered train nail accents (in the bar), an open kitchen with counter seating, and a marina view.

We were led to a table near the kitchen, where we could simultaneously watch the culinary action and look out at the darkened marina.

Since this was our first time at SOL, our server explained a little of the restaurant’s culinary philosophy.

“Our menu reflects the Baja tradition and lifestyle. Everything is simple, fresh and flavorful. It’s designed for sharing, because Baja is an adventure and as you probably know, adventures are best shared.”

With that, Chris and I began perusing the menu’s vibrant and exotic fare. Before we got very far, the bartender asked us if we cared for a muddled cocktail from the specialty drink list. Of course, I gave him the third degree, asking about the 60 artisan tequilas they have to choose from and every possible combination of herbs, fruits, and juices.

“If you don’t make a decision soon, the kitchen will close before we even put in our order, and then we really will have to go to a taco stand,” said Chris.

“I know, I know. I just can’t make up my mind. They all sound so good. Alright, these are my top two choices, surprise me,” I conceded to the bartender.

He returned minutes later and placed the Cucumber Jalapeno Margarita before me.

“I thought this might suit your tastes,” said the bartender. “It has muddled cucumber, jalapeno pepper, Corzo Blanco tequila, lime juice and agave nectar.”

I tentatively took a first sip, then looked up in surprise, “You know, I’m not much of a tequila drinker, but this is one of the most unique cocktails I’ve ever tried. I thought the jalapeno might singe me from the tip of my taste buds all the way to my eardrums, but I was wrong.  It’s cool at first, finishes with a slight kick, and then zing-wowie!” 

Chris had the blueberry acai margarita with Corralejo Blanco tequila, Veev Acai liquor, blueberries, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar. I took a sip and said “I’m very surprised by this, too. It has a slight sweetness that’s balanced with a tart, citrus finish.”

“Kind of like you,” said Chris with a smile.

We place our order, sipped our cocktails, and munched on house-made tortilla chips served with a duo of smoked chipotle and tomatillo salsas. They hinted at the unique flavors we were about to experience.

Our first dish arrived seconds later, a raw sashimi-grade halibut ceviche, tossed with fresh lime juice, pico de gallo, serrano chiles, and served with sliced avocado & tostadas.

“This is really superb. The fresh halibut is sweet and mild, and the heat of the chiles is subtle. I understand now why they refer to it as Baja-fresh. You can taste the sea,” I told Chris.”

Up next was halibut taco gobernador: grilled Alaskan halibut, Oaxacan cheese, with lemon and garlic. Again, another wonderful mix of south-of-the-border flavors.

We asked our server about the most popular dish, and he brought us an order of taco vampiro—a double tortilla with melted cheese, Serrano chilies and scallions in the first layer, and carne asada, guacamole & pico de gallo inside, with cotixa and chipotle aioli.

“This is fabulous—but will I turn into a vampire afterwards?” laughed Chris.

The toritos sounded good: spicy yellow güero chiles stuffed with whole shrimp sautéed with garlic and butter, and Oaxacan cheese, roasted & served hot with mango habanero salsa.

I tasted it and broke out in applause. “It’s going to be hard to beat this one.”

While waiting for out final dish to make its way out of the kitchen, we order more drinks. I thought the ginger tangerine martini (ginger and tangerine combined with Pom Wonderful!, Corzo Blanco tequila, and shaken with lime) sounded good, while Chris ordered the watermelon margarita, with crushed watermelon, Corralejo Blanco tequila, simple syrup, and fresh lime juice.

“This is good—mild and sweet,” said Chris.

Just then, the lamb taco borracho arrived. The lamb sirloin grilled with chile chocolate adobo with salsa borracha and mole sauce was a sensational taste treat, but we were both getting full and could barely finish the dish.

“Did you save room for dessert?” asked our server. “We have a nice chocolate banana bread pudding.”

Chris and I looked at each other.

“No, but maybe we’ll share a dessert cocktail,” I said thoughtfully to Chris.

“How about the raspberry margarita?”

“Done.”

We sipped our final cocktail and wondered why we had waited so long to enjoy the warmth and cuisine of SOL.

SOL is now offering has a new experience available to guests on yachts docked at their Balboa Marina location. It’s called Dock n’ Dine, with several menus available for small groups who want to order SOL cuisine to go or settle in for full service dockside dining.

“SOL’s location at the Balboa Marina is prime docking for those looking for the perfect ambiance to enjoy a sunny afternoon or a scenic nightscape,” explains Rich Howland, operating partner of SOL Cocina. “With the many boats visiting our docks throughout the week, it only seemed natural to want to tend to their needs by offering catered dockside service, complete with beer, wine and SOL’s fresh margarita kit.”

For more information on SOL, call 949.675.9800 or visit www.solcocina.com .

Chef Pascal Olhats has been a tradition in Newport Beach for more than two decades. In fact, his flagship restaurant is called Traditions by Pascal, and it is indeed a traditional French restaurant.

Pascal has gone on to open several more locations in the Newport Beach area, and last year took over French 75 in Fashion Island. He renamed it Brasserie Pascal, and put his own unique stamp on the menu.

In celebration of the one year anniversary of Brasserie Pascal, Chef Pascal created a special four-course Summer Truffle Festival menu that focused on – you guessed it – truffles, imported from France and skillfully integrated into each dish.

When Stasha (a former professional chef) heard about this menu, she gasped. “I love truffles! We have to go.”

And go we did. We arrived at Brasserie Pascal on a recent Saturday night and were promptly seated at a cozy corner booth. I brought a bottle of Joseph Phelps 2002 Insignia to enjoy with dinner, which our server, Rachel Stalls, decanted for us.

“Shall we start with champagne?” asked Stasha. She does enjoy her bubbly. We chose the Piper Heidseick Brut. While perusing the menu, Pascal came to the table and introduced himself.

“Happy anniversary!” declared Stasha. “The menu is beautiful.”

“And affordable,” I added.

“Thank you,” replied Pascal. “The idea of a brasserie is good French food that should be affordable to everyone. You can get lunch or dinner any time of the day.”

“This is my first time here, and I’m excited to try the truffle menu,” confided Stasha.

“We decided to create a special truffle menu and make it a reasonable price ($55 per person). We can do it with summer truffles because they’re not as strong as a winter truffles so they’re more affordable,” explained Pascal.

Rachel came back to take our order. The first two courses were set, but we had to choose our entrees. I knew the Insignia would pair well with the filet mignon, but Stasha opted for the Cornish game hen.

“When I saw that on the menu, I said done deal, especially with the truffle risotto and foie gras,” she said.

After some debate, we also went with sautéed halibut served with black truffle and sauce demi-deuil. I wasn’t sure what that translated to, but I knew it would be great. I also had this sinking feeling that the Insignia was going to go to waste, especially when Pascal urged us to try his suggested wine pairings with each course. How could we say no to Pascal?

Our first course soon arrived: Brouillade de Truffles Noires—cage-free scrambled egg and black truffles, along with butter, chives, sourdough bread and arugula. This was paired with Cahors Chateau St. Didier Parmcee 2007. Stasha and I agreed the dish was fabulous, as was the wine. More appropriate than the Insignia.

Chef Pascal Olhats serves up black truffle consommé en croute at Brasserie Pascal.Next to come was black truffle consommé en croute, delivered to our table by Pascal himself.

“That is gorgeous,” said Stasha as Pascal placed the pastry-covered bowl of warm liquid at our table. We gently pushed our spoons through the pastry to uncover the broth.

“This is a surprisingly delicate dish,” I said. “I thought it would be a lot heavier.”

“I love it,” stated Stasha. “This consommé is gorgeous, garnished by a beautiful balloon of puff pastry with truffles on top.”

Stasha paused and stared at me. “You’re slurping the consommé. Don’t slurp.”

“It’s hot,” I replied.

“Blow on it, but don’t slurp!”

I sheepishly took another spoonful of consommé and gently blew on it before placing the spoon in my mouth. I took a sip of the wine that went with this dish: Pineau des Charentes Dom de la Margotoue. Again, another nice selection. More appropriate than the Insignia.

Pascal returned to our table with a bottle of wine and three glasses.

“I was in Paso Robles last week and brought back some Pinot Noir from Ascension Ridge,” said Pascal. “I’d like you to try it and see what you think.”

Paso is my favorite wine region, so I knew I was in for a treat. Pascal poured three glasses and sat down to see how we were enjoying the meal.

“This pinot is lovely,” remarked Stasha. “It has a beautiful finish that lingers on the palate.”

            “Kind of like you,” I said under my breath as I reached for a piece of bread and spread what looked like some sort of aioli on top of it. We chatted about Paso Robles wines and how beautiful the area was, and discovered that Pascal and his wife were married in Paso. No wonder he loves it so much.

Pascal returned to the kitchen as Rachel walked by our table.

“What is in this aioli?” asked Stasha. 

“Olives and anchovies. It’s extremely addictive and easily accessible to me,” she said with a knowing look.

Stasha and I laughed as Rachel went to fetch our entrees. She returned moments later with the Cornish hen and the halibut.

“This looks magnificent,” swooned Stasha. “This is beautiful. May I serve you, Chris?”

Stasha split the entrees so we could each sample both dishes.

            “What is this sauce? It’s gorgeous,” said Stasha. “And the leaks. I have to have your leaks, they’re incredible. And this sauce has 3,000 calories in every bite. I must know what it is. Wow.”

Rachel explained the crème fraiche sauce as she poured us glasses of the Insignia.

“My wine goes with absolutely nothing, would you like to try some?” I asked Rachel with a laugh. She nodded and went to get a glass.

“This is all amazing—and we still have more coming? The salad? I was done at the halibut. I am so in trouble,” lamented Stasha. “Thank God there is no dessert, is there?”

“We have chocolate soufflé,” said Rachel.

“Oh no, I am done for! We’ll have a small one.“

Rachel left to place our soufflé order, then returned with our final course: goat cheese salad with black truffle, candied walnuts and Dijon vinaigrette. She also placed two glasses of Schumberger Reisling 2006 Les Pricees Abbes in front of us.

Stasha had a sip of the wine and a bite of the salad, and started to cry.

“Amazing, absolutely amazing. And we still have the soufflé coming.”

“This has been an incredible meal,” Stasha told Pascal when he came to bid us goodnight. “We’re so happy here.”

Rachel arrived with the soufflé, and it looked and tasted as decadent as it sounded.

“I guess the Insignia didn’t need to go with anything, it’s a meal in itself—even after the soufflé with chocolate sauce and Cointreau whipped cream,” I reasoned.

We sipped the last of the Insignia and relished in the afterglow of an amazing culinary experience.

Pascal has a new special on the Brasserie menu: filet mignon and baked lobster with risotto for only $20. For more information on Pascal’s restaurants, visit www.pascalnpb.com.

What kind of fare is at the fair?

That was our goal last weekend: to suss out the healthy, and not-so-healthy, culinary delights on display at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa.

Stasha had never been to the OC Fair, but I go several times every year. I knew most of the food options to be found at the Fair, but Stasha had no idea what decadent gastronomic goodies awaited us.

Stasha and I set out for the fair with empty stomachs – generally not a very smart thing to do, but absolutely necessary for this adventure. And, to make it more fun, I gave Stasha my notepad and let her list the many decadent delights we encountered.  Here’s her take on the food at the OC Fair:

After a quick pit-stop in the petting zoo (I can’t resist the baby fawns, goats and llamas), Chris and I agreed to do a once-over of the food selections before making any choices. Realizing there was a veritable smorgasborg before us, we bypassed one brightly colored food stand after another, all of which seemed to offer such common items as pizza, burgers, fries, nachos and hotdogs.

Suddenly, we stopped and gawked at one food purveyor’s unique wares. Against our will (or at least mine), we were drawn helplessly to a large stall resembling a culinary freak show. Riveted by the bizarre and grotesque pictures of the menu items, I couldn’t help but read aloud each outrageous and mind-boggling item.

Yes, I have to admit that Chicken Charlie’s got my vote for their completely original and not-so-healthy preparation of familiar favorites.

Sure, you could opt for a healthy grilled chicken breast or a fish taco, but why do that when you could have a Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich, a deep-fried White Castle burger, fried frog’s legs, or a fried zucchini-weeny with a side of fried avocado? If that doesn’t whet your whistle, how about fried Twinkies, Oreos or Smores? These are just a few of the fried dessert items Chicken Charlie’s has in store for customers.  

The deep fried Klondike Bar got my attention.

“It’s a new item for us this year. We take the Klondike Bar (vanilla ice cream and chocolate fudge), dip it in a light pancake batter, then deep-fry it,” said Tony Beghosian, manager of Chicken Charlie’s. “The winning combination of textures and temperatures make it a huge success. Think of it as a reversed pie a la mode.”

“We’ve tried and fried just about everything you could possibly imagine. And I mean some really far-out, crazy things. But our tasting team is very selective and only the best items make it onto the menu.” added Tony.

With this, he thrust a fried Klondike Bar into my hands and said, “Try it.”

Having resisted temptation up to this point, obligation made me take the first bite.  That was my undoing. I have no excuse for finishing the rest of it.

“What happened to my iron will?” I asked.

“That’s obvious. It should have been an iron won’t.” Chris replied.

Now that we had dessert before dinner, Chris and I rationalized our indulgence by making our way backwards to entrees. We shared a grilled chicken kabob, a BBQ smoked tri-tip sandwich, and a shrimp cocktail with diced avocado, cucumber, and jalapenos in a light, tomato broth. 

It sounds like a lot of food, but the portions weren’t over-the-top. But then again, I did let Chris eat most of them. After I calculated my fried splurge in mounting horror, I became consumed with caloric guilt.

“But this is what the fair is all about,” reasoned Chris. “You can afford to indulge once in a while.”

Feeling the need to walk off a few calories, we wandered indoors to gaze at the artful fare available for foodies.  On display were amazing and complex bread sculptures by Chef Bruno Albouze, live food sculpting and carving demonstrations by artist Jim Victor, and the Ice Museum, presented by Carving Ice, which contained works of art and architecture rendered entirely of ice.

One of the most unique competitions we discovered was the table setting contest which featured creative and imaginative arrangements for every kind of event or holiday. The designs ranged from a Mad Hatter-themed tea to a “Twilight“ werewolf dinner party.

Winding our way past the Knott’s Berry Farm pie eating contest, we headed to the baked goods competition, where to our delight, we discovered that Chris had won 3^rd Place for his chocolate chip cookies! Of course, that called for a celebration, and what better place to do that than the wine tasting area in The Courtyard? For $3 you get two 1 oz. pours, so Chris and I eagerly began sampling the gold, silver and bronze medal winners, debating the merits of each varietal as we sipped.

Our mission completed, we headed out. Our faces beamed from the fun we had, and our stomachs were full from the delicious fare we consumed at the OC Fair.