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Sweet and Saucy Shop recently opened in the Crystal Cove Shopping Center, and of course I was intrigued by the name. After some research, I learned that co-owner and pastry chef Melody Brandon opened her flagship sweet shop in Long Beach four years ago, but this was her first...

Tommy Bahama apparel is synonymous with summer, so it makes sense that the Tommy Bahama Island Grill in Corona del Mar Plaza has introduced new menu items that reflect the season. The regular menu already celebrates the Island lifestyle, but Executive Chef Jacquelyn Nabong has...

“One of my favorite musicals is coming to Segerstrom Center for the Arts: ‘Les Miserables,’” I told Catherine, my editorial assistant. “I’ve always wanted to see it,” she replied. “Well then, we have to go!” I stated. “And I know the perfect dining spot to prepare us for an...

In little more than two years, SOL Cocina on Coast Highway has carved a niche in the culinary community by serving authentic south-of-the-border cuisine in an upscale, buoyant ambiance. That’s a tribute to Chef Deborah Schneider, whose fresh interpretation of Coastal Mexican...

It’s impossible to ignore the grand piano in the Bayside Restaurant lounge, just as it’s impossible to ignore the musical masters that tinkle the ivories while diners enjoy dinner and a cocktail. Bayside is one of the few restaurants that offers live music most nights of the...

Tradition is a tremendous responsibility, especially in the restaurant world where dedicated diners frequent favorite culinary haunts for familiar palate-pleasing dishes. So when Chef Pascal Olhats closed his award-winning Tradition restaurant earlier this year after more than...

“Memorial Day is coming up next week – you know what that means, don’t you?” I asked Catherine, my editorial assistant. “It means I get a day off?” she replied hopefully “Well, maybe on Monday, but I’m going to make you work on Saturday and Sunday,” I said with a smil...

Looking for last minute Mother’s Day dining ideas? Several of Newport’s most classic and classy restaurants are ready to welcome you and your mom. Five Crowns has been around for more than four decades but has remained a popular upscale dining hotspot. Mother’s Day is no...

You can’t judge a film festival by its parties – or can you? The Newport Beach Film Festival just ended it’s 13th annual affair with 500 films crammed into seven days of cinematic and sensory overload, which is just what film fans crave. Those seven days (technically eight...

Balboa Island is one of those cute, quaint communities that is often overlooked when discussing delicious dining destinations in and around Newport Beach. I’m as guilty of that oversight as most mainlanders. Island dwellers covet their enclave and the hidden gastronomic gems that...

“Ciao, bella,” I said to my editorial assistant, Catherine, when she arrived at the office. “Ciao,” she replied. “Is there a reason we’re speaking Italian today? Have you been watching Italian movies?” “No, just getting in the mood for tonight’s San Marino wine dinner at...

Eight hundred volunteers, 450 films, 50 countries, 14 screens and seven days comprise the staggering statistics behind an incredible experience for cinema junkies.They define the Newport Beach Film Festival, which takes place April 26 – May 3 at venues throughout Newport Beach...

“Wow. Wow. Wow.” Those were the first three words that came out of my mouth after just one bite of the new Salmon Wellington entrée just added to the menu at Great Maple in Fashion Island. I don’t often sample dishes at the same spot twice in one month, but after trying some of...

I know I’m not the only foodie in town who enjoys foie gras, a decadent delicacy made from duck or goose liver. That enjoyment will end July 1, when a statewide ban on foie gras goes into effect. Animal-rights activists were successful in getting California legislators to pass a...

“I view food,” I stated to Catherine, my editorial assistant. “I think you mean I see food,” she corrected. “Well, normally, yes. But in this case, it’s iViu food. You know that new location-based app called iViu we tried out at Hi-Time Wine Cellar recently?” “Of course. Even...

Say it’s not so, Pascal! But it’s true – after 24 years of serving sensational French cuisine, Pascal Olhats will hang his chef’s coat in the kitchen of his beloved Tradition by Pascal restaurant in Newport Beach for the last time on Feb. 15. Pascal says he wants to...