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By Laura Wise & Christopher Trela | NB Indy Looking for the ideal spot to take Mom on Mother’s Day? We’ve got you covered with this list of restaurants in and around Newport Beach. BAYSIDE Bayside Restaurant has a three-course prix fixe menu for Mother’s Day for...

Congratulations to Chef Pascal Olhats of Café Jardin in Corona del Mar. This week he came out on top in his OC Chef Life culinary battle against Chef Peter Lai to advance to the final round against Chef Leo Razo, Executive Chef of Villa Roma Argentine & Italian Restaurant in...

By Christopher Trela & Shelly Zavala | NB Indy “Plastics.” Just that word alone conjures images of the classic 1967 film “The Graduate” starring a young Dustin Hoffman as a naïve college student who allows himself to be seduced by the wife of his father’s best friend—played...

Bungalow Extends Restaurant Week  Newport Beach Restaurant Week ended last week—or did it? At The Bungalow Restaurant in Corona del Mar, restaurant week isn’t over, it’s just beginning. Diners can enjoy The Bungalow’s Restaurant Week menu through February 28. The special...

Japanese Whisky Dinner at Bayside Bayside Restaurant is hosting another one of its terrific scotch dinners on February 1—wait, did I say scotch? I meant whisky. Japanese Nikka whisky. Last year, Bayside held scotch dinners that were both tasty and educational, and this whisky...

It’s a heated battle at Bluewater Grill, and a delicious one—the popular seafood landmark is hosting its annual culinary showdown between Europe’s two famous fish stews (French Bouillabaisse and Italian Cioppino). The Bouillabaisse vs. Cioppino tasting event is a month-long...

Bungalow Lunch Special We love a good lunch deal, which is why we’re excited to try the Bungalow’s new $15 lunch special: two courses, plus an optional dessert for a $5 surcharge. The lunch includes a choice of two starters, and a choice of nine entrees, ranging from a half-pound...

Beer lovers have their Tap Takeovers, so why not offer cheese lovers a Cheese Takeover? That’s exactly what SideDoor Gastropub in Corona del Mar does every month. Last month however, the popular foodie hangout (known for its award-winning cheese and charcuterie offerings) held a...

Taco Rosa Hosts Tequila Battle on Mexican Independence Day We love tequila, so you can bet we’ll be attending “Battle of the Tequileros” on Mexican Independence Day, Saturday, September 16th from 1 to 5 p.m. at Taco Rosa, Chef Ivan Calderon’s upscale Mexican restaurant in...

With so many “battle of the chefs” shows on TV these days, it’s not surprising that Orange County chefs would wage their own culinary battles for viewers. OC Chef Life has launched a monthly “Battle of the Chefs” contest held at the Fifth Rooftop Restaurant and Bar in Anaheim,...

Seems like everyone these days is trying to build a better burger—or at least something that’s different from the norm. Umami Burger at The Camp in Costa Mesa recently unveiled a burger that’s impossible to describe—but that’s a good thing, since it’s called the Impossible...

We don’t often dine at the same restaurant on back-to-back nights, but that’s exactly what Christopher did at Bayside last week. On Thursday, June 15, Bayside held a Macallan scotch dinner featuring four courses paired with different vintages and styles of Macallan scotch. The...

Several new restaurants have opened recently on Balboa Island, but there’s one familiar Island bistro that’s celebrating its 20-year anniversary: Basilic. Swiss native Bernard Althaus founded the 24-seat Basilic Restaurant (named after Bernard’s favorite herb) in 1997, and it’s...

 Whether at sea or on land, Celebrity Cruises seems to be everywhere! We’ve become fans of Celebrity Cruises despite having never set foot on one of their deluxe cruise ships. Celebrity Cruises has poured wine at various local events, from the Newport Beach Wine & Food...

By Christopher Trela & Catherine Del Casale | NB Indy Didn’t get your fill of Newport Beach Restaurant Week in January? You’re in luck—Orange County Restaurant Week is March 5-11, and more than 100 restaurants throughout the county are offering prix fixe menus for lunch or...

By Christopher Trela & Catherine Del Casale | NB Indy How many food and wine events can So Cal handle in one year? Apparently, a lot. We just got word about the inaugural Pacific Wine & Food Classic, to be held August 19 and 20 on the sand at Newport Dunes. The event is...

By Christopher Trela & Catherine Del Casale | NB Indy  Christmas is a time for traditions. One of ours is attending the annual production of “A Christmas Carol” at South Coast Repertory. This year is the 37th annual production of the perennial holiday favorite, starring SCR...

By Christopher Trela & Catherine Del Casale | NB Indy  We don’t dine at Montage Laguna Beach as often as we should, but that could change thanks to the new weekend brunch being served at The Loft every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s an a la carte menu from...

By Christopher Trela & Catherine Del Casale It was a weekend of glorious gluttony when we attended the Third Annual Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival, held last Saturday and Sunday at the Civic Center. The epicurean adventure included live cooking demonstrations with...

If that saying “Third Time’s the Charm” is true, then the third annual Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival that takes place Sept. 29 through Oct. 2 at the Newport Beach Civic Center and in nearby restaurants, will be overflowing with delicious events—and judging from the...