Laguna Culinary Arts

One of my favorite things to do on the last Saturday of every month is go to a wine tasting at Laguna Culinary Arts in Laguna Beach. For $5.00 LCA offers one-ounce pours of eight different wines.

I love going because I always find the atmosphere so relaxing (warm mustard-yellow walls, airy and rustic), the wine good (an excellent way to try new and/or different wines), the cheese wonderful (a huge selection from all over the world) and the staff very knowledgeable (they always describe the wines and cheeses).

The "white" cheese plate

LCA always has a “white” and “red” cheese plate to compliment the wines they are featuring in the tasting. The cost is $12 for two-three people and $18 for a plate that serves three-four people. Wines by the glass and bottle are also for sale.

I’m not an oenophile, by any stretch of the imagination I just enjoy wine. Full Disclosure: I pick my wine based on what the label looks like. I know, I know that’s probably blasphemous, but whatever.

So  mark your calendars now for Saturday, November 28, from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., which is when the next tasting will take place. Laguna Culinary Arts is located at 845 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 and their phone is 949.494.4006.

If you go or have been, let me know what you think. I hope you like it as much as we do.

There is no doubt that now is the time to support local independent businesses.

Patchwork Indie Arts and Crafts Festival happens twice yearly and its happening this Sunday.

You’ll find handmade goods from local vendors including: clothing, accessories, home goods, affordable art and more.  What festival would be complete with out good food and drink… and music!

So support your local vendors and give unique gifts this holiday season!

The festival will be held in Santa Anas Museum District near Bowers Museum.
2022 North Main Street
Santa Ana 92706
Sunday November 15 from 11-5 pm

That’s right folks.  The legendary Kogi BBQ, which has made quite the name for itself in Los Angeles for having amazing Korean BBQ with a bit of a Mexican flair (Korean short rib taco anyone??), and also for utilizing their Twitter account @kogibbq to tell folks where they are at the last minute, is here in Orange County!!!  A special thanks to Jodi from LA Metblogs for pointing this out to us. Their newest truck, affectionately named Naranja (”Orange” in Spanish for you multi-lingually challenged), is making it’s way around our fair side of the curtain.

It looks like they hit up 2 locations each night.  They have the week ahead planned on their website, but it is strongly suggested you follow them on twitter as the locations can change or as I’m reading, sometimes the addresses aren’t quite right.

I don’t know about you, but I am SUPER DUPER excited about this!!!!!  It looks like they’ll be at “Prim Jewelers – 1736 E. Meats Ave, Orange”  from 10:30-Midnight this Wednesday, you’d better believe I’ll be there!

Thank you Kogi!!!

Tonight is the start of the 31st Annual Taste of Greece Festival at St. Pauls Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine.

There will be food, food and more food along with cooking demonstrations, carnival rides, games, music, boutiques, greek dancing lessons and a raffle. You could win 7 days in Athens or you could munch on a gyro and enjoy the entertainment.

Admission in $3, children under 10 for free
Located on 4949 Alton Parkway, Irvine
Friday: 5-10 pm
Saturday: 12-10 pm
Sunday: 12-9 pm

PA’ME NA’ FA’ME!

September 19th & 20th from 10 am until 5 pm head on over to the Huntingon Beach Central Park for the 1st Annual Polynesian Islander Festival!

There will be cultural demonstrations, authentic music, hands-on arts and crafts, vendors, performances, story-telling, villages representing the Pacific Islands and of course, good food.

7111 Talbert Avenue,
Huntington Beach, CA.
92648

A couple of years ago I posted a popular entry about Yogurtland in Fullerton. Since that post, the chain of fro-yo shops has expanded from two locations to fifty! Their newest location, accompanied by their new headquarters, is in Anaheim. Hooray! Fro-yo for all (except Dave because he’s a party-pooper and doesn’t like it)!

It’s about time Anaheim got a taste of the delicious frozen Yogurtland treat. Yougurtland’s newest location can be found at 683 N Euclid St. Anaheim, CA 92801. Maybe I’ll see you there, cause you know, that’s where I will be spending all of my spare time.

Two more pictures after the jump…

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We were thinking of a place to go for dinner when B remember this Pho restaurant he had been to. This tiny little restaurant sits on the corner of a tiny strip mall off a side street in Lake Forest. When we first walked in I looked at all the empty tables and wondered if they were struggling to make it.

The menu is pretty extensive considering the size of the place. 75 dishes to be exact.

Have you ever had Pho before?  Pho is an noodle soup from Vietnam.  

When you order the soup the server brings out this gorgeous plate.  On here you see bean sprouts, basil, lime and green peppers.  These are given to you to add to your soup yourself.  Everyone likes their soup a certain way.  Me?  Well I throw everything in of course.

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There are still tickets available to the Orange County Beer Festival taking place on Sunday, August 30 at Irvine Lake. Please note the web address on the flyer had to be changed due to technical difficulties. This is the active web address: drinkeatplay.com/orangecountybeerfest/ or you can just click on the flyer.

To order tickets click on the top right of the Drink:Eat:Play website or here. Tickets MUST be purchased in advance, none will be available at the door. There is also a designated driver special of $15, which gives you access to everything except the beer tastings, obviously. Enter code “dd” when ordering tickets.

Remember folks it’s gonna be hot, Hot, HOT on Sunday. In addition to all of the wonderful beer we’ll be drinking don’t forget to drink plenty of water. I don’t want to see someone keeling over ’cause, you know, that’d ruin my buzz. All kidding aside drink responsibly people and that means water and lots of it … that goes for yours truly as well. And to prevent this nonsense from happening iced tea and water will be available for FREE.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the  LA Beer Festival on September 19th.

This is a 21+ only event. Even if you are the designated driver you must be 21 to attend.

Sprouts!

Well, OK. It’s been open for a few weeks now, but it’s still new. Sprouts Farmer’s Market is pretty much a cross between Mother’s Market and Trader Joe’s. The prices are very reasonable. I’ve shopped there twice, getting a decent amount of food and have gotten out under $40 both times.

Mmmmmm....fresh fish.

For location and more pictures, follow after the jump! (more…)

Fans of beer and/or drinking, mark your calendars now for Drink:Eat:Play’s first ever Orange County Beer Festival and hopefully not the last. It will be held on Sunday, August 30, 2009 from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Irvine Lake. Please note, this is a 21+ only event.

With so many great Orange Country breweries, the OC shouldn’t be limited to wine tasting and pairings, which are good too. However, it’s about time for OC to have it’s own beer festival. The event will highlight Orange County’s top breweries, in addition to over 60 domestic and international brands. Click for full OC Beer Fest List. Since it really wouldn’t be a festival without food and music they’ve got that covered as well. The festival will feature barbeque, In-n-Out, and some great ’80s glam rock from Metal Shop.

To purchase tickets and for more information, click on the flyer. Tickets are $40 per person and will NOT be available at the door.

Recently a shoe outlet opening, now a festival dedicated to beer and it’s football season again. I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. Go Steelers!!! ;)

For those of you who can’t get enough beer or just one beer festival just won’t do – and really, who wants to limit themselves to one? – there will be another: LA Beer Festival on Saturday, September 19th.

P.S. I will be posting a follow-up blog about my time at the OC Beer Festival.