OISF Facebook

Go!

The annual Orange International Street Fair is this weekend--the festival that always signifies the end of summer with one last hurrah. The scene will be familiar if you've been to it during its over forty year run: The parking will suck, but there will be plenty of domestic beer (care of Budweiser, its official sponsor) in flimsy cups of the variety that the snobs will turn their noses at, and food from "internationally" themed streets.

More »

Photo by Cleo Tobbi

It's good

Welcome to the first installment of The Fermentor, where I will sit down with Orange County's craft beer brewers to learn more about what got them here and what got them brewing. First is Brandon Fender and his wife Robyn Spevacek, owners of The Good Beer Company in Santa Ana. This October will mark their one-year anniversary of slinging ambitious farmhouse saisons and sours. Here's a look at what got them started.

More »

Photo by Charles Lam

It's healthy for you.

We're past the halfway point of 100 Favorite Dishes countdown! Every day until the publication of our fantabulous Best Of Issue, we'll list our favorite meals this year in descending order. Enjoy, pass it on, and tune in daily!

And here it is, everyone, the end of the Charles Lam-almost-everything-is-a-dessert 100 Favorites week. The cap this time is a classic: the carrot cake from Alta Coffee. I know, I know, it's not made of liquid nitrogen, and it's not one thing mashed up with another, but it's wholesome and wonderfully sweet and heartwarming.

More »

Paul Bernabe

Any talk of burgers--sacred food of 'Murrica--tends to bring out people's passionate side, where even those with the calmest dispositions will write comments in ALL CAPS on our articles fighting for their favorite burger joint ("In-N-Out sucks! Five Guys is way better! Don't tell anyone, but I like The Habit better than In-N-Out." Sound familiar?) But when things are both free and for a good cause, it's time to put that fire aside and just appreciate what's being offered. That's right--until the end of September, The Habit is offering a free Charburger with cheese your next visit if you donate $2 to No Kid Hungry, a national nonprofit whose goal is ending child hunger and making sure all kids have access to nutritional food. Everyone wins!

More »

Photo by Ernesto Andrade

Serious ceviche-makers and eaters know that great ceviche is about quality, not quality. The dish is a celebration of simplicity--after all, it only has a few ingredients: raw fish, citrus juices, salt, pepper, and sometimes diced onions and cilantro. This calls attention to the smallest of details like the thickness of the fish's cut, how long the fish marinates in the citrus juice, and finding the right balance between salt and juice.

Such attention, luckily, is found in various restaurants across Orange County where chefs have taken the classic dish, mastered it, and added their own touch.

More »

Photo by LP Hastings

Let us take photos of food!

When I say the parking lot in front of Tra House is a mess, I don't mean that figuratively. Most of the painted lines that separate one space from the next are either faded or nonexistent, and if you manage to find an empty spot in the anarchic chaos that ensues every Saturday night, your car won't likely fit unless it's a golf cart. After you leave your vehicle, hoping it'll survive the night un-dinged, you tiptoe around a postapocalyptic landscape of cigarette butts, errant bits of trash and bald spots of dirt, then pass an open garbage container whose stench makes you instinctively cover your nose and mouth. But as with anything in Little Saigon, you can't judge the restaurant by the parking lot, especially this one. The Boiling Crab empire was born right here, and its original location still packs 'em in a few doors down from Tra House. But these days, Tra House is the main draw--and it's an oasis of cool and a sanctuary from the hellishness you just trudged through.

More »

Photo courtesy Clay Oven

Chef Geeta knows how to network

Geeta Bansal is no stranger to our food blog. Chef, journalist, parent and overall busy lady, her plate is perpetually full of events and travel. An institution in Irvine, Clay Oven's chef network is an impressive list of local and international friends. We're always interested in what's coming up next.

The same can also be said about Zov Karamardian. With five locations throughout Orange County, her restaurant portfolio would make any chef envious. Respected in the industry, their flagship bistro/bakery + cafe/marketplace in Tustin is a perfect example of her talent. With that much experience, it's obvious Zov and Geeta know how to throw a special event.

More »

Photo by Jennifer Wang

I'll take all of 'em

We're past the halfway point of 100 Favorite Dishes countdown! Every day until the publication of our fantabulous Best Of Issue, we'll list our favorite meals this year in descending order. Enjoy, pass it on, and tune in daily!

Chinese egg tarts are some of the best bite-sized desserts you can get. Tender, soft with a mellow and rich sweetness, I'll take one over any petit four any day of the week (twice if it's dim sum Sunday).

But even with its perfection, even the average egg tart has some flaws. The crust can get crumbly, more short bread than layers of fat. The egg custard can get too heavy and leave a sickly feel in your mouth. The egg tart from 85 Degrees, however, suffers none of these problems.

More »

Still the one, mate!

In my review of Outpost Kitchen two months ago to this day, I said that "As with all seasonal cooks, [Chef Andre] Sickinger rotates out his menu routinely. The last few weeks saw a honey-glazed roast pork, a slow-braised lamb and a flawless pan-seared Alaskan sea bass; they might not ever come back."

Little did I know that last part would apply to the chef himself. Last week, Anne Marie broke the news that Sickinger, a.k.a. "The Surfers Chef", severed ties with Outpost Kitchen.

More »

Anne Marie Panoringan

Feelin' cheesy(steak)

Determining city limits can be tricky when it comes to certain destinations. Take Newport Beach, for example. In this blog post, we've got one new eatery over by Balboa Fun Zone, and the other towards John Wayne Airport. Yet both are considered the same city. Orange County is funny like that.

First up, the group that brought you Rancho Santa Margarita's The Blind Pig recently opened the second outpost of their deli concept. From traditional cheese steak to a "You're kidding, right?" spaghetti bolognese version, The Trough's making diners think twice about what's for lunch. For hungry appetites, we suggest the vice: a hot sammich of carnitas, ham, Swiss, pickled peppers and mustard on a cornmeal roll. Serving breakfast all day is a bonus, as is the one people-watching table out front.

More »