This Anaheim restaurant moves to a new spot but still sells its beloved Cal-Mex standards
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
September 03, 2015
Here's a bizarre superstition for you: I don't review restaurants located in buildings that once housed places I previously reviewed. In my mind,... More >>
This Garden Grove restaurant serves awesome Peruvian food
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
August 20, 2015
There are hot sauces, and then there's the marvel called ají de rocoto that Señor Pollo in Garden Grove presents to every table in a squeeze... More >>
This Irvine restaurant serves Indian food that draws in office-park drones and leisurely diners alike
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
August 13, 2015
Irvine is rightfully celebrated for its Taiwanese food, Persian eateries, Diamond Jamboree. But it doesn't nearly get enough credit for Indian... More >>
This Orange restaurant serves seafood from the Mexican state of Sinaloa—and yes, that includes sushi
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
August 06, 2015
Anyone who still buys into the laughable idea there's such a thing as "authentic" Mexican food should go to Emporio Sushi in El Modena, look at... More >>
This Westminster restaurant sells the beloved sandwich, which ain't as popular anymore
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
July 23, 2015
Is the era of bánh mì over? A decade ago, Vietnamese sandwich shops were popping up all over Little Saigon, as the pioneering Lee's Sandwiches... More >>
This Laguna Hills restaurant offers awesome pizzas, subs and strombolis
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
July 16, 2015
One wonders what reservoirs of resolve the owners of Terra Mia Pizzeria in Laguna Hills drew from to open this spot. It's in Laguna Hills, for... More >>
This Tustin restaurant serves an awesome Mexican breakfast and brunch
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
July 02, 2015
Dear Tustin: What the hell is wrong with you? Oh, you're a fine enough city, with one of the most-underrated food scenes in OC. But then I get to... More >>
This Orange restaurant serves the original barbecue
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
June 25, 2015
Over the past decade, Orange has turned into the barbecue capital of OC. From the down-home grub at Smokey Fred's to the epic platters at Smoqued... More >>
Join the cultural lovefest at this Westminster restaurant
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
June 18, 2015
You can't find a better metaphor for modern-day Orange County than the birthday dinner I attended a couple of weeks ago at Sumran Thai Cuisine,... More >>
Now that the luxe-lonchera craze is nearly over, it's time to go back to the roots to visit where it all began: Main Street in SanTana. Every... More >>
This Anaheim restaurant serves Persian food to tourists, cabdrivers, expats—everyone
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
June 04, 2015
Amir, one of the owners of Tanor Fresh Mediterranean Grill in Anaheim, usually stands outside his tiny restaurant, warmly greeting customers as... More >>
This Santa Ana course offers great breakfasts and lunches—and is in danger of closing
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
May 28, 2015
Willowick Golf Course has long been a marvel: The oldest 18-hole public golf course in Orange County, it's a place where any working-class stiff... More >>
This Armenian restaurant draws in everyone from the working-class city with kebabs and more
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
May 21, 2015
This is who I saw eating at Mama's Kabab the last I scarfed down a shawarma sandwich: a hipster gabacha and her black paramour. Armenian men and... More >>
This Newport Beach restaurant serves great Greak food and an interesting hot sauce
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
May 07, 2015
In my nearly 15 years of reviewing restaurants, I've never come across the Greek hot sauce Akropolis in Newport Beach offers in ramekins on all... More >>
This Santa Ana taco truck deserves everyone's business—even the OC Register's food critic
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
April 30, 2015
Even though he doesn't believe it, I'm a fan of Orange County Register food critic Brad A. Johnson ever since his days at Angeleno and Riviera... More >>
This Lebanese restaurant offers typical Middle Eastern fare—but also some rarities
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
April 23, 2015
I thought I'd eaten all of what OC's amazing Middle Eastern restaurants had to offer: the sphihas and hot sauces and Iraqi bread and Egyptian... More >>
It's all sorts of awesome that Soltani Restaurant just opened in SanTana, and not just for the novelty of a Persian eatery in the middle of a... More >>
This Orange restaurant brings alta cocina Mexican to a taquería environment
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
April 02, 2015
At first glance, Urban Cactus in Orange resembles a Chipotle clone as imagined by a fresa: the streamlined look; the emphasis on fresh, organic,... More >>
This Santa Ana restaurant marks the latest Danny Godínez concept and debuts an exciting new chef
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
March 19, 2015
When I heard last year that Anepalco's Cafe's chingón owner Danny Godínez was opening a waffle-sandwich concept, I had to admit I cringed. Bruxië... More >>
This Los Alamitos restaurant is as great as the Seal Beach original
By GUSTAVO ARELLANO,
March 12, 2015
I guess I can talk about the other, non-breakfast-burrito entrées at Nick's Deli II. The hot pastrami sandwich, for instance, is a beautiful pile... More >>