Best Of
2012 Edition
- Arts & Entertainment
- Bars & Clubs
- Food & Drink
- People & Places
- Shopping & Services
- Sports & Recreation
Gentle readers: Behold our annual Best Of issue, in which we bring you blurb after blurb about Orange County’s finest and brightest! But while a casual observer may think compiling an issue of blurbs is easy, far from it: every such endeavor is a military exercise in discipline, in forging wayward freelancers into a troop of battle-hardened scribes, and then setting them loose on the county. Consider this our manual from that experience: Now YOU get to go scalp Nazis; scour the county’s best dives, greatest artists and finest shops; and defeat Hitler!
That’s why our theme this year is in homage to The Dirty Dozen, that dazzling flick starring Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Jim Brown, Charles Bronson—basically every Hollywood badass who wasn’t Clint Eastwood in his pre-chair-talking days or Steve McQueen. Besides, we’ll use any excuse to have hot girls and guys cavorting in tiki bars with guns, as well as guacamole on heaving breasts (check out our hot pictures—the Andrews Sisters, our models ain’t). Enjoy, and don’t forget to download our Best Of app, which is FREE!
And don't miss our interviews with OC's best: Teri Sforza, Orange County Register investigate reporter; Jody Agius Vallejo, USC sociology professor; Forrest Cokely, Hi-Times Wine Cellars master; Rachel Nguyen, That’s Chic fashionista; Kat Secor, Team Destiny paintball queen; Eddie Day, one-man band at the Fling; Danny Godinez, culinary genius at Anepalco’s; Anaïs Tangie, SoCo Farmers’ Market empress; Jeremy Cross, dark artist; David Carnevale & Joey Baital, co-founders of Theatre Out; Bill Bennett, president of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund; and Sami Matar, Muslim-radio pioneer.
With contributions by Gustavo Arellano, Dave Barton, Joel Beers, Kelsey Bowen, Jay Brockman, Michael Chin, Matt Coker, Stacy Davies, Erin DeWitt, Josh Dulaney, Brandon Ferguson, Edwin Goei, LP Hastings, Taylor Hamby, Charles Lam, Dave Lieberman, Patrice Marsters, R. Scott Moxley, Yasmin Nouh, Shuji Sakai, Gabriel San Román, Nick Schou, Amber Stephens, Priscilla Vega and Michelle Woo.
Arts & Entertainment Awards
- Best Folk ActJulian Porte
- Best DJDJ Kaboom
- Best New BandRobert Jon & the Wreck
- Best Indie BandYellow Red Sparks
- Best Indie Film TheaterRegal's Edwards University Town Center 6
- Best Saved MuralsLemon Street Overpass
- Best Building to See Before It's Radically AlteredCrystal Cathedral
- Best Return of the NativeJohn Spiak
Bars & Clubs Awards
- Best Neighborhood Bar, South CountyAnthill Pub
- Best Neighborhood Bar, Coastal OCCassidy's Bar & Grill
- Best Neighborhood Bar, North OCBrian's Beer & Billiards
- Best Neighborhood Bar, Central OCMemphis At the Santora
- Best Bar In Orange County320 Main
- Best Signature CocktailLoucette at Broadway By Amar Santana
- Best ShotKiller Klown at Johnny's Saloon
- Best Venue for Live MusicThe Observatory and the Constellation Room
Food & Drink Awards
- Best Hamburger That Didn't Win In Our Online Burger Tournament320 Main
- Best Supermarket Success StoryNorthgate González
- Best SushiOhshima Japanese Cuisine
- Best Chinese RestaurantMas' Chinese Islamic
- Best BarbecueEl Borrego Sagrado
- Best North Vietnam-style Vietnamese RestaurantVien Dong
- Best Internet CafĂ©Laguneros Internet Café
- Best Vietnamese RestaurantDat Thanh
- Best CupcakeRaya Belna
- Best Farmers' MarketSoCo Farmers Market
- Best Place to Start a Hot DateShuck Oyster Bar
- Best Old-School LoncheraTacos Ruben y Mulitas
- Best New RestaurantPlayground
- Best Shabu Shabu/Hot Pot RestaurantLittle Sheep
- Best Thai RestaurantThai Nakorn
- Best Vegetarian/Vegan RestaurantThuyen Vien
People & Places Awards
- Best Place to Spot CelebritiesLaguna Beach
- Best Cosmetic SurgeonThe Ones Who Advertise with Us
- Best Party SchoolChapman University
- Best CemeteryAnaheim Cemetery
- Best FestivalNoche de Altares
- Best Local HistorianLuis F. Fernandez
- Best LibraryFullerton Public Library
- Best HotelRitz-Carlton Laguna Niguel
Shopping & Services Awards
- Best Full-Service Photo LabFullerton Photographics
- Best Health-Food StoreThe Water Brewery
- Best Comic-Book StoreTrinity Comics
- Best SpaImperial Health Spa
- Best Thrift ShopSegundo Angel Thrift Store
- Best Antique ShopCountry Roads Antiques & Gardens
- Best Vintage StoreElsewhere Vintage
- Best NurseryLaguna Hills Nursery
- Best SalonSalon Boucle
- Best Bike ShopEpic Ride Shop
- Best Place for Jewelry If You're Obsessed With Your NameLaurenly
- Best Place to Get PiercedMonkeys to Go
- Best Hardware StoreHarbor Freight Tools
- Best Tattoo ParlorSt. James Tattooery
- Best Used-Camera StoreThe Used Camera Store
- Best Place to Get Labels MadeOrange County Label Co.
Sports & Recreation Awards
- Best Historical Landmark Everyone Takes for GrantedMission San Juan Capistrano
- Best Ride At DisneylandIndiana Jones
- Best Park for KidsBox Canyon Park
- Best Thing to Do In the DarkFull Moon Stand-Up Paddleboarding
- Best Dog ParkBellis Park Dog Park
- Best Place to Get HighDown By the Santa Ana River
- Best Place to Escape North County HellYorba Regional Park
- Best Day TripBig Bear
Readers' Choice Awards
OC LIFE Best Radio PersonalityREADERS' CHOICE: Kevin & Bean Best PoliticianREADERS' CHOICE: Barack Obama Best BlogREADERS' CHOICE: Ashnfashn.com Best Radio StationREADERS' CHOICE: KROQ Best Television StationREADERS' CHOICE: FOX Best WeathercasterREADERS' CHOICE: Dallas Raines Best NewscasterREADERS' CHOICE: Steve Edwards Best SportscasterREADERS' CHOICE: Vin Scully Best DowntownREADERS' CHOICE: Huntington Beach Best Residential...
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