New Chef Takes Helm at Lido Bottle Works

Many months ago, we profiled Chef Joel Harrington, the farm-to-table innovator who helped launch Lido Bottle Works at Lido Marina Village as a fresh, sustainable option in the chic development catering to the bon vivant lifestyle. Now, Harrington is out and former Executive Sous Chef Amy Lebrun has taken over as Executive Chef. A lengthy…

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Valentine’s Day Dinners on Balboa Peninsula and Balboa Island

A quiet, corner table, a candlelit dinner for two, a soft voice answering the phone with melodic exuberance, “Thanks for calling but we’re all booked up for tonight!” As Valentine’s Day approaches, it’s wise to plan ahead. Nobody wants to be the one stuck at home with two cans of tuna fish and a 12-pack…

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Malibu Farm in Lido Marina Village to Sell Fresh Food and Drinks

Malibu Farm is set to open at Lido Marina Village in spring 2018 and, as a sign outside the soon-to-be spot announces, it’ll serve alcohol, just as its sister location does in Malibu. (For reference, here’s the current bar menu at the latter establishment.)

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Stag’s Leap Wine Dinner at 21 Oceanfront

On Jan. 23 from 6:30 to 11 p.m., 21 Oceanfront, an exclusive beachside fine dining establishment, is hosting a three-course dinner featuring Stag’s Leap wines. 

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New Restaurant Hook & Anchor to Set Sail in Beach Barrel Location

A new lobster and seafood eatery, Hook & Anchor, is opening January 18 on Balboa Peninsula in the spot where The Beach Barrel Grill once served its Barrel Burger, homemade pesto and BBQ chicken pizza. The small restaurant is located directly next to Newport Fresh along Newport Blvd., a block east of the gas station.…

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Ho Sum Bistro Is Back

Ho Sum Bistro is officially open. The good word arrives after more than a year of silence; in June 2016 a devastating fire shut the place down. Before its unexpected closure, Ho Sum Bistro had something of a cult following. Diners came for the Ho Sum Chicken Salad (and famed dressing) and left completely happy.…

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Newport Beach Restaurant Week: Where to Dine on Balboa Peninsula, Balboa Village and Balboa Island

Newport Beach Restaurant Week is hard. So many choices, only 14 days of culinary bliss. It’s also confusing because the week is actually not a week at all; it’s two weeks—this year happening Jan 15 to 28—when restaurants across Newport Beach and Balboa Peninsula forego their usual pricing to offer diners sweet, sweet specials on…

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Newport Beach’s Taco Bell Cantina is Fast Food with Booze

Taco Bell Cantina just opened in Newport Beach, a tiny wedge of an eatery standing tall and proud next to Stag Bar on 22nd St. off W. Balboa Blvd. (Yes, it’s in the same location as the now-defunct Original Pizza and yes, its presence represents the encroaching maniacal claws of rampant consumerism on our small,…

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Perfecting The Art of The Dock and Dine

Dock and Dine (verb) \ˈdäk and ˈdīn\ : To arrive at any such eating establishment via floating vessel then secure said vessel to a state of immobility so as to partake in a delicious meal. This might be kind of obvious but there are two major steps involved in a well-executed dock and dine: 1.…

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Tupelo Junction Cafe Looms Bright as The Porch Swings No More

To be honest, The Porch was good but never great. The feta cheese crumbled on top of the guacamole was a nice, salty touch and the flatbreads more often than not delivered but overall, The Porch occupied that precarious space between elevated bar food and ambiguously mediocre “New American” dining. If you check Yelp, the…

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