Fashion, Dining & Trends of OC
Sign up now for your FREE Daily Dose of OC!
Greer’s Pick of the Week
Support Breast Cancer Research
October 11, 2008 from 12-4pm. Come and support 2nd Street Beauty's (all 5 locations) goal of supporting breast cancer research! Experts will be on hand to do complimentary demonstrations, makeup application and skin care consultations. Be one of the first 50 in the store and purchase $35.00 of products and receive a deluxe beauty bag full of amazing deluxe size samples.
Sponsored by 2nd Street Beauty
Greer’s Good Life
Villa Nova special offer
One of our favorite waterfront restaurants invites you to receive $10 off any $50 food purchase or 20% off a bottle of wine. (Fine print: Offer not valid Saturdays and cannot be combined with any other discount. One offer per table. Expires Nov. 30, 2008.) www.villanovarestaurant.com. 3131 West Coast Highway, Newport Beach. 949.642.7880.
Sponsored by Villa Nova Restaurant
daily dose of OC
... AND EAT IT, TOO!
The Blackmarket Bakery in Irvine is a major find and one of the best-kept secrets in Orange County.
Owner and pastry chef Rachel Marie's motto: "If you think chocolate and a sense of humor are a little better on the darker side, you may just find what you need on the Blackmarket."
The Culinary Institute of America-trained Chef Rachel bakes small batches of delicious cookies, to-die-for cakes, tarts, desserts and offers baking classes for kids and adults. Rachel shares her passion for baking at hands-on baking classes where you can learn how to make effortless soufflés (Dec. 7) and hone your pie skills (Dec. 18).
At Blackmarket Bakery, you can choose from mini handmade honey-caramel Florentines, Russian teas, mocha shorties, chocolate pecan, mudslides or pistachio meringues and more.
Blackmarket Bakery’s cakes, both humorous and formal, are made from scratch. Choices range from exotic to classic flavors. "Another John Doe" is layered with buttermilk cake, chocolate mousse, chocolate cake and dark chocolate ganache. The "Naughty Monkey" is a banana buttermilk cake with caramel buttercream, toasted walnuts and caramelized bananas. And El Diablo is a chocolate cake with spicy chocolate mousse, Kahlua Genoise and chocolate cinnamon ganache.
You'll also want to try its signature Blackmarket Bar (with apricots, currants, caramel and dark chocolate under an oat-y streusel); buttery shortbread, flavored with orange zest, vanilla bean or lavender flowers; savory focaccia pockets; and exotic marshmallows, brittle; sour cream coffeecakes, classic brioche, flaky buttermilk scones and more.
Blackmarket's attractively boxed cookies can make a thoughtful holiday gift.
Open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday (or by appointment). 17941 Sky Park Circle, #E in Irvine. 949.852.4609.
Blackmarket’s delectables can also be found at local Farmers’ Markets. Every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Tustin (3rd Street and El Camino Real); Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Costa Mesa’s OC Fairgrounds; Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Laguna Hills Mall; and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon at UCI (Campus and Bridge avenues).
“...the best website in America for fashionistas and foodies!”
.gif&contenttype=gif)