Blog
Dream Guild!
09.12.11
Looking for a fashionable, charitable organization to join? The Dream Guild of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Orange County offers members exclusive events at must-have designer boutiques, luncheons, and more, all the while raising much-needed funds to find a cure for type 1 diabetes.
The Dream Guild is hosting a new membership luncheon Friday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Silver Trumpet Restaurant in Costa Mesa. Not only will you meet new friends, enjoy a delicious lunch, (I’ll be the guest speaker sharing tips on OC trends and hot spots) you’ll be contributing to curing diabetes.
The lunch costs $100 per person ($25 per ticket is tax deductible). If you join the Guild, use the $100 cost towards your dues. A Champagne reception and opportunity drawing starts at 11 a.m., lunch is served at at 11:30 a.m.
You can RSVP today at 949.553.0363, or contact Donna Mogilski at JDRF at 949.885.5021.
Silver Trumpet is at the Wyndham Hotel at 3350 Avenue of the Arts in Costa Mesa.
Dining
BEST ROASTED CRAB EVER AT ANQI!
09.07.11
Review by Sheryll Alexander
We were seriously wowed recently by a dinner of roasted Dungeness crabs prepared personally by Mama Helene An using her signature family recipe at the House of An’s South Coast Plaza location, AnQi Bistro.
We had heard of Mama An’s garlic-and-pepper roasted crab, which is available at AnQi only on Tuesdays during dinner service.
Why Tuesdays only? That’s the day when Master Chef and Matriarch “Mama An” travels from her home kitchens at Crustacean Beverly Hills with dozens of 2.5 lb. Pacific waters Dungeness crabs in the trunk.
Once she arrives at Costa Mesa’s AnQi Bistro, she starts cooking them in her “secret kitchen.” What’s a secret kitchen? It is literally a separate space from the main kitchen and only chefs who have worked with the family for 10 years or more can cook the real “secret family recipes,” so says Mama An.
We arrived a bit skeptical on a Tuesday night. Already, two large groups were sitting along the restaurant’s stunning catwalk crunching claws and slurping the most tender crab meat right off the shells.
Prepared in a savory Asian style with lots of oil, garlic and pepper, Mama An’s renowned roasted crabs are definitely worth the price, especially when paired with the stick-to-your-bones garlic noodles (or coconut rice for those who are cutting down on gluten) and a glass of semi-sweet Riesling.
You can order your crabs roasted in the shell ($48) or shelled ($53) for easier eating. Mama An recommended the shelled crab as she says it is more juicy. We must agree. After a few minutes, we were cracking away, sucking meat and licking our fingers just like everyone else without a care as to our fashionable surroundings.
Because Mama An only brings a limited amount of crabs on Tuesdays, guests are advised to reserve the dish at least 24 hours in advance (dinner only).
AnQi by Crustacean, Bloomingdale’s at South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St. Costa Mesa, 714-557-5679, http://anqibistro.com/.
Sheryll Alexander runs a news media agency based in Costa Mesa, California. Follow her! @sheryllalexande or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sheryll-Alexander/252517508109644.
Follow Greer on Pinterest
from the blog
- 11.08.25 – Shucked Musical Comedy Heads to Segerstrom Center November 11–23
- 11.05.25 – Dolly Parton’s Songs Come to Life with Pacific Symphony
- 11.05.25 – Savor the Season by the Sea at Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort
- 11.05.25 – Philz Coffee Debuts Holiday Menu and Launches First-Ever Rewards Program
- 11.04.25 – McG, Nancy Silverton, and Rick Caruso Team Up for Spacca Tutto at Palisades Village
- 11.04.25 – Ice at Santa Monica Returns for the Holidays
- 11.03.25 – ZAFFRE Fine Linens Celebrates Two Years in Costa Mesa
- 11.02.25 – North Italia Debuts Seasonal Fall + Winter Menu in Irvine and Beyond
- 10.30.25 – An Evening with John O’Hurley at The Lido
- 10.28.25 – Día de los Muertos Rooftop Brunch at Top of the V
- 10.27.25 – Sip & Shuck Returns to Laguna Beach Nov. 2 to Benefit CASA
- 10.26.25 – A Crystal Cove Takes Mimosa Brunch to the Next Level
- 10.26.25 – Rose Bakery Café Opens in Orange
- 10.21.25 – Last Chance to Dine at 608 Dahlia Before Oct. 26
- 10.20.25 – Irvine Barclay Theatre Announces Fall and Holiday Season Lineup
- 10.20.25 – Newport Beach Film Festival 2025: ‘Blue Moon’ Shines on Opening Night
- 10.19.25 – Wahoo’s Marks 38 Years with Free Community Celebration in Costa Mesa
- 10.15.25 – Pumpkin Palooza Returns to Discovery Cube OC This October
- 10.14.25 – Irish Spotlight at the Newport Beach Film Festival
- 10.09.25 – The Jill Foundation’s Annual Opportunity Drawing Is Now Open
More Daily Doses
- 11.09.25 – You’re Invited to South Coast Plaza’s Annual Tree Lighting Celebration
- 11.07.25 – Mother-Daughter Duo Launch Eugénie Boutique in Newport Beach
- 11.03.25 – Culinary Dropout Opens in Old Towne Orange
- 11.02.25 – Super Irvine International Market Opens in Irvine
- 11.02.25 – Prime Pizza Opens First Orange County Location in Mission Viejo
- 10.30.25 – Zara Man Opens First U.S. Store at South Coast Plaza
- 10.27.25 – Jack Johnson Headlines Two-Night Coast Film & Music Benefit Concert
- 10.20.25 – Salt & Lime Modern Taqueria Brings Elevated Flavor to Costa Mesa
- 10.19.25 – Fall Fun at The District: Halloween Boo Bash and Cocktail Tour
- 10.16.25 – Luxury Wellness Meets Concierge Medicine at Coastal Wellness MD
- 10.16.25 – Chiang Rai Thai in Tustin Serves Up Michelin-Recognized Northern Thai Cuisine
- 10.16.25 – Chili Chutney Brings Authentic Afghan Cuisine to Lake Forest
- 10.15.25 – Tales of Wonder and Imagination: Alexander Shelley Leads Pacific Symphony in ‘Scheherazade’
- 10.14.25 – California Wine Festival Returns to Huntington Beach Oct. 17 - 18
- 10.13.25 – Santa Maria Novella Brings Centuries of Craft to South Coast Plaza
- 10.08.25 – Newport Beach Film Festival Announces 2025 Honors
- 10.05.25 – Fashion Meets Film: StyleWeekOC Returns to Fashion Island October 15–19
- 09.29.25 – Pacific Airshow Returns to Huntington Beach Oct. 3-5
- 09.26.25 – Mastro’s Brings Its Iconic Dining Experience to Irvine Spectrum
- 09.25.25 – San Francisco Ballet’s Frankenstein Comes to Segerstrom Center
