Blog

The Elite OC
03.21.18
The Elite OC, a nonprofit business league that empowers leading young professionals to positively impact the local community and grow professionally, has grown organically to be the largest young professionals group in Orange County. Focused on quality programming for leading, charity-minded individuals, Elite OC has hosted over 100 events to date benefitting a variety of local Orange County-based charities.
Instead of charging for events, Elite OC asks attendees to bring a donation for the chosen monthly charity, which has resulted in donations of over $135,000 and 23,000+ life-enhancing items given to 95 local charities since inception. Items such as books, school supplies, instruments, hygiene kits, and canned food have benefitted recipients from low-income families to veterans and homeless.
In 2017 alone, Elite OC fed 1,485 low-income families with healthy meals and donated 60 new musical instruments to local schools. The group also partnered with a local low-income school, Heritage Elementary School in Garden Grove, to make a meaningful impact on young students. In addition to hosting a pep rally to welcome students back to school and reading to the classrooms, Elite OC donated $10,000 to fund the renovation of a new ‘Learning Commons’ for Heritage Elementary.
Founded by Joe Stapleton and Stacey Kaszton Jones, The Elite OC is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit that ignites career growth and supports regional nonprofits through a variety of event types including: networking ‘schmoozers’ at hip local venues, educational programs featuring established business leaders, VIP experiences with organizations such as Angels Baseball or Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and annual Signature events such as the ‘Cruise for a Cause’.
For more information about the organization and membership, please visit TheEliteOC.com, email info@eliteoc.com, or join the group on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Blog

Sushi Roku’s Wagu Week
03.20.18
Sushi Roku Newport Beach received a special delivery of award-winning Bungo Wagyu available now through Sunday, March 25 with a tasting menu that pairs three Wagyu appetizers with three distinct Japanese spirits. The limited-time-only tasting menu features Bungo beef, considered the highest-quality Japanese grade beef, originating from the Oita prefecture in the Kyushu region of Japan.
The award-winning meat, which has received accolades from the Tenno-sho (Emperor’s Prize) and Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, will be offered in three simple preparations to preserve its rich, delicious flavor—a skewer, sushi, and steak—matched with refined spirits originating from Japan that delicately enhance each dishes’ overall profile.
The Bungo Wagyu Beef tasting menu will be offered at Sushi Roku Newport Beach, as well as sister restaurant ROKU Sunset in West Hollywood, and will be priced at $85 (exclusive of tax & gratuity). The menu features the following three appetizer flights and beverage pairings thoughtfully chosen by Sushi Roku GM & Sake Sommelier, Eiji Mori:
Bungo Wagyu Skewer paired with Ginza no Suzume Kohaku Shochu: this light shochu is distilled from barley sourced from the same region of the premium Bungo beef in Japan (Oita) and is aged in re-purposed American white oak bourbon barrels giving the product a golden tint, and oaked, smoky nose and taste.
Bungo Wagyu Sushi paired with Soto Sake: much in alignment with the quality of the Wagyu cut, this is a premium junmai daiginjo sake from Niigata, Japan, and an all-natural, gluten-free sake that has an elegant aroma, with a smooth taste of fresh apple, cucumber, and a hint of lime zest.
Bungo Wagyu Steak paired with Akashi Whisky: this whiskey is named after its hometown, translated as the "Sun Rise City," from Kobe Bay in Hyogo, Japan. This blended whiskey is smooth and light on the pallet with hints of apple, pear, and peat.
Sushi Roku Fashion Island is at 327 Newport Center Drive in Newport Beach (adjacent to Macy’s, across from True Food Kitchen).
For more information or to make reservations, visit sushiroku.com.
Follow Greer on Pinterest
from the blog
- 06.24.25 – Luxury Designer Pop-Up in Tustin: Up to 90% Off Now Through June 29
- 06.24.25 – Where to Celebrate the Fourth of July in Orange County
- 06.23.25 – New Chapter for Sushi Ii: Acclaimed Chefs Join MICHELIN-Recognized Kitchen
- 06.18.25 – Tender Greens Unveils Seasonal Summer Menu Inspired by Local Harvests
- 06.17.25 – Strickland’s Ice Cream Marks One Year in Costa Mesa
- 06.15.25 – Catalina Museum for Art & History Presents Work by Sonia Romero
- 06.14.25 – RJB Restaurant Group Expands Parlor and Olea Footprints
- 06.14.25 – Jan’s Health Bar Expands to San Diego, Introduces New Smoothies and Summer Menu Favorites
- 06.11.25 – Taste of Japan Brings Food, Culture and Entertainment to Anaheim GardenWalk
- 06.09.25 – Topside Roof Deck Launches Sunday Brunch Club
- 06.09.25 – Ninth Annual Newport Beach Wooden Boat Festival to Celebrate Stories of the Sea
- 06.09.25 – Anaheim Hills Festival to Host Bubble Poppin’ Fun Event June 14
- 06.08.25 – Father’s Day Weekend at The Ranch: Steak, Lobster, Bourbon
- 06.03.25 – VEA Newport Beach Partners with Orlebar Brown for Stylish June Pop-Up
- 06.02.25 – Coming Soon: Miami City Ballet’s Swan Lake June 20–22 at Segerstrom Hall
- 06.02.25 – Open Studios at Cannery Artist Collective This Weekend
- 06.01.25 – Celebrate Juneteenth at Musco Center
- 05.30.25 – Newport Beach TV Fest Awards ‘Landman’ Outstanding Drama
- 05.25.25 – Beckman Arts and Science Family Festival Returns to Segerstrom Center
- 05.25.25 – Woody’s Wharf Marks 60 Years with Music and Giving
More Daily Doses
- 06.25.25 – Where to Watch Fourth of July Fireworks in Orange County
- 06.22.25 – Surf & Sand, Laguna Beach Unveils Property-wide Transformation
- 06.17.25 – RELISH Food, Wine and Spirits Experience Debuts in Newport Beach June 27-29
- 06.15.25 – Sweetgreen Welcomes 5th O.C. Restaurant To Laguna Niguel
- 06.15.25 – Casa de Onda Brings Modern Mexican Fusion and Coastal Cool to Triangle Square
- 06.10.25 – Step inside California Kinship at Langson IMCA
- 06.09.25 – E-Commerce Favorite Dressin Launches First OC Store
- 06.03.25 – Hilbert Museum and Pageant of the Masters Partner for 2025 Celebration of California Art
- 06.02.25 – Anaheim’s World Taste Serves Up Culture and Cuisine
- 06.02.25 – Cirque du Soleil’s ECHO in Laguna Hills – Free Kids Tickets This Week
- 05.26.25 – Chef Jason Yamaguchi to Debut Konpa Nikkei in Corona del Mar This Summer
- 05.25.25 – Lido House Launches ‘La Dolce Vita’ – A Taste of Europe in Newport Beach
- 05.21.25 – A Catalina Day Trip: Ocean Views, Island History, and Memorable Stops
- 05.20.25 – Pendry Newport Beach Kicks Off Summer with New Experiences
- 05.15.25 – Cinq à Sept Opens First California Boutique at Fashion Island
- 05.14.25 – Meet Atome Bakery: Sourdough Without the Stress
- 05.14.25 – Newport Beach TV Fest Launches June 5-8, 2025
- 05.11.25 – Cozy Earth Opens Flagship Store in Corona del Mar
- 05.09.25 – Celebrate Mother’s Day at Wild Strawberry Café in Newport Beach
- 05.08.25 – Mom-Worthy Dining in Orange County