The Dose

OC*s First Coffee Lab!

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By Greer Wylder
June 08, 2011

Orange County’s coffee culture just took a giant leap forward with the arrival of Portola Coffee Lab at OC Mart Mix in Costa Mesa. It seems like just yesterday that artisan coffee roasters were elevating our coffee experience. Then came Jeff Dugan, founder of Portola Coffee Lab, a self-admitted “coffee geek” who took the time to research what really makes the perfect cup. “Brewing is just as important as roasting,” Dugan says. “If it’s not fresh or brewed properly, we’re cutting the process short. Our approach is that we represent quality from seed to liquid that ends up in your…

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Candid Memories

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By Greer Wylder
June 07, 2011

One of our favorite Orange County-based photographers, the talented Sandy Heit, shoots incredible candid portraits of babies, children and families in natural light. Last year during the holidays, she had the fortunate problem of being overbooked with clients and had to turn work down. This year, why not book a family session in July and August when the kids are out of school and the weather is perfect. And, as a special for Greer’s OC subscribers if you book during those months, you can get a single digital file (value $150) that can be used for holiday cards, or gift…

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Say Cheese in CDM!

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By Greer Wylder
June 06, 2011

Orange County just landed a fantastic cheese shop that’s making cheese connoisseurs and foodies swoon. Taste Abbaye de Belloc made by Benedictine Monks at the abbey of Notre-Dame from French Pyrenees sheep's milk; the famed cow’s milk cheese Époisses de Bourgogne, referred to as the "king of all cheeses"; and one of the country’s finest goat milk cheeses, Humboldt Fog. Vin Goat in Corona del Mar fills a void in the market—no more driving to Beverly Hills or Silver Lake to find a one-stop boutique filled with the world’s finest artisan cheeses. Co-owners Erich Vogel and John Bennett left the…

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Charlie’s New Kitchen Angels!

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By Greer Wylder
June 03, 2011

Big changes over at Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale’s South Coast Plaza now that Executive Chef Amar Santana has left to open his namesake restaurant Broadway by Amar Santana, in the former Five Feet spot in Laguna Beach (we hear it’s expected to debut in August). Charlie Palmer’s new executive culinary team is headed by Executive Chef Sea Kyeong Kim and Executive Sous Chef Ashley Weaver. Both chefs are long-time Charlie Palmer family members and will continue to honor and prepare Palmer’s progressive American cuisine inspired by seasonal, local ingredients. New signature dishes arriving for spring include an heirloom tomato salad…

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OC Weekend: Sapphire Food Affair!

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By Greer Wylder
June 02, 2011

Don’t miss the debut of the Sapphire Food Fare Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at St. Anne School in Laguna Niguel. Think of it as an expanded farmer’s market, with a collection of fine foods, plus farm-fresh produce and herbs, artisanal breads, cheeses and chocolates, organic grass-fed beef, fresh seafood, and local varietal honeys. Participating chefs will demonstrate recipes and provide samplings, and nutritionists and health experts will share tips on how to eat better. Chef and owner Azmin Ghahreman of Sapphire Laguna dreamed up this concept that offers fresh local foods, as well as education. Participating local…

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