Greer's Blog

SOCIAL Brunching to end Child Homelessness

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By Greer Wylder
January 06, 2015

One of our favorite restaurants to open in 2104, SOCIAL Costa Mesa continues the spirit of giving with their “Brunch for Lunch” program. All month long, SOCIAL Costa Mesa will donate $2.50 from each brunch entree purchased to Project Hope Alliance (PHA), a Costa Mesa-based non-profit organization committed to ending child homelessness in Orange County.  Each $2.50 will fund a lunch - delivered via Project Hope Alliance's food pantry - for one homeless child served by PHA.   For these Sunday brunches, SOCIAL’s Executive Chef Jeffrey Boullt is pulling together influences from his past experiences to offer guests Southern-style dishes like Pimento Grilled Cheese (with Bacon and Smoked Tomato Bisque, $15), Ceviche Mixto (Hamachi, Spanish Octopus,…

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Attention Start-Up Chefs

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By Greer Wylder
January 05, 2015

The Marriott Irvine is debuting a first-of-its-kind hotel industry program called CANVAS through January that invites passionate, local chef entrepreneurs to test their new food and drink business ideas in their hotel-based concept labs. ​Local start-up chefs can pitch their food or drink concept, and be selected to incubate their ideas at the Marriott Irvine hotel, receive startup money, and get professional advice from Marriott to realize their ambitions. The space is ready-to-build at the Irvine Marriott, and Marriott's team of designers will work with start-up chefs to help realize a space that supports their vision. Marriott will test their restaurant chops and get the chef's idea off the ground. This video does a great job explaining the concept. If you’re interested…

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Create Your (Pizza) Masterpiece

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By Greer Wylder
January 05, 2015

The Pizza Studio Mission Viejo just opened (its first OC location opened in 2013 in Buena Park) you can create your own custom pizza masterpiece in minutes. How does it differ from its competitors? At each location, you’ll find art displayed and available for sale from local artists. (The Pizza Studio will not take commission from art sold.) The variety of crusts is also a point of departure from other pizza joints; you can choose from five crusts: traditional, whole grain and flax seed, rosemary herb, firecracker, and gluten-free. Unique to the Pizza Studio too, is a conveyor belt oven…

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Succulent Gardening with the Ecology Center

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By Greer Wylder
December 30, 2014

Learn how to grow a beautiful and drought friendly succulent garden at the Center for Living Peace in Irvine on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m., The Ecology Center will be offering a special workshop for all ages about the different ways to grow, propagate and induce color change to succulents. Materials will be included so that you can start your succulent collection and take it home with you! You can register here.  The cost is $12 per person. The Center for Living Peace is at 4139 Campus Drive in Irvine.

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NYE at Babette’s

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By Greer Wylder
December 29, 2014

Come join Babette’s  at Newport Coast, the East Coast-born New American eatery with a fresh vibe and ambiance, and ring in the New Year on Wednesday with a delicious three- course prix fixe dinner and a glass of Veuve Clicquot for $95 per person. There’s also an option for a crafted cocktail pairing with each course for an additional $25 per person. Babette’s dinner starts with an amuse bouche of potato-sunchoke puree, crispy fingerling, crème fraiche, caviar chive oil and micro chervil. The first course options include a Pan Roasted Maine Diver Sea Scallop with bay scallops, baby bok choy,…

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