The Dose

Thanksgiving Dining in OC

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By Greer Wylder
November 17, 2014

No time to cook a Thanksgiving feast this year? Let some of the local experts do it for you. Here’s a round up of some renowned restaurants at, or near South Coast Plaza offering Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, Nov. 27. If you simply can’t wait for Thanksgiving, there are some restaurants already serving turkey for the season. Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale’s South Coast Plaza The three-course menu with choices features favorites such as market oysters, Maine lobster chowder, and roasted heirloom beet salad; entree selections like slow-basted organic turkey, crispy skin Scottish salmon, and filet mignon. Desserts include roasted pumpkin…

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Orange County’s First Chocolate Factory

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By Greer Wylder
November 14, 2014

SoCal’s original bean to bar chocolate factory, ChocXO (pronounced: choc-zo) just opened in Irvine, on Irvine Center Drive. It’s a dream come true for chocoholics, a dedicated lab that sources the world’s premium cacao beans and expertly processes it into sensational chocolates such as chocolate bars, filled chocolates, chocolate bark, English toffee, chocolate covered Oreos and other chocolate specialties. What sets ChocXO apart from other local chocolate and confectionary brands is that ChocXO sources pure Criollo beans from hand-select farmers in Central and South America and with state-of-the-art processing equipment they can roast, winnow, roller refine and even conch the…

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Maje Chic Parisian Fashions Opened at SCP

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By Greer Wylder
November 12, 2014

Maje, one of the leading contemporary French women’s wear brands, just opened its 16th U.S. boutique at South Coast Plaza. It’s created for cool-girl chic women who love glamorous and feminine fashions, such as draped dresses worn with blazers and jackets. The Maje boutique offers the brand’s unique range of contemporary Parisian fashion including women’s apparel, shoes and accessories. The chic Parisian label was founded by Moroccan-born designer Judith Milgrom, who choose the to name her collection after the initials of her loved ones. Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; 11…

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Six New Retailers Opening at Fashion Island

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By Greer Wylder
November 11, 2014

It’s a busy time at Fashion Island, they’re opening six new retailers this month, including several first-to-market retailers and lifestyle concepts to open in Newport Beach. Luxury coffee brand Nespresso just opened its first Orange County boutique behind Tesla, near Macy’s. You can experience and explore Nespresso’s products and try the high quality Grand Cru coffees from Nespresso’s OriginalLine and VertuoLine systems. Nespresso machines, Grand Cru coffee capsules and accessories will also be available for purchase. Nike, is transforming its current location into a Nike Women’s, complete with a fitness studio for various classes. Nike Women’s Fashion Island is slated…

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Doubling Up On Heirlooms and Hardware

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By Greer Wylder
November 10, 2014

Looking for a wide range of furniture, one-of-a-kind items, rustic artifacts and found objects, as well as custom furniture design? At Heirlooms and Hardware that just relocated its flagship retail store at SOCO in Costa Mesa, to a space double in size at the LAB in Costa Mesa, you’ll have twice the selection to choose from. The family-owned business, run by husband-and-wife Joseph and Jessica D’Ambra, and sibling Jennifer, is where you can go for one-of-a-kind designs.  “We take a great deal of joy in seeing our handmade furniture, which we create using reclaimed wood of up to 100 years…

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