Pacific Wine & Food Classic Returns September 20

Let your taste buds wander and your weekend come alive at the 2025 Pacific Wine & Food Classic on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort. Known for its spectacular setting and unmatched culinary talent, this award-winning event invites food and wine lovers to sip, savor and celebrate by the bay.

The one-day festival features bold wines, inventive cocktails and irresistible bites from Southern California’s top chefs and restaurants. Guests will enjoy a beachside experience filled with unforgettable flavors, live coastal energy and curated indulgence, all steps away from the bay.

This year’s lineup includes bold bites from acclaimed restaurants; a selection of more than 100 wines highlighted by the Paso Robles Grand Wine Experience; and premium craft cocktails from Aspen Vodka, Flecha Azul Tequila, Licor 43, Maker’s Mark and Papa’s Pilar Rum. Guests can also look forward to a Rosé All Day Gazebo by Miraval, a decadent Dessert Garden, Mocktail Magic with zero-proof cocktails and a Silent Disco by DeSoi.

“Every year, the Pacific Wine & Food Classic brings people together in the most delicious way possible,” said Pamela Waitt, founder of the Pacific Wine & Food Classic. “It’s a celebration of our local culinary talent, our love for connection and the joy of sharing unforgettable culinary experiences with others.”

2025 Restaurant & Chef Lineup
Full list available at pacificwineandfood.com/chefs

Baba G, Chef Matthew Meredith 

Bosscat Kitchen & Libations, Executive Chef Peter Petro

Cambalache and Villa Roma, Chef Leo Razo

Chelas Mexican Kitchen, Owner & Chef Karla Vasquez

City Cruises, Executive Chef Sergio Agustin

Crema & OC Baking 

CUCINA enoteca, Executive Chef Cesar Sarmiento 

Descanso, Executive Chef Jose Angulo

Ellie’s, Chef & Owner, Jason Witzl 

Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens, Owner & Executive Chef Rich Mead 

Five Crowns & SideDoor

Francium Chocolate

Georgia's Restaurant, Nika Shoemaker Machado

Great Maple Restaurant, Steven Ashworth, Director of Service, Food & Beverage

Lola's by MFK, Owner & Chef Henry Pineda

Lover Boards 

Luke's Lobster, Luke Holden, Founder and CEO

Melissa's Produce

Miss Mini Donuts, Leslie Nguyen

Paséa Hotel & Spa, Chef Scott Rackliff, Executive Chef 

Prego, Chef Ugo Allesina

Puesto, Creative Chef Raul Casillas

Rancho Capistrano Winery, Chef Reagan 

Rangeen Kitchen

Red O, Chef Hugo Cruz

RISE Rooftop Lounge at The Westin Anaheim Resort, Executive Chef JJ Burton and Pastry Chef Andy De La Cruz

Salt & Lime Modern Taqueria - Zach Ficke, Executive Chef/Owner 

Scratch Bakery Café, Executive Pastry Chef Louise Chien

SOHO Taco, Executive Chef Oscar Pecina

Sol Cocina, Douglass Farnsworth, Culinary Director, Xperience Restaurant Group

Strong Water Anaheim, Galley Master, Executive Chef Steve Kling - 2024 & 2025 James Beard Finalist

Strong Water Anaheim,Ying Chang, Co-Founder and Beverage Director

Sushi Roku 

Ten Sushi Cocktail Bar, Executive Sushi Chef Toshi Muira

The Crack Shack, Culinary Director Jon Sloan

The Mayor's Table, Chef Riley Huddleston 

The Yellow Chilli, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

Trevor's at the Tracks, Chef Ronnie Chavez

Verde Restaurant & Bar

Wahoo's Fish Tacos, Co-Founder Wing Lam

Westwood Steak House, Executive Chef Michael Ruiz

TICKETS TO PACIFIC WINE & FOOD CLASSIC
Tickets for the Pacific Wine & Food Classic are available now at PacificWineandFood.com. Pacific Wine & Food Classic takes place at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort (1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach, CA, 92660). 

All guests must be age 21+ with valid ID to attend. This is a ticketed event and the public are able to purchase tickets online at pacificwineandfood2025.eventbee.com. The Pacific Wine & Food Classic is an outdoor event that takes place rain or shine. Full details, terms and conditions can be found HERE

The Market Place Opening Celebration

The Market Place, a longtime favorite in Orange County for shopping, dining and family fun, is ushering in a new era with an Opening Celebration on Saturday, Sept. 27, from 1 to 6 p.m.

The popular center will debut its newly expanded lawn and common area, a modern open-air gathering space designed for the Tustin and Irvine communities. The refreshed destination offers a place to connect, relax and enjoy a wide range of dining options and culinary experiences.

The free community event will feature tastings, entertainment and a ribbon cutting with local leaders. Highlights include:

• Signature tastings, light bites and specialty drinks from Shake Shack, Mendocino Farms, Blk Dot Coffee and more.
• A ribbon cutting ceremony with City of Irvine Mayor Larry Agran, Dave Coffaro, CEO of the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce, and other community leaders.
• Live music performances, a DJ set, lawn games, giveaways and prizes.

Guests will also enjoy snacks and sips from eateries including BLK Dot Coffee, California Fish Grill, Corner Bakery Cafe, Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream, Islands Fine Burgers and Drinks, JA Jiaozi Authentic Dumplings, Luna Grill, Mendocino Farms, Regal Edwards Market Place and Taco Rosa.

The Market Place is located at 2961 El Camino Real in Tustin.

Pasta Sisters Marks 10 Years With $8 Pasta Day

Pasta Sisters is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month by rolling back prices to 2015.

On Sept. 23 only, the family-owned restaurant will serve its classic Tomato & Basil with Spaghetti for $8 (regularly $15). The price is a nod to Pasta Sisters’ opening menu and the viral Buzzfeed video that declared their $8 pasta better than a $100 dish in Los Angeles link

And in honor of 10 years, below 10 favorite Pasta Sisters facts.

1.     They are the only U.S. restaurant with a tortellini machine approved by the Bologna Chamber of Commerce and Learned Brotherhood of the Tortellino to make this pasta by machine vs. hand. 

2.     Matriarch Paola Da Re was part of an Italian expat community that gathered at Beverly Hills’ Caffè Roma in the ’80s. At 18, she met a young Celestino Drago, who encouraged her to open a restaurant instead of the commercial kitchen she was planning – and the rest is history.

3.     Drago once said Paola’s eggplant parmigiana is one of the best he’s ever had — high praise since she’s from Northern Italy and the dish is usually claimed by Sicilian cooks.

4.     All pastas and sauces are made fresh daily (starting at 4 a.m.).

5.     They source 00 flour from a mill near their hometown in Veneto that uses 100% Italian grain – truly no additives whatsoever.

6.     They cover 100% of healthcare plan costs for FT staff; many of their first 15 employees are still with them.

7.     An inspiring American dream story in difficult times: the family immigrated from Northern Italy, the matriarch (who didn’t speak English yet) went from nannying to opening a storefront when those families said she must, started with a tiny spot in Mid-City, grew slowly to 3 locations, see regular lines out the door…and have kept affordability a priority all the way through (as a struggling family in their early days, this was key).

8.     Their dishes come directly from generational Italian family recipes.

9.     While a sad note, I share in case there is ever an opportunity to revisit the story and source new leads: years ago, a burglar stole their restaurant safe, which tragically included their grandmother’s diary of recipes, housekeeping notes, and memories of life in Northern Italy. With today’s internet crime solvers, you never know….maybe it could be returned one day

10.  For the first time, they’re open to franchising — but only to fellow small businesses, not large groups or private equity. Hoping to support another American dream.