Catalina Museum for Art & History Presents Work by Sonia Romero

The Catalina Museum for Art & History is now showcasing From Los Angeles to Catalina: The Art of Sonia Romero, an intimate and visually rich exhibition by celebrated Los Angeles-based artist Sonia Romero. On view through Sept. 27, 2025, the exhibition features Romero’s iconic silkscreen prints, paintings, and a new site-specific piece capturing the nostalgic charm and layered cultural history of Catalina Island.

Romero, known for her intricate paper cutting, printmaking, and mixed-media paintings, spent summer 2024 in Avalon connecting with the local community. During her stay, she led museum workshops and explored the museum’s extensive archive of vintage Catalina ephemera, gathering visual references and historical insight for her latest work.

Deeply rooted in Chicano culture and shaped by the landscapes of California, Romero’s art explores themes of identity, community, and connection to place. The exhibition marks the beginning of her ongoing exploration of Catalina Island, a journey sparked by her first visit to the island at age 14. With plans for future works already underway, Romero intends to return to Avalon to continue expanding the series.

Visitors to the museum will be the first to experience this evolving body of work, a visual dialogue between artist and island that blends memory and imagination.

Exhibition details

From Los Angeles to Catalina: The Art of Sonia Romero

On view through October 12, 2025

Catalina Museum for Art & History
217 Metropole Ave., Avalon, CA 90704

Museum hours
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed Mondays from September (after Labor Day) through May
Closed New Year’s Day, July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day

Admission
Adults $18
Seniors 60 and older, active military and veterans, healthcare workers and students $15
Catalina Island residents with proof of residency $12
Golden State Advantage cardholders with up to two adults and their children under 18 Free
Children 15 and under with paid adult Free

For more information about the Catalina Museum for Art & History, visit CatalinaMuseum.org. 

Sweetgreen Welcomes 5th O.C. Restaurant To Laguna Niguel

Expanding its Orange County presence, Sweetgreen is set to open its 5th location in the region tomorrow, Tuesday, June 17, at Laguna Niguel’s Plaza de la Paz center (27221 La Paz Road, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677). O.C. diners are invited to indulge in the restaurant’s menu of thoughtfully sourced, scratch-made meals, and enjoy complimentary activations with local partners. Sweetgreen will also match every meal sold with a donated meal to Laguna Food Pantry to nourish people in Laguna Beach experiencing food insecurity.

Sweetgreen’s opening in Laguna Niguel comes on the heels of introducing its limited-time KBBQ menu. Made in collaboration with COTE Korean Steakhouse, the menu showcases a new KBBQ-glazed steak in bold new bowl and plate options—plus a salad packed with spicy, Korean-inspired flavor. 

Sweetgreen’s full menu includes salads, warm bowls, protein plates, and sides, featuring longtime favorites like the Harvest Bowl and Crispy Rice Bowl, and protein-packed offerings including the Caramelized Garlic Steak and Miso Glazed Salmon protein plates.

SWEETGREEN LAGUNA NIGUEL GRAND OPENING DETAILS

In celebration of its newest Orange County location, Sweetgreen Laguna Niguel will host the community for opening day activations with local partners and small businesses. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17, Sweetgreen invites guests to enjoy a complimentary build-your-own floral bar from Sweet Blossom Designs, hand-crafted specialty beverages from Golden Lantern Coffee Roasters, custom-decorated cookies from Cookie Curator, hand-beaded friendship bracelets from Beadiful Jewelry, and Sweetgreen hats, all while supplies last. 

Located in Laguna Niguel’s Plaza de la Paz center at 27221 La Paz Road, the new restaurant will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., seating 43 diners indoors and 42 diners on the patio. 

Sweetgreen Laguna Niguel will be the third location in Orange County to feature the restaurant brand’s Infinite Kitchen technology, which was first introduced on the West Coast in Huntington Beach in late 2023. For pick-up or delivery options, guests may visit order.sweetgreen.com/laguna-niguel/menu, or download the Sweetgreen app. 

RJB Restaurant Group Expands Parlor and Olea Footprints

Orange County restaurateur Russ Bendel continues to grow his collection of popular dining destinations, recently expanding two of his standout restaurants: Parlor Woodfire Kitchen & Cocktails in San Clemente and Olea, Cellar. Craft. Cook in Newport Beach. Each gained more than 1,200 square feet of new space, the result of creative thinking and impeccable timing.

Parlor’s Lower Level

When Parlor opened in San Clemente last July, the building’s underused lower level served only as storage. But as the restaurant quickly gained a loyal following—and increasing demand for more bar and private dining space—Bendel and his team saw an opportunity to transform the downstairs into a vibrant new area.

Now called the Lower Level, the space features two distinct rooms: El Camino Lounge, a cozy private space with an eight-seat bar and vintage décor, and Mae Mae’s Den, a 14-seat private dining room. The Lower Level offers complimentary arcade games, darts, a billiards table, and multiple large-screen TVs. Mae Mae’s Den also features a custom table cover that allows guests to enjoy a meal before converting the space back into a game room. Since opening in mid-May, the Lower Level has been a popular venue for private events and helps accommodate weekend overflow.

Olea 2.0

Bendel’s Olea, a Newport Beach favorite for seven years, has also seen an expansion driven by customer demand. Frequent requests for private dining and weekend wait times made it clear that additional space was needed. When a neighboring retail space became available, Bendel took action.

The newly added 1,200-square-foot space seats 54 for dining and 65 for cocktails and blends seamlessly with the existing restaurant. A motorized screen can close off the area for private events, and a baby grand piano provides either live music or automated background entertainment.

At the heart of the addition is the Mariner’s Room, an intimate private dining room that accommodates up to 16 guests and features its own restroom. A 65-inch flat screen offers an elegant solution for business presentations or entertainment, doubling as wall art when not in use.

With these two expansions, RJB Restaurant Group continues to deliver new experiences for its loyal guests, proving once again that opportunity favors those who are ready to innovate.

Parlor, Woodfire Kitchen & Cocktails is at 216 N El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.503.1509.

Olea is at 2001 Westcliff Dr Suite 100, Newport Beach. 949.287.6807