Greer's OC | The latest in Orange County fashion, dining, and trends.

Elevated Mexican Cuisine in OC

By Greer Wylder

August 20, 2014

Taco Maria, the one time famed taco food truck that easily served the best tacos in Orange County and beyond (we’ll never forget the roasted pumpkin tacos), has been on a metamorphosis ever since it opened its first brick and mortar restaurant at SoCo in Costa Mesa last August. With a Chef/Owner like Carlos Salgado, whose culinary career included working at Coi in San Francisco, and opening Michelin starred restaurant Commis in Oakland, he was destined to expand his culinary genius beyond tacos. It’s been a year of Chef Selgado preparing his self-proclaimed “Chicano cuisine” influenced by Mexican and American…

From Naples to Newport

By Greer Wylder

July 29, 2014

Pizza eateries are continuing to pop up in Orange County. On Friday, Blaze opened in Mission Viejo and Fresh Brothers Pizza opened in Newport Beach and Settebello just opened at Crystal Cove Promenade in Newport Beach. Named after a revered card in an Italian card game, Settebello could easily be one of the best looking Italian restaurants in Orange County, with its stunning indoor/outdoor space designed by Marshall Projects (who also designed LA hotspots Gjelina and Hinoki and The Bird.) The open-air space boasts a greenhouse like bar area, olive trees, classic Italian black and white films projected on a…

Fireside Tavern’s Fresh Summer Menu

By Greer Wylder

June 30, 2014

Acclaimed Chef Scott Brandon at Fireside Tavern, in the newly renovated Crowne Plaza hotel in Costa Mesa, just unveiled a new summer menu for lunch and dinner that’s all about fresh seasonal ingredients. At the classic American tavern with a modern feel, you can enjoy Chef Brandon's new lunch menu items such as Asparagus on Toast (roasted jumbo asparagus with extra virgin olive oil and lemon zest, served on grilled Rockenwagner raisin-walnut bread spread with Bellwether Farm’s ricotta cheese and topped with a soft poached organic egg and shaved Manchego cheese); Heirloom Tomato Bisque (prepared fresh in-house, a rich tomato…

The New Waterfront A&O Kitchen+Bar

By Greer Wylder

June 30, 2014

Newport’s newest waterfront bar and restaurant, A&O Kitchen+Bar just opened at the Balboa Bay Resort. A&O, an abbreviation for Anchors & Oceans, specializes in gastropub fare such as shared plates, hearty dishes, and creative cocktails. A&O also features a centerpiece tap system with eight craft beers from renowned breweries and two wines on tap from ONEHOPE Wine. Proceeds from sales of the ONEHOPE’s sparkling wine are dedicated to ending childhood hunger; the Chardonnay and Cabernet wine kegs will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County. On the A&O menu, Executive Chef Vincent Lesage and chef de cuisine Rachel Haggstrom…

Nirvana’s Summer Menu

By Greer Wylder

June 23, 2014

Nirvana Grille in Laguna Beach, a delicious farm-to-table dining experience will launch its new summer menu on Tuesday. In celebration of the season and the restaurant’s recent six-year anniversary, Executive Chef Lindsay Smith-Rosales and her husband/co-owner Luis Rosales invite you to enjoy any of the new dishes at half price and select wines at 25% off from Tuesday through Sunday, June 29. And, the rooftop Bliss Bar Patio and Lounge will open Tuesday, July 1 for the summer season nightly offering bar, lounge and rooftop dining. Highlights from the new summer menu include housegrown organic roasted figs – honey goat cheese…