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

Lunch special at one of OC’s best

By Greer Wylder

November 30, 2009

If you haven’t yet discovered Old Vine Cafe, maybe now’s the time. OC Weekly just named the Costa Mesa eatery as 2009’s Best Restaurant in OC. While Old Vine is known for its wine-tasting dinners, you can’t beat their newish 3-course prix-fixe lunch for $20. Select a soup (a luxuriously rich butternut squash and leek bisque) or salad (pssst, OC Weekly also dubbed the burrata and crispy arugula OC’s best salad!); and choose among a handful of hearty panini sandwiches (plus mac & cheese or quinoa jambalaya for you vegetarians!) for your main course and then finish off with a…

Move over, froyo

By Greer Wylder

November 24, 2009

Summer may be gone and the weather may have finally gotten chilly, but who can say no to frozen desserts? Before you think Frostbites is another Pinkberry-esque frozen-yogurt wannabe—you won’t find any tart froyo with the cereal toppings here. Instead, there are sorbets (italian ices made daily from fresh fruits) swirled atop creamy frozen custard for a unique parfait treat. If you’re a fan of granitas, you’ll love Frostbites. Choose from 16 sorbet flavors such as strawberry, lemon, mango, watermelon, coconut, peach, peanut butter, pineapple and cherry—then layer it with either creamy chocolate or vanilla ice cream. Popular combinations include…

Time Is Now for Good Wine

By Greer Wylder

November 20, 2009

By Ian Blackburn In France, wine is made with an anticipation that it will improve in the bottle over time. This works out well in France, as it has a much cooler climate than we do. In France, there is a built-in “patience” in the consumer that has been cultivated over generations and many old citizens own a home that has a wine storage cave or family wine cellar. Here in California, “the immediate gratification culture” has it made. The warmer climate and growing conditions mature our fruit differently. Making wines in the French model didn’t always produce the…

Breakfast with a twist

By Greer Wylder

November 20, 2009

Because it’s nice to be able to have more than just regular ol’ bacon and eggs for breakfast, there’s Break of Dawn. At the Laguna Hills eatery, Chef Dee Nguyen has developed a cult following for elegant offerings like the creme brulee French toast—fat slices of egg-dipped bread in a pool of Mexican chocolate and coconut custard. Then there’s eggs tempura, perfectly poached eggs that are then dipped in tempura batter and then fried. Eggs Benedict are given an updated twist with a pesto hollandaise and of course, there’s a cinnamon sticky bun that’s baked in a cast-iron skillet. Sounds…

Tri-cultural delight

By Greer Wylder

November 19, 2009

What happens when you have a melding of Japanese, French and Italian cuisine? For starters, there’s sea urchin spaghetti. Osso Bucco with Wagyu beef. Tuna tataki with buffalo mozzarella. At Cafe Hiro in Cypress, chef Hiro Ohiwa has been charming diners for years with his quirkily wonderful (and reasonably-priced!) fare. The small restaurant is adorned with cheerful decor, perfect for a casual date or fun gathering with friends. Don’t forget to save room for the fantastic desserts: the panna cotta, a silky custard that’s not too sweet and studded with fresh berries and the walnut creme brulee is a standout,…