Greer's OC

The best holiday cookie search is on. Lucca Café in Irvine and Provenance Restaurant in Newport Beach are on a search for guests to submit their most prized cookie recipe through Sunday, Nov. 30.

Owner and Chef Cathy Pavlos, of both sponsoring restaurants, will select five finalists to go head-to-head in a “cookie showdown” in December at Provenance. With the help of a panel of judges, Chef Cathy will name one cookie the winner and award its baker a $1,000 cash prize!

“This search is an opportunity for my guests to share a piece of their family history, beginning with the age-old tradition of holiday baking,” says Chef Cathy, whose cookies at LUCCA have grown a fan club of their own over the past decade. “Growing up in Orange County, one of my favorite things about the holidays were the wonderful cookies my mom would bake. We couldn’t wait for them to cool before we sunk our teeth into their sugary, warm goodness.”

Simply submit a recipe and photograph (optional), along with name, age, and city of residence, via email to mona@moxxepr.com. The entries will be collected through midnight on Sunday, Nov. 30. Five finalists will be notified and invited to a final judging during which their cookies will be evaluated on taste, appearance and holiday spirit. Finalists must be present at the final judging to qualify for the $1,000 prize.

Details about the final event and the judging panel to join Chef Cathy to determine the winning entry will be released in November. Those interested in following details may refer to the Facebook pages for LUCCA facebook.com/LuccaCafe and Provenance facebook.com/provenanceoc.