Nation+World: OPEC+ agrees to boost oil supply to help ease gas prices.

A14

Friday, June 3, 2022   $2.50 FOUNDED IN 1905 FACEBOOK.COM/OCREGISTER TWITTER.COM/OCREGISTER

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DINING WHITE HOUSE

75 BEST PLACES Biden

TO EAT RETURNS pushes
for gun
control
‘Enough’ president says in call for ban
on assault-style weapons, other laws
By Michael D. Shear
The New York Times
WASHINGTON >> President Joe Biden
urged lawmakers Thursday to
break years of ideological stale- INSIDE:
mate in Washington by passing Police
new federal gun safety measures, say Tulsa
calling on Congress to stop the sale gunman
of assault-style weapons, expand targeted
background checks and pass “red surgeon
flag” laws after last month’s massa- he blamed
LEONARD ORTIZ — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Daniel and Brenda Castillo, owners of Heritage Barbecue, with their son Daniel Jr., are shown between the twin offset cres in Texas and New York. for pain.
PAGE A7
1,000-gallon smokers outside their restaurant in San Juan Capistrano in 2021. This year, Heritage Barbecue was named “We need to ban assault weap-
Restaurant of the Year by Register restaurant critic Brad A. Johnson. ons and high-capacity maga-
zines,” Biden said in a rare evening speech to the
Annual guide to OC restaurants is inside for subscribers and online BIDEN » PAGE 7

By Brad A. Johnson SANTA ANA

[email protected]
Dining is back. Restaurants
are packed. The food scene feels Free speech or libel?
almost as vibrant as it did in
2019, which was the last time the
Register published a ranked list-
Website attacks city
ing of the 75 Best Places to Eat.
For those who get the paper de- BRAD A. JOHNSON — STAFF officials, police chief
livered, the printed version of Seared prawns in chile morita
this eighth annual guide is in to- mojo with black lime crema at It’s not like it wasn’t nasty
day’s paper. It’s also online for all Taco Maria in Costa Mesa. Taco before. But now there’s
digital subscribers. Maria placed No. 2 on the 75 Best CrookedChief.com, a website ac-
While the last two years of this Places to Eat in Orange County. cused of “infantilizing” and “sex-
project have looked noticeably ualizing” female city officials, and
different — a pandemic edition Juan Capistrano — didn’t exist accusing Santa Ana’s top cop of
in 2020, an all-taco guide in the last time we published these lying, perjury, tolerating police
2021 — the definitive 75 Best rankings. Indeed, several restau- gangs and other misdeeds.
ranking is finally back. And rants in this year’s Top 20 de- In response, there’s been a
for the first time, updated star buted against all odds during the flurry of actions in court, where
ratings are included. No matter pandemic, including BluSky in the officials accuse the president
the format, the goal of this guide Anaheim, Mayfield in San Juan of the police union, Gerry Serrano, of being be-
has always remained the same: Capistrano, Nêp Café in Fountain hind CrookedChief.com’s libel and defamation.
to point Register readers to the Valley, Little Sister in Irvine and The site springs from a depraved “playbook”
very best places to eat in Orange Sushi Ii in Newport Beach. with step-by-step suggestions on how police
County. Yes, it’s still a jungle out there, union types can take down city officials who
This year’s new No. 1 restau- but that jungle is the new nor- don’t give them what they want, attorneys said.
rant — Heritage Barbecue in San mal. Welcome back to dining out. SFORZA » PAGE 9

FAITH ENVIRONMENT

KelpFest returns to help

Warren announces successor as Saddleback Church pastor promote ocean protection
The Laguna Beach event, dormant
Warren plans to deliver his fi- for two years because of the pan-
By Erika I. Ritchie demic, will feature fun activities
[email protected]
nal preaching series on Sept. 3
and 4. for children as well as educational
Pastor Rick Warren, who min- “Kay and I believe so much in booths and information on ways to
isters weekly to a global audi- this couple,” Warren said. “We become involved with protecting
ence of more than 40,000 people love them so much, and we are the ocean environment. PAGE A3
and has offered spiritual guid- confident that God has prepared
ance to multiple American pres- and chosen them to take up the UKRAINE WAR
idents, announced Thursday baton and run the next leg of the Russia has gained control
the successor who will lead the Saddleback marathon. of about a fifth of Ukraine
Saddleback Church he founded “We truly, deeply, confidently
nearly 43 years ago. and unreservedly endorse this President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Taking the helm in Septem- couple to take our church to said Russia had expanded its con-
ber when Warren and his wife, the next level of growth and trol of Ukrainian territory from an
Kay, expect to retire from lead- impact.” area roughly the size of the Neth-
ing the church at its Lake For- An emotional Warren an- COURTESY OF SADDLEBACK CHURCH erlands before the invasion began
est campus, will be pastor Andy nounced his selection — church Saddleback pastor Rick Warren and his wife, Kay, far right, are Feb. 24 to an area now greater
Wood and his wife, Stacie, of elders confirmed the choice of shown pwth pastor Andy Wood and his wife, Stacie. Rick Warren than the Netherlands, Belgium and
Echo.Church in San Jose. SADDLEBACK » PAGE 9 has selected Andy Wood as his successor.
Luxembourg combined. PAGE A11

INDEX TODAY’S FORECAST Customer Service: 714-796-7777

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PLAYLIST
Friday, June 3, 2022 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/OCREGISTER AND TWITTER.COM/OCREGISTER
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THESE ROCKERS
KICKED BUTT A NEW FILM LOOKS AT THE
SWAGGER AND LEGACY OF
FANNY, THE FIRST
ALL-FEMALE
BAND WITH
A MAJOR
LABEL
RELEASE

Above:
Members
of Fanny
gather while
By Peter Larsen >> [email protected] making the 2018

D
album “Fanny
ocumentary filmmaker Bobbi Jo Hart had Walked the Earth.”
never heard of Fanny, the first all-female From left are Jean
rock band to release an album on a major Millington, Brie Darling and
label, when she stumbled onto a biogra- June Millington.
phy of lead guitarist June Millington on PHOTO BY MARITA MADELONI
the Taylor Guitars website about eight years ago. Below: Bobbi Jo Hart, left,
“She found it, and she had the same reaction director of documentary
that thousands of people do now: ‘What? How “Fanny: The Right
come I never heard of you?’ ” Millington says, to Rock,” has fun
laughing. “She got my number, and she called me with the band.
right off.” PHOTO BY
BOBBI JO HART
Hart’s instincts were good because Fanny, the
band formed by Millington and her sister Jean
Millington with Alice de Buhr and Nickey Bar-
clay, truly was a groundbreaking group.
FANNY » PAGE 2

3 4 5

PARK LIFE: Audience-driven show MOVIES: Mark Rylance is the world’s MUSIC: Brian Culbertson to kick off jazz
“Ghost Town Alive” returns to Knott’s. most confident but least skilled golfer. series at Thornton Winery in Temecula.

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coverstory
2 |  PLAYLIST | THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER >> OCREGISTER.COM
C FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022

PHOTO BY LINDA WOLF

Fanny rehearses in the basement of the L.A. home, dubbed Fanny Hill, that the band members lived in at the height of their run in the early ’70s, when they released five albums on
major label Reprise. From left are bassist Jean Millington, keyboardist Nickey Barclay, singer Brie Darling, drummer Alice de Buhr and guitarist June Millington.

Fanny
play bass or whatever? I’d said,
‘Oh no, no, no, you got to be kid-
ding. We’re already bored, and
FROM PAGE 1 we’re kind of insulted.’”
Onstage, they let their musi-
On five albums released by Re- cianship prove their point, the
prise Records between 1970 and sisters say.
1974, the foursome rocked as hard “Our shows were always off the
as any of their male rock ’n’ roll hook because we came on full-
peers. on 110%,” June Millington says.
They opened for everyone from “We’re gonna give it to you and
Chicago and Humble Pie to Jethro you’re gonna submit. You are go-
Tull and Jeff Beck. Barbra Strei- ing to submit.”
sand hired them to back her in the
studio on her albums “Stoney End” Ending and beginning again
and “Barbara Joan Streisand.” Fanny earned the admiration
On any night at Fanny Hill, the of musicians who heard them.
house they all lived in just off Todd Rundgren produced the
the Sunset Strip, musicians from band’s fourth album, “Mother’s
singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt Pride.” Def Leppard singer Joe
to Lowell George of Little Feat COURTESY OF FILM MOVEMENT Elliott, a young teen at the time,
might be down in the basement still has a flexi-disc by the band
jamming with various members
A poster for “Fanny: The Right to that came in a copy of a British
of the band.
Rock” lists some of the musicians music newspaper. (Both musi-
The documentary film Hart
interviewed in the documentary. cians are interviewed in the film.)
made, “Fanny: The Right to PHOTO BY LINDA WOLF
Commercial success was more dif-
Rock,” includes all of that as well was electric, and we were the fa- ficult — only two singles cracked
as the long shadow of the band’s A billboard on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood promotes a Fanny show bled chicks up on the hill, you the Top 40 — and life on the road
influence on female rock bands at the Whisky A Go Go after the release of their first album, in 1970. know, in that fabulous house, who and in the band grew difficult. In
and musicians who followed. Che- could really play. 1973, when the record company
rie Currie of the Runaways, Kathy “I can’t tell you the number asked them to dress more provoc-
Valentine of the Go-Go’s and Kate of people who have told me they atively, June Millington says she
Pierson of the B-52’s are among came up to Fanny Hill to jam. I was already “falling apart.” That
the musicians interviewed in it. don’t really believe all of them, edict was the last straw.
The late David Bowie, who because there are hundreds. But “They wanted us to do T&A,
wrote the band a fan letter in the there were scores that definitely and I mean, we were a rock ’n’ roll
early ’70s – and two decades later did.” band,” Jean Millington says. “And
in a Rolling Stone interview was to have to start wearing those
still talking about how criminally Women in the world skimpy costumes, June couldn’t
overlooked they were – would be Starting in 1970, Fanny re- take it. She really couldn’t.”
pleased. corded and toured almost non- On the screen, June Millington
Bowie, it should be noted, stop. And it wasn’t always, or of- nods: “I felt like an imposter,” she
dated Jean Millington for a year ten, easy. The band faced racism says.
or so in the mid-’70s, and she later due to the Millingtons’ Filipina She left Fanny, and not long
married his guitarist Earl Slick, heritage, homophobia because after, de Buhr followed. Guitarist
with whom she had two kids. June Millington and de Buhr Patti Quatro and Darling replaced
“They’re as important as any- were gay, and sexism in general them in the band for a fifth al-
body else who’s ever been, ever; it and in the rock world in partic- bum. But the spirit they’d felt to-
just wasn’t their time,” Bowie told ular. gether was gone, Jean Millington
the magazine. “In the beginning, what was says, and soon she quit and the
“Revivify Fanny. And I will feel so hard was that we’d have to be band was done.
that my work is done.” playing at least 10 or 15 minutes And that might have been that,
“Fanny: The Right to Rock” before they realized, oh, they re- until in 2016, at a tribute concert
opens in theaters today, and ally can play; there’s not a band for June Millington in Northamp-
somewhere out there Bowie can PHOTO COURTESY OF FILM MOVEMENT in back playing the music,” Jean ton, Massachusetts, the sisters
rest easy. Todd Rundgren, shown with documentarian Bobbi Jo Hart, is one of Millington says. and Darling reunited to play a
the many big name musicians who admired Fanny, among them David “Behind the curtain!” June Mil- few songs. It felt good to be back
Prelude to success Bowie. Rundgren liked the band so much, he produced its fourth album. lington adds, laughing together, and they decided to
June and Jean Millington were “So we had to go through all make a new album, calling the
born in the Philippines to a Fili- nia, first as the Svelts, later as says. “That whole place erupted. that uncertainty and all that reformed group Fanny Walked
pina mother and a White father. Wild Honey. “I remember looking over at they’re looking at us like we have the Earth, in part as a joke about
As children, their family relocated “The Bay Area was our happy Addie and Jean and we felt such three heads,” Jean Millington their status as dinosaurs of rock
to Sacramento in 1961; by high place,” June Millington says. “We a sense of triumph because the says. “We had to go through prov- ’n’ roll and partly to celebrate the
school, they’d formed their first played with Sly and the Family audience got it,” she says. “Then ing ourselves in the beginning.” trail they’d blazed.
band with two other girls. Stone in Lake Tahoe in spring of the club manager ran up to Jean But many of their peers recog- “It felt like no time had elapsed
“Our mom was always into it,” ’68. By summer, we had reconfig- and said, ‘Play some more! Play nized them as the talented rock at all from when we were in our
June Millington says by video call ured as Wild Honey. I was going some more!’ And she said, ‘Well, musicians they were, the sisters teens,” Jean Millington says of the
from her home in Goshen, Mas- to UC Davis and Brie and Jean got you said 15 minutes ... .’ You know, say. sessions that got underway with
sachusetts. “She went behind our a house in Los Altos.” made him beg just a little bit. “The fun part was when we Hart and her small crew shooting
dad’s back and went to a music In 1969, though, the young “That was a good moment for toured with Chicago,” Jean Mil- footage for the film.
store and signed for our first gear women weren’t sure how much us, so we never forgot it.” lington says. “I couldn’t believe “It felt incredible,” June Mill-
in ’65. longer their musical career would The next day, they were pack- it. Every show, there they were ington says. “We realized, oh my
“Our dad was against it be- last. Then their manager lined up ing the bus to head home when in the background on the stage, god, we can show people that
cause he said, ‘Well, who’s gonna a showcase audition at an open- Norma Kemper, an assistant to watching us play. We had a lot of chicks at 69 can still, like, totally
take care of you?’ ” she says. “In mic-style night at the Trouba- producer Richard Perry, who fun meeting up with the guys and rock it. That’s what we wanted to
fact, he was right, but we didn’t dour in West Hollywood, and the had been at the showcase, called talking. do.”
care. We just wanted to do it.” band climbed aboard the bus and to let them know he wanted to “And it wasn’t, like, oh, boys The album arrived in 2018, and
Some nights the sisters would headed south. hear them. meeting girls. It was so respectful the group came to the NAMM
sneak out of the house to re- Perry convinced Reprise Re- because we are all musicians who Show in Anaheim that January
hearse with guitarist Addie Lee Making it in L.A. cords to sign them. Lee left the wanted the same thing, which to promote it in interviews while
and drummer Brie Brandt (now Things didn’t feel great at the group, to be replaced by key- was just to make great music.” also being honored at the annual
Brie Darling). start of the night. boardist and singer Barclay, and “Yeah, that was when the water She Rocks Awards there. But be-
They’d shinny down the tree “They told us, oh, you can only Darling was let go because Perry rose to the same level with quite fore they could tour the record,
outside their house, says Jean play for, what – five minutes? Fif- insisted they be a quartet like the a number of bands,” June Mill- Jean Millington had a stroke.
Millington, who played bass, and teen minutes, Jean?” June says. Beatles. The band changed its ington says. “I mean, Jeff Beck, For now, the documentary is
then start the car by pushing it si- “Yeah, two songs or some- name from Wild Honey to Fanny we did gigs with him; he never how their story and music will
lently and then popping the clutch thing,” Jean Millington says by and moved into the home they snooted at us. You know, Jeff Beck be shared.
once it was far enough from video call from her home in Davis. named Fanny Hill. doesn’t sneer at Fanny. That’s a “It’d be so great if people recog-
home not to wake their parents. “It was short, and when we “Fanny Hill was this amazing big deal for us. We noticed that. nize how musically wonderful the
Eventually, their dad came finish with, let’s say, three songs, house a few blocks up from the “But still the first question in band was,” Jean Millington says
around and bought an old school they jumped up on the tables, they Chateau Marmont that Hedy La- just about every interview was, of her hopes for the film.
bus to retrofit for the girls to drive were stamping their feet, they marr had owned,” June Milling- ‘What does it feel like to be the “It’s like a fairy tale,” June Mil-
to their gigs in Northern Califor- were clapping,” June Millington ton says. “Believe me, that house first girl to play electric guitar’ or lington says. “But it’s a fairy tale
parklife
FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEWS GROUP | PLAYLIST   | 3C

THEME PARK INSIDER BUENA PARK

The three
little letters
Disneyland
does not
want to hear
Being a theme park fan re-
quires getting to know a lot
of initialisms, such as DCA,
SFMM and WDW. Fans love to
save keystrokes when discuss-
ing their favor-
ite parks and at-
tractions online.
(Which is some-
thing that Disney
perhaps should
have consid-
Robert
ered when nam-
Niles ing Alien Swirling
Columnist Saucers and Mon-
BRADY MACDONALD — STAFF
sters Inc. Laugh
Floor.) Knott’s Berry Farm customers dance to music of the Doo-Wah Riders on the Calico Park Stage during a past Knott’s Summer Nights.

Knott’s cooks up a backyard

But in the past few weeks,
Disneyland has become closely
associated with another three-
letter combo that no business
ever wants to see next to its

party with music and food

name in a news story.
FBI.
The Disneyland Resort has
been tipped to be the “Company
A” in FBI affidavits that led to
the resignation of Anaheim
Mayor Harry Sidhu.
The FBI has been investigat- In addition
By Brady MacDonald to music,
ing allegations of corrupt prac- [email protected]
tices in and around the city of Knott’s
Anaheim government. While Knott’s Berry Farm is throwing a back- Summer
the main focus has been the yard barbecue party with a live music fes- Nights
city’s dealings with the Angels tival, picnic food booths and games for the will have
baseball team, Disneyland has kids and kids at heart as part of the new pub-style
been caught up in a larger in- Knott’s Summer Nights. games lilke
vestigation of corporate influ- Knott’s Summer Nights runs through cornhole
ence in the city’s affairs. Sept. 5 at the Buena Park theme park, with and ring a
Disneyland is facing no live music from 7 p.m. until closing time. bull, plus
charges in the investigation, Knott’s hosted a media preview recently food booths
which does not allege any ille- with Hiatus on the Calico Mine Stage, Doo- with Korean
gal activity by the theme park Wah Riders on the Calico Park Stage and barbecue,
resort. DJ Lance Rock spinning dance music from cowboy
The affidavits do allege that atop the Surf Shop rooftop. stew,
Company A executives wrote Hiatus is a rock-solid dance pop cover shaved ice
public statements to be deliv- band that played songs by Foreigner, Walk and more.
ered by Sidhu and helped coor- the Moon, Michael Jackson and Pink.
PHOTO BY
dinate support for other city of- Doo-Wah Riders played both kinds of mu- DREW A.
ficials. But all of that is legal sic — country and Western — with a set list KELLEY
and 100% routine activity for that included favorites by Kenny Chesney,
companies doing business in a Dwight Yoakam, Jake Owens and Creedence
community. Clearwater Revival, with fiddle, accordion Other bands on the Summer Nights lineup expanse of artificial grass with pub-style
Absolutely no one should be and harmonica highlights. include Tomasina, Suffragettes, Royal We, games like cornhole and ring a bull.
surprised by reports that big DJ Lance Rock — of Nick Jr.’s “Yo Gabba Urban Music Society, Flashback Heart At- Seven food booths offer everything from
companies try to influence lo- Gabba” and who has a new kids stage show tack & 80’z All Stars, Zydeco Party and Is- carnitas tacos to watermelon lemonade to
cal, state and national govern- at Knott’s — kept the party moving with land Reggae. peach and pineapple shaved ice. The most
ment officials. dance tunes between live music sets. Knott’s musical standbys like the always- popular food booths offered Korean barbe-
Look at the public records The bands and DJ took turns performing fun Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies (Wagon cue burgers, cowboy stew, and fried chicken
detailing campaign contribu- around the Charleston Fountain area of the Camp stage), Bluegrass Duo (Fireman’s Bar- and waffle sliders. The makings for s’mores
tions and you will find count- park in a music festival-style setting that becue stage) and Mariachi Angelitas (Fi- can be purchased and prepared over small
less entries from business ex- serves as the focal point for Knott’s Sum- esta Plaza stage) will perform throughout open-flame fire pits in front of the main
ecutives, relatives of business mer Nights. the park. stage. Knott’s sells $50 tasting cards good
executives and lawyers and lob- Hiatus and Doo-Wah Riders will re- The Knott’s Summer Nights festival area for six food items at the Summer Nights
byists representing business ex- turn some nights throughout the summer. is set up like a backyard barbecue on a large booths.
ecutives.
The Citizens United Su-
preme Court decision also now
allows greater direct contribu- KNOTT'S BERRY FARM
tions from corporations to can-

‘Ghost Town Alive’ is revived

didates’ campaigns.
Every company the size of
Disney employs entire depart-
ments of people to write press
releases and talking points
memos to inform journalists
and public officials what the
After pandemic hiatus, the partly improvised guest participation show returns
company is doing and plan-
ning, too. By Brady MacDonald
the ongoing and ever-changing
If those reporters and pub- [email protected]
tale.
lic officials end up just parrot- The new “Miss Cameo Kate’s
ing those releases rather that The citizens of Calico have Western Burle-Q Revue” stage
writing their own words, all the formed a Paranormal Investiga- show in the Bird Cage Theatre
better for the company. tors Society to look into reports adds to the ongoing storytell-
So save your outrage instead of ghost sightings in a novel bit ing taking place during “Ghost
for the elected officials who of self-referential meta-storytell- Town Alive.” Set in Calico, the
work hardest for the businesses ing taking place this summer at Western-themed stage show fea-
that pay their campaigns rather Knott’s Berry Farm as part of tures song and dance routines
than the people who elect them. an all-day improv theater expe- that expand on the town’s tales
Then let that outrage fuel rience. and gossip.
your own participation in local, A new Wild West choose-your- Each day’s storyline ends with
state and federal politics. Don’t own-adventure interactive ex- a clapping and stomping hoe-
complain that government does perience that lets Knott’s Berry PHOTO BY BRADY MACDONALD down dance party around 6 p.m.
not work for you if you do noth- Farm visitors drive, change and Auguste Finch weighs a chunk of gold in Calico Ghost Town as part in Calico Park.
ing to influence who controls participate in a constantly evolv- of “Ghost Town Alive,” in which park customers participate and A square dance caller orga-
that government. If you remain ing storyline has returned to the whose choices dictate the arc of a constantly evolving story. nizes promenades and do-si-
on the sidelines, the players Buena Park theme park. dos that partner Calico towns-
who don’t will win the game. This summer’s version of In this year’s iteration, the citi- events and propelling forward people actors with Knott’s visi-
Worried that you can’t make “Ghost Town Alive” adds to the zens of Calico Ghost Town don’t the overarching story that de- tors. Storytelling events from the
a difference because you don’t storytelling twists with the new yet realize they are surrounded velops throughout the day. day are wrapped up onstage. On
have millions of dollars to give? “Miss Cameo Kate’s Western by ghosts — but they are about No two daily story arcs in the Saturday, there was a wedding
Being part of a union or com- Burle-Q Revue” stage show in to find out. live-action role-playing adven- proposal (she said no) and a spe-
munity organization amplifies the Bird Cage Theatre — a trav- The interactive and immer- ture are ever the same. Visitors cial election for mayor (won by
your power. eling troupe of singers, danc- sive story of “Ghost Town Alive” can decide to pledge allegiance a young Knott’s visitor named
Or just volunteer to work ers and musicians propels the will unfold daily throughout to the notorious Mayfield gang Emily).
the phones, knock on doors, “Ghost Town Alive” story for- the summer. The Calico Gazette of bandits or help save the day Knott’s Ghost Town dates to
host meet-and-greets or drive ward. newspaper tracks the daily hap- with a posse of courageous cow- 1940, when Walter Knott relo-
other voters to polls — the tra- “Ghost Town Alive” and “Miss penings in town — from the an- boys. cated the Gold Trails Hotel from
ditional, grassroots organiz- Cameo Kate’s Western Burle-Q nual Founders Day celebration Peek-in locations throughout Prescott, Arizona, to his Buena
ing work that now means even Revue” kicked off recently as to the theft of a treasure map Calico Ghost Town have been Park farm in hopes of entertain-
more to campaigns as the ef- part of Knott’s summertime en- to sightings of spectral spir- transformed into working es- ing customers waiting in hours-
fectiveness of television adver- tertainment lineup, running its. Chaos inevitably ensues as tablishments and are open to long lines for his wife, Cordelia’s,
tising declines along with com- through Sept. 5. each day’s events unfold — made visitors who want to step in- chicken restaurant.
mercially supported TV’s rat- “Ghost Town Alive” injects more complicated by an ongoing side. Stop by the barber shop to Over time, Knott expanded on
ings. Wild West characters and im- feud in town between the rival catch up on the town gossip. Or the popularity of the hotel with
Want a government that prov storytelling into Calico outlaw gangs of the Mayfields swing by the sheriff’s office for a additional buildings from ghost
works for you instead of big Ghost Town, the original heart and the Mad Bucks. crooked game of cards. But be- towns. In 1951, he bought and
business? Here’s another initial- of the theme park that grew to About two dozen characters ware: Your face could end up on restored the Calico ghost town
ism for you: GOTV — get out include a saloon, blacksmith in 1850s Wild West period cos- a wanted poster. in San Bernardino County and
the vote. shop, schoolhouse, train depot tumes interact with Knott’s vis- The interactive improv play adopted the deserted mining
and stagecoach stop. itors and assign them duties lets hard-core players extract town’s name and aesthetic for
Robert Niles covers theme “Ghost Town Alive,” which de- to complete throughout Cal- intimate town secrets from the his burgeoning theme park. He
parks worldwide as the editor buted in 2016, returns to Knott’s ico Ghost Town. Visitors play actors and unlock “Easter eggs” enclosed the park in 1968 and in-
of ThemeParkInsider.com. after a two-year pandemic pause. an active role in shaping daily that open up new storylines in stituted a $1 admission fee.
screens+streaming
4 |  PLAYLIST | SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEWS GROUP
C FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022

MOVIES

An awfully confident man

A golfer with
utter, clueless
faith is actor
Mark Rylance’s
latest challenge
By Peter Larsen
[email protected]
At one time, Mark Ry-
lance hadn’t been aware
of the real-life story of the
worst golfer in the history
of the British Open.
But when a screenplay
about Maurice Flitcroft,
a shipyard crane operator
who managed to enter the
professional tournament,
one of the world’s most
prestigious, in 1976 despite
never playing a single round
of golf, came his way, well,
that was not something the
Oscar-winning actor was
going to pass up.
“The appeal was the ap-
PHOTO BY NICK WALL
peal of Don Quixote, or a lit-
tle bit of that character in Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) enters the British Open despite never having played golf — and is sure he can win — in “The Phantom of the Open.”
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ that
Jimmy Stewart plays,” Ry- have gone better,” Rylance and his twins James and
lance says on a video call says, laughing. Gene.
from London. For Rylance, the screen
“He maintains his own Good at golfing badly partnership with Hawkins,
opinion, his self-respect, de- Rylance plays tennis but who’s earned Oscar nomi-
spite all contrary evidence.” hadn’t touched a golf club nations for her roles in
And there was plenty of since he was a boy, so learn- “Blue Jasmine” and “The
evidence to the contrary as ing to play a bad golfer for Shape of Water,” was life-
“The Phantom of the Open,” the film came naturally, he changing.
which opens in theaters to- says. “It was like you when
day, makes clear. “I had a grandfather who you’re a kid and a new fam-
After catching a golf had lawns at his house in ily moves into the block,
match on the telly late one Kent that were beautifully onto the street in the neigh-
night, Flitcroft sent away flat,” says Rylance, who is borhood,” says Rylance,
for a cheap set of clubs and British but spent much of who won an Oscar for best
an instructional manual, his childhood and adoles- supporting actor for the
apparently convinced that cence in Connecticut and 2015 film “Bridge of Spies.”
he, a chain-smoking crane Wisconsin. “And out of that family
operator from Barrow-in- He and his brother found emerges someone who just
Furness, had as good a shot an old set of golf clubs from likes everything that you
as anyone at winning the their grandfather’s days as like. Likes to play the same
British Open. a banker in Hong Kong, and games, has the same sense
But when he realized with their friends from the of humor.
that to enter the qualifying PHOTO BY NICK WALL
village created their own “I just have never had
rounds as an amateur he’d little golf course. quite as strong an experi-
have to have a golf handi- Jean Flitcroft (Sally Hawkins) has as much faith in her husband (Rylance) as he does in “Eventually, we ven- ence of that for my career
cap, which would have re- “The Phantom of the Open,” which is based on a true story. tured over the hedge into as with Sally,” Rylance says.
quired him to actually have the playing fields of the “We just like to immerse
played golf before, he in- with Flitcroft on YouTube, Big dream, no doubts speare like me, maybe, who village, so we had maybe ourselves in our parts to the
stead ticked the box for pro- studying not only his man- “The Phantom of the has had training and years a nine-hole course that we same degree. I think she is
fessional golfers. No one at nerisms but his motives, Open” at its heart is a at the Royal Shakespeare made up ourselves and we even more vulnerable and
the tournament thought to too. story about following one’s Company and be daunted to loved it.” emotional than me, though
check if that was true. “I kept thinking, ‘You dreams, no matter how un- speak a bit of Shakespeare All that was long, long I’m quite that way too play-
On the first hole, Flitcroft must be having a joke. You likely. For Flitcroft, there at a wedding or a funeral. ago, says Rylance, 61. ing parts.”
took a big swing with his must be taking the mickey never seemed to be any “I think that’s a great “My swing, they say, is He left the film feeling
second-choice club — he’d of these interviewers. You doubt to his quest. He shame,” Rylance says. “So I natural and is all right,” he like he’d known her for a
forgotten his 4-iron in the can’t be serious.’ doesn’t seem to have had, like that aspect of the story, says. “But yeah, it was rare long, long time, and day-
car, he later explained — “But watching close-up or at least listened to, that too. That this is an amateur that a ball went where I in- dreaming about the kind of
and sent the ball all of 40 time and again, I could little voice in your head that who enters into the profes- tended it to go. So that was old-fashioned movie team
yards. never see a crack in the sin- says: You can’t be serious. sional field by accident, and fortunate.” they might have been.
Though officials begged cerity of his belief in him- Rylance says he thinks by intention, too, I guess, “I wish it was like the
him to stop, Flitcroft flailed self. That on a good day, he self-doubt can often derail and comes out honorably A family and a friend old days where once you
his way to a score of 121; at could match Arnold Palmer a dream before it starts. in my mind.” Though “The Phantom have a nice partnership,
49 over par, that was the or Seve Ballesteros or any of “Particularly with activi- Flitcroft refused to be of the Open” is centered then you make a series of
worst score in the history of them. That he was at that ties, sports, arts, that have ashamed or abashed by his around the game of golf, it’s films together, playing dif-
the tournament first played standard. professionals. performance at the open, he not a golf movie. Instead, ferent parts,” Rylance says.
in 1860. “So I thought, whether “You know, you can lis- notes. it’s a film about family — “Maybe that will happen,
Thanks to the media sen- he’s having a joke or not, ten to Miles Davis and get “He did the best he could. Sally Hawkins is wonder- because there’s certainly a
sation this created at the he appears to be sincere, so very daunted to pick up a He left his 4-iron in the ful as Flitcroft’s supportive nice good humor between
time, Rylance was able to I should play it sincere,” Ry- trumpet,” he says. “You can back of the car, and if he wife Jean, as are the actors us, and she’s a splendid,
watch scores of interviews lance says. watch someone play Shake- hadn’t done that it would who play his stepson Mike rare actress.”

radio+podcasts
BROADCASTING

More steps toward relevance KROQ can take

Monday is the big day. choosing tunes that would Certainly, KROQ’s current rat- more open to new styles than
That’s when Kevin indeed become smashes. ings prove it has nothing to lose. are adults, and adults already
Weatherly returns to pro- Listening to Carroll’s I believe Weatherly needs to re- have their own stations.
gram KROQ (106.7 FM). KROQ was like being part commit KROQ to the original Keep the commercials down
Weatherly programmed of a musical time machine, intent: Get local jocks who love in number and make the ads rel-
the station for many where Prince or Michael music, let them be part of choos- evant and entertaining to listen-
years and oversaw some Jackson or any number of ing that new music, give them ers; advertisements don’t have
of its highest ratings ever. punk and new wave bands the freedom to have some fun to be a tune-out.
Now he’s got his work would be heard on KROQ on the air while keeping it fast- You know you have to run
cut out for him if he hopes to re- months earlier than anywhere paced and entertaining, and ads, unlike the streamers, so
turn the station to its former else. He also gave his DJs a free most of all, expose new music. make them good. Most of all,
glory. But that’s not the focus spot on the hour to play some- It doesn’t mean playing new treat listeners with respect.
of this column. Indeed, I want thing they liked, a move that is COURTESY PHOTO music for new music’s sake. But Earn their trust; earn their loy-
KROQ to excel. said to have helped groups like KROQ once found success as the online streaming services alty. You’ll have them locked
To do this, it helps to under- Depeche Mode break big on the by hiring fun disc jockeys and and SiriusXM’s The Pulse Hits 1 into 106.7 forever.
stand what put KROQ on the station. finding fresh music. Will new prove, there is a lot of great new You may notice these are the
map in the first place. Carroll’s system worked far programmer Kevin Weatherly music around, and much of it same ideas I have for my own
Rick Carroll programmed a better than anyone expected return to that formula? never makes it to traditional ra- future AM station. I’ll loan them
few stations before he arrived at and became the prototype of dio airwaves. for now to Weatherly, at least
KROQ, most notably KKDJ (now new wave music stations ev- before KROQ stole its thunder. Get into the areas where high until I buy or am given my own
KIIS-FM 102.7) and KEZY (now erywhere. Carroll himself con- There are many who believe school and college-age kids and station.
KGBN 1190 AM). When he ar- sulted or helped launch numer- that you can’t play new music on young adults hear music and That’s my plan — what’s
rived at KROQ in 1978, his idea ous KROQ clones in such cit- the radio anymore. That it will find out what they like. Make yours? What would you do with
was for more of an irreverent ies as San Diego, Sacramento, push away listeners. My take is it your purpose in life to break KROQ? It seems to me the slate
Top 40 station — or perhaps a San Francisco, Seattle and Pitts- that not playing new music on the next big act. Get it to per- is clean, or am I off base? Let me
Top 40/Album Oriented Rock — burgh. Here in Los Angeles, it the radio is why the average lis- form concerts for listeners. Be- know your thoughts.
than an album-rock station. was KROQ more than direct tener is getting older and older. come the must-be place on the
His basic plan was to go competitor KLOS (95.5 FM) that Radio offers nothing to young dial for new music. Don’t limit Richard Wagoner is a San Pedro
against the likes of his former finished off KMET (now KTWV people, who shun radio for Face- yourself to one style — think freelance columnist. Email
stations by playing songs be- 94.7 FM), because KMET had book, Apple Music, Pandora, Top 40, which included every- rwagoner@socalradiowaves.
fore they became hits — though been the place to find new music SoundCloud and more. thing. Young music fans are far com.
music
FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEWS GROUP | PLAYLIST   | 5
C

LOS ANGELES

GRAND PERFORMANCES BACK

WITH FUNK, CUMBIA, MORE

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GRAND PERFORMANCES

The new season of Grand Performances will bring 16 free shows to downtown Los Angeles’ California Plaza on Saturdays starting this week.

By Richard Guzman GRAND WHO’S PLAYING

[email protected] PERFORMANCES Saturday: COLA 2022 art-

J
When: Typically ist fellows
une marks the return of free music to
6-10 p.m. June 11: Aditya Prakash
downtown Los Angeles as the Grand Per-
Saturdays Ensemble and Nick Smith
formances summer concert series kicks off
through Sept. 24
a four-month lineup of shows featuring mu- June 18: Lucky Diaz and
sic from all over the globe, from cumbia and Where: the Family Jam Band, 2-6
classical to jazz and jam bands. 350 S. Grand p.m.
“We’re really taking people on a trip around Ave., Los Angeles
June 25: Boleros De
the world,” said Stewart Irel, Grand Perfor- Cost: Free Noche: A Tribute to Agustín
mances’ creative and artistic director. Information: Lara
“This has always been an incredible oppor- grandperfor- July 9: Scary Pockets and
tunity to really expose the public to different mances.org Rozzi Crane
kinds of entertainment and different genres
of music,” he said. Scary Pockets will perform funked-up covers of Aditya Prakash sings in July 16: World Stage
Founded in 1986, Grand Performances puts popular songs July 9. the Indian carnatic style. presents Black Nile and
on free all-ages concerts during the summer. Linafornia
The new season will include more than a dozen together and it’s absolutely beautiful,” Irel DETAILS >> This night will be a celebration July 23: Pakistan Arts
performances at the 7,000-person capacity said. of the late Coltrane, an accomplished jazz Council presents Ali Sethi
California Plaza in downtown L.A., most from musician who played piano and the harp. July 30: KCRW Summer
6-10 p.m., Saturdays through Sept. 24. Scary Pockets and Rozzi Crane A string and harp ensemble will perform Nights
There is a lot of music on the lineup, so for WHEN >> July 9 music from throughout her career. “She’s Aug. 6: Melissa Polinar
those who can’t make every show, Irel recom- DETAILS >> Expect a funky dance party when affected so much of the jazz world and so Aug. 13: Extra Ancestral
mended one can’t-miss concert per month. Scary Pockets hits the stage. The band per- many musicians,” Irel said.
forms funk versions of well-known songs Aug. 20: Farhang Founda-
Aditya Prakash Ensemble and releases weekly videos on its You- Cumbiatón tion
and Nick Smith Tube channel. Its repertoire includes tunes WHEN >> Sept. 17 Aug. 27: Dublab presents
such as Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You” and DETAILS >> This will be another dance- Alice Coltrane: An Expan-
WHEN >> June 11 Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.” Opening for Scary filled night, thanks to Cumbiatón, a Boyle sive Spirit
DETAILS >> Jazz pianist Smith opens the Pockets is pop singer Rozzi Crane. “This is Heights-based collective of DJs, artists Sept. 3: KCRW Summer
night with a performance that will “tell the going to be infectious for sure. You won’t be and musicians who perform all forms of Nights
story of the fundamentals of jazz,” Irel said. able to sit still,” Irel said. Latin party music, from cumbia and salsa Sept. 10: The Fountain
Smith will be followed by classic Indian car- to merengue, banda and Rock en Español. Theatre presents “Citizen:
natic singer Prakash. “Indian carnatic sing- Dublab presents Alice Coltrane: “Out of the entire series, this is the one An American Lyric”
ers hold a note and kind of bend it. It’s a An Expansive Spirit that’s going to feel the most like a party,” Sept.17: Cumbiatón
style of singing that’s unique to India, but he Irel said.
sings with a jazz band, so he fuses the two WHEN >> Aug. 27 Sept. 24: Renee Goust

THORNTON WINERY

Brian Culbertson to
kick off jazz series
By Fielding Buck
Here is the rest of the schedule.
[email protected]
JUNE 18 >> Guitarist Norman Brown,
sax player Paul Taylor
Thornton Winery in Temecula is JUNE 25 >> Guitarist Peter White, saxo-
a regular stop for many stars on the phonist Vincent Ingala
jazz circuit, as well as pop stars and JULY 16 >> Grammy-winning trumpeter
rockers. Chris Botti
Some top names in smooth jazz will JULY 23 >> Singer/songwriter Brian
be making their way back to the 20- McKnight, who will also be at the
acre property in southern Riverside Newport Beach Jazz Festival on June
PHOTO BY PHILIP COSORES County this summer for the Cham- 5
MYCHAL WATTS — GETTY IMAGES
Brian McKnight pagne Concert Series. AUG. 13 >> Saxophonists Mindi Abair
It begins Saturday with Brian Cul- and Euge Groove Brian Culbertson
bertson. AUG. 27 >> Saxophonist Gerald Albright,
The award-winning musician will guitarist Adam Hawley
be joined by vocalist Lindsey Webster, AUG. 28 >> Guitarist Jesse Cook
Marcus Anderson and Marqueal Jor- SEPT. 17 >> Singer/songwriter Jeffrey
dan. The show is sold out, according Osborne
to the winery’s website. But the musi- OCT. 8 >> Saxophonist Richard Elliot,
cians will also be performing Sunday trumpeter Rick Braun
at the Newport Beach Jazz Festival at OCT. 22 >> A “returning very special
the Hyatt Regency in Newport Beach. guest” to be announced Sept. 5
The series will continue into Octo- Thornton Winery also has a Friday
ber. Concerts take place weekends on night concert series with local musi-
the winery’s patio with general admis- cians and tribute bands.
sion seating and a limited number of In years past, the Champagne Con-
reserved tables for “gourmet supper cert Series ran April to October, but
packages” from the kitchen of the it skipped 2020 due to the coronavi-
winery’s restaurant, Café Champagne. rus pandemic. It came back for a short
The winery will also set up a Jazz season in 2021 beginning in late Au-
Grill to serve barbecue during the gust, with such artists as Botti, White
shows. and Groove as well as Dave Koz.
Most shows start at 7 p.m. Gates Thornton Winery is at 32575 Ran-
open an hour earlier, and lines are al- cho California Road, Temecula, about
lowed two hours in advance. 4 miles east of the 15 Freeway.
Prices vary with the concert, rang-
SLAVEN VLASIC — GETTY IMAGES PHOTO BY DREW A. KELLEY
ing from $95-$115. Supper packages INFORMATION >> 951-699-0099, thorn-
Chris Botti range from $195-$215. tonwine.com Mindi Abair
 6 |  YOUR DAILY BREAK | SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEWS GROUP
C FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022

Universal Sudoku Puzzle THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek
Unscramble these Jumbles,

Get the free JUST JUMBLE app • Follow us on Twitter @PlayJumble

one letter to each square,
to form four ordinary words.

MMEDO

NUAAF

Previous puzzle
solution AUQINT

POYDOR
Now arrange the circled letters
©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC to form the surprise answer, as
All Rights Reserved. suggested by the above cartoon.

“ - ”
(Answers tomorrow)
Jumbles: RHYME FROND GAMBIT LETTER
Yesterday’s
Answer: To create the Traveling Wilburys, the individual
© 2022 by Universal UClick artists needed to — BAND TOGETHER

Horoscope ADVICE

Woman eats roommate’s food

Moon Alert: Avoid shopping or \*\*\*\* For most of this day, the concerned about medical or legal
making important decisions from Moon is in your sign. Initially, con- matters. If so, expect some op-
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT today (8 versations with younger people position. Later in the day, you are
a.m. to 12 noon PDT). After that, will be stimulating, especially high-viz, and people want to see
the Moon moves from Cancer with people you haven’t seen in a you. Tonight: You look good! DEAR ABBY >> A cou- a second time? She credulous in Oklahoma.”
into Leo. while. Midday there could be hic- Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
cups with power struggles. Later, ple of months ago, doesn’t have a car She said her boyfriend
Happy birthday for Friday, June \*\*\*\* Discussions about bud-
3, 2022: You are clever and a your finances look good! Shop- gets, banking, shared property, I moved from my so she Ubers to falls into a deep sleep last-
quick study. You are also multital- ping will appeal to you. Tonight: inheritances and insurance mat- mother’s into an work, which adds ing three days every two or
ented and confident. Because you Feeling happy. ters might take place today. If so, apartment with a up, and she spends three weeks, during which
know how to make others happy, Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): \*\*\*\* you will be able to wrap up some friend I had rekin- hundreds of dol- time he turns abusive.
this will be a successful year, Initially, you want to be low-key old business. Don’t worry about dled a high school lars on her anime Abby, his symptoms might
because you will want to be of today and work alone or behind power struggles. As the day friendship with a Dear hobby. If I can’t be caused by a rare neuro-
service to others. This means you the scenes. Note: Efforts to make wears on, think about vacations Abby
must take care of yourself and improvements or reforms might and future travel plans that prom- few years back. The trust her with small logical disorder called Kle-
Columnist
do what you can to rejuvenate meet with opposition today. No ise fun times ahead! Tonight: first month in, I no- things like food and ine-Levin Syndrome. Your
yourself. worries. By the afternoon, the Dream big! ticed she had eaten snacks, how am I readers can learn more
Aries (March 21-April 19): Moon is in your sign, which means Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): a few of my freezer supposed to trust about it by visiting the
\*\*\*\* This is a wonderful you hold all the cards. Tonight: \*\*\* Vacations, social plans, meals, so I confronted her her at all? We just signed a ninds.nih.gov website and
day to enjoy the company of You win! sports events and kids might be about it. She started crying two-year lease, and I can- selecting the Health Infor-
others. Initially, family conver- Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): the subject of discussion today.
sations might be important, \*\*\* You might talk to old This is a good time to make social and told me she was wait- not sublet. mation tab to search for
and you might tackle home friends (perhaps younger people plans, even though you might ing for a new debit card in — Hungry for Honesty this disorder.
repairs. However, there might be from another culture) to catch up encounter speed bumps when the mail and had limited —Mariam in Florida
disputes. As the day wears on, on news today. Discussions about dealing with someone. Later, a cash to get her through un- DEAR HUNGRY >> Your room-
fun-loving choices will entice you. travel are possible. A dispute gift or a favor from someone will til the card arrived. I told mate has proven she can’t DEAR MARIAM >> Thank you
It’s a great date night! Tonight: with someone midday might take please your family or home scene. her she should have said be trusted. Are her prob- for the input. Several other
Socialize! place. (Don’t get your belly in a Tonight: Money savvy.
rash.) Later in the day, relax and
something, and I would lems financial or emo- readers also mentioned
Taurus (April 20-May 20): Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
\*\*\* Today you’re on a mission, take it easy. Enjoy! Tonight: Easy \*\*\* Discussions with younger have happily let her have tional? Cross your fingers this disorder might be a
which is why conversations with does it. family members will be produc- some of my food, but for and hope she can come up possible explanation for the
others are important. Errands, Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): tive today. People are eager to her not to ask was rude with the rent each month. boyfriend’s behavior. When
tasks and appointments will keep \*\*\* Discussions with bosses, get things done. Possibly, they because I rely on those If you can afford it, pur- I read her letter, I wasn’t
you busy. (Check the Moon Alert parents or the police should go will address health issues as freezer meals for quick and chase a small refrigerator sure whether he might be
above.) However, after midday, well today, especially about wrap- well. (Expect some resistance.) easy lunches at work. for your bedroom, install a “on” something, having an
you’re ready to socialize at home. ping up old business and dealing Later in the day, good times with
Invite the gang over for good food with past issues. Admittedly, partners and friends will be a I finished the box of strong padlock on the door allergic reaction to a med-
and drink! Tonight: Relax at home. there will be hiccups midday. blessing! Tonight: Enthusiasm. meals and bought a new and use it to secure ALL ication or unwell. This is
Gemini (May 21-June 20): Later in the day, you feel popular Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): one. It was a large box with of your property until the why I suggested he might
\*\*\* Money and financial con- and eager to share good times \*\*\*\* This is a playful, fun- six packages inside. I inten- lease expires. If your room- need to be examined physi-
cerns might dominate your day. If with others. Enjoy! Tonight: loving day; nevertheless, issues tionally left it unopened to mate asks why the lock and cally and neurologically by
shopping, be aware of the Moon You’re popular. with kids or trips, travel, learn- see if she would steal food fridge are being installed, a medical professional.
Alert. Later in the day, you’ll enjoy Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): ing, errands and appointments from me again. Lo and be- confront her again then.
talking to others. You might want \*\*\*\* Busy discussions with will keep you busy. You might
to travel, learn new things and partners and close friends might encounter power struggles. Later, hold, a month later, I went Contact Dear Abby at
be involved with groups. Tonight: take place today, especially about money related to your job or your to open the box and saw DEAR ABBY >> I am writing DearAbby.com or P.O. Box
You’re optimistic. publishing, the media or possible work looks promising! Tonight: she’d taken two of them. about the letter you pub- 69440, Los Angeles, CA
Cancer (June 21-July 22): travel plans. Some of you will be Ka-ching! How do I confront her lished on April 3 from “In- 90069.

HINTS FROM HELOISE The New York Times Crossword

‘Check’ mate on bank fraud By Erica Hsiung Wojcik

ACROSS
1 Clean
36 ___ +
anais (baby care
Edited by Will Shortz No. 0429
9 Bit of info for an
accountant: Abbr.
30 “Will You Love
Me Tomorrow”
DEAR HELOISE >> have changed. Ei- DEAR HELOISE >> How do I 5 Brims brand) 10 Guiding principles group, with “the”
Most people rarely ther have a garage keep my bathroom mir- 10 Peak also known 37 “___ sleep comes 11 Eerie-sounding 31 Bundle
write a check any- sale or donate your ror from fogging up every as Mongibello down to soothe instruments 32 Wear (out)
more, but there are usable clothing to time I take a shower? 14 Big brand of the weary eyes”: that are played 33 Grew in
occasions when a charity. — Seth J., Newark, Ohio kibble Paul Laurence without physical appreciation for
check is needed. Get rid of things Dunbar contact 34 One of the
15 Anthony of “In
If you are order- that don’t belong DEAR SETH >> Automotive the Heights” 38 “Doesn’t matter 12 Item of punk Maritime
to me” jewelry Provinces: Abbr.
ing new checks, do not in your closet to free up stores sell an anti-fog so- 16 He called Hulk
have your full name on a space. Throw out worn- lution that’s frequently a “friend from 40 “What do we have 13 ___ Technica 39 The “a” of Torah?
work,” in a here!” (website) 40 Cause of bad
check. Instead of “Mary out shoes and purses, and used on car windshields.
Marvel movie 41 Schedule abbr. 18 An infant’s mind, breath
Jones” or “Mary J. Jones” group things together, Use it on your bathroom
17 Dalliance 44 ___ Chen, according to John 41 Intro to America’s
on your printed checks, such as all jeans together, mirrors, and your prob- member of the Locke
19 Victor ___, pastime
use your initials. For ex- all sweaters together, all lem should be solved. girl group S.H.E. 21 False and
ample: “M.J. Jones.” If dresses together, etc. Or- Nobel winner for 42 Tonal language
the discovery of 45 Apple counter malicious family
someone happens to steal ganizing your closet is a DEAR HELOISE >> I have cosmic rays 48 Unoccupied 24 It’s on the road 43 Fervor
your checks, they won’t step toward organizing a real problem with my 20 Romeo and Juliet, 49 Score keeper? again 45 Chips go-with, for
know who M.J. Jones is or your life. drinking glasses getting e.g. 50 Repeated cry in 25 Org. that merged short
if it’s a man or a woman. — Tiffany N., Provo, stuck together. How can I 21 Reverential term aerobics with AFTRA 46 Bygone U.S. fuel
This makes it much eas- Utah get them apart? of address 51 Marc or Pau of 26 Diving bird brand
ier for your bank to detect — Diane S., Farrell, 22 Show featuring the N.B.A. 27 “___ Whoopee” 47 Try
fraud on your account. DEAR HELOISE >> I keep Pennsylvania Bowen Yang, for 52 Cher, but not (jazz standard) 48 End of class?
— Terry F., Boston a cubed tissue box on short Sonny 28 Where Oliver 49 Tiny dosage
top of my dryer so I can Pour cold
DEAR DIANE >> 23 Item at a T.S.A. 53 Dance wildly Hazard Perry said units: Abbr.
DEAR HELOISE >> While place my lint and old water into the top glass checkpoint 54 Tea party serving “We have met the
spring cleaning, many of dryer sheets in it. When and set the bottom one in 24 Symptoms of 55 Haze enemy, and they
stress, it’s said are ours”
us will be cleaning out it’s full, I throw it out.warm water. With a lit- DOWN
our main clothes closet. — Kay G., Monroeville,tle effort, they should pull 26 Montreal’s Côte 1 Floats Answers to yesterday’s puzzle
Most of us have a habit of Indiana
apart. If this fails to do Saint-___
2 Klein who once I M A G E I T S O K
collecting things or hang- the trick, use a little oil 27 Largest city in managed the V A L O R C R A Z E
ing on to a garment be- DEAR HELOISE >> What is along the edges and try to the U.S. that’s not Beatles and A W A I T S K I S M E T
a county seat Rolling Stones
cause we intend to lose the correct way to ad- pull them apart. If at all B A M B I C H A P S
29 “O patria ___” 3 Pitch G R R I V S A K A S U M
weight, because it has a dress a widow in a let- possible, you might want (“Aida” aria)
4 Cape ___, place A I D S T E R N L Y O N O
memory attached to it, or ter? I thought it was to store glass items with- 30 It’s just you and P D F S O N I C E B N A I
we only wore it once and “Mary Smith” or “Mrs. out stacking them. That where the Pacific
me, baby and Atlantic meet E G A N B O D H I A T M S
we’re hoping to wear it John Smith.” way you won’t risk getting 33 Rhetorical D E C A T U R O V E R H I T
again in the future. But as — Dolores K., Torrance, them stuck. 5 “Waiting for I R A S T Y K E
question of self- Godot,” e.g.
you go through the closet, deprecation G E N E S I S T H E S I M S
ask yourself, “When was DEAD DOLORES >> If she is Write to Heloise at 6 Put down the O M G K N I S H E S V I E
34 They promise no hatch N A D A E N E R O S L A V
the last time I wore this?” a close friend, go ahead P.O. Box 795001, San hurt feelings
7 Sheik’s peer Z I O N S A P O R R O M E
and “Does it still fit?” and use her first name. Antonio, TX 78279-5000; 35 Goof
8 Stock exchange? O L G A S I T B Y I W I N
By the time you wear it However, traditionally, a Fax 210-HELOISE; or
again, it could be out of widow is addressed with email Heloise@Heloise. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
style or your tastes could the title of Mrs. com.
14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21

22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29

30 31 32

33

34

35 36 37

38 39 40 41 42 43

44 45 46 47

48 49

50 51 52

53 54 55
FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEWS GROUP | YOUR DAILY BREAK   |
C 7

FOR BETTER OR WORSE: By Lynn Johnston WIZARD OF ID: By Brant Parker and Johnny Hart

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE: By Stephan Pastis BABY BLUES: By Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

LUANN: By Greg Evans ZITS: By Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

MOTHER GOOSE & GRIMM: By Mike Peters BLONDIE: By Dean Young & John Marshall

FRANK & ERNEST: By Bob Thaves BIZARRO: By Wayno and Piraro

MARVIN: By Tom Armstrong PICKLES: By Brian Crane

THE BORN LOSER: By Chip Sansom MARMADUKE: By Brad & Paul Anderson ZIGGY: By Tom Wilson

DRABBLE: By Kevin Fagan

BALDO: By Cantú and Castellanos DENNIS THE MENACE: By Hank Ketcham FAMILY CIRCUS: By Bil Keane

GARFIELD: By Jim Davis

ROSE IS ROSE: By Pat Brady & Don Wimmer B.C.: By Mastronianni & Hart

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE: By Chris Browne BEETLE BAILEY: By Mort, Greg and Brian Walker
 8 |  YOUR DAILY BREAK
C
FOR| RELEASE JUNE 3,NEWS
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 2022
GROUP FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022

TheTHE Daily
Daily Commuter Puzzle
Commuter by Jacqueline E. Mathews

ACROSS
1 Caesar, for one
4 Boleyn & Murray
9 Collins or
Donahue
13 “It’s all Greek __”
14 On the __; free to
roam
15 Queue
16 Give __; help the
poor
17 Capability
19 Word meant to
startle
20 Jail
21 Solemn promises
22 Tries to lose
24 Student’s
transport
25 “__ in the Hat”
27 Not roundabout
30 Toils
31 Ignores with
contempt
33 Chick’s mom
35 Blown __;
flabbergasted
36 Lowlands
37 Great __; tall dog Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews 6/3/22
38 Plop down
39 Woodwind 6 Iditarod finish Thursday’s Puzzle Solved
instrument line city
40 Handbag 7 Catch a glimpse
41 More uncanny of
43 Shaped 8 __-through;
44 “We Three Kings transparent
of Orient __” 9 Polite person’s
45 Orchestra word
instrument 10 Helpful clue
46 Las Vegas 11 __ along; move
attractions slowly
49 Photographer’s 12 Trevino &
directive Remick
51 Cowboys’ league: 13 Bar bill
abbr. 18 Travel agency
54 Give in offerings
56 Door handle 20 Potpie
57 Hot spot ingredients SHERMAN’S LAGOON: By Jim Toomey
58 Check recipient 23 Disgusting
59 Hearing organs 24 High chair
60 Orangey drink accessories ©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
All Rights Reserved.
6/3/22

61 Accumulate 25 “It was,” to a poet

62 High school 26 TV’s Mandel 36 Mirth 49 Close in anger
building 27 __ buggy; off- 37 Humdrum 50 Angelou or
road vehicle 39 At __; initially Rudolph
DOWN 28 Good wine with 40 Vaulter’s need 52 Paper to be filled
1 Sing alone seafood 42 PG-13 or R, e.g. out
2 Excessive 29 Nervous 43 Wild brawls 53 Weight units:
3 __ Moines 31 Insulting remark 45 Refers to abbr.
4 Author Louisa 32 Tennis court 46 Aberdeen native 55 Put __ fight; RED & ROVER: By Brian Bassett
May __ divider 47 Molten rock resist
5 Cozy corners 34 Have to have 48 Candid 56 Beer container

ASK DR. ROACH

Ablation of posterior nasal Universal Crossword

nerves may alleviate condition ACROSS

1 Fantasy
Edited by David Steinberg June 3, 2022
42 Milk,
French
in
Universal 4 Small
Crossword
bouquets
33 Common
HBO rating
Universal
creature Crossword
45 Put
Edited byaDavid 5 “NFL
raisedSteinberg June 3, 2022 36 Get defeat-
Live”
DEAR DR. ROACH >> I perature. The idea time; however, I think the hidden in design on channel ed by
am a 72-year-old fe- is to decrease the likelihood of serious adverse ACROSS
“sorcerer” 42 With
47 Milk, 49-
in 4 Roulette
6 Small 33 Deserve
37 Common
male in relatively amount of signals the effects are small. 41 Chapel
Fantasyseat French
Down, bouquets
spinner HBO rating
38 Aromatic
good health. I have nerve sends to the creature 45 Put a raised 5 “NFL Live” 36 Get defeat-
7 iPad
hidden in gourd
designwith on 7 Toothpaste
channel wood
ed by
a history of aller- nasal tissue, which I have download 39
47 ridges 6 tube letters 37 Lagasse
Deserve who
DEAR DR. ROACH >>
“sorcerer” With 49- Roulette
gic rhinitis. A regi- will in turn decrease read that thiamine levels 104 Flew,
Chapel or seat 50 “The
Down, Farmer 8 Most
spinner 38 contributed
Aromatic
men of allergy test- Dr. Keith the amount of na- in the brains of Alzheimer’s 7 drove
iPad fast in the ___”
gourd with 7 washed-out
Toothpaste recipes
wood to
ing and shots was Roach sal discharge and patients showed a deficiency 11 Worker
download (nursery
ridges 9 Hobby
tube letters 39 NASA
Lagasse who
successful in con- Columnist other symptoms. A of thiamine. It has been sug- 10 protection
Flew, or 50 rhyme)
“The Farmer 8 Piece
10 Most of contributed
40 Accommo-
trolling my sea- very similar proce- gested that one take a sup- drove fast
org. in the ___”
51 Letter after washed-out
rosemary recipes to
dates
11 Smear,
13 Worker like (nursery
zeta 9 Peak
12 Hobby 43 NASA
Reference
sonal allergies. I dure can be done us- plement of benfotiamine. protection rhyme) 10 Piece of 40 Accommo-
also have vasomo- ing laser treatment or What is your opinion? finger
org. paint 54
51 “Ed Wood”
Letter after 14 Be relevant
rosemary sections
dates
tor rhinitis, which results in cold to have the same effect — F.C. 15
13 High
Smear, like Oscar
zeta 12 to
Peak 44
43 Like Russia
Reference
a runny nose during meals, on the nerves. At the time degrees
finger paint 54 winner
“Ed Wood” 17
14 “Same here”
Be relevant before 1917
sections
drinking hot or cold bever- of this writing, only the ra- DEAR READER >> You are cor- 16
15 With
High Martin
Oscar 18 Knightly
to 46
44 Passe
Like Russia
ages and after tooth brush- diofrequency and cold abla- rect that in autopsy stud- 18-Down,
degrees 55 Desertlike
winner 17 endeavor
“Same here” 48 Agency1917
before
16 out-of-the-
With Martin
56 Extremely 18 Shaped
20 Knightly 46 customer
Passe
ing. I never get through a tion devices are approved by ies, the brains of people who 18-Down,
ordinary 55 hot
Desertlike endeavor
precious 48 Suppress
49 Agency
meal without needing a tis- the Food and Drug Admin- suffered from Alzheimer’s out-of-the-
solicitation 56 Big
58 Extremely
time? 20 stones
Shaped 52 customer
Heaps
sue or two. I have seen sev- istration. disease have shown low thi- ordinary hot precious 49 Suppress
19 NFL official
solicitation 59 Timely,
58 Big time? or 23 Stuck-up
stones 53
52 Heaps like
Moved
eral ENTs over the years re- I found quite a few tri- amine levels. While we use 20
19 Movie
NFL official 59 a phonetic
Timely, or 23 person
Stuck-up 53 a pendulum
Moved like
garding this condition. I re- als, not all of which were intravenous thiamine in one 20 industry
Movie hint to how
a phonetic 27 British
person 57 Felt sorry
a pendulum
cently tried ipratropium funded by the manufac- kind of acute memory dis- 21 Genesis
industry 16-, 26-how
hint to and 27 pound,
British 57 about
Felt sorry
bromide nasal spray, which turers of the different de- order, Wernicke-Korsakoff 21 twin
Genesiswho 16-, 26- and
47-Across pound,
slangily about
60 Attempt
the ENT was sure would al- vices, that showed high ef- syndrome, oral thiamine is twin his
sold who 47-Across
turn slangily you
29 Amount 60 Gobbled
61 Attempt up
leviate this condition. It fectiveness with very few a poor way of getting thia- sold his
birthright turn
61 Central line 29 can
Amountcarryyou 61 Gobbled up
birthright 61 Central line can carry
didn’t. Now the ENT doc- side effects. The longest mine into the brain. But the 22
22 Threat
Threat of of 62
62 King
King whom
whom 32
32 Golf
Golf peg
peg
tor suggests ablation of the trial showed effectiveness oral treatment benfotiamine litigation
litigation Cordelia
Cordelia
posterior nasal nerves using up to 52 weeks with the ra- has been shown to be an ef- 24
24 Journey
Journey part loved
low frequency radio waves. diofrequency device, and fective way of supplement- 25
25 “Oh,
“Oh, whywhy
part loved
63 Witnessed PREVIOUS
Answers PUZZLE
to yesterday’s puzzleANSWER

Have you heard of this pro- greater than 50% reduction ing thiamine. The theory is not”
not” 64 New Age
26 With
26 With pianist John
pianist John
cedure? My ENT says it has in symptoms. sound, and while some an- 27-Down, 65 Home
Home in in
been in use for about 10 I would not rush to rec- imal studies showed some 27-Down, 65
sea creature
sea creature which
which
years. The clinical studies ommend this procedure. benefit, a year-long study of that can be
that canlong
be
tracking
tracking
appear to have been done by There are many effective benfotiamine was unable to 43 feet mud is OK
the manufacturer of the de- medications to be tried — I show a statistically signifi- 28 43Sine feet
andlong 66 mud
Banned is OK
28 Sine
cosine, ande.g. 66 Banned
insecticide
vice. My concern is the ab- particularly recommend az- cant benefit in cognitive de- 30 cosine,
Bug-eyed e.g. 67 insecticide
“C’___ la vie!”
lation procedure may allevi- elastine nasal spray if you cline. 31 Bug-eyed
30 Express DOWN
67 “C’___ la vie!”
ate the rhinitis problem but haven’t tried it. These kinds Benfotiamine is safe but verbally
31 Express 1 Laertes’
DOWN
create another problem. of procedures should be re- has not yet been proven ef- 34 verbally
Big blast sister in
1 Laertes’
maker “Hamlet”
— N.P. served for people with sig- fective. A healthy diet, regu- 34 Big blast
35 “I’m telling 2 sister
Causeinfor
nificant symptoms that lar exercise and keeping an maker
the truth!” “Hamlet”
concern in a
DEAR READER >> Abla- have not responded to treat- active brain remain the best 35
38 “I’m
Corp. telling
bigwig 2 Cause for
relationship
tion of the posterior na- ment. Any relatively new ways of reducing demen- 41 the truth!”
Surfer’s 3 concern
’90s music in a 6/2 © 2022 Andrews McMeel Universal
sal nerves is a new treat- treatment has the poten- tia risk. 38 Corp.
need?bigwig relationship
buys www.upuzzles.com
6/2
ment for vasomotor rhini- tial for undiscovered side ef- 41 Surfer’s 3 ’90s music © 2022 Andrews McMeel Universal
tis, which is characterized fects that show up only af- Contact Dr. Roach at need? buys www.upuzzles.com

by a runny nose after eat- ter many people have used ToYourGoodHealth@med.
6/3
Turning Point by Jeff Stillman
ing or with changes in tem- it for a prolonged period of cornell.edu.
6/3
Turning Point by Jeff Stillman
BROOM HILDA: By Russell Myers

DILBERT: By Scott Adams

FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEWS GROUP | YOUR DAILY BREAK   | 9 C

Kakuro Puzzler Crossword

How to solve: Kakuro is
acrossword that uses
numbers. The “clues” are in
the small triangles. The
answers contain the
numbers 1 through 9. The
numbers in an answer must
add up to the clue. However,
no number can be
duplicated in an answer.

Previous solution

Word Scrimmage Make a 2- to

7-letter word
from the letters
on each
yardline. Add
points to each
word using
scoring direc-
tions. Seven-
letter words
get a 60-point
bonus. “Blanks”
used as any
letter have no
point value. All
the words can
be found in
Webster’s New
World College
Dictionary.
No more than two X’s or two O’s
can be next to each other on any
line, across or down. There must be
five X’s and five O’s in each row and
column. No two rows or columns
can be the same.
Previous solution

Previous
solution

Sudoku X

Previous solution
Follow all of the
rules of a classic
The goal is to fill Previous solution Sudoku game — no
the grid with con- repeats within the
secutive numbers same row, column
that connect or 3x3 grid — but be
horizontally, careful. Each axis
vertically or of the X of black
diagonally. Each squares that
puzzle has only criss-crosses the
one possible puzzle is another
solution. The first no-repeat zone.
and last numbers
of a puzzle will be
in circle markers.

Previous solution
10 |  PLAYLIST | THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER >> OCREGISTER.COM
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 75
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S

BEST
places
to eat

JUNE 3, 2022
 Off the Hook
offers social dining focused
on a vibrant, chef-driven menu,
high-quality ingredients, and a
relaxed ambiance that encourages
sharing and bringing people together
through food & cocktails!

Join us for Lunch, Dinner,

Happy Hour, Sunday Brunch!
Live Music - Wednesday-Sunday Night
Sunday Brunch
HOURS:
Monday & Tuesday closed
Wed, Thur & Sun 11-9 PM
Friday & Saturday 11-10 PM
Sunday 11-9 pm
(Brunch Sat. & Sun. 11-2 PM)
CALL AHEAD TO PLACE YOUR ORDER FOR TAKEOUT
11061 Los Alamitos Blvd,
562-330-1310 www.offthehookatfishco.net
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
 Classic Food,
Modern Service
A relaxing beach vibe meets the festive
atmosphere of your favorite get-together,
while our open kitchen adds a dash of
culinary excitement. (&$)%)%+ '#(&"% *#'$#"!
ASADATACOS.NET ,#)3%0$ 70++2 " 1)5.#) *%)'3
Laguna Beach, CA | (949) 226-7263 6)#/) *)4()4)
4%.#0!#-0/'3%#&#%/

BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022 • 3

 75
Heritage Barbecue . .
San Juan Capistrano
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S Terra Yorba Linda
Butcher’s House Brasserie .
.
PAGE 6 Costa Mesa
..
. .
Folks Costa Mesa
Taco María Costa Mesa Fonda Moderna Tustin
Marché Moderne Newport Beach Din Tai Fung Costa Mesa
What the stars mean PAGE 20

Shunka Sushi.Costa Mesa

PAGE 7

.. .
Hana re Costa Mesa
Vaca Costa Mesa
Vine.San Clemente
Craft House.Dana Point
Knife Pleat Costa Mesa ROL.Huntington Beach
PAGE 8 Tacos Los Cholos.Anaheim

..
BEST
PAGE 21
Bello Newport Beach
Mayfield San Juan Capistrano Hanuman.Costa Mesa
Trust.Santa Ana
HiroNori.Irvine
PAGE 9

Chaak.Tustin
.
Omakase by Gino Santa Ana
places to eat Onotria.Costa Mesa
.
Terrace by Mix Mix Costa Mesa
PAGE 10 DINING IS BACK WITH A VENGEANCE and so PAGE 22

..
Fable & Spirit Newport Beach
is this annual guide.
While the last two years of this project ..
Maro Wood Grill Laguna Beach

. . .
Bourbon Steak Dana Point

...
looked noticeably different (2020’s pandemic La Super Birria Santa Ana
BluSky Restaurant & Bar Anaheim 2145 Eats Costa Mesa
Broadway Laguna Beach edition, 2021’s all-taco list), this year’s guide Chada Thai Garden Grove
Little Sister Irvine (the eighth in this series) returns to its origi- Oak & Coal Costa Mesa
PAGE 12 nal numerical ranking. And now for the first PAGE 23

Selanne Steak Tavern . time it also includes star ratings.

Gaucho Grill.Buena Park
Ciao Pasta.San Juan Capistrano
After a long pandemic pause, star ratings
Laguna Beach
Gem Dining & Nép Café . are back, but with one big change: After years
Pour Vida.Newport Beach
Anjappar.Tustin
of ruminating on this, I have eliminated half
.
Fountain Valley
stars.
.
. .
Sushi Ii Newport Beach Solstice Irvine
Mastro’s Steakhouse Costa Mesa It’s my job to help readers find great places
PAGE 24
Lola Gaspar Santa Ana to eat. It’s also my job to manage expecta-
PAGE 14 tions. Stars help me do that.
Star ratings continue to be based on mul-
..
Tsuruhashi Fountain Valley

Orange County's new 'it' tiple visits — except on the very rare occasion .
Mazara Trattoria Huntington Beach
Hanna’s Rancho Santa Margarita
.
neighborhood when a single visit allows me to eat every- El Mercado Modern Cuisine
7 must-try cocktails
PAGE 15
thing on the menu. Ratings continue to re-
flect my overall reaction to food, service and
Santa Ana
Mario’s Butcher Shop & Deli .
..
Newport Beach
ambience, all of which inform our decisions
A Restaurant Newport Beach Costa Mesa still dominates
about where to eat. Ratings are not perma-
..
East Borough Costa Mesa PAGE 25
nent. They can change as restaurants evolve.
Thai Avenue Garden Grove
Unfortunately, after 10 years of searching, . .
.
Oliver’s Osteria Laguna Beach Paradise Dynasty Costa Mesa
Brick San Clemente I still haven’t found a four-star restaurant in Original Fish Company

...
PAGE 16 Orange County. I’ve gotten close, but I look Los Alamitos

Sol.Irvine
at restaurants here the same way I look at Haven Orange

The Ranch.Anaheim
restaurants in Los Angeles or San Francis- Ngu Binh Westminster

Water Grill.Costa Mesa

co, New York, London, Tokyo, Paris… I’ve Piccolino Mission Viejo

Detention.Santa Ana
PAGE 26
enjoyed four-star experiences over the years
.
Pizzeria Mozza Newport Beach
at the likes of Atelier Crenn in San Francisco,
Addison in San Diego, Lung King Heen in
PAGE 17
Hong Kong, Pujol in Mexico City, Il Palagio
..
Maison Dana Point in Florence… We have nothing like that here,
.
STAFF

. .
Rebel Omakase Laguna Beach
Isla La Palma
but it doesn’t mean we never will, so I’m not
going to grade on a curve.
BRAD A. JOHNSON

.
RESTAURANT CRITIC
.
Kyung Bok Kung Buena Park
Khan Saab Fullerton
The good news is, we have hundreds of
great places to eat, including 37 on this list
VANESSA FRANKO EDITOR
.
.
PAGE 18 PAM MARSHAK DESIGNER
with three stars, a few of which could very BRAD A. JOHNSON COVER PHOTO
Momoyama Sushi.Fountain Valley well be on the verge of a fourth. And make no
Pho 101.Westminster mistake: Restaurants with the Register’s two-
Peking Restaurant.Westminster
ON THE COVER: A tray
star rating are very good places to eat, and
Old Brea Chop House.Brea
of Central Texas-style
.
Chang’An Tustin
OC has far more of those than I can squeeze
onto this list. You won’t go hungry if I can
barbecue and all the fixin's
from Heritage Barbecue in
PAGE 19 help it. San Juan Capistrano.
4 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022
 HERITAGEBARBECUE HERITAGECRAFTBBQ.COM

ELEVATED THAI FOOD

355 Bristol St., Suite U Mon – Sat. 3:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Costa Mesa Closed Sunday
(657) 699-3123 No Reservations
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022 • 5
 RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

.
HERITAGE BARBECUE You’ll have to stand in line on the weekend ... but it will totally be worth it.
BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF

Heritage and other artisans. For example,

FKN Bread, a new bakery across the
Barbecue street, makes their cornbread while

1
OC Baking Company in Orange bakes
When you pull off the freeway custom-designed loaves of potato
and swerve down the hill toward bread, delivered every morning still
San Juan Capistrano’s historic warm. Every day brings something
core, roll down your windows. You new, whether it’s smoked crawfish
might not see Heritage Barbecue’s for Mardi Gras or glazed pork belly
thousand-gallon smokers right away, musubi to celebrate the smokehouse’s
but you’ll know when you’re get- first anniversary. But I can’t imagine
ting close. The seduction of 14-hour COURTESY OF HERITAGE BARBECUE
going here and not eating brisket.
smoked brisket is palpable. Up and Heritage co-owner-pitmaster Yes, they serve barbecue on alumi-
down Camino Capistrano, wafting Daniel Castillo holds links of num trays, and you’ll eat beans out of
through the park, all the way to Los sausage that have been smoked paper boats with a plastic spoon. And
Rios Street, you’ll catch the occasional over white oak. no, they don’t take reservations. You’ll
whiff and feel its pull. have to stand in line, sometimes for
Central Texas barbecue isn’t merely They are fanatical. The talent in the hours if you try to eat here on a week-
a genre of cooking, it’s a way of life. A kitchen runs deep. That includes end. But there’s no lack of hospitality.
person doesn’t just wake up one day not just chefs Nick Echaore and Eric This is, all around, the best restaurant
and decide to smoke brisket and ribs Linares but also the pit crew who in Orange County right now.
like the ones at Heritage. It is some- keep the California white oak embers Don’t fear the wait. It’s worth it.
thing that must be lived and breathed, glowing at a steady 200 degrees all Once you’ve tasted the brisket and
and rare is the band of hardcore night while the rest of us sleep. It beef ribs here, it’s hard to even think
believers who come together to create would have been enough, beyond the about eating what passes for barbecue
something as special as this. Dan- smoked meats, if the kitchen had just elsewhere again. Plus, they do offer
iel and Brenda Castillo haven’t just stuck to the basics — potato salad, limited curbside pickup, but only if
changed the way San Juan Capistra- corn bread, cole slaw, baked beans — you want your car to smell like brisket
no smells, they have fundamentally but no.
changed barbecue for Orange County, They obsessively create, tweak and .
and beans for the rest of its life.
31721 CAMINO CAPISTRANO, SAN JUAN
maybe even California at large. tinker while also constantly collabo- CAPISTRANO, HERITAGECRAFTBBQ.COM
What this team does is not easy. rating with neighboring businesses (NO PHONE) ★★★

6 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022

 Taco María

2 When chef Carlos Salgado closed

his casually luxurious Mexican
restaurant for indoor dining
(which amounts to fewer than
20 seats) during the pandemic,
he didn’t simply shut the doors
and pivot to an online merca-
do. He used that time to re-
model. He installed new floors.
He bought new tables and

FF
chairs. He completely revamped

TA
the patio. When dining finally re-

–S
turned, the overall experience had

ON
been greatly elevated. Still, vestiges NS
OH
of the pandemic remain. Although .J
.A
the restaurant’s comfort and service RAD
BY B

.
are more refined than ever, the chef’s S
PHOTO
prix fixe tasting menus at dinner,
and lunch service entirely, remain TACO MARÍA Seared prawns in chile morita mojo with black lime
temporarily suspended. That said, do crema.
not look at Salgado’s newly adopted
à la carte menu as some sort of con- Marché Moderne From classic braised short ribs with
pomme puree to poached cod topped

3
solation prize. The aguachile with
scallops from Baja, pink guava and The instant you step into the with caviar in a bath of mussels and
cilantro blossoms is absolutely ex-
traordinary. And the blackened head-
foyer at Marché Moderne, you
can feel it. There is a distinct,
.
cream, this is as French as it gets.
MUST ORDER: Dessert, any and every
on prawns rubbed with morita chiles
are deeply soulful. The pandemic has
immediate and unmissable joie de
vivre that radiates from every corner
.
one of them.
7862 E. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
NEWPORT BEACH, 714-434-7900
simply reinforced Salgado’s status as of Florent and Amelia Marneau’s
MARCHEMODERNE.NET ★★★
one of America’s most consequen- glamorous French bistro. Maybe
tial chefs of Mexican cuisine. While that’s just life in Crystal Cove. Or
the restaurant’s Tuesday-night-only perhaps it’s excitement generated
tacos have yet to return, everything by the flurry of activity in the open
at dinner now includes house-made kitchen, all those white coats and
heirloom blue-corn tortillas. And the copper pots, the scallops and oysters
dry-aged, wood-grilled ribeye comes glistening on ice atop the largest
with charred spring onions slathered silver bowl you’ve ever seen and that
with huitlacoche-infused butter and old-timey charcuterie slicer whose
a bouquet of freshly foraged herbs. antique wheel rarely stops spinning.
Put all of that together with a small Everywhere you look: wine bottles
amount of your own labor and and sparkling stemware. That per-
fume of freshly baked bread mingled

.
you’ve got the world’s most exquisite
..
carne asada taco.
MUST ORDER: Aguachile.
with the faint smoke from roasted
bone marrow. And every once in a MARCHÉ MODERN Crab
3313 HYLAND AVE., COSTA MESA, while, when you least expect it, the cocktail with tomato gelee and
714-538-8444, TACOMARIA.COM ★★★ ripe funk of triple-cream cheese. cucumber.

What the stars mean

Ratings are based on multiple visits and re- make you forget about that 40-mile drive.
0 = poor, unacceptable flect my overall reaction to food, service and Their cooking and hospitality are always
★ = average, may have ambience, taking into account a restaurant’s exceptional, often the best of their genre in
some noteworthy unique sense of place and point of view. the region, worthy of the trek.
qualities By definition, most restaurants are aver- A four-star rating is somewhat akin to
★★ = very good, above age, meaning one star. But sometimes an achieving enlightenment. Four-star restau-
average, a neighborhood average restaurant can have noteworthy rants are rare. These are destinations, the
gem sort of experiences that people plan trips
qualities, like a standout dish or a view that
★★★ = outstanding,
trumps everything else. Two-star restau- around. To be clear, these don’t have to be
exceptional quality,
rants are very good places to eat, particular- ultra-fancy. They do not require silk cush-
a regional standout
★★★★ = transcendent, ly if you live in the neighborhood or not too ions and crystal stemware, but comfort and
world class in every far away — but might not be worth driving professionalism are taken into account. This
detail 40 miles for. is where every tiny detail comes into play.
Three-star restaurants, meanwhile, do They transcend the everyday.

BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022 • 7

 Hana re

4 A meal at Hana re is more than

food. It’s a conversation without
words. Chef Atsushi Yokoyama
isn’t much of a talker. Working alone
behind the chef’s counter, he quietly,
meticulously, shyly prepares an intri-
cate 10-course omakase for no more
than 10 or 12 diners at a time. Every
slice of raw fish, every placement of
a garnish is done with the precision
of a jeweler. It’s a journey through
the different textures, temperatures
and tastes of Japanese cuisine, and
while the menu always includes pris-
tine sushi and sashimi — abalone,
barnacles, cod milt, barracuda, etc.
— this is not a sushi bar. The menu
draws inspiration from ceremonial
kaiseki, which marries centuries-old
techniques with nature’s ever-evolv-
ing micro seasons. The window for
. PHOTOS BY BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF
HANA RE Roasted eel with foie gras, dashi “risotto” and the crispy
fried spine of the same eel.
steaming a slice of young lingcod
with cherry blossoms, for example, is
County. And you won’t find a better with perfect posture, the epitome of
very short. And there’s really nothing
collection of Spanish wines this side grace and always smiling, quick with
quite like the smaller, first-of-the-
season hairy crab from Hokkaido in
April. The unassuming restaurant
.
of Barcelona than Labbate’s.
MUST ORDER: Paella de carne or the
gentle banter but never intrusive.
Esnault’s cooking is artfully re-
is hidden behind The Lab in Costa
Mesa in a ramshackle building with
.
signature ribeye.
695 TOWN CENTER DRIVE, COSTA MESA
strained, grounded in the classicism
of Escoffier yet light and modern. It’s
714-463-6060, VACARESTAURANT.COM a style of cooking that relies not on
corrugated siding and one small win- ★★★ never-before-seen flavors or sleight-
dow. The restaurant’s sign is so small
of-hand techniques but on sourcing
that you almost need a magnifying
the world’s best products and letting
glass to read it. Once the door is
the ingredients speak for themselves.
cracked open, you will be enveloped
Tell me of another restaurant where,
with soft jazz and warm, deferential Knife Pleat when spring peas have just arrived,
.
Japanese hospitality.

6
the bartender makes an utterly
DON’T MISS: The sashimi course is Chef Tony Esnault and restau- splendid cocktail with aged rum
.
always beautiful.
2930 BRISTOL ST., COSTA MESA
rateur Yassmin Sarmadi’s Knife
Pleat at South Coast Plaza is
and pea puree. I’ll wait. Meanwhile,
Saturday afternoons are an event all
714-545-2800, HANARESUSHI.COM ★★★ easily the most elegant restaurant in their own. That’s when pastry chef
Orange County. Whether seated on Germain Biotteau steps into the
the patio surrounded by sunshine spotlight and, in lieu of lunch, the
and butterflies or indoors among restaurant offers afternoon tea with
the velvet settees, linen chairs
Vaca and freshly cut flowers, there’s an
finger sandwiches and a procession
.
5
of exquisite desserts.
The second I sit down, I always ease to eating here that belies the MUST ORDER: Escargot to start and the
restaurant’s lofty prices. Part of
ask for a bikini sandwich
(Iberico ham, manchego cheese, that ease comes from the graceful
tone set by Sarmadi herself as she
.
Louis XV chocolate dessert to finish.
SOUTH COAST PLAZA, 3333 BRISTOL
black truffle) and a frozen gin and ST., 3RD FLOOR, COSTA MESA
tonic. That buys me some time to glides through the dining room 714-266-3388, KNIFEPLEAT.COM ★★★

.
read the menu because there’s a lot
to consider. Do I want a 2-pound,
50-day-dry-aged ribeye steak cooked VACA
over the wood-burning grill? Or do Gambas a la
I focus instead on charcuterie and plancha is
paella? Or maybe just a tableful of one of many
tapas: rustic toast slathered with Spanish
tomato and garlic, lamb meatballs dishes on
with lemon yogurt, insanely supple offer if you’ve
cannelloni stuffed with smoked decided
chicken, paprika-crusted prawns against the
served with drawn butter and grilled ribeye.
lime… Chef Amar Santana and
restaurateur Ahmed Labbate have
created a unique wonderland of
Spanish cuisine that also happens
to be the best steakhouse in Orange
8 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022
 . PHOTOS BY BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF
BELLO Steamed mussels in a sauce of oxidized wine and milk powder at the chef’s table.

Bello Mayfield hospitality is alive and well, and in

times like these, that’s not insignifi-

7 8
Bello is two restaurants in one, I’ve never met George Barker, cant. Although Mayfield has cycled
working out of the same kitchen, the owner of Mayfield in San through multiple chefs since opening
sharing the same bar and staff. Juan Capistrano, but every in 2020, the kitchen has never lost
Both are excellent although entirely time I step through the door of this focus. The pomegranate and harissa
different from the other. The under- airy, modern, multi-level restau- glazed pork chop is always delicious,
lying premise throughout is “Italian rant I immediately sense the young as is the sticky chili chicken and the
food the way it’s served in Italy,” restaurateur’s presence. And sure charred cabbage resting in strained
which is a gentle notice not to expect enough there he is, delivering a plate yogurt and smothered in XO sauce.
chicken parmigiana or fettuccine Al-
fredo. Chef/owner Sandro Nardone’s
of roasted lamb with minted peas
from the kitchen, arranging flowers .
All that, plus truly great cocktails.
MUST ORDER: Cabbage, trust me. But
house-made pastas are delightfully
minimalist. So, too, the wood-fired
in the adjoining retail boutique or
discussing a bottle of natural wine .
OK, also the pork chop.
31761 CAMINO CAPISTRANO, SAN JUAN
pizzas. And the branzino aqua at the bar, always on his feet, always CAPISTRANO, 949-218-5140
MAYFIELDOC.COM ★★★
pazza might be the best fish you’ll in motion, touching nearly every
find locally in an Italian restaurant. aspect of the restaurant before I’m
Meanwhile, the Chef’s Table at gone. The art of
Bello is an intimate six-seat counter
overlooking the kitchen where chef
Zach Scherer hosts an all-inclusive
12-course tasting menu. The Chef’s
Table adheres to the company credo
but pushes the limits of what
Italian food can mean: a single,
incredible oyster floating in
freshly pressed celery juice, for
example, or the plumpest mus-
sels you’ve ever seen cradled in a
blanket of oxidized wine and milk
powder, or a refreshing semifred-
do of kumquats and strawberries…
And for the wine pairings with each
course, Scherer pours and explains
.
everything himself.
MUST ORDER: Acqua pazza and

.
a white negroni.
1200 BISON AVE., NEWPORT BEACH
949-520-7191
BELLOBYSANDRONARDONE.COM ★★★
.
MAYFIELD Sticky chili chicken accented with kale and pomegranate.
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022 • 9
 . PHOTOS BY BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF
CHAAK Beef tartare is served with charred garlic salsa and smoked black pepper aioli.

Chaak Omakase Expect a parade of about 20 dishes,

most no larger than a bite or two,

9 by Gino
Chef Gabbi Patrick mines some cooked, some raw: things like

10
her Yucatàn roots to create a seared tuna belly draped with uni
modern Mexican kitchen that You know how when you cream and garlic foam, five-day-dry-
revolves around wood, fire and ash. don’t see someone’s kids for aged tuna nigiri served with house-
At the heart of this indoor/outdoor a year, then you finally see made soy sauce, a silken custard of
cafe is a wood-fired grill and smoker them again and they’re all grown lobster topped with trout eggs, a
that produce unmatched 11-hour up? That’s how I feel about chef scallop from Hokkaido topped with
Yucatecan-style cochinita pibil, plus
tacos stuffed with pork confit and
Gino Choi’s 10-seat, almost-impossi-
ble-to-get-into sushi bar, which has ..
osetra caviar and more.
MUST ORDER: Just focus on getting in.
burnt chile salsa and a whole fish matured dramatically in very short 304 N. MAIN ST., SANTA ANA
rubbed with achiote. Run your finger order. As the name indicates, you 657-231-6008, INSTAGRAM.COM/
down the menu and stop when you eat strictly at the whim of the chef. OMAKASEBYGINO ★★★
land on the word “salbute.” Order
that. You’ll be treated to a unique
puffy taco, sometimes topped with
smoked turkey and habaneros, other
times duck. There is nothing else in
California, or even in the Yucatán,
.
quite like Chaak.
MUST ORDER: Beef tartare with
charred garlic salsa and smoked
black-pepper aioli, and a spicy tama-
.
rind mezcal cocktail.
215 EL CAMINO REAL, TUSTIN
657-699-3019, CHAAKKITCHEN.COM. ★★★

.
OMAKASE BY GINO Chef Gino Choi marinates Spanish mackerel in
grapeseed oil to give the fish a uniquely mellow profile.
10 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022
There Is Something Special
About Mazara...
Whether you have been to Italy and long
to return or you have yet to take a trip…
Mazara Trattoria will carry you to an
alcove near the piazza with the ambiance
and aromas of fresh cooking.
Come dine with us!
714-465-4874 YOUR FAVORITE
18027 Beach Blvd LOCAL CANTINA
Huntington Beach, California, 92648
www.huntingtonbeachitalianfood.com ASADACANTINA.COM
SAN CLEMENTE, CA | (949) 561-1200

PICCOLINO
OLD WORLD FOOD, NEW WORLD AMBIENCE
Salvatore Faso opened Piccolino Ristorante in 2007. Born
to Sicilian immigrants in Chicago raised in the kitchens of
Italy where first grandma and then his parents served local
cuisine. The goal was simple: combine his lifelong experiences
accumulated in the restaurants of Chicago, Italy and California
with the finest ingredients, authenticity, preparation and
Sicilian cuisine philosophy. His passion for the Canyons and its
surrounding communities landed him in Mission Viejo. White
table clothes and candlelit dining await your visit!

28719 Los Alisos Boulevard, Mission Viejo, CA 92692

949-380-7261 | piccolinomv.com

BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022 • 11

 Fable & Spirit

11 First item of business at this

luxurious gastropub: Summon
the sommelier, Ali Coyle. You’ll
want to order wine, and you’ll need
her guidance because most of the
labels on her list ring unfamiliar to
even the most prolific wine drinkers.
An albarino from Uruguay? A Kerner
(cross between Schiava and Riesling)
from Italy’s Alto Adige near the Ger-
man border? Or a petit-verdot/syrah
blend from a Chilean winemaker
now working in Mexico’s Guadalupe
Valley? She’ll know exactly what
you should drink with bucatini and
clams or glazed rabbit with morel
mushrooms or a hearty slab of beef
from chef David Shofner’s wood-
fired grill. And don’t forget to spring
for a loaf of Guinness brown bread
.
straight from the oven.
MUST ORDER: Chicken confit with

.
chorizo and Brussels sprouts.
3441 VIA LIDO, NEWPORT BEACH
949-409-9913, FABLEANDSPIRIT.COM
★★★

.
BLUSKY RESTAURANT & BAR Lobster arroz bomba by Chef
Edgar Beas.
BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF

Bourbon Steak splashes them with broth made from Little Sister
12 15
I wouldn’t normally order Iberico ham. You won’t see the word
chicken in a steakhouse but “paella” on the menu, but look for Chef Tin Vuong’s Little Sister
consider this: the whole bird, the section labeled “arroz bomba.” is beautiful. This soaring,
deep-fried in duck fat, wheeled out
of the kitchen on a bed of nails to .
Same thing. Get the one with lobster.
MUST ORDER: Pan con tomate, skate
sultry, tropical indoor/outdoor
restaurant is a breathtaking roman-
be carved at the table. Then again,
you could also have a three-pound, .
wing, Iberico ham.
1601 S. ANAHEIM BLVD., ANAHEIM
ticization of colonial-era Vietnam.
(We might now have to redraw the
mesquite-grilled ribeye carved at the 657-439-3289, RADISSONBLUSKYRESTAU- southern border of OC’s Little Saigon
RANTBAR.COM ★★★ to include the Irvine Spectrum.) The
table. Celebrity Chef Michael Mina’s
Bourbon Steak makes a very strong pan-Asian menu reads almost identi-
case for why not to be poor. Oh, and cal to the chef’s much smaller LSXO
in Huntington Beach: crispy Viet-
.
sunset views.
MUST ORDER: Butter-soaked, mes- namese Imperial rolls, rice porridge

.
quite-grilled bone-in New York strip. Broadway with Chinese donuts, Thai-inspired

14
1 MONARCH BEACH RESORT, DANA POINT green papaya salad studded with
949-234-3900, BOURBONSTEAK.COM
★★★
This modern American bistro
is still the best place to eat .
grilled shrimp and beef jerky.
MUST ORDER: Nem lui (lemongrass
in Laguna Beach, even when
chef Amar Santana is out of town .
meatball skewers).
896 SPECTRUM CENTER DR., IRVINE
filming yet another TV show. This 949-800-8798
is also still the best place in OC to DINELITTLESISTER.COM/IRVINE-INFO ★★★
drink pinot noir, thanks to co-owner
BluSky Ahmed Labbate’s obsession with this
fickle grape, whose range of per-
Restaurant & Bar sonalities can always find a match

13
for this kitchen’s big, bold flavors.
The posh Spanish restaurant Anyone who has ever looked down
on the rooftop of the 12-story on chicken livers has obviously never
Radisson Blu hotel is the best tasted Santana’s, which he sears like
restaurant to open in Anaheim in foie gras and serves over melted
years. Chef Edgar Beas worked in the
Basque region before coming here,
and it shows. He serves delicious
.
leeks and date puree.
MUST ORDER: Crab salad on a fried

cod throats in salsa verde made with

Basque chiles, garlic and chives. He
.
green tomato.
328 GLENNEYRE ST., LAGUNA BEACH
949-715-8234
roasts scallops in their shells and BROADWAYBYAMARSANTANA.COM ★★★

12 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022

BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022 • 13
 Selanne
Steak Tavern

16 Hockey legend Teemu

Selanne’s contemporary
steakhouse occupies a 1930s
two-story house on South Coast
Highway in Laguna Beach, and there
are several very different places to
dine on the premises. Anchoring the
beautifully manicured front lawn is
a large covered patio with a fireplace
and ocean breezes, and for much of
the past two years the lawn itself has
doubled as a very romantic dining
area. The bar gets loud and some-
times rowdy, especially when there
is any kind of sporting event on TV.
The quietest, most luxurious place
to dine, if you can finagle it, is the
second-floor loft. Wherever you sit
dictates the vibe, but the food will
be good no matter: prime steaks,
farmers market vegetables and hard-

..
to-get cult cabernets.
MUST ORDER: Steak.
1464 S. COAST HIGHWAY., LAGUNA BEACH
949-715-9881
SELANNESTEAKTAVERN.COM ★★★
.
GEM DINING & NÉP CAFÉ Laksa-inspired risotto with crab,
shrimp and scallops.
BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF

are through the roof but you won’t

Sushi Ii lack for choices from cult cabernets

18 Chef Susumu Ii’s Osaka-in- to legendary Bordeaux. You might

Gem Dining spired sushi restaurant is
supremely elegant, as well
have to skip a mortgage payment
to cover the check, but there’s no
& Nép Café it should be because it’s also very denying the quality of beef that’s

17
expensive. The menu is omakase being served or the skill that goes

..
Imagine if Jekyll and Hyde only, but there are several themes into cooking it.
were both lovable. That’s this to choose from with additional à la MUST ORDER: The “chef’s cut” ribeye.
place. For breakfast and lunch, carte sushi available if you’re not full 633 ANTON BLVD., COSTA MESA
this address identifies as Nép Café, a after eight courses, some cooked, 714-546-7405
French-Vietnamese coffee shop and some raw. Tailored to Japanese pal- MASTROSRESTAURANTS.COM ★★★
diner serving crab toast and beef ates, the flavors can be intense: fire-
tongue fried rice, plus egg coffees fly squid, gizzard shad, crispy dried
and strawberry matcha lattes. By fish similar to sardines. This is not a
mid-afternoon, Nép has gone to restaurant for beginners. Requests
sleep, and when the clock strikes 5
Gem Dining awakens. Gem is a pan-
for California-style sushi rolls will be Lola Gaspar

20
politely declined. You will feel as if
Asian bar and grill where chef Alan
Nguyen serves beet-cured amber-
jack; Singaporean-inspired soft-shell
..
you’re dining in Japan.
DON’T MISS: Seared tuna toro sushi.
Although the Perez brothers
recently sold their Mexico
100 W. COAST HIGHWAY, 2ND FLOOR City-style gastrobar, they still
chili crabs; a laksa-inspired risotto NEWPORT BEACH, 949-287-6268 consult on the menus. The team they
(more like a porridge, really) layered SUSHI-II.COM ★★★ assembled is still in place, and noth-
with crab, shrimp and scallops; ing has changed, really. The lamb
and a 48-ounce tomahawk ribeye birria quesadillas are as good as ever.
.
finished in brown butter.
MUST ORDER: Laksa risotto and sticky
So, too, the chorizo negro tacos. On
Tuesday nights, they still light up the
.
toffee pudding.
10836 WARNER AVE., FOUNTAIN VALLEY
Mastro’s grill on the patio and make some of
the best tacos al carbon imaginable
714-516-8121, GEMDINING.COM ★★★
Steakhouse with carne asada and grilled chicken.

19
And the hand-mixed micheladas and
This old-school, ultra-glam artisanal cocktails are still best in
steakhouse revels in gluttony
and excess. Dining here isn’t .
class.
MUST ORDER: Birria queka and an
just a meal, it’s an occasion. It’s a
statement. The steaks are massive, .
expert piña colada.
211 W. 2ND ST., SANTA ANA
even the small ones. The martinis 714-972-1172, LOLAGASPAR.COM ★★★
seem bigger than life. Wine prices
14 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022
 Orange County’s new ‘it’ neighborhood
7 must-try cocktails
The restaurant scene in San other hot newcomers like Isidora, OC’s 75 Best Places to Eat produce
Juan Capistrano’s historic core FKN Bread, Ramen Shack and JD
a lot of great drinks. Here are seven
has changed dramatically in Flannel Donuts. They join more
recent years, most notably since established spots like Ciao Pasta of my favorite cocktails from the
2020. The very walkable dis- (No. 62), Ramos House Cafe, Bue- restaurants on this list:
trict around the old mission is no Bueno and El Campeon, not 1 The Vaca tonic at Vaca (#5): This is the
suddenly a must-visit destination to mention numerous bars in the famous frozen gin and tonic. Legend.
for dining thanks in large part to area, a very nice new hotel, and 2 The Turkish Delight at Mayfield (#8):
the arrival of Heritage Barbecue of course, the Amtrak stop in the Gin, rose vermouth, creme de violette, car-
(No. 1) and Mayfield (No. 8), plus middle of it all.
damom, egg white and dried rose petals.
Incredible.
3 Tamarindo con Chile at Chaak (#9):
Mezcal, muddled orange, tamarind paste,
bitters, agave, lime salt. Better than a
margarita.
4 The Empress at Gem (#17): Infused gin,
yuzu, lime. “Just so you know, that’s a
purple drink,” the waiter warns.
5 El Viento at Lola Gaspar (#20): Mezcal,
cilantro, pineapple juice and serrano chile.
Oh, man.
6 Flor Pálida at Isla (#33): Tequila, man-
go nectar, coconut water and orange peel.
It’s magic.

.
7 Daiquiri at Solstice (#65): Light rum,
BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF toasted sesame syrup, lime juice and
CIAO PASTA This south county eatery is inspired by Puglia in black sesame brittle. Small but mighty.
Southern Italy.

"$#!

BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022 • 15

 A Restaurant

21 After cooking on the line at

this dimly lit, red-booth steak-
house for more than 15 years,
chef Robert Gomez is now running
the kitchen and he’s killing it. His
new hamachi crudo with orange oil
and finger limes is fantastic. The
grilled prime steaks and lobster tails
are as good as ever. The martinis
are always cold, and the service top
notch. Pro tip: If you don’t want
steak, ask your server for the bar
menu; that’s where you’ll find one of
the best burgers in town, served with
.
outstanding hand-cut fries.
MUST ORDER: Bone-in ribeye, plus

.
corn madeleines for dessert.
3334 W. COAST HIGHWAY NEWPORT
BEACH, 949-650-6505
ARESTAURANTNB.COM ★★★

East Borough
.
22
PHOTOS BY BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF
I don’t think enough people EAST BOROUGH Rice porridge with roasted Jidori chicken broth and
fully appreciate just how charred bok choy from this open-air shop at The Camp.
great this little open-air
banh mi shop is. And it’s not just
the Vietnamese sandwiches, which instead of taking shortcuts. This Brick

25
incidentally are the best in the place sets the standard for so many
Thai classics: kor moo yang, larb, Regulars might have noticed
county. But it’s also the artisanal in 2019 that chef David Pratt
porridge made with roasted Jidori nam tok, tamarind catfish, pad Thai,
had begun shifting his menu
chicken stock and charred bok choy,
the star-anise-braised pork belly, the
.
fermented pork sausage…
MUST ORDER: Tom yum with fresh- away from Italian food to explore
instead a broader global offering of
mesquite-smoked brisket French
dip sandwiches, and the grapefruit
.
water prawns.
10130 GARDEN GROVE BLVD. wood-fired cuisine. The pandemic
disrupted that plan, and the kitchen
GARDEN GROVE, 657-233-5859
salad with candied peanuts and fried THAIAVENUEGARDENGROVE.COM ★★★ reversed course, embracing pizza
.
shallots.
MUST ORDER: Flip a coin between
and pasta once again, which isn’t
bad news for anyone who loves
porridge or a banh mi, and a Viet- farm-to-table Italian cooking. Bonus:
.
namese iced coffee.
2937 BRISTOL ST., COSTA MESA
The wine list is so affordably priced,
714-641-5010, EAST-BOROUGH.COM Oliver’s Osteria you would be stupid to not nab a full
.
bottle.

24
★★★
Good news, bad news: The MUST ORDER: Orecchiette with house-
expansive tented patio, a
helpful byproduct of the pan-
.
made sausage.
216 N. EL CAMINO REAL, SAN CLEMENTE
949-429-1199, BRICKPIZZERIA.COM ★★★
demic, is still in use and has more
Thai Avenue than tripled the capacity of this pre-

23
viously tiny osteria, making it much
Peerless. That’s the only easier to get in. Sadly, though, that
way to describe chef Chana massively expanded space ruins the
Isaresrangsan’s incredible charm. On the flip side, chef Erik De
tom yum with whole freshwater Marchi’s Emilia-Romagna-inspired
prawns (ask for it spicy). Eating Thai
lemongrass soup anywhere else after
this will be a massive disappoint-
..
Italian cooking is as excellent as ever.
MUST ORDER: Rigatoni cacio e pepe.
853 LAGUNA CANYON ROAD
ment. The same can be said for his LAGUNA BEACH, 949-715-0261
green papaya salad. It’s impossible to OLIVERSOSTERIA.COM ★★★
overstate the importance of chop-
ping papaya by hand, then pound-

.
ing it in a mortar rather than just
grating it and tossing it in a bowl
the way most restaurants do. The OLIVER'S OSTERIA Arti-
difference is dramatic. The kitchen choke salad includes fava beans,
here does lots of things the hard way shaved parmesan and fennel.
16 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022
 Detention

29 The experimental gastropub

Playground closed during the
pandemic, and chef/owner
Jason Quinn said at the time that it
wasn’t coming back. The subtext of
that declaration is now clear: The
gastropub did go away but in its
place has risen Detention, a far more
glamorous, more comfortable and
exponentially more mature restau-
rant with mostly the same crew in
the kitchen (sans Quinn himself,
day-to-day) and a new luxury cock-
tail lounge upfront. It feels like the
adults are in charge now, and the
cooking is better than ever: “Same
trailer, different park,” my server
.
explains.
MUST ORDER: Dry-aged sea bass,

.
Hokkaido milk bread.
220 E. 4TH ST., SANTA ANA
714-560-4444, DETENTIONDTSA.COM
★★★

. PHOTOS BY BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF

DETENTION The cocktail lounge at this Santa Ana restaurant, which
occupies the space where Playground used to be.
Pizzeria
Sol Water Grill Mozza

26 It’s not just Sol’s upscale

Mexican menu that draws
inspiration from Los Cabos,
it’s the atmosphere, too. No other
28 You won’t find a better fish
anywhere than the wild
Dover sole that’s very simply
pan-roasted at this breezy, indoor/
30 Nancy Silverton’s pizzas will
always be the standard by
which all other pizzerias in
Southern California are measured.
But it’s the rest of the menu — the
restaurant in OC embodies that outdoor seafood house across the
luxury resort lifestyle better than this street from South Coast Plaza. wood-fired meatballs and bone mar-
newest location of Sol in Irvine. And Filleted tableside, the presentation row, the caprese salad, the ribeye, the
while the kitchen here is still very of the sole is starkly minimal but butterscotch budino, plus incredible
new (opened in April), it is already the pure enjoyment that comes from Italian wines — that keeps pushing
very good: spicy peel-and-eat shrimp, such a regal fish is hard to quan- this artisanal pizza parlor to the top
wood-grilled octopus and wagyu tify. The chilled seafood towers — of the pack.
skirt steak, short rib barbacoa and shrimp, lobster, crab, scallops, clams MUST ORDER: Fennel sausage pizza.

..
massive slices of tres leches cake. 800 W. COAST HIGHWAY, NEWPORT BEACH
— always turn heads. And while this
949-945-1126, NEWPORTBEACH
MUST ORDER: Margaritas. is easily the best seafood restaurant PIZZERIAMOZZA.COM ★★★
1910 MAIN ST., IRVINE, 949-975-1220 in OC, do not underestimate the
.
SOLCOCINA.COM ★★★ steaks.
MUST ORDER: Clams with chorizo,

.
any whole fish.
3300 BRISTOL ST., COSTA MESA
949-208-7060, WATERGRILL.COM ★★★

The Ranch

27 The Ranch’s top two chefs

departed last year, and many
months later the upscale
Western-themed chophouse still
hasn’t anointed a new top toque.
SOL The .
Sloppy Jose,
a torta with
That said, little has changed. The carnitas,
menu still reads exactly the same: chicharrones,
massive bone-in ribeyes, fried quail avocado and
and roasted prime rib. The bar pours jalapeño.
.
more than 60 wines by the glass.
MUST ORDER: 40-ounce, 28-day dry-

.
aged bone-in Delmonico steak.
1025 E. BALL ROAD, ANAHEIM
714-817-4200, THERANCH.COM ★★★

BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022 • 17

 Maison

31 Chef Danielle Kuhn’s open-

air cafe feels like the sort of
restaurant you might stumble
upon while driving the backroads of
wine country in France or Italy. Her
casual, European-inspired cooking
brings to mind the seemingly effort-
less style of Ina Garten or Martha
Stewart, which always looks easier
than it really is. At breakfast, you’ll
fall in love with toasts. At lunch,
you’ll have a new appreciation for
.
salad and beet-cured salmon.
MUST ORDER: Cavatelli with housemade

.
sausage or chicken salad with peas.
34320 PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
DANA POINT, 949-218-8431
MAISONDANAPOINT.COM ★★★

Rebel
Omakase . PHOTOS BY BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF
ISLA The decor reflects the restaurant and rum bar's Cuban and Latin

32
American heritage.
At this serene sushi parlor
in downtown Laguna, chef
Jordan Nakasone focuses Kyung Bok Khan Saab
exclusively on omakase. The chef’s
in charge, and you’re in good hands.
Dinner usually involves about 19
different pieces of seafood and
wagyu beef in a menu that borrows
ideas from kaiseki, a formal Japa- 34
Kung
Korean barbecue in Califor-
nia isn’t typically associated
with luxury, but Kyung
35 Chef Imran Ali Mookhi’s
desi-inspired menu embrac-
es traditions and flavors
not just of India but of Afghanistan
and Pakistan as well. The kitchen
nese meal that showcases a range Bok Kung isn’t typical. This elegant
is strictly halal, and you’ll want to
of techniques, presentations and restaurant with dozens of private
focus on the charcoal-grilled meats,
rooms is the first U.S. outpost of a
.
seasonalities.
DON’T MISS: In spring or early sum-
fine-dining restaurant group from
Seoul, and it is hands-down the best
including beef. A heap of garlicky
sirloin arrives in a cloud of smoke.
.
mer, be on the lookout for kohada.
361 FOREST AVE., LAGUNA BEACH (and swankiest) Korean restaurant
in Orange County. The service is
Kandahari-style lamb chops are
blackened with soot and scented
.
949-664-3186 sharply with mustard oil.
INSTAGRAM.COM/REBELOMAKASE ★★★ superb, the beef is top-notch and
MUST ORDER: Afghani-style lamb
the salads surprisingly pretty. You’ll
want to dress up, and don’t worry:
You won’t leave smelling like smoke.
.
kabob.
229 E. COMMONWEALTH AVE.
FULLERTON, 714-853-1081
Tabletop grills are fueled by buckets KHANSAABOC.COM ★★★
Isla .
of smokeless charcoal.
MUST ORDER: The Signature Grill

33 Cuban jazz reverberates Course, a 12-course extravaganza

around the block (yes, it’s
that loud) as the daiquiris
.
capped with Wagyu.
7801 BEACH BLVD., BUENA PARK
714-888-4948
and mojitos flow nonstop. Although KYUNGBOKKUNGUSA.COM ★★★
Isla sometimes feels like a nightclub,
it is first and foremost the best Cu-
ban restaurant in Southern Califor-

.
nia. The retrospective menu gathers
all the classics: tostones (smashed, KYUNG BOK
fried plantains), ropa vieja (braised KUNG Glass
beef), lechon asado (slow-roasted noodle banchan
pork), media noche (grilled ham are on the menu
.
sandwich).
MUST ORDER: Bistec encebollado
at this upscale
Korean barbe-
.
(grilled flap steak with onions).
30 CENTERPOINTE DRIVE, LA PALMA
cue.
714-735-8597
INSTAGRAM.COM/ISLACUBANLATINKITCH-
EN ★★★

18 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022

 country-style chicken and walnut
shrimp, trust her. “And how about
the mustard greens?” you ask. “Oh,
that’s a good one. You’ve been here
..
before, haven’t you?” she’ll say.
MUST ORDER: Pan-fried dumplings.
8566 WESTMINSTER BLVD.
WESTMINSTER, 714-893-3020 ★★

Old Brea
Chop House

39 Dim lighting, comfy ban-

quettes, extra-cold martinis,
seafood towers, roasted
bone marrow, huge steaks… Old
Brea Chop House follows a timeless
formula and handily delivers the
best steakhouse experience in north

. PHOTOS BY BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF

PEKING RESTAURANT Pan-fried dumplings are among the deli-
.
county.
MUST ORDER: Tomato and onion
cious options at the Chinese restaurant. .
salad, chef’s cut Delmonico steak.
180 S. BREA BLVD., BREA, 714-592-3122
OLDBREACHOPHOUSE.COM ★★
Momoyama of pho without meat, plus a side of

Sushi .
oxtail.
8031 EDINGER AVE., WESTMINSTER

36
714-375-333
Chef Taiki Kuramoto oper- INSTAGRAM.COM/EATPHO101 ★★★ Chang’An

40
ates an intimate, omakase-fo-
cused sushi bar where the Chinese dining in Califor-
16-course dinner includes surprises nia doesn’t get any more
like a freshly shucked oyster topped luxurious than this. The
with smelt roe and quail yolk, or mood is hushed and romantic.
smoked skipjack served with a gooey Peking Tables are draped with crisp white
chia-seed pudding and fried river linens and set with fine china,
Restaurant
.
crab. designer wine glasses and candles.

38
DON’T MISS: The chef will decide Every chair is perfectly aligned.
what you eat, but be on the lookout With more than 200 differ- You’ll probably want to dress for the
for the nodoguro, or blackthroat sea ent items, many listed only occasion because you’re about to
perch, lightly torched and rubbed in Chinese, the menu at this spend a fortune for Peking duck and
.
with a nub of yuzu-kosho.
18906 BROOKHURST ST.
vintage Beijing-inspired restaurant
can be overwhelming. But don’t
gourd chicken carved tableside, plus
braised lamb belly and ghost-pepper
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, 714-941-5440
INSTAGRAM.COM/MOMOYAMAFV ★★★
stress. Let owner Lili Shen take
control. She’ll size you up, then tell ..
fried rice.
MUST ORDER: Peking duck.
you what to eat. If she recommends 13051 NEWPORT AVE., TUSTIN
the beef-and-scallion pancake, 949-771-9666, CHANGANTUSTIN.COM ★★

Pho 101

37 For the past couple years,

everybody’s been making a
fuss about Pho 79 in Little
Saigon (which earned a James Beard
Award), and that’s great. But what
most don’t realize is that this mod-
ern offshoot from the same family
uses the same Vietnamese recipes,
and the line to get in is usually much
shorter, especially now that they
have expanded into the adjoining

.
space. The noodle soup is deserving-
.
ly legendary.
MUST ORDER: Oxtail pho, but there’s CHANG'AN Gourd-crusted chicken is carved tableside at
a trick to ordering: Ask for a bowl this luxurious Tustin restaurant.
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022 • 19
 Terra

41 The focal point of chef Nick

Saba’s indoor/outdoor restau-
rant is the wood-fired oven
and Santa Maria-style grill. Vaguely
Neapolitan, the pizzas coming from
that oven are superb, even the one
topped with pineapple (don’t argue,
just try it). Meanwhile, the grill is
outfitted with a rotisserie, which
turns out fantastic smoked-scented
.
chickens and the occasional porchetta.
MUST ORDER: Wood-roasted Chilean

.
sea bass.
4884 MAIN ST., YORBA LINDA
714-463-4424
TERRAWOODFIREDKITCHEN.COM ★★

Butcher’s House
Brasserie

42 Chef Jeoffrey Offer has

created the quintessential
laid-back French bistro with
an emphasis on gooey onion soup
and salade frisée au lardons, plus
.
PHOTOS BY BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF
BUTCHER’S HOUSE BRASSERIE Steaks in the dry-aging case
at the Costa Mesa restaurant.
affordable French wines, great back-
ground music and zero pretense. The
chef knows his way around a butcher Fonda Moderna Din Tai Fung

44 45
shop. His father was a butcher in
..
France.
MUST ORDER: Dry-aged ribeye.
Restaurateur Daniel Godinez
is one of the area’s best chefs
Even now that South Coast
Plaza has introduced a sec-
3321 HYLAND AVE., COSTA MESA of Mexican cuisine, and ond Chinese restaurant with
714-714-0662, BUTCHERSHOUSE.COM ★★ while most of his restaurants are a menu very similar to that of Din
very good, his runaway hit is this Tai Fung, the line for a table here can
counter-service taqueria inside Tus- still be interminable. And for good
tin’s Mess Hall Market. The choices reason. Though many have tried, no-
for tacos and burritos are mind-bog- body has ever succeeded at making
gling: barbacoa, birria, ancho-rubbed better, more delicate xiao long bao,
Folks
wagyu steak, chicken tinga, chorizo,
cochinita pibil, pork al pastor, beef .
aka Shanghai-style soup dumplings.
MUST ORDER: Xiao long bao, obvi-

43
stewed with ancho chiles, all served ously, but the potstickers are also
Tucked into a shoebox-sized
space at The Camp, Folks
has quickly become one of
on handmade, oddly shaped, irresist-
..
ible flour tortillas. .
unrivaled.
SOUTH COAST PLAZA, 3333 BRISTOL ST.,
MUST ORDER: Pork en salsa roja. COSTA MESA, 714-549-3388
the best pizzerias in OC. The menu 1705 FLIGHT WAY, TUSTIN, 714-941-5418 DINTAIFUNGUSA.COM ★★
is extremely limited, or perhaps FONDAMODERNA.COM ★★
“focused” is the better word. Chef
Joey Booterbaugh makes a naturally
leavened dough that is thin in the
center and big, puffy and crackly
around the edges. The housemade
fennel sausage is excellent. As is the

..
chef’s Calabrian chile relish.
MUST ORDER: Fennel sausage.
2937 BRISTOL ST., COSTA MESA
714-617-4888
FOLKSHOSPITALITY.COM ★★

.
TERRA Wood-roasted Chilean sea bass and prawn.
20 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022
 Craft House

48 Given the choice between a

nice steak or a slice of meat-
loaf, hmm, that’s normally
an easy decision. But not at chef
Blake Mellgren’s casual California
bistro. His grilled meatloaf is as good
as a steak. So, too, the fried chicken,
which if you’re lucky will come with
.
fried green tomatoes.
MUST ORDER: If you see peaches on

.
the menu, jackpot. Also, french fries.
34094 PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
DANA POINT, 949-481-7734
EATATCRAFTHOUSE.COM ★★

ROL

49 Chef Viet Nguyen’s intimate

14-seat temaki bar and
cocktail lounge is based on

.
a simple but revelatory premise:
PHOTOS BY BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF Good temaki (sushi hand rolls) must
ROL Unagi hand roll at this Huntington Beach temaki bar and lounge. always be eaten within 30 seconds
of when the chef hands it across
the counter — while the rice is still
Shunka Sushi Vine warm, the fish still cold and the

46 47
toasted nori wrapper still crisp. Try
If you like fish and want to Vine is more or less the it. You’ll never look at a hand roll the
discover something new, same wine country-inspired
sit at the bar and order
omakase. You’ll taste ishidai, kinme-
concept as Olea in Costa
Mesa, Sapphire in Laguna Beach
..
same way again.
MUST ORDER: Uni.
7862 WARNER AVE., HUNTINGTON BEACH
daii, hobo, umeiro, tachiuo, akamut- and Ironwood in Laguna Niguel, all 714-948-4287, ROLHANDROLL.COM ★★
su, tobiuo, mejina, higesori or even by the same team led by chef Jared
baby squid. Shunka offers the most Cook and restaurateur Russ Bendel.
varied, thrilling and always-changing But this is where it all began, and
.
selection in Orange County.
MUST ORDER: Japanese butterfish, or
this kitchen still feels like the best of
the bunch. The pumpkin ravioli are
medai, topped with garlicky red chili always excellent, as is the chicken Tacos Los
.
sauce.
369 E. 17TH ST., COSTA MESA .
schnitzel and the crispy duck wings.
MUST ORDER: Pan-roasted halibut Cholos

50
949-631-9854, SHUNKASUSHI.COM ★★ with herb butter and fingerling If you want to see where the
.
potatoes.
211 N. EL CAMINO REAL, SAN CLEMENTE
magic happens, walk around
to the back of the parking lot
949-361-2079, VINESANCLEMENTE.COM
★★ behind the restaurant. That’s where
you’ll find the mesquite grill, a dozen
logs ablaze, a mound of coals bright
red, smoke billowing up from the
grates as beef ribs and arrachera and

..
ribeye steaks sizzle and char.
MUST ORDER: Tacos al carbon.
821 S. STATE COLLEGE BLVD., ANAHEIM
657-201-3043
INSTAGRAM.COM/TACOSLOSCHOLOS
(ADDITIONAL LOCATION IN FULLERTON) ★★

.
CRAFT HOUSE Roasted bone marrow and grilled sourdough.
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022 • 21
 Hanuman

51 The velvet banquettes, the cus-

tom wallpaper, the teak wood
carvings and hand-stenciled
cement floors, plus truly beautiful
china and serving wares: Hanuman
in Costa Mesa is easily the prettiest
Thai restaurant in OC. The food is
delicious, even when it sometimes
leans too heavily into fusion. The
kitchen excels at noodles like pad
Thai, pad kee mao, khao soi and
.
Thai boat noodles.
MUST ORDER: Thai-style fried

.
chicken.
355 BRISTOL ST., COSTA MESA
657-699-3123
HANUMANTHAIEATERY.COM ★★

Trust . BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF

TERRACE BY MIX MIX Squash blossom and prosciutto is one of

52 Formerly known as Play- the small plates served at this South Coast Plaza restaurant
ground 2.0, Trust is the
free-standing 18-seat “culi- charge and create a surprise five-
that the soup is almost white, like
nary theater” adjacent to Detention
in downtown Santa Ana. Guests
buy tickets well in advance to sit at
cream. And the chashu (slow-roasted
pork belly) melts on the tongue like .
course tasting menu.
2915 RED HILL AVE., COSTA MESA

..
marshmallows. 949-735-6761, ONOTRIA.COM ★★
the counter overlooking the kitch-
MUST ORDER: Tonkotsu ramen.
en where chef Justin Werner hosts 2222 MICHELSON DRIVE, IRVINE
a 12-course prix-fixe dinner party, 949-536-5800
preparing dishes such as gouda with HIRONORICRAFTRAMEN.COM (ADDITIONAL
roasted beets and poached rhubarb, LOCATIONS NOT RATED) ★★
minimally steamed crab topped with Terrace by
caviar or housemade pasta with
first-of-the-season ramps sauteed Mix Mix

55
simply in butter, all excellent. But
guests must also endure hours of the Onotria French, Italian, Korean, Fili-

54
chef’s vulgar Andrew Dice Clay-style pino … Chef Ross Pangilinan
comedy act, which includes a bar- Years after closing the orig- serves an eclectic menu of
rage of f-bombs and lewd, suggestive inal location, chef Massimo wildly contradictory tastes from
comments. (I wanted to include a Navarretta has resurrected around the world, proof that oppo-
direct quote, but my editor wouldn’t Onotria inside his commercial cater- sites can attract. Although located
allow it.) Cooking is hard. Comedy is ing kitchen, carving out a nook for 20 inside South Coast Plaza, the dining
seats surrounded by shelves stocked room is an alfresco tropical oasis on
.
even harder.
DON’T MISS: Chef Jesus Mejia (who with Italian wines. The menu is very the third-floor terrace of the mall’s
rarely says a word) bakes incredibly
fluffy brioche and staggeringly good
limited, inspired by the farmhouse
cooking of Campania: rigatoni with .
Bridge of Gardens.
MUST ORDER: Steamed mussels and
kouign-amann, served straight from wild boar ragu, vegetable lasagna,
agnolotti with ricotta and truffles, a .
pizza.

.
the oven. 3333 BEAR ST., 3RD FLOOR, COSTA MESA
300 N. SPURGEON ST., SANTA ANA
TRUSTDTSA.COM (NO PHONE) ★★ .
very simple octopus salad …
MUST ORDER: Let the chef take
657-231-6447
TERRACEBYMIXMIX.COM ★★

HiroNori

53 No matter the time or day,

there’s always a wait for a
table at this 35-seat ramen
cafe, even with the “temporary” patio
that’s still starting to feel permanent.
It’s worth the wait. The tonkotsu
ramen here is heavenly, infused
with so much pork knuckle collagen
.
HIRONORI Tonkotsu ramen with pork
chashu.
22 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022
 Chada Thai

59 When this 30-seat Thai cafe

opened several years ago, the
owner hung a banner above
the entrance advertising “Thai Food,
by Thai People.” Translation: Don’t
say spicy here if you don’t mean it.
That said, if you can handle it, the
spicy tom kha gai (coconut chicken
soup) is one of the best you’ll find.
Also very good: spicy beef salad, crab
fried rice, pad Thai, pad see ew, rad

..
nah and nam salad.
MUST ORDER: Red curry fish cakes.
9872 WESTMINSTER AVE. (BACKSIDE OF
MALL OF FORTUNE), GARDEN GROVE
714-858-1693, CHADATHAIGG.COM ★★

Oak & Coal

. PHOTOS BY BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF

2145 EATS Among the pizza offerings is the Spicy Salami, which in-
cludes Calabrese salami, green olives, hot peppers and ricotta.
60 There’s barely room inside
this charcoal-fueled kushi-
yaki (robata) bar for 26 cus-
tomers and a handful of staff. And
there’s always a dozen more people
waiting outside, for good reason.
Oak & Coal is a powerhouse of Jap-
Maro Wood Grill 2145 Eats anese-style grilled meat on a stick:

56 58 A vintage auto garage was pork belly, kurobuta sausages, Mex-

This wood-fired Argentine ican wild shrimp, bacon-wrapped
steakhouse used to be one turned into a small pizzeria,
which later annexed the lot cherry tomatoes … they’re about to
of the smallest restaurants double in size. They’ve taken over
in the county, with room indoors for next door and morphed into a ram-
bling outdoor club with a stage for the space next door, which will serve
only about eight seats, plus another as the new bar, meaning the bar-
20 on the covered porch. The restau- live music. The original chef is gone,
but he left behind an incredible reci- tender and chef will no longer have
rant has more than doubled in size
thanks to extended outdoor dining.
The basic premise here is simple:
pe for Japanese-inspired Neapolitan
pizza dough. The oven is fueled by .
to share the same 3-foot countertop.
MUST ORDER: Chicken meatball skew-

.
grass-fed, wood-grilled steak. wood, and the pizzas are superb. So,
.
ers with soft poached egg

.
too, are the hand-mixed Micheladas. 333 E. 17TH ST., COSTA MESA
MUST ORDER: Ribeye cap, with a side 949-287-6150, OAKANDCOALCM.COM ★★
MUST ORDER: Spicy Salame pizza
.
of grilled okra.
1915 S. COAST HIGHWAY, LAGUNA BEACH with ricotta, green olives and pickled
949-793-4044
MAROWOODGRILL.COM ★★ .
hot peppers.
2145 PLACENTIA AVE., COSTA MESA
949-873-5853, 2145EATS.COM ★★

La Super Birria

57 What started as a taco pop-up

inside an old Mexican candy
store ultimately eclipsed that
MARO
WOOD

.
candy store and became the hottest
birrieria in the county, now with sev- GRILL
eral additional locations either open Argentinian
or on the way. Chef Edgar Navarrete style wood-
Gomez’s beef birria is outstanding, grilled ribeye
whether served as a crispy (dorado) cap.
taco or simply ladled into a bowl
..
with tortillas on the side.
MUST ORDER: Tacos dorados.
1041 W. FIRST ST., SANTA ANA
657-245-3810
INSTAGRAM.COM/SUPER_BIRRIA ★★

BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022 • 23

 Gaucho Grill

61 Before you sit down at this Ar-

gentinian grill, go look at the
kitchen. Take a deep breath
and appreciate the heady aroma of
meat sizzling and smoldering over
the fire. Look at those football-size
hunks of picanha, those ribeyes as
big as tennis rackets, those whole
chickens strung together like Christ-
mas garland, those racks of beef ribs
the size of carry-on suitcases. That’s
.
why you’re here.
MUST ORDER: Asada al asador, the six-

.
hour smoked beef ribs to share.
5980 ORANGETHORPE AVE., BUENA PARK
714-707-3829, GAUCHOGRILL.COM ★★

Ciao Pasta
.
62
PHOTOS BY BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF
Much of the menu at Ciao
GAUCHO GRILL Argentinian style asada al asador, a rack of six-hour
will ring familiar: beef
beef ribs.
carpaccio, fried calamari,
meatballs in tomato sauce, baked
lasagna, pappardelle bolognese. But Anjappar Solstice

64 65
there’s a lightness to chef Pasquale The Chettinad cuisine of Rising star chef Brittany
Manta’s Puglia-inspired cooking that South India cannot be Valles was just beginning
sets this place apart. The thin-crust tamed. It is hot and spicy to make a name for herself
.
diavola pizza is excellent.
MUST ORDER: Capellini with cherry
and wildly exciting. Start with the
Nattukkoli rasam, a country-style
at Oak inside the Fashion Island
Hotel when that place abruptly
tomatoes or, if artichokes are in chicken soup, but don’t leave your closed. She has finally resurfaced at
season, the lemony tagliolini with spoon submerged for long because it the long-awaited restaurant in the
.
artichokes and parmesan.
31661 CAMINO CAPISTRANO
might dissolve. It’s that spicy. An eas-
ier way to begin would be the chick-
courtyard of the swanky Boardwalk
building on Jamboree in Irvine. It’s a
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, 949-496-5002 gorgeous, cosmopolitan setting. Mus-
CIAOPASTA.NET ★★ en 65, terrific nuggets of yogurt-mar-
inated fried chicken. It’s sometimes sels Rockefeller is a light, refreshing
hard to distinguish between all the riff on a previously heavy classic.
curries, and I think sometimes the Deviled eggs come in jars, more like
cooks don’t even know, but every one a parfait. The wine-braised wagyu
short rib arrives under a smoke-filled
Pour Vida ..
I’ve tried has been delicious.
MUST ORDER: Crab roast. cloche. And the bar makes an excel-
13882 NEWPORT AVE., TUSTIN
.
lent daiquiri.

63
714-486-2116, ANJAPPAROC.COM ★★ MUST ORDER: Coffee-spiced ricotta
Chef Jimmy Martinez sneaks
a vanilla bean into his short
ribs. He makes an incredi-
.
doughnuts.
18555 JAMBOREE ROAD, IRVINE
949-241-7088, SOLSTICEOC.COM ★★
ble taco with the flavors of a classic
cheeseburger. He riffs on teriyaki
when he marinates skirt steak in
pineapple and soy sauce. He cooks
cauliflower as if it were chorizo.
He makes a chile relleno with duck
confit. Even his craziest ideas are usu-
ally delicious. And now he’s making
doughnuts inspired by classic pan
dulce. What started years ago as a
tiny taco stand in Anaheim has culmi-
nated with a brand new flagship in
Newport Beach, which also features a
.
raw bar and creative ceviches.
MUST ORDER: Vanilla-bean short rib

.
tacos.
5000 BIRCH ST., NEWPORT BEACH
949-336-4982, PVTANDT.COM (ADDITION-
AL LOCATION IN ANAHEIM) ★★
.
SOLSTICE Coffee-spiced ricotta doughnuts.
24 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022
 .22195 EL PASEO, RANCHO SANTA
MARGARITA 949-709-2300
HANNASPRIMESTEAK.COM ★★

El Mercado
Modern Cuisine

69 Chef Fernando Franco makes

some of the most fascinating
tacos in the area, includ-
ing vegetarian tacos layered with
sauteed hibiscus flowers, charred
jicama, fresh pea puree and sliced
avocado. It’s hard to imagine better
pancakes than the ones served here
at Sunday brunch, drizzled with
burnt piloncillo syrup. Also great:
shrimp aguachile and chicken enchi-

..
ladas in salsa verde.

. PHOTOS BY BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF

MAZARA TRATTORIA Beef carpaccio, which is on the antipasti
menu, is topped with baby arugula and shaved parmesan.
MUST ORDER: Tacos and mezcal.
301 N. SPURGEON ST., SANTA ANA
714-338-2446, MERCADOMODERN.COM
★★

Tsuruhashi .with prosciutto.

18027 BEACH BLVD., HUNTINGTON BEACH

66
714-465-4874
Don’t bother washing your
hair before heading to this HUNTINGTONBEACHITALIANFOOD.COM ★★ Mario’s Butcher
no-frills hole-in-the-wall
Japanese barbecue joint. You’ll need
Shop & Deli

70
a bath afterward. It’s dark, busy, Mario Llamas’ high-end
cramped and incredibly smoky butcher shop doubles as a
inside. It feels almost illegal. But Hanna’s deli, serving terrific sand-

68
the service is snappy, and they stock wiches made with meats that come
very high-quality meats, from salted The best restaurant in straight from the butcher’s case:
beef tongue to fatty pork cheek. No Rancho Santa Margarita is USDA Prime steak, smoked pork
reservations. Expect to wait at least one part serious steakhouse, ribs, freshly ground hamburger
one part neighborhood sports bar.
30 to 45 minutes for a table, even on
.
weeknights. The bar is always packed on game
days, and it’s always date night in the
.
patties and house-cured charcuterie.
MUST ORDER: The house-smoked
MUST ORDER: Cube-cut Kobe wagyu,
plus a scoop of ice cream drizzled dining room. The steaks are USDA .
pastrami is a game-changer.
1000 BRISTOL ST. N., NEWPORT BEACH

.
with coconut milk.
18798 BROOKHURST ST. .
Prime, and the wine list runs deep.
MUST ORDER: Bone-in ribeye topped
949-316-4318
MARIOSBUTCHERSHOPDELI.COM ★★
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, 714-593-8393 with red wine butter.
TSURUHASHIRESTAURANT.COM ★★

Costa Mesa still dominates

Once again, Costa Mesa domi-
nates this guide. Why? Because
Mazara Trattoria Costa Mesa is the culinary

67 After more than a decade epicenter of Orange County.

as head chef at Antonello in There is simply no other
Costa Mesa, chef Luigi “Gino” city in the county that
Buonanoce now performs a one-man compares with the diversity,
show in the tiny kitchen of Mazara breadth and quality of Costa
Trattoria, a charming 40-seat cafe Mesa’s restaurants. I don’t
tucked into a run-down strip mall know why. I just know it
in Huntington Beach. The fried to be true. From the city’s de

.
calamari is exactly what you’ve been facto town square (South Coast
craving. The beef carpaccio is shaved Plaza) to the Eastside and more re-
as thin as tracing paper while the cently the Westside, too, there’s a creative DIN TAI FUNG Xiao
off-menu grilled pork chop is nearly energy in the Costa Mesa food community long bao (Shanghai style
that remains unmatched. soup dumplings).
.
three inches thick.
MUST ORDER: Rigatoni alla vodka

BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022 • 25

 Paradise
Dynasty

71 The comparisons with Din

Tai Fung are inevitable. After
all, South Coast Plaza lured
this upscale dim sum restaurant
from Singapore, one can assume, to
alleviate pressure off Din Tai Fung
(at the other end of the mall) where
wait times had become unbearable.
Paradise Dynasty, too, is famous for
their Shanghai-style xiao long bao,
which come in a rainbow of colors
and flavors. They are very good (and
wait times, shorter), but what’s even
better is the vast array of noodles
.
and wontons.
MUST ORDER: Singapore style stir-fry

.
noodle with shredded pork.
3333 BRISTOL ST., COSTA MESA
714-617-4630, PARADISEGP.COM/USA ★★

Original Fish
Company
& Off the Hook
. BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF

72 Off the Hook is meant to HAVEN Brunch offerings range from chorizo hash and eggs, above, to
be a tavern-style offshoot of berry waffles and duck confit chilaquiles.
the adjoining Original Fish
Company, and they bill themselves
as separate restaurants. But let’s be
with a frozen rosé. You’ll feel better Piccolino
.
75
immediately.
honest: They’re basically just one MUST ORDER: Beer-braised beef Salvatore Faso opened Picco-
big restaurant with two very similar
menus focused on delicious seafood .
cheeks with mustard cavatelli.
190 S. GLASSELL ST., ORANGE
lino 15 years ago in a smaller,
less glamorous spot nearby
that tastes like it all comes from 714-221-0680 but moved into this freestanding
the same kitchen. From the tavern: HAVENCRAFTKITCHEN.COM ★★ building in the same lot in 2016.
a very good lobster roll. From the Aside from that, plus a brand new
original: mesquite-grilled lobster tail. patio added during the pandemic,
From both, a substantial burger and not much has changed over the
the exact same clam chowder. Identi- years. The same waiters from day
..
cal service and clientele throughout.
MUST ORDER: Oysters.
Ngu Binh one. The same lobster agnolotti in
a creamy cognac sauce. The same

74
11061 LOS ALAMITOS BLVD. beguiling pappardelle with lamb
LOS ALAMITOS, 562-330-1310 (TAVERN)
When eating at Ngu Binh in
Little Saigon, the question ragu, raisins and ricotta. The same
562-594-4553 (ORIGINAL)
ORIGINALFISHCOMPANY.COM ★★ isn’t what to order but simply, “secret” off-menu veal chop. The
“Large or small?” Although the menu same customers sitting at the bar
is extensive — banh beo (rice cakes),
banh bot loc (tapioca dumplings), .
sipping martinis.
MUST ORDER: Riccio al nero (squid
pomelo salad, all very good — there ink pasta) with shrimp, clams, mus-

Haven
is only one reason this restaurant
stays constantly packed: bun bo Hue, .
sels and calamari.
28719 LOS ALISOS BLVD., MISSION VIEJO

73
the hearty Vietnamese noodle soup 949-380-7261, PICCOLINOMV.COM ★★
This 13-year-old gastropub in made with a red chili broth and am-
Old Towne has hit its stride. plified with cubes of jelly made from
If it’s Sunday brunch, sum- beef blood, plus meatballs, braised
mon a bloody Mary. It’ll be one of
the best you drink this year. To eat,
choose between chef Craig Brady’s
..
beef and pork knuckles.
MUST ORDER: Don’t play dumb.
14092 MAGNOLIA ST., WESTMINSTER
chorizo hash with eggs or duck con- 714-903-6000 ★★
fit chilaquiles. If it’s a lazy evening
at the end of a hot day, chill down

26 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT 2022

 Located in Downtown Brea, Old Brea Chop House offers an
unparalleled steakhouse experience in Orange County, featuring an
amazing selection of steaks, chops, seafood, libations and wines in
an inviting setting, reminiscent of a classic New York Steakhouse.

Come Dine with us for Lunch, Brunch or Dinner!

Old Brea Chop House

180 S Brea Blvd, Brea, CA 92821
(714) 592-3122
www.oldbreachophouse.com

Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
Friday: 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
Saturday: 3:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Sunday: 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
THE CRAB. COOKER
NEWPORT, CA TUSTIN, CA
949-673-0100 714-573-1077

BE GOOD TO YOURSELF...
EAT LOTS A FISH