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Orange County’s Best Black Friday and Small Business Saturday Shopping in Costa Mesa

Posted on November 21, 2012 | 10:51am

There is no rest for the weary during the holidays.  Between family gatherings, home-cooked meals and holiday parties, there isn’t much free time for shopping.  Holiday decor hangs in stores earlier each year.  While the scent of your Thanksgiving meal still lingers in the kitchen, it’s already time to focus on holiday shopping.  Whether your list is for one or one-hundred, there is a good chance shopping is on the agenda for the long Thanksgiving weekend.  With many big-brands offering large discounts on Black Friday, fighting through the crowds may be worth the savings.  If leaving the house seems like too much to ask, there is Cyber Monday, where online retailers and e-commerce sites offer savings on products and shipping with one-day-only deals.  In between the Black Friday swarm and the Cyber Monday searches is Shop Small Saturday, a national movement that promotes shopping at locally owned businesses. Read More

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Posted in Events, Locals, Misc, Play, Shopping

Farm to Food Truck Challenge at SoCo Farmers’ Market in Costa Mesa

Posted on November 19, 2012 | 10:48am

To celebrate their second birthday, the SoCo Farmers’ Market hosted The Farm to Food Truck Challenge on November 17.  Hundreds of judges, spectators and chefs gathered for the competition set up in the style of the Food Network’s “Chopped” where speed, skill and ingenuity are combined to be crowned the top chef, or in this case, the top truck.  Chefs prepared meals based on pre-selected ingredients.  Because the Farm to Food Truck Challenge  was held at the top famers’ market in Orange County, the five mandatory ingredients – butternut squash, walnuts, pomegranate, kale and mushrooms – were all seasonable.

Food Trucks

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Posted in Events, Food, Locals, Misc, Play

Early November Events in Costa Mesa

Posted on November 5, 2012 | 2:08pm

With Election Day tomorrow and the upcoming annual November events of Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this week’s events in Costa Mesa provide a calm before the holiday storm.  November generally marks the beginning of winter.  For Orange County visitors and residents, this doesn’t mean cold, harsh weather, but it does mean that the holiday season has arrived.  We know November as the eleventh month of the year, however, on the Roman calendar it was the ninth month of the year.  The root word, “novem” means nine.  In homage to the Roman calendar, we thought we would share nine non-holiday events in Costa Mesa before images of food, shopping and in-laws inundate you until the New Year.  With events for pet lovers, foodies, theatergoers and children this is a great week to get out and have fun before everything turns its focus to the holidays. Read More

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Posted in Events, Food, Misc, Music & Art, Play, Shopping

Celebrity Chef Charlie Palmer Teaches Cooking Course in Costa Mesa

Posted on October 25, 2012 | 12:04pm

Celebrity Chef Charlie Palmer offered a cheese cooking course at his eponymous restaurant in Costa Mesa.  Palmer has received many culinary accolades including three Michelin stars and has appeared on the Food Network’s Top Chef during season 6 as a guest judge.

Charlie Palmer has restaurants in Las Vegas, Dallas, Northern California and New York.  His location in Bloomindale’s at South Coast Plaza is widely considered one of the leading restaurants in Orange County.

Palmer, accompanied by his Executive Chef Seakyeong Kim, provided the course at the demonstration kitchen in Bloomingdale’s.  With so many locations nationwide, personal appearances and hands-on demonstrations are rare. Read More

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Posted in Events, Food, Locals, Misc, Play

Costa Mesa Public Art

Posted on October 23, 2012 | 2:27pm

With the arrival of fall and cooler temperatures in Orange County, now is an ideal time to take an art walk through the City of the Arts – Costa Mesa.  The public visual arts that adorn the Segerstrom City of the Arts and Town Center Park offer a wide variety of shapes and sizes from the flowing yellow steel of the Ram to the 60-foot-high structure, Fire Bird, that is integrated into the interior and exterior of  Segerstrom Hall.

Fire Bird

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Posted in Locals, Misc, Music & Art, Play