What's going on in Orange County

There are two kinds of pho-lovers in this world: those who choose beef, and those who prefer chicken. Everyone in Little Saigon knows the best beef pho comes from Pho Thanh Lich (last year's Final Pho winner, as well as Best Pho title holder two y...

Only 10 percent of Surf City residents surf, according to the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum's website, but the 90 percent who have never climbed on a board like to watch those who do. The intense pleasure gained by seeing muscled, ...

The Hue region of Vietnam is home to tinkerers, alchemists and artists who use rice flour as their chosen medium. Ngu Binh should be considered both a laboratory and a master's gallery of these arts, as its dishes are mostly rearrangements of the ...

When it comes  to digging into the past, there's no better place to explore than a cemetery—but you don't need (and shouldn't bring) a shovel. Surrounded by relatively new tract homes, Anaheim Cemetery has all the charm of a Gothic boneyard—crooke...

Are oysters actually an aphrodisiac? Well, do you really want to take the chance they're not? Grab a bottle of white wine (liquor license coming soon!), and take your date to Shuck Oyster Bar. Interesting conversation, cold wine and the best oyste...

In a coup of programming, every month or so, Irvine Barclay Theatre and ARTS Orange County host performances filmed on London's National Theatre stages, in front of a live audience, and broadcasts them for a mere $20 per ticket. Top-quality Britis...

This Fountain Valley shop not only stocks the newest comics and has a massive backlog of the old, not only hosts people who want to play games of all die and boards, and not only does it with a smile and great recommendations, but it also has a li...

The décor's kind of ugly, and the waiters' vests are dated, but none of that stops Napa Rose's Michael Cox, chef, sommelier, affineur and one of the most knowledgeable waiters in Orange County. Better known by his well-deserved nickname, Saucy, Co...

Room service, hotel pools and chocolates on your pillow: overrated. How about renting a Crystal Cove Beach Cottage and waking up in the morning to the sound of crashing waves? The once-private cottages, built in the 1930s and '40s, have been resto...

Almost every weekday and -night, Mike Harrah's Original Mike's Restaurant in downtown Santa Ana is loaded with wealthy businessmen, federal and state judges, corporate lobbyists, prosecutors, sheriff's executives, high-ranking county bureaucrats, ...

Partake of this happy hour just once, and brace yourself for a daily struggle to not ditch work early. The fun times begin at 2:30 p.m. and last until 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, which is unheard of these days. If you can make it there by 2:3...

Soho Taco has earned fame for its tacos, made from fresh tortillas and quality cuts; the expert salsas of chef Gabriel Zambrano; and a masterful social-media campaign that had foodies craving the tacos long before they became commercially availabl...