San Francisco’s Proper Hotel is important for several reasons. When it opened last fall, it was the first new luxury hotel to open in the city in years. It also marked the second coming of Brad Korzan and Kelly Wearstler, the visionary duo behind the Viceroy brand.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
What to eat next in Mexico City: incredible fish tacos at Zanaya
Absolutely incredible. The ultimate highlight — of many highs — of my most recent dining tour of Mexico City was the Zarandeado fish tacos at Zanaya, at the Four Seasons hotel…
Photo of the week: Hotel Paseo, Palm Desert
The Hotel Paseo recently opened in Palm Desert, and one of the new hotel’s coolest suites is actually an Airstream trailer parked in the courtyard near the pool…
What to eat (or not) at the Orange County Fair
My first strategy at the OC Fair was to follow the smoke. Where there’s smoke, there will also be good food. Or so it usually goes. I spotted the beef tri-tips smoldering on a grill. They looked awesome. They looked like real Santa Maria barbecue. I immediately got in line and ordered the tri-tip sandwich. It was gross…
Photo of the week: San Jose del Cabo
This is one of my favorite photos from my stay at the beautiful Mar Adentro in San Jose del Cabo, an incredible resort designed (and owned) by Miguel Angel Aragones. I love the brutal simplicity of the beach chairs and umbrellas. I woke up early to catch the sunrise…
O.C. Review: Sushi Hana re
The hostess sees me peeking through the window, so she opens the front door. “May I help you?” “Two for dinner?” I ask. I can see that almost every seat in the restaurant is already taken. “Just a moment,” she says. She walks across the very small room to whisper something to the chef. He …
Photo of the Week: Hanoi, Vietnam
I love the energy of Hanoi, Vietnam. Almost everyone rides a scooter, and crossing the street is a daredevil’s game of chance. Navigating traffic here can be tricky if you’re not accustomed to the rules of the road.
Where to eat (and NOT) at Disneyland
Disneyland offers lots of full-service options, most of which require reservations to be made days or even weeks in advance. After repeat visits to every such restaurant inside Disneyland, California Adventure and Downtown Disney, I can confidently say these are the five best places to unwind with a good meal.
Quick Look: Sian Ka’an Biosphere, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Anyone who traveled to Mexico’s Riviera Maya 20 years ago (before it was ever called the Riviera Maya) will fondly remember the bucolic beauty (and perceived remoteness) of this part of the Yucatan …
Where to eat in Newport Beach: The Balboa Peninsula and Newport Harbor
Newport Harbor and the Balboa Peninsula embody the endless-summer lifestyle for which coastal Orange County is justly famous. And what’s not to love about the wide-open beaches, The Wedge, the idyllic pace of Balboa Island, the impressive yachts in the harbor, the bustle of Oceanfront Drive…? More than 100 restaurants and bars sit on the …
Viral Video: DiverXO, Madrid
Wow. This is such an awesome video from DiverXO restaurant in Madrid, which recently earned their third Michelin star. It begins with, “The next time you hear my voice, you’ll be on the floor scooping up bits of your brain.” And they are not kidding. Awesome video. Watch it. I can’t wait to eat here.
DiverXO [short film // English version] from m.Ortiz on Vimeo.
One Dish: keema pav at Adya, Anaheim
Apparently there’s something in Indian cuisine called “pav,” and it’s a lot like a Sloppy Joe. In fact, it’s exactly like a Sloppy Joe, only better than any you’ve ever had. At Adya, the quick-serve Indian restaurant inside the Anaheim Packing District, the pavs come in a variety of flavors, including one made with chicken …
OC Review: Pueblo, Costa Mesa
Short rib tapas at Pueblo (photo by Leonard Ortiz, OC Register)
Pork belly at Pueblo (photo by Leonard Ortiz, OC Register)
Paella at Pueblo (photo by Leonard Ortiz, OC Register)
Pueblo at SoCo (photo by Leonard Ortiz, OC Register)
That giant slurping sound in OC? Here’s where it’s coming from.
It’s been three months since Din Tai Fung opened at South Coast Plaza, and the wait for a table can still stretch well beyond two hours, even on a Monday or Tuesday. The Taiwanese chain is most famous for its Shanghai-style xiao long bao, aka soup dumplings, which are sometimes called juicy dumplings. Perhaps that …
2014 O.C. Restaurant Awards!
Chef of the year? Best new restaurant? The greatest desserts … ? To condense a year’s worth of dining into just six awards is a daunting but delicious task. The possibilities were numerous, but the awards are few. To arrive at these selections, I dined more than 400 times, driving more than 8,000 miles from …
OC Short Order: MCow Yakatori (with a barf sink!)
Sake and soju at MCow Yakatori (photo by Brad A Johnson) On my first visit to the new MCow Yakitori in Irvine, the first thing I do is go to the restroom to wash my hands. What I find in there makes me want to turn around and run. No, the restroom isn’t dirty. In …
