2022 was a yr of recovery, while 2023 appears to be a yr of reinvention in local arts and culture.
The massive productions are back, as are the experimental, edgy and boundary-pushing shows. From “The Killer Angels” at Maverick Theater in Fullerton to Pilobolus at Musco Center in Orange, a way of experimentation and exploration seems to have reinvigorated Orange County’s venues and presenting organizations. The Chicago Symphony – certainly one of the world’s great orchestras – is coming to Segerstrom Concert Hall later this month, and area cultural festivals are back at full force.
Here’s a have a look at one of the best in theater, dance, visual arts, classical music, culture and food for the early a part of 2023, delivered to you by Voice of OC’s talented team of arts and culture writers.
THEATER
Good old-fashioned human drama is the order of the day for Voice of OC’s selections for probably the most tantalizing theater productions on the horizon. Our picks encompass every thing from some of the decisive battles of the Civil War to the tensions surrounding two different families within the Deep South – one within the Thirties, one within the 2010s – to 2 contemporary suburban couples who personify the magnitude of denial as a coping mechanism. All 4 productions should whet your appetite for the second half of Orange County’s 2022-2023 theater season. — Eric Marchese
‘Voices of America’
When: Feb. 5-26
Where: South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: $20 to $98
Contact: 714-708-5500, scr.org
Lillian Hellman’s “The Little Foxes” and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ “Appropriate” will run in rotating repertory, alternating nightly and using the identical set and overlapping casts, but with two directors (Lisa Peterson for “Little Foxes,” Delicia Turner Sonnenberg for “Appropriate”). Each plays approach the ever-reliable theater themes of family, history and legacy in alternative ways, so those that see each will have the ability to review how playwrights from different eras explore similar material. Hellman’s drama, a celebrated classic since its 1939 premiere, dissects multiple elements of the American Dream by depicting the interaction of three siblings in Alabama, circa 1900, as they jockey for the control of a multi-million dollar family business. “Appropriate” similarly zeroes in on a Southern clan: This time, we’re in Arkansas within the mid-2010s as estranged relations gather at a crumbling plantation to arrange for its sale. As in the sooner play, the focal events force the story’s characters to confront long-repressed facts and feelings. The comedic-dramatic play, touted by The Latest York Times as “remarkable,” “devious” and “subversively original,” won the 2014-2015 Obie Award for Best American Play.
‘The Realistic Joneses’
When: April 26 – May 14
Where: Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Drive, Laguna Beach
Cost: $56 to $81
Contact: 949-497-2787, lagunaplayhouse.com
Anyone who knows Will Eno knows that since 2004, with plays like “The Flu Season” and “Thom Pain (based on nothing),” the playwright has been a singular, insightful voice in American theater who has been called “a Samuel Beckett for the Jon Stewart generation.” So prepare for Laguna Playhouse’s Orange County premiere of Eno’s “The Realistic Joneses,” a profound have a look at two suburban couples, each named Jones, who discover they’ve lots more in common than their equivalent houses and surnames. The Playhouse summarizes the 2014 play as “spare, suggestive, slyly hilarious and strangely maddening, exploring … the role that denial plays in helping us navigate life’s chaos,” and The Latest York Times review of the Broadway production noted that the characters portrayed by Michael C. Hall, Toni Collette, Marisa Tomei and Tracy Letts “possess an uncanny otherness expressed through their stylized, disordered way of communicating” and that Eno’s words “cut to the guts of how we muddle through the worst life can bring.” So while you catch this production, expect the unexpected – and to be enlightened and emotionally moved.
‘The Killer Angels: Soldiers of Gettysburg’
When: May 12 – July 3
Where: Maverick Theater, 110 W. Walnut Ave., Fullerton
Cost: TBA
Contact: 714-526-7070, mavericktheater.com
An Orange County original, “The Killer Angels: Soldiers of Gettysburg” is a gripping stage re-creation, based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning 1974 novel of the identical name, of certainly one of the Civil War’s most vital battles. Maverick Theater fans and Civil War enthusiasts alike have been waiting for founder and artistic director Brian Newell to resurrect his 2017 stage adaptation of Michael Shaara’s historical novel. Newell’s stage version, subtitled “Soldiers of Gettysburg,” follows the book in depicting the three-day Battle of Gettysburg and the movement of Union and Confederate troops that led as much as it. The dramatic play also gives audiences a behind-the-scenes have a look at decisive moments, whether effective strategies or blunders, made on each side. The last three performances of the run – July 1-3 – coincide with the a hundred and sixtieth anniversary of the historic 1863 battle, and the production’s closing date of July 3 falls 160 years to the day of Pickett’s Charge – the infantry assault ordered by General Robert E. Lee that ended disastrously for the Confederate forces and which figures so prominently in “The Killer Angels.”
DANCE
Consider Orange County’s spring dance offerings to be a lineup of human-centered stories, where real people and real emotions take center stage. Perhaps it’s those two years we lost, or possibly it’s just coincidence, however the region’s 2023 dance scene is filled with creativity, color and charisma. In chronological order, listed here are a select few dance events that should not to be missed resulting from the programs including iconic or brand recent works. – Kaitlin Wright
Ballet X
When: 8 p.m. Jan. 24
Where: Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine
Cost: Tickets start at $30
Contact: thebarclay.org or 949-854-4646
Philadelphia-based BalletX has produced 116 recent ballet works and counting, making it a force of innovation that few firms can compete with. In its return to Orange County, the corporate brings an exciting repertory program that features three West Coast premieres, including Tiler Peck’s “Umoja.” “Umoja” is the Swahili word for “unity,”which is what Peck as choreographer appears like we would have liked after a protracted period of isolation. This system also includes “Fancy Me,” “It’s Not a Cry,” “Honey” and “Exalt.”
Pilobolus
When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23
Where: Musco Center for the Arts, 337 N. Cypress St., Orange
Cost: Start at $25
Contact: muscocenter.org or 714-997-6812
The athlete-illusionist dancers of Pilobolus are celebrating over 50 years of performances, appearing in notable events comparable to the Oscars and the Olympics. For its “ Big Five Oh!” tour, the corporate will perform a collection of pieces from vintage and visionary, reimagined for the present dancers and stages. Audiences can expect to see organic shapes and natural beauty in a piece from 1978 called “Shizen,” feel the strength of movement in “Megawatt” and explore the history of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation in Pilobolus’s latest work “The Ballad.”
‘Like Water for Chocolate,’ American Ballet Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m. March 29-31 and April 1; 2 p.m. April 1-2
Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: Start at $29
Contact: scfta.org or 714-556-2787
American Ballet Theatre will perform the North American premiere of “Like Water for Chocolate” at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The three-act ballet is a co-production with the Royal Ballet from the award-winning team of choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and composer Joby Talbot, with costumes by Bob Crowley. Set through the Mexican Civil War within the early twentieth century, the story follows a young woman who’s only type of expression is thru cooking. The most recent original ballet by ABT relies on the book of the identical name by Mexican novelist Laura Esquivel and guarantees an intriguing experience that features food, magic, a frustrated love affair and, after all, some ballet.
VISUAL ARTS
So far as Orange County art institutions are concerned, the coronavirus pandemic is a distant memory. In-person exhibitions, receptions and auctions are back, and museums, galleries and art centers are pushing in recent directions. But they haven’t forgotten the tried and true shows that helped get them to where they’re today.
Below are 4 exhibitions and events price trying out. Two that made the honorable mention list are “Made in California” at Brea Art Gallery (April 29-June 23) and “California Impressionists 1865-2022” featuring contemporary works by Rick Delanty (March 16-June 4) at Casa Romantica in San Clemente. – Richard Chang
‘Figures, Poses, and Glances: The Coded Illustrations of J.C. Leyendecker’
When: Feb. 18-April 9; hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays
Where: Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center, 241 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim
Cost: $7-$10
Contact: (714) 765-6466 or muzeo.org
While the Begovich Gallery and the Visual Arts Complex undergo major renovations at Cal State Fullerton, the shows must go on. Actually, the Begovich Gallery is teaming up with Muzeo to present works by some of the prolific American artists of the twentieth century and the Golden Age of American illustration. J.C. Leyendecker drew and painted greater than 320 covers for the Saturday Evening Post, and produced covers for Collier’s Magazine and Fortune, and diverse advertisements for Arrow Collars and Kuppenheimer clothes. Leyendecker was an early champion of queer culture and identity. The curator of this exhibit is Clark Silva, an MA candidate in art history at CSUF.
California Cool forty first Annual Auction
When: Feb. 18-March 4; Profit & Bash at 6:30 p.m. March 4
Where: Laguna Art Museum, 307 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach
Cost: Admission is $9-$12; profit tickets are $160 and better
Contact: (949) 494-8971 or lagunaartmuseum.org/auction
Laguna Art Museum’s forty first annual California Cool auction will feature works by greater than 125 Golden State artists, including Lita Albuquerque, Billy Al Bengston, Ed Ruscha and others. Works will hang within the museum from Feb. 18-March 4; regular admission gets you in to see all of the works. Meanwhile, the auction will open on the Artsy website on Feb. 18. A Profit & Bash will happen from 6:30-8 p.m. March 4, featuring artists, collectors, food, cocktails and a performance by Lee Rocker of the Stray Cats. Proceeds will profit the museum’s education and exhibition initiatives.
‘The Bruton Sisters: Modernism within the Making’
When: Feb. 4-May 6
Where: UCI Langson Institute and Museum of California Art
Cost: Free
Contact: (949) 476-0003 or imca.uci.edu
The Bruton sisters – Margaret, Esther and Helen – were pioneers of recent art in California. They were known for his or her modern use of materials, creative approach to design and fruitful collaborative relationships. This exhibition will feature 18 works from Langson IMCA’s everlasting collection, in addition to several loans from private collections and the Monterey Museum of Art. The show is curated by Wendy Van Wyck Good, an writer, librarian and historian, and the leading expert on the Bruton sisters.
‘Daniel Arsham: Wherever You Go, There You Are’ and ‘Alice Neel: Feels Like Home’
When: Feb. 17-May 28 for Arsham; June 23-Oct. 22 for Neel
Where: Orange County Museum of Art, 3333 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa
Cost: Free
Contact: (714) 780-2130 or ocma.art
The brand new O.C. Museum of Art will present the primary major U.S. museum exhibition for Daniel Arsham, who works across sculpture, architecture, drawing and photography to research ideas of history, symbology and the fabric nature of time.
Alice Neel was an achieved figurative painter, and “Feels Like Home” will feature 40 paintings from the artist’s estate examining the roles of kinship, chosen family and the importance of community.
Later in 2023, OCMA will feature the primary U.S. museum solo exhibitions for Chinese artist Yu Ji and California artist Jennifer Guidi.
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Spring is busting out throughout in Orange County’s classical music world. But now, post-COVID, not only are the offerings plentiful and starry, they reflect a recent spirit of innovation and inclusion, of experimentation and reappraisal. Things are getting more interesting. My very own three picks below aren’t probably the most daring offerings, but, reasonably, sure things for nearly every listener. — Timothy Mangan
Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Riccardo Muti
When: 8 p.m., Jan. 24
Where: Segerstrom Concert Hall, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: $58-$358
Contact: philharmicsociety.org
The Chicago Symphony has long been among the many world’s best orchestras, reliable deliverers of definitive performances of the classics. Current music director Riccardo Muti continues the traditions of his venerable predecessors Fritz Reiner and Georg Solti with formidable, muscular and precision accounts. These musicians bring us a program that goals to beat, starting with Beethoven’s epic Symphony No. 7, taking a deep breath with Liadov’s The Enchanted Lake, before laying into the technicolor brilliance of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition as orchestrated by Ravel.
Laguna Beach Music Festival with Jeremy Denk
When: 8 p.m., Feb. 17-18; 3 p.m. Feb. 19
Where: Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach
Cost: $38-$58
Contact: philharmonicsociety.org
Jeremy Denk is that this generation’s answer to Charles Rosen and Alfred Brendel, a deep thinker and scholar of music, an writer, and a superb pianist. As this yr’s director of the Laguna Beach Music Festival, he invites a few of his musician friends as guests (amongst them the charismatic violinist Stefan Jackiw) and offers three delightful programs. His solo recital (on Feb. 18), mixing works by Bach, Schubert, Coleridge-Taylor, Wiggins, Joplin and Rzewski, and winding up with Beethoven’s final sonata, Op. 111, is the right opportunity to listen to the range of his talents, the intimacy of his delivery and the exacting virtuosity of his technique.
Pacific Symphony with Teddy Abrams
When: 8 p.m., June 1-3
Where: Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: $25-$203
Contact: pacificsymphony.org
Teddy Abrams is that rare young talent in classical music, a triple threat: composer, conductor and solo performer, on clarinet. With Carl St.Clair having recently announced an eventual retirement as music director of the Pacific Symphony, every guest conductor will likely be scrutinized as a possible alternative. Abrams, the leader of a revitalized Louisville Orchestra, involves the plate along with his own Overture in Sonata Form and Stravinsky’s intricately colourful ballet, Petrushka. In between he’s joined by Canadian pianist Louis Lortie, a scintillating perfectionist, for the ever-pleasing Piano Concerto by Grieg.
CULTURE
Although the previous few years have been tough for event organizers to execute their full scope, it seems that is the yr that more events and celebrations try to return to full swing — and attendance is anticipated to be high.
Though picking this yr’s cultural roundup of events was no easy feat, below are a couple of events to contemplate as a time out with the family, whether that be entertainment or volunteer driven. — Kristina Garcia
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service in Upper Newport Bay
When: 9 a.m-11 a.m., Jan. 28 (could also be rescheduled depending on rain)
Where: Peter & Mary Muth Interpretive Center, 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach
Cost: Free — must RSVP here
Contact: (714) 708-3885, insidetheoutdoors.org
When civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, the laws to dedicate a day of observance in his honor was already making its push 4 days later.
Despite its overwhelming support, it wasn’t until 1983 that former President Ronald Regan reluctantly signed the bill into law, making King’s birthday a federal holiday.
Moving forward 11 years later, former President Bill Clinton signed the King Holiday and Service Act into law to encourage Americans to volunteer on today and help construct their communities. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the one federal holiday dedicated to a national day of service, in keeping with the Smithsonian.
But how many individuals have actually used this federal holiday as “a day on, not a break day,” because the late Congressman John Lewis once described it?
In case you’ve found yourself among the many latter or trying to search out something to do on this national day of service, then bring the family and stop by the Peter & Mary Muth Interpretive Center where volunteers will assist with restoration activities within the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve, certainly one of the last remaining coastal wetlands in California.
Volunteers will help clean up the approved areas within the wetland with gloves, buckets and bags provided. It’s beneficial to wear closed-toe shoes and convey a reusable water bottle.
“We’ve found every thing from office chairs out on the Back Bay to tires. We’ve seen lots,” said Yarib Dheming, outreach manager for Contained in the Outdoors. “Especially after the rain, when the tide is available in. I mean, there’s plenty of trash that comes into that wetland, which is the biggest in Orange County.”
The event is in partnership with town of Newport Beach and Orange County Parks and will likely be hosted by Contained in the Outdoors, a hands-on environmental education program administered by the Orange County Department of Education.
Nearly a 50-year program, Contained in the Outdoors provides outdoor field trips for college kids throughout the varsity yr, in addition to community events and repair learning components.
“That is a chance for everybody to type of get entangled in this kind of work, and I feel it connects everybody to their local environment,” Dheming said. “Family engagement is something that we’re really big on …. That is a chance for (students) to bring their family back to those locations.”
This event could also be canceled resulting from weather; check for possible updates on the day of the event through Contained in the Outdoors’ social media pages.
Union of Vietnamese Student Associations Tết Festival 2023
When: 4-10 p.m. Jan. 27, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Jan. 28, and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Jan. 29
Where: OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: $8, free admission for kids 2 years and younger; free admission 11 a.m. to noon Jan. 28 for visitors wearing traditional outfits, military and scout uniforms.
Contact: (714) 576-6411, tetfestival.org
Lunar Latest 12 months is considered some of the vital celebrations in Vietnamese, Chinese and other East and Southeast Asian Cultures. Lunar Latest 12 months, or Tết Nguyên Đán in Vietnamese (sometimes shortened to Tết), celebrates the start of a recent spring.
While folks have quite a lot of Tết festivals to select from in Orange County this Lunar Latest 12 months, it could be price trying out the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations Tết Festival because it’s recognized as the biggest Vietnamese Lunar Latest 12 months Festival within the nation — entirely organized by student volunteers.
2023 marks the 12 months of the Cat; the last 12 months of the Cat was 2011. Based on the Chinese zodiac, that is the yr of the rabbit. Chinese and Vietnamese cultures share the identical zodiac signs apart from two animals.
While the change isn’t clear and is up for debate, some of the common explanations is that the traditional word for rabbit in Chinese is pronounced “mao tu,” which sounds much like the Vietnamese word “meo” for cat, in keeping with the UVSA Tết Festival Instagram page.
Ringing in the brand new yr with UVSA also means celebrating this yr’s theme, which is “Road to Our Homeland” or “Hướng Về Quê Hương” in Vietnamese.
The theme “Road to Our Homeland” got here about as a strategy to reconnect to their roots, said Tết Marketing Director Ann Ninh, as UVSA brings back the festival to its original three-day span after the event was canceled in 2021 and shortened to 2 days in 2022 resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Personally, I’m just looking forward to most seeing the festival come to fruition. I feel like everyone seems to be putting plenty of efforts and we’re a type of volunteer, community-based event who’re nonprofit, so everyone here on this organization really cares in regards to the festival,” Ninh said.
Racking in over 50,000 guests, the Tết Festival has plenty to enjoy whether it’s performances comparable to the standard lion dance, food, pageant night or competitions that put your appetite or skills to the test.
While walking across the festival, it’s also price trying out the Tết Festival’s Cultural Village, also referred to as Làng Việt Nam in Vietnamese, which serves as a reproduction of a conventional village in Vietnam. Attendees can stroll through Làng Việt Nam where visitors can immerse themselves in traditional Vietnamese architecture and explore the exhibits and galleries throughout the village.
On every day of the festival, a conventional Vietnamese ceremony will happen within the Cultural Village.
The primary ceremony will likely be the Raising of the Bamboo, also referred to as Lễ Dựng Nêu, which is the raising of a tall piece of bamboo with a red scroll (containing a great luck message) and firecrackers to mark the start of Tết.
The next day will likely be the Ancestral Altar Procession or Lễ Rước Kiệu Tổ, where individuals walk in a cultural procession carrying the altar of King Hung, the founding father of the Vietnamese people and nation, and offerings to the prayer site.
On the ultimate day, a spring wedding or Đám Cưới Đầu Xuân, will likely be happening featuring an actual bride and groom, lion dances, traditional tea offerings, a marriage procession and roasted pig.
O.C. Lantern Festival 2023
When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Feb. 18
Where: Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: Free — must RSVP
Contact: (714) 755-5788, pacificsymphony.org
Celebrating the 12 months of the Rabbit, Pacific Symphony returns with its annual Lantern Festival or Yuan Xiao Jie, marking the tip of the Lunar Latest 12 months celebration.
Drawing in hundreds of individuals, the O.C. Lantern Festival is a community event for attendees to understand the lanterns and find a way of letting go of the past to enjoy the long run awaiting in the brand new yr.
Pacific Symphony is teaming up with the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center/Irvine Chinese School. Attendees can stop by the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa to have a good time the Lantern Festival with family and friends through food, music, dance, storytelling, art-making activities and riddles.
Commemorating the occasion, the concert hall lobby will likely be reimagined with floating lanterns and the stage will likely be used for local performances.
Starting the event will likely be the South Coast Chinese Orchestra and the Chinese Dance Company of Southern California and their performance of an original musical called “The Monkey King.”
“The Monkey King” consists by He Bin, an instructor and director on the South Coast Chinese Orchestra. It tells the story of the Monkey King through traditional Chinese dance and martial arts, in addition to traditional Chinese musical instruments mixed with Western stringed-instrument music.
This yr also brings a recent orchestra to the Pacific Symphony: the 2023 Lantern Festival Orchestra, which will likely be conducted by Jacob Sustaita, an assistant conductor for the Pacific Symphony.
The orchestra will likely be made from local musicians, bringing the abilities of scholars and non-professional adult string players to perform “a mixture of Western and Eastern repertoire for string orchestra,” in keeping with the Pacific Symphony website.
On the night of the performance, skilled musicians from the Pacific Symphony will even join the orchestra.
While admission is free, the space is proscribed and an RSVP is required.
Easter Eggstravaganza
When: March 11-April 8; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, and eight a.m.-6 p.m. weekends; closed on Easter Sunday
Where: Irvine Park Railroad, 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange
Cost: Free admission, prices for activities vary, parking $3 on weekdays and $5 on weekends
Contact: (714) 997-3968, irvineparkrailroad.com
While Easter continues to be a couple of months from now, the Easter Eggstravaganza begins its operations almost a month sooner than the vacation, so if the family must be occupied till then, the Easter Eggstravaganza stands out as the perfect spot for families with young children.
Upon arrival, guests will take a 12-minute train ride through Irvine Regional Park leading visitors to the spring festivities that await.
Positioned behind the train station, Easter Eggstravaganza returns to the Irvine Park Railroad and invites families for activities, games and food within the spirit of Easter.
While entrance to the event is free, the activities use tickets for $7 each or a book of 15 tickets for $90, and a parking pass can also be required.
One in all the activities offered is the Easter Egg Hunt, using two tickets per child. Children between the ages of two and 12 are eligible to take part in the Easter Egg Hunt, where they will bring their very own Easter basket or purchase one onsite. Throughout the day are several sessions with various age groups for the kids to attend.
The Easter eggs will likely be full of treats, stickers or special prizes, including train tickets for the Irvine Park Railroad, Orange County Zoo passes, and coupons for rentals on the park.
Don’t forget an image with the Easter bunny. For $15, children can meet the mascot, have their picture taken and receive a replica of the photo.
Other activities include a bounce house, carnival games, photo-ops, face painting, hay rides and egg basket toss.
If visitors select to depart early from the event, they will explore the remaining of the park and stop by the Orange County Zoo, which is a 5-minute walk from the event.
The Easter Eggstravaganza is open seven days per week but will likely be closed on Easter Sunday.
FOOD
Tustin and Newport Beach spots offer comfort and indulgence in the brand new yr by the use of solid Italian cuisine, international bites, social wine dinners and the relocation of a neighborhood watering hole. — Anne Marie Panoringan
Joey Restaurant
When: Opening Jan. 19
Where: 453 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach
Cost: Entrees start at $21
Contact: joeyrestaurants.com
Launching its first Orange County destination, Joey Newport Beach not only brings lunch and dinner service but a duo of pleased hours to Fashion Island. The Canadian-based restaurant group will offer a worldwide menu inspired by multiple cuisines including Asian, Mexican and French due to Executive Director of Culinary (and “Top Chef Canada” winner) Matthew Stowe. Local artwork, a retractable roof plus outdoor fire pit in its nearly 2,000-square-foot patio breathe recent life into the previous Roy’s dining room.
The Parlor at Stafford Prime
When: Opening Jan. 23
Where: 15771 Red Hill Ave., Tustin
Cost: Pastas start at $12
Contact: theparlorsp.com
Stafford Prime refers to chef Jimmy Stafford and his initial enterprise into Orange County back in 2016 as a part-time personal chef. Stafford Prime transitioned from a catering and meal delivery service to exclusively meal delivery throughout the pandemic. Positioned round the corner to Rye Goods in Tustin, the Italian-focused menu will focus on a trifecta of seasonal pastas, pizzas and salads in addition to morning offerings including espresso beverages and a modest collection of pastries.
The primarily take-out space (a stretch of bar stools plus 10-seat “Mafia table” within the pasta/meat curing room are the one dining spaces available) makes incredibly efficient use of its 1,800 square feet. Expect classic Neapolitan style pizzas from The Parlor’s almond and olive wood-burning oven utilizing 48-hour fermented yeast dough. Housemade gelato will even be served.
Stowaway Tiki’s Relocation
When: Reopening spring 2023
Where: 14401 Newport Ave., Tustin
Cost: varies
Contact: stowawaytiki.com
On account of circumstances out of its control, Stowaway’s home inside The District at Tustin Legacy’s Union Market food hall was forced to shut in early November. Nonetheless the rum-fueled watering hole has washed ashore a brief jaunt away.
“We’re super pleased to let our loyal ohana know that we’re staying in Tustin,” said Leonard Chan of The Alchemists Consulting Group.
Conveniently positioned off of the 5 Freeway at Newport and McFadden Avenues (formerly Marty’s on Newport), it can be getting a little bit of a redesign from the unique location. “We hope you’re looking forward to the identical quality grub and grog as much as we’re,” Chan said.
Wine Dinners at Bello by Sandro Nardone
When: Feb. 8
Where: 1200 Bison Ave., Suite C2, Newport Beach
Cost: $125 (plus tax and gratuity)
Contact: bellobysandronardone.com
The team at Bello is preparing for a series of wine dinners in 2023. The primary one is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 8 and will likely be featuring bottles from Melville Estate. Highlights of the five-course evening include ditali pasta with wild boar and smoked then roasted duck breast paired with various forms of pinot noir. Tickets at the moment are available for this limited seating.
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