Hugo First: Prosecco, mint, elderflower, lime, and soda. It tastes like a lime-flavored fun dip! Photograph by Greg Nagel When you’re a dad, if there’s ever a chance to lay down a solid dad joke, you must, even though deep down you know nobody will laugh. “What can I get you?” asks the OEB Breakfast Co waitress on their breezy Newport Beach patio. After my wife’s drink order, I say, “Hugo First,” naming the drink I want. “No, I already ordered,” she says, shaking her head. The waitress smiles and says, “Great, I’ll have those right out.” Perplexed, my wife grabs the menu, “OH, Hugo First is a ..read more

Collage Culinary Experience, the global dining collective at Bloomingdale’s South Coast Plaza, has a captivating new calling card in artisan bar Blossoms & Brass. Concept and design are by owner Kenneth Ussenko, whose previous projects have included luxury resorts in Belize and the restaurant Rum Social in Laguna Beach. His inspiration here? The “wonder and whimsy,” Ussenko says, of discovering a memorable watering hole or eatery in the hidden alleys of Osaka or cobblestone streets of Milan. Blossoms & Brass feels like both. Decor presents European splendor and splashes of Asian glamou ..read more

Villains Brewing opens Friday! Photograph by Greg Nagel Anaheim is known for many things: enchanting princesses, spirited rally monkeys, and even hockey puck-bruised Ducks. But this coming Saturday, June 9, the city is set to be taken over by Villains, and there’s nothing we can do to stop them. What once was Modern Times Leisuretown…you know, that brewery that opened with all plant-based food and a pool, is now Villains Brewing Company, complete with a four-concept food hall of its own, a historic craftsman home set to become a late-night cocktail magic kingdom, and of course, and plenty of r ..read more

All beer festivals should be in June, when the blacktop doesn’t melt your sneaker soles, and any beer you happen to consume doesn’t evaporate instantly from your sweat glands. June beer fests are all about bringing a beach chair, chilling out at a comfy spot, and sampling beers with a thousand of your closest friends. Here are the best ones to enjoy this month: Garage Project Brewing out of New Zealand always has a sizable line at FWIBF. Photography by Greg Nagel Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival (aka FWIBF) is ubiquitously known amongst beer lovers as the best beer festival in the w ..read more

The only time my ears perk up for a national food day is when it revolves around drinks. And when that drink happens to be a favorite, it’s usually celebrated wholeheartedly. This Wednesday, February 22, is National Margarita Day, and there’s no better way to take in the day than a proper crawl through Orange County’s margarita epicenter: Downtown Santa Ana. Here are five variations on the classic tequila, triple sec, and lime cocktail that are totally worth a short jaunt down DTSA’s Fourth Street. That New-New: Club 616 Club 616 just opened on the far east end of Fourth Street with the most g ..read more

As the days get longer and spring is just around the corner, it’s finally time to get back out in the gorgeous weather and do some beer tasting! Here are five events to add to your calendar: Feb 10-12: Miches for a cause at Alta Baja Market, where 100% of the proceeds from their dozen+ eclectic michelada menu will go towards Turkey & Syria earthquake relief. If you’re headed in for brunch, try the El Carnicero, which is topped with breakfast botanas (toast with a fried egg, avocado, and bacon).  201-200 E 4th St, Santa Ana altabajamarket.com El Carnicero michelada at Alta Baja Market ..read more

Photograph Courtesy of Beachwood Pizza & Beer I’ll never forget my first time attending the award ceremony at Denver’s Great American Beer Festival, a short decade ago. One local brewery, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, seemed stuck in a revolving door to the stage. After getting called up for five medals, it was no surprise to hear the spot won the best midsize brewpub in America. Nothing is more remarkable than seeing your local watering hole get well-deserved recognition on the national level.  How to get your beer in every pizza place in town, a collaboration brew with nearby riip be ..read more

Flippin’ out over the two yolks in this photo, one topping Sisig, and the other in the flip cocktail. Photograph by Greg Nagel Driving is always a bit more stressful when the car’s windshield wipers are wagging faster than your dog’s tail when you get home from vacation. It’s pouring outside, and I’m white-knuckling it as the sky above the 241 toll road to Rancho Santa Margarita is dumping rain like there are a thousand super soakers aimed directly at my head. “Thanks for the free carwash!” I yell on the way to grab dinner.  I’ve been waiting to check out The Blind Pig’s latest winter men ..read more

Sitting at the bar, gently swirling a glass of Stagedive Pinot Noir on a chilly Irvine night, I think, “When’s the last time something from Arizona opened in Orange County?” Postino WineCafé, whose first location is in Phoenix, opened its first location in California on Monday and isn’t stopping there. The restaurant group seems to be popping up new spots all across the country with approachable, non-snobby food, beer, and wine.  The cozy wine corner at Postino. Photograph by Greg Nagel “Our by-the-glass menu typically features around 30 wines sourced from boutique makers,” says cofounder ..read more

Where Texas bourbon is made. Photograph by Greg Nagel Dust flies out the back of our Jeep trailer as we bounce up a curvy dirt trail with nothing but trees, sky, and a few statuesque cows watching us zoom by. Maybe it’s the mixture of jetlag and sipping a bourbon highball at 9 a.m. Texas time, but the whole moment feels like I’m in the Clint Eastwood western “High Plains Drifter,” on in this case, Hye plains drifter. I’m in central Texas hill country in a small town called Hye, population 609. Garrison Brothers Distillery owns this sprawling 60-something-acre lot and operates the fir ..read more