Visit a Sonic Drive-In - Things to Do in Orange County 68

There is finally a Sonic Drive-In in Orange County. The Santa Ana one is a pretty convenient location since it is close to South Coast Plaza and Orange Coast College.

Anyway, visiting a Sonic Drive-In is pretty cool if it's your first time.

You drive-in to a little parking spot that is all yours, and order off of a "drive-thru-like" device. You can take all the time in the world since the order taker doesn't talk to you until you push the "ready to order" button. Of course, you can go to their website and check out their menu before you go, since what you see on the website is exactly what you'll see when you order.

http://www.sonicdrivein.com/home.jsp#/menu

Sonic Drive-In has a cool atmosphere since you order from your car, wait in your car for the food to arrive, and eat in your car. I guess we experience all this anyway at a normal drive thru, but the only difference is that you are parked and the engine is off. I guess that's what makes it feel different and a little special.

The food here is pretty good. Sort of a good fast food quality food. I would say it's comparable to a Wendy's or a Carl's Jr. We got the Super Sonic Cheeseburger and the Bacon Cheeseburger Toaster with a side of Chili Cheese Tots. Good stuff.

After we paid with a credit card, a cute girl in roller skates brought us our food in about 5 minutes.

What really impressed me at Sonic Drive-In was their drinks. They have awesome drinks! We got the famous Cherry Limeade and the Coke Blended Float. I have to say, I was a bartender in the past, and I'm pretty picky about my drinks; but these drinks were awesome. Especially the blended float. I'm sure it's just a coke float blended, but it was perfectly smooth, easy to drink, and extremely tasty.

Now, I really want to go and check out their shakes and malts as well since those must be awesome too.

Anyway, this seems like a pretty cool date spot that won't cost you a fortune. They're open late too - 12AM. I also want to try going on a rainy day since I like to hang out inside my car on a rainy day. It must be good drinking a shake and eating a burger in the rain in your car.

Since Sonic is a pretty new thing in OC, it's definitely worth a try!

Sonic Drive-In

3541 S Fairview St

Santa Ana, CA 92704

http://www.sonicdrivein.com

Orange County Performing Arts Center Segerstorm Concert Hall - Things to Do in Orange County 62

So its been a while. I've been a bit busy taking care of things, so I neglected this blog for a while... Sorry for any of my readers who were actually waiting for my blog post.

The other day, I got to go visit OC Performing Arts Center. There are numerous concert halls there, and we got to visit the Renee and Henry Segerstorm Concert Hall. It was my first time there. The concert hall is relatively new; opened its doors in 2006.

We got a good deal on tickets off of Travelzoo to go watch the Tchaikovsky Spectacular concert.

I have to say, the concert hall was absolutely beautiful. The architectural details were very nice, and I'm sure acoustically, it is good as well. We got one of those seats behind the orchestra since I always wondered what it felt like to sit behind the orchestra. To my surprise, it was one of the best experiences I had at a classical concert.

Since you sit right behind the orchestra, you sort of have a front row seat to them. You get to sit above them, so you can check out everything they are doing, up to the music they are playing off of. Another cool thing is that you get to see the conductor up close and personal, and get to see how he moves with the orchestra. A three hour performance, and the conductor was sweating at the end. I'm sure it's a lot of work physically to conduct. Good cardio. No wonder the conductor is fit.

Now, I'm no classical snob so I enjoyed every moment of it. It was a very fun night.

Lastly, though I didn't take any pictures, the cafe inside the concert hall looked very trendy. Cafe Rouge is the name of it. You can have dinner and drinks before or after the concert. A great way to enjoy a sophisticated night in Orange County.

Hope you get to visit soon!

Marche Moderne - Things to Do in Orange County 55

This is a place that I found through Housewives of Orange County. I think on the show, Gretchen went out with Lynn to dine at this place.

Well, talk about a good French cuisine for a reasonable price. I went here for lunch, and they have a three course prix-fixe menu for around $20-25 per person, and you get a choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert.

Not bad if you ask me.

Here are some nice looking plates that I had while I was here.



Another entree that my friend had.



And best of all, the dessert.



The place was pretty much packed when I went. Reservations are recommended, and try to ask for the patio seats. That way, you get the most of what you pay for here.

And as a last word of caution, this place was a bit hard to find because its on the third floor at South Coast Plaza. I mean who's really been up there when you visit South Coast.

Anyway, worth a try. Check it out.

Marche Moderne
3333 Bristol St
Ste 3001
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 434-7900

Mon-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Santa Monica Seafood - Things to Do in Orange County 42

Santa Monica Seafood

Santa Monica Seafood is one of the best seafood joints in Orange County. It is located on the trendy 17th Street in Costa Mesa.

They are famous for carrying "sashimi-quality" seafood at the store. You'll practically find almost any kind of fish or crustation that you are looking for at the Santa Monica Seafood. Each fillet of fish is nice and cleaned so that you can go home and cook it right away.


Compared to your local Ralph's or Albertson's the prices may be a little higher. Its probably because they carry the freshest seafood around in Orange County.

When we've visited, there were customer after customer coming in to buy their sashimi-quality fish. I think it's also good for the health conscious customers around town.

Aside from the fresh seafood, Santa Monica Seafood also has within it, a nice little cafe. Since I love Clam Chowder, I had to get a cup here ($2.95). And of course, once I order, I need to get just a little more, so I decided to get the Fisherman's Platter ($8.95) and the Grilled Fish Sandwich ($8.95).

Since this year, Santa Monica Seafood is included in the Orange County version of the Entertainment Book, we got all this food for under $15.

The clam chowder that I got was the New England style, but they also offer the Manhattan style here as well. I heard from a friend of mine that the Fish Soup is also very good.

Anyway, my clam chowder was filled with flavor, and just loved the fresh clams in it. Since it is getting a bit chilly these days, a nice hot cup of clam chowder is a big treat to warm me up. The cup that the chowder was served in was also very cute.


The Fisherman's Platter was a combination of Fish & Chips with some Fried Shrimps. Add a little Cole Slaw and tartar sauce, you're in fish heaven. I loved how it was nice and crispy.

The Grilled Fish Sandwich is cool because you can pick your own fish for it. I decided to go with the Halibut since it was the most expensive on the menu if ordered it in itself. (Grilled Fish Sandwich is the same price regardless of what type of fish you choose.) The Halibut is a white fish and had a nice fresh flavor to it. Next time I go, I may want to try the salmon or the tuna.


Well, if you're ever craving for fresh seafood in Orange County, Santa Monica Seafood is definitely the place to visit!










Santa Monica Seafood
154 E. 17th St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(949)574-2685
Mon-Sat 9AM - 7PM
Sun 10AM -7PM
http://smseafood.com/

Star Vu Drive-In - Things to Do in Orange County 37

Movies in your Car! Enjoy the Drive-In Theater at the OC Fair & Event Center!

At the OC Fair & Event Center, you can snuggle in your car and watch a move at a Drive-In theater. The seats (or parking spaces) are first-come-first-serve basis, so if you want a good seat in the front, be sure to get to the Drive-In early. You’ll need to wait in line in your car by the gate until the people there let you in. Once you get the ok to go in, you’ll move forward to the ticket sales area then to the parking space. Just follow orders, and you should be good to go. For those of you who drive around in a big trucks or SUV, depending on the number of audience, you may need to park in the back so the others can see.

Once you are in the Drive-In, you can park forward or backward. Whichever way you prefer is okay with the Drive-In. If you have a car with a hatch back or a pickup truck, you may want to consider parking backward to watch the move from the back of the car. That’s exactly what we did, and we relaxed in the back part of the car, made ourselves a little bed, and enjoyed the movie. Others who had a truck had a mattress in the back to watch it from there. Whatever you decide to do, watching a movie from your car has a special feeling, and it’s really fun!

You’ll need to use your FM Radio in the car for the movie. They use a radio frequency to broadcast the movie here. I was worried about the battery because you need to shut off your engine, but everything was fine when the movie ended. If you’re worried about your batteries of your car, you may want to bring a portable radio so that you can listen to the movie there.

They say you aren’t allowed to bring any food or drinks into the Drive-In, but they rarely check for it. We brought our own snacks and drinks that we got from Walgreens before the movie. I love watching movies with my Raisinets! Of course you can buy hot dogs, popcorn, and drinks at the Drive-In, if you aren’t a cheapskate like me. :)

This is a once in a lifetime kind of experience, and you need to go check it out with your family, friends, or loved ones. It sure is a lot of fun!

*Update: It looks like Star Vu is closed for a few months. Come back and check out the website in a few weeks to see its status!

Star Vu Drive-In
http://www.star-vu.com/

88 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Adult: $8.50
Children: $5
Children 5 and Under: Free

Open: Wednesday – Sunday Nights

The CAMP - Things to Do in Orange County 30

Yoga, Vegan, & Zen: Health Conscious and Trendy – The CAMP

Right across from The LAB in Orange County is a trendy, health conscious shopping mall, The CAMP.

You know this place is all about health, fitness, and eco-friendliness when you first park your car. There is a health related quote on each of the parking spots at The CAMP. Makes you think about your own health and fitness when you read each one.

All of the stores at The CAMP are health or fitness conscious, with an emphasis on active lifestyle. It includes stores like:

・Patagonia
・Native Foods
・Old Vine Café
・Cycle Works
・Liburdi's Scuba
・Bikram Yoga

The architecture here is very unique, and it looks like it was designed after a desert oasis. There are benches throughout the mall to sit and listen to the frogs. It does make you feel as though you stepped into nature when you come here.

Some of my favorite stores here are Patagonia and the Old Vine Café. There is also a bicycle shop, a sporting goods store, and other trendy clothing stores. And if you are a vegan or want to try vegan food Native Foods is a good place to go.

The Bikram Yoga studio here at The CAMP is a special kind of yoga that’s difficult to experience elsewhere. It’s also called “hot yoga” and they perform yoga in a room that is 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 40%. This yoga has been made popular by movie stars who claim to practice it.

Other than yoga, you can even take scuba diving classes here as well!

There are quite a lot of things to do and places to eat at The CAMP. If you are a health conscious individual or want to experience something hip and trendy in OC, this is definitely a place you should visit! Located right next to The LAB in Costa Mesa, CA!

The CAMP
2937 Bristol Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 444-4267
http://www.thecampsite.com/

Orange County Fair - Things to Do in Orange County 29

Summer Fun OC Style – Orange County Fair

One of the big summer events in Orange County is our Orange County Fair. Children and adults can equally enjoys this big summer festival each year. The Orange County Fair is held at the OC Fairgrounds from July to early August.

One of the first things you see as you enter the OC Fair is the barn. You’ll find all sorts of barn animals living there. You can find anything from horses, cows, to goats. One of the big hit each year are the piglets at the barn. There is always the mommy pig with her 5-8 piglets running around. It is one of the cutest things you can see at the fair. Pigs are a huge star at the OC Fair, and there is even a pig race where people cheer on for the fastest pig of them all.

When you get to the OC Fair, one thing you can’t miss is the food. You’ll find rows and rows of awesome “Fair food” at the event. It’s always so difficult to figure out what you will have at the fair. They all look too good. There are the traditional, funnel cakes, turkey leg, and barbeque ribs there. There are of course the crazy foods like the deep fried Oreo or the Twinkie. One of those things where you got to try it at least once in your life… My personal favorite is the battered potato at the fair. Pair that with a big glass of beer, and we are talking about a party!

Favorite thing for kids to do at the fair are the rides. And you’d be surprised to see the number of rides available at the fair. To get on, you will need to purchase the tokens at the booth first. You’ll exchange the tokens with the attendant on the ride to get on. You can find some scary roller coaster rides to a Ferris wheel at the fair. I always like to get on the Ferris wheel because the view is amazing up there, especially at night.

Orange County Fair is definitely the hottest summer event in Orange County! Combine all the activities at the fair with a concert by top notch performers every night, it sure is an awesome event to go to. Don’t miss the OC Fair this year at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa!


Orange County Fair

OC Fair & Event Center
88 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
http://www.ocfair.com/ocf/Calendar/TheFair.asp

Admission: ADULT (13-59) $9,
SENIOR (60+) $7,
YOUTH (6-12) $5,
CHILDREN (5 & UNDER) FREE

Hours：Tuesday - Friday: Noon - Midnight
Saturday - Sunday: 10 a.m. - midnight

Parking: $5 per car

Hi-Time Wine Cellars - Things to Do in Orange County 18

Never Seen So Many Wine Bottles in One Place! A Huge Wine Cellar in Orange County – Hi-Time

If you like to drink, and drink especially wine, I’ve found an awesome store in Orange County that you cannot afford to miss. This store offers a one-of-a-kind experience. Once you enter the store, you’ll walk down the stairs, and into their huge walk-in wine cellar. There, you will be delighted to see thousands and thousands, and rows and rows of wines from all over the world!!

I have never seen this many bottles of wine at a single place.

Inside the wine cellar, wines are organized by region and types. Prices ranged from $7 a bottle to over $500 a bottle! Even if you are a wine enthusiast, you will likely find the wine you love here at Hi-Time.

I am not very knowledgeable about wine, so I picked up a few bottles of staff picks. They were reasonably priced and many of them were French wines. All of them were very good, I must also add.

In addition to wine, there is also a huge beer section. There’s another big walk-in refrigerator in the beer section where you can choose from a huge variety of beer as well. I personally enjoyed this section very much!

Basically at Hi-Time, you can find anything from all kinds of hard liquor and liqueur, cheeses, chocolates, and glassware. You can also walk into a huge humidor where you can pick out some of your most favorite cigars or pipe tobacco as well. It’s a great place to buy a gift for anybody, including yourself!

Hi-Time also has a wine tasting area to sample some of the store favorites at the time. If you love wine, this is definitely a place you must visit. And be sure to let me know if you find any great wines here!

Hi-Time, OC’s largest liquor store!

Hi-Time Wine Cellars
250 Ogle Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
http://www.hitimewine.net/

Store Hours: Sunday 10am -7pm
Mon-Wed 9am-8pm
Thurs-Sat 9am-9pm

The LAB - Things to Do in Orange County 12

Enjoy a Hip OC Afternoon at the Anti-Mall – The LAB

The LAB is Orange County’s one of most hip places with its trendy restaurants and retail stores. When it first opened, Urban Outfitters was one of its anchor tenants that brought in hip people around town to the Anti-Mall.

The LAB has expanded since then and now it has even more hip shops and restaurants than in the past.
The LAB has record stores, clothing boutique, beauty salons, and several restaurants. Some of the shops are a bit too hip for me, so I’ve never actually been able to go inside… But the restaurants and cafes there are casual enough so I’ve eaten there several times.

The Gypsy Den next to the Urban Outfitters is a very casual coffee shop with great little sandwiches. The Gypsy Den has an interesting interior decoration and a gallery. The café can be casually romantic, so it’s a good little spot for a casual date. The coffee and desserts are excellent there.

In addition to the Gypsy Den, The LAB also has a Cuban Food Restaurant called Habana. This restaurant is extremely romantic with live Flamenco players on selected nights. There is also a trendy sushi restaurant called ZIPANGU. You can enjoy great sushi here while enjoying the very contemporary décor.

So if you’re feeling hip or want to impress somebody in OC, this is definitely a place to check out for you!

The LAB
2930 Bristol Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Ph: 714-966-6660
http://www.thelab.com/

South Coast Plaza - Things to Do in Orange County 7

The Ultimate Shopping Resort – South Coast Plaza

With over 300 retail shops, South Coast Plaza is the largest shopping mall in Orange County. High end luxury brand, department stores, kitchen supplies, bookstore, etc…. They are all here at the South Coast Plaza. With annual sales of over $1 billion and growing each year, this is the premier shopping center in Orange County.

Whenever I need to buy anything, the first place I go to look is at the South Coast Plaza. And whenever I am bored, the best place to window shop is at South Coast Plaza. With its numerous shops and restaurants, it’s very entertaining to come and visit the mall at anytime.

At South Coast Plaza, you’ll find luxury brands like Gucci, Fendi, Tiffany, Burberry, Chanel, and a lot more. You’ll also find your casual apparel companies like the GAP, Banana Republic, American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, and GUESS. There are just too many stores to list here, so I recommend you go and visit their site for the latest store information.

My personal favorites are Zara, Bath & Body Works, Sephora, and American Eagle, so I visit them every time I go to South Coast Plaza. The recent move of H&M to the West Coast can be experienced here as they have built a huge store inside the mall.

There are three different malls at the South Coast Plaza so it’s a lot of work to try and see everything all at once. Other than the main shopping area, they have the Crystal Court and the Metro Pointe with different kinds of shopping experiences. The Bridge of Gardens connects the main shopping area with Crystal Court. It’s a very romantic setting at night or during Christmas where they light up the bridge with lights and decoration.

Be sure to visit South Coast Plaza to satisfy all of your shopping needs in Orange County!

South Coast Plaza
3333 Bristol St.,
Costa Mesa CA 92626
http://www.southcoastplaza.com/
Monday-Friday: 10AM-9PM
Saturday: 10AM-8PM
Sunday: 10AM-6:30PM

Swap Meet at Orange Coast College - Things to Do in Orange County 3

The OCC Swap Meet - Latino Power!

In Orange County, you tend to see a lot of community colleges use its parking lot to conduct swap meet during the weekend. Here we are reporting on the swap meet at Orange Coast College today!

This swap meet is a very close neighbor to the Orange County Market Place. Its being conducted in a very close proximity, but you'll be surprised to see the differences between the two!

This swap meet is free to get in with plenty of free parking. Once you're in, you may be surprised by the number of Latino people coming to this swap meet. Latino power to its fullest here! You'd be surprised to see any Asians or Caucasian people here!

You'll be greeted by all of the Latino vendors here with their great attitudes. At this swap meet you can find a variety of goods, ranging from TV, toys, shoes, bags, watches, produce, CDs, snacks, and everything else in between. You can find everything here, new or used!

I personally love to get the authentic Mexican food when I go to this swap meet. Taco Bell? No way, you'll get the real stuff here! Last time we were here, we got some fish & scallop tacos, ceviche like thing, and a horchata. For good reason, the ceviches are very popular here, so be sure you grab one for yourself to try. Its super hot, but you can enjoy the nice fresh seafood in it.

The tacos are authentic, and they are like the ones you find in Mexico. Get some horchata to go with your food, and you are set. To finish off, you can get a churro for a buck. What a deal!

Be sure to check it out this swap meet on your next free weekend!

Orange Coast College Swap Meet

Orange Coast College (Adams Avenue, Parking Lot)

Saturday & Sunday 8 AM to 3 PM

http://www.orangecoastcollege.edu/about_occ/communityprog/swap_meet.htm

The Orange County Marketplace - Things to Do in Orange County 2

Want to Have Fun this Weekend? Go to The Orange County Marketplace!

Wondering what to do this weekend?

For those of you without any plans, I would like to recommend you to the Orange County Marketplace! This is an amazing place where you'll be able to find anything from a pair of shades, some vegetables, or even your next car. With hundreds of vendors, you'll be sure to find something you want here.

The adult admission here is $2, and children under 12 are free to get in. If your admission ticket ends in "00," well, you're in for some luck. You've just won yourself a free hotdog at the food stands. I've been going to the OC Market Place for many, many years, and have won the hot dog....... once!!

The Market Place is HUGE, and you'll need a good 2 hours to just walk through it all. If you spend some time shopping, you'll need to budget your whole morning or afternoon browsing this place.

One of my really close friend has worked at the OC Market Place for over 10 years selling surf clothes. You can find anything from clothes, shoes, accessory, furniture, crafts, to cars here. You'll also find fresh produce and bread here as well.

Personally, I love to shop for my veggies here because they are such a good deal. And fresh too! I've also purchased shoes, shirts, and socks here at the marketplace. You can shop around to find your bargain as well.


There's also another swap meet right across the street going on every Saturday and Sunday at Orange Coast College. If you have enough energy, I dare you to go and check that one out after you finished with the Marketplace. :)



Orange County Market Place
88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa - Orange County Fairgrounds
Open Saturday & Sunday: 7AM-4PM
http://www.ocmarketplace.com/