Critic’s Notebook: A closer look at the Chef’s Table at Bello

Did you miss me? You probably didn’t even notice, but in case you were wondering why I’ve been so quiet lately, it’s because I took a brief break from my weekly columns to focus on my annual guide to the 75 Best Places to Eat, which I’m happy to...

Thank you, Orange County, for (over-) feeding me again this year. I have eaten very, very well. In fact, I’ve been keeping a list. And here it is: the 20 best things I ate this year.  20. Gorgonzola pizza at Il Palco This isn’t the first Italian...

Just because you are quarantined doesn’t mean you have to subsist on beans and canned soup. You can still have pizza. Great pizza. Here are 20 of the best pizzas in Orange County that are still available right now for takeout or delivery. Stock...

2145    Al's New York Cafe    Angelina's    Bello    Brick    Centro Pizzeria    Ciao Pasta    Filomena's    Folks    Il Dolce    Il Palco    North Italia    Parallel Pizzeria    Pirozzi    Pitfire    Pizzeria Sapori    Rance's    Sal's    Terra    TJ's Woodfire Pizza   

Going out for an oversized bowl of New York-style spaghetti and meatballs and a bottle of Chianti will never grow old, but the Italian restaurant scene in Orange County has grown vastly more diverse than that in recent years. Bologna, Rome,...

Oliver's Osteria    Bello    Pizzeria Mozza    Ciao Pasta    Filomena's   

This is the fifth edition of this guide — a roadmap to Orange County’s wildly diverse dining scene. Narrowing this list to 75 recommendations gets harder each year. Yes, this list is highly personal and subjective but also painstakingly...