Review: Bello in Newport Beach pushes a new narrative on Italian food

Where do so many of us turn for comfort in a time of endless uncertainty? Spaghetti, tomato sauce, molten cheese over crackling pizza crust or fried in bread crumbs, curling cups of pepperoni, grilled vegetables, lemony chicken, tiramisu. Italian...

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...

A catchy Italian pop song by Lucio Dalla cuts through the stillness at lunchtime at Oliver’s Osteria in Laguna Beach. The dining room is otherwise quiet, leaving me alone to contemplate the elegance of my cacio e pepe. It is the most stunning...

It’s Sunday evening at Mezzaluna, and the regulars have already assembled around the restaurant’s L-shaped bar. A confident, attractively dressed Corona del Mar crowd sips moscato and grappa while nibbling on some of Orange County’s most authentic...

Last week I published my annual dining guide to Orange County, the 75 Best Places to Eat. The restaurants were ranked again for the first time since 2019, and for the first time ever this year’s guide also included star ratings. At No. 7 (with 3...