Today marks the end of a 45 year legacy in Orange County - Nieuport 17 serves its final meal tonight. Founded in 1969 in Santa Ana by former Navy pilot Bill Bettis, the restaurant got its legs as a themed restaurant focusing on aviation. The walls were and are decorated with what the unaware might consider as mere paraphernalia; rather, the pieces are valued artifacts. Nieuport 17 has a history of hosting the Navy's Blue Angels and the Air Force's Thunderbirds as well, many of whom are also celebrated on the walls. It was not unheard of for guests to visit the restaurant three to four times a week, and the long-serving staff played a big role in this frequency. So when the news hit that Nieuport 17 would be closing, it was as if a dear old friend had announced his imminent passing. "I've got two months to live, loves," it seemed to say, and this close of March marks its last breath. While plenty of outlets have reported on the community and business owner's points of view, we were most curious about what it meant for the staff; what is it like to be part of a restaurant's closing? Chef Jeff Moore inspired us to learn more and enlightened us on this momentous situation.

By absolute luck at being in the right place at the right time, I found myself facing a shelf of enticing product design having been drawn in by the styling. Once I read further on the placard displayed next to the row of classily-packaged chocolate bars and boxes, I realized that I was in the presence of a unique opportunity. I hadn't seen any other buzz about it and considering its exclusivity, I made an instant decision to buy a 4.2 oz box of 20 small tasting squares for a whopping $30 at ChocXO's newest outpost in Irvine. The enticing foil patterning on the sleek black and white bars and boxes is attractive but even more so is the story of how "Tres Rios" came to be. Let's just say that your only chance to try out this rarity is at ChocXO and only before the limited edition boxes sell out. 500 bars and 500 boxes are available, and we have one of those. How many more will be left when you want your taste?

Few restaurants in Orange County can boast having been a part of the community for decades, much less half a century, but Five Crowns in Corona Del Mar has proudly reached that milestone. For 50 years, the classic restaurant has seen the likes of many and left tens of thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of diners happy and feeling spoiled. It is also a favorite for celebrating special occasions but 2015 is the year for Five Crowns to celebrate its own special moment. The Lawry's family and Executive Chef Steve Kling have released an unprecedented menu along with new beverages that highlights not only popular classics but also modern soon-to-be favorites. This menu also stands apart from past ones in variety, offering nearly triple the amount of choices and even new family-style selections. In a media preview dinner, I was able to experience just how exciting this release will be for guests to come.

A friend of ours recently held a potluck dinner get-together, and the theme requested was for all the dishes to be vegetarian. Considering how we have somehow recently found ourselves cooking less and less meat (not sure how this is happening...), the request was not too far-fetched and I decided I should also try to make it vegan. Since I'm still new to it all, I looked up ideas that would be hearty and easy to make since I wouldn't have much time to prep. Luckily for me, Duc was home to prep the ingredients so all I had to do was dump things together! The recipe itself was tweaked from the one here, and everyone seemed to enjoy how it resemble traditional chili quite well without being so. However, if you really are hankering for a meaty chili, try checking out this one here: Pink Bean Chili. Oh and bear in mind that this vegetarian one still has a spicy kick to it!

Long Beach Restaurant Week starts this Sunday with more than 50 restaurants participating citywide! Called "Eat LBC," the celebratory week encourages people to dine in Long Beach and get some deals while doing so. This is the second year for Eat LBC and with three-course meals priced at $20, $30, and $40 (tax and gratuity not included), there seems to be something for everyone. New this year is also the option to opt for the "Chef's Tasting" menu which is available at the fine dining restaurants which are participating; this selection runs for $50 per person. The launch party took place March 15th at Hyatt the Pike Long Beach, giving people a week from then until Eat LBC's start date to decide which restaurants they will visit to get the special steals and deals this last part of March.

"Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo" - the iconic grammatically correct sentence to show off multiple meanings for a single word...and what you might say if you stare at Bruxie's newest menu item line-up. They have run with the buffalo sauce flavor in more than one way but don't worry; a new soda is not one of those ventures. Instead, a kickin' salad, fingerlickin' tenders, and solid sandwich are the three ways you can enjoy having buffalo at Bruxie. We've been fans of the restaurant chain ever since it was just the original Orange location and even atended  a hard hat tour of the Huntington Beach opening a few years back. They were the first on the Orange County front to bring waffle sandwiches to the area and regardless of the gimmick (that some thought it was), they make some satisfying food. We were invited one afternoon to give their newest items a try, and we left quite happy with what we hope will be truly permanent dishes on their menu!

Over the years as we have explored and gone on fooding adventures to check out different cultures and cuisines, we have fallen in love with more and more varieties of dishes. Even with all of that exposure, I still have a special place in my heart for my original love and favorite growing up - Italian food. Now, armed with more knowledge of the cuisine and having been exposed to the thrills and communities of Italy itself, I find that the dishes I had known in the past to be Italian have usually been modified for the American palate and people.

For example, the commonly seen dish called "shrimp scampi" is actually a tad redundant as scampi in Italian means "prawns." Shrimp...prawns? This dish of "shrimp scampi" is a combination of delicious shrimp, butter, and white wine - sometimes over pasta. Despite the slight inaccuracy, it has become a staple in Italian-American cuisine, and honestly, there is nothing wrong with preparing this; cultures evolve and change over time as does the food associated. Making this dish is an easy way to satisfy many and turn a regular weeknight into a delight. My recipe below omits the white wine for convenience's sake so my apologies ahead of time if you were looking for one with it!

Nearly a year ago, the folks over at the beloved Kentro Greek Kitchen in Fullerton decided to pull together and open an American-Latin restaurant to give exposure to Latin and American classics will showcasing local ingredients. El Amerikano is helmed by Chef Konstantine Marougas, who also dishes up the food at Kentro, and features the food in a modern setting. We were invited one evening to a media event to see what new dishes were being added to the menu which boasts itself as "New American cuisine with a Latin flair" and protein-centric.

Earlier last year, my mother started talking to me about some fabulous new ingredient her friend had introduced her to. Out came a bucket filled to the brim with red lentils. I immediately pointed out their name but she didn't seem to think I was right. She kept calling them something else which I can't recall anymore. Anyhow, she was apparently using them to make a sweet rice dish that is common in Vietnamese cuisine. I suppose when you cook red lentils, they turn into a mush similar to sweet mung bean paste so it made a bit of sense. I, on the other hand, wanted to turn these reddish-orange dots into a savory dish so with the help of some homegrown kale, they became dal...with kale!

I have generally fond memories of visiting Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar back in the day when I was first starting my foray into eating out (end of high school, start of college days). Prior to that, home was where the food was...for the most part. My friends and I enjoyed eating there because their appetizers were always solid and consistently good; the price point was not too bad either. Their menu also featured a variety of styles, and when you're with a group of people, it's always good to have options. Fast forward a few years from then and it looks like Lazy Dog hasn't given up on the concept of having something for everyone. The menu spans noodle dishes to flatbreads to burgers/sandwiches and so forth. It also features items that have been guest favorites for years and has managed to keep up the consistency. Recently, the restaurant group added a Nutritious & Delicious section to their menus, and we were invited in to give it a try. Not only that but with the Girl Scout cookies season happening, we also grabbed ourselves a limited-time-only Thin Mint Shake available until March 25th!