ESPN Hates LA Basketball

(Originally posted on LAist on June 26)



No, not really ESPN. Just one guy, John Hollinger. And not all LA basketball, just the local college guys awaiting their fate in Thursday’s NBA draft. (In fact, given the deluge of Kobe stories that the Leader has been trumpeting, you would probably argue that ESPN’s love for the Lakers is only surpassed by its obscene coverage of Yankees-Red Sox).

Hollinger, ESPN’s resident stats guru, published an article today (currently Insider free preview) with a rankings methodology for college players entering the draft. His formula uses such their statistics from last season, adjusted for factors like strength of competition, age, and height. Interestingly enough, the most important stats by his calculation are steals, blocks, rebounds, 3-pointers, and a variant of the assist-to-turnover ratio, which attempt to provide some objective measure of athleticism, activity, and ability.

His results? Seemingly pretty accurate as it pertains to the last five years. But not so pretty if you support our local college heroes. He has USC’s Nick Young and Gabe Pruitt, as well as UCLA’s Arron Afflalo, all out of his top 30, the number of picks in the first round (where the guaranteed money is). In fact, the last section of his article is titled “The two USC guys look like total busts.”

There have been players to make the NBA with scores lower than those of Gabe Pruitt and Nick Young, and a couple of them even turned out to be halfway decent. But many more of the players who scored that low had disappointing pro careers, so clearly this is not the way to bet.

Truth be told, Pruitt and Young both have major red flags to overcome. Pruitt's rebound rate of 4.9 is shockingly bad for a 6-4 guard alleged to have above-par athleticism, and he just didn't do much of anything else to set himself apart from the countless other guards trying to play their way into the league.

Young is an even deeper mystery. If this guy's such a good athlete, how'd he have only 27 steals and 10 blocks this past season? As I mentioned above, his pure point ratio is hold-your-nose awful for a guard, his rebound rate is only OK, and it's not like he put up these numbers against stellar competition. Why exactly are we supposed to be excited about this guy?

Actually, this formula doesn't seem to be kind to players from L.A. Arron Afflalo rated even worse than the two Trojans; Afflalo, Nevada guard Ramon Sessions, and Florida guard Taurean Green are fringe first-rounders who are best to be avoided.

Although Hollinger’s conclusions may be foreboding to the long-term success of Young, Pruitt, and Afflalo in the NBA, draft projections suggest that they are held in much higher regard by NBA GMs. Young is expected to be a mid-first round pick, perhaps on the fringe of the lottery, while Pruitt and Afflalo are considered borderline first-rounders. The three stud perimeter players, along with Cal St. Fullerton point guard Bobby Brown, comprise the strongest collection of local prospective draft picks since 1995, when UCLA’s championship squad had two first-rounders (#9 Ed O’Bannon and #22 George Zidek) and a second-rounder (#47 Tyus Edney).

Young is thought to have the highest upside, with a long 6’6” frame, terrific mid-range game, and ability to create his own shot. While Hollinger’s stats seem to indicate his athleticism is overrated, tell that to the top defenders he repeatedly schooled as the go-to guy for the Trojans’ Sweet 16 team last year. He has the goods to be a solid slasher and scorer at the next level. Pruitt made a solid return to the court after sitting out with academic ineligibility during the first part of the season, unselfishly switching from his more natural position at shooting guard to point guard to fulfill a huge hole in USC’s roster. He is a solid defensive player, a good decision maker, in short a glue guy that has the potential to be an effective combo guard if put in the right position.

Afflalo is one of the most decorated Bruins in the post-Wooden era, a first-team All-American and undisputed leader of two consecutive Final Four teams. He’s been panned for a lack of athleticism as compared to the players he’ll face at the next level, but ask anyone who watched UCLA last season and they’ll tell you he was their fiercest competitor, always wanted to defend the opponent’s top offensive perimeter player, and always wanted the ball down the stretch. Like Pruitt, he’ll be a great asset to a contending team that needs a role player to play within a system; over time he could easily evolve into a slightly smaller version of the Spurs’ Bruce Bowen with a better offensive game.

Ever since Michael Lewis’ Moneyball was published, the use of complex statistical analysis to evaluate has become an accepted, mainstream technique, though not as much in basketball. While traditionalists scoff at the notion that computers can spit out conclusions that fly in the face of what the naked eye sees, there can be little argument that statistics add value to the process based on the results of its practitioners. However, in isolation, solely relying on statistics while throwing out common sense can be just as dangerous an exercise. Here’s hoping that the intangible qualities of leadership, clutch play, and heart which can’t necessarily be measured by a stat sheet prove that Hollinger is off-base, at least when it comes to the boys from Galen and Pauley.

What’s Cookin’ Behind the Curtain – A New Twist on a Familiar Friend

(Originally posted on LAist on June 22)



I’ve always been a huge breakfast fan. Favorite meal of the day. Breakfast for dinner? Tight. Eggs, potatoes, pancakes, sausage, it doesn’t matter, it’s all tasty.

However, when I think about breakfast restaurants, the places that come to mind are typically diners, bakeries, or coffee shops. More Waffle House (why there are no Waffle Houses in California is a whole separate post) than Wolfgang Puck. Rarely are the terms “breakfast” and “haute cuisine” associated with each other. But this week’s restaurant seeks to blend those concepts together.

Break of Dawn Restaurant in Laguna Hills takes traditional American favorites and adds a European/Vietnamese influence to create a high-end eating experience from comfort foods. Chef Dee Nguyen leverages his prior background as the executive sous chef at the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel to infuse fine dining principles to a more typically casual meal, challenging the convention that all culinary creativity can only be found at dinner.

Interestingly enough, Nguyen opened Break of Dawn last year primarily because he wanted to spend more time with his family. As such, the restaurant is only open from 7 am to 3 pm on Tuesday through Sunday, which enables the chef to look after his disabled son. While the restaurant’s hidden location in the back of a shopping center tends to attract far more senior citizens from nearby Laguna Woods than destination eaters, it provides an ideal spot for Nguyen to achieve the work-life balance he craves, given that his house is less than ten minutes away.

But that wasn’t the only reason the chef left the comfortable confines of the Ritz: he wanted to be back on the line creating great meals for people. And we are the beneficiaries. Dee’s menu is a mixture of standard breakfast fare, sweet specialties, unique savory brunch dishes, and even traditional Vietnamese beef noodle soup (pho) and sandwiches (banh mi). Unlike your run-of-the-mill brunch spot, premium ingredients are used to inject a little life into ordinary dishes. Coconut-pineapple muffins. Oatmeal brulee. Goat cheese omelettes. Chilaquiles rancheros with a chipotle pepper sauce and fresh guacamole.

During my last visit, I went sweet and got the crème brulee French toast. One of the most popular dishes, the dish should almost be classified as dessert – what better way to start the day than crème brulee! The custard base was a creamy Kahlua-coconut concoction, kinda similar to the filling of a Beard Papa cream puff, and certainly beats the maple syrup that I would normally drown French toast in. The bread was a raisin and cinnamon brioche, moist and not overly sweet (the crème brulee takes care of that part). Another house favorite is the homemade sticky bun, served with coffee syrup and pecan glaze.

On the savory side, the recommended dish is the barbeque pork, served with jalapeno corn bake, Vietnamese slaw, and tempura poached eggs. The pork is served Southern barbeque style, shredded, but seasoned with five spice to give it a distinct Asian flavor. However, my personal favorite part of the dish is the tempura egg. Not only does the runniness of the egg help coat the pork, but the light flakiness of the tempura batter complements the tenderness of the meat. And really, when is tempura not good? Chef Nguyen also professes his love for the smoked salmon and egg, served with a lemon-caper emulsion, oatmeal galette, and tomato. (He likes to pair meats with poached eggs to add heartiness to the meal) Other interesting combinations include corned beef with sweet potato hash, biscuits and gravy with ginger meat loaf and a cheddar biscuit, and a butternut squash bisque with crab rolls.

Break of Dawn also weaves these contrasting themes throughout its design and layout. While the dishes are plated elegantly as they would be at a classy European restaurant, the restaurant is filled with greenery and dark wooden furniture reminiscent of Vietnam. The walls are adorned with elegant framed calligraphic prints containing philosophical thoughts about food (“Cannot think, love, or sleep well unless one has dined well”), but the kitchen is open so you can casually sit at the counter and talk with Dee while he is caramelizing the custard or prepping an omelette. It’s part of the whole vibe, making sophistication accessible to the masses, and he makes you feel like you’re a guest in his house rather than receiving some stuffy white-glove service. The other nice thing is that you won’t have to break the bank to sample these inventive creations; almost all of the dishes fall between five and ten bucks, and many of them can be ordered as a side dish as sort of a build your own sampler platter.

Typically I don’t think breakfast warrants going out of your way for (and Break of Dawn is certainly out of the way for most patrons that would be reading this blog), even if it is my favorite meal of the day, but Break of Dawn is such an atypical brunch concept that it deserves special treatment. That and it’s some damn good eats. We all love The Pantry. But it’s nice to go gourmet every so often as well.

Break of Dawn Restaurant
24351 Avenida de la Carlota #N6
Laguna Hills, CA 92653

Where Have You Gone Ced Ceballos?

(Originally posted on LAist on June 21)

It’s not even worth bringing up his name anymore. The story got old about two seconds after hit the air the first time, and about four weeks before all of this ridiculous war of words, MySpace baiting, YouTube disparaging business became headline news. Trade him. Don’t trade him. Whatever.

All I know is that I miss the old Lakers.

I’m not talking about the Showtime Lakers of the 80s (though those were some of the most spectacular teams of all-time) or even the Big Aristotle-centric Lakers that dominated just a few years ago. I’m talking about the post-Magic (I’ll pretend like his “comeback” didn’t actually happen), pre-Shaq Lakers. The Ced Ceballos leaner in the lane Lakers. The George Lynch dive after loose balls Lakers. The Eddie Jones blow-by for a throwdown Lakers. The Vlade flop when it was still cool Lakers.

I miss cheering for likable players that had some game. I miss following a team that was enjoyable to watch on the court together, rather than a disjointed one-man gang and his lackeys. I miss watching a young team full of promise, though still flawed and vulnerable, hungry to prove themselves rather than coming in with a sense of entitlement. I miss having a front office not satisfied with mediocrity but actively putting together a roster to achieve success in the short-term and the long-term instead of expecting fans to patiently wait for “a few years” to get the ship turned around.

Not that those teams weren’t without faults. You had talented but mercurial Nick Van Exel taking a swing at ref Ron Garretson and going at it with coach Del Harris. There was also the frustrating Elden Campbell, at times an unstoppable force in the low post, but possessing the focus of a St. Bernard puppy chasing its tail. And they lacked some of the personality and charisma of other Laker teams that we hold dear to our hearts. But with those mid 90s teams, you could focus on solely basketball, rather than the drama surrounding the team, even if the basketball was only good enough for 45-50 wins and an early playoff exit. They were teams worth supporting. For those of us that love the sport as much as we love the Lakers, rooting for this current Lakers team is becoming about as fun as going to the dentist.

Sure, we’re occasionally treated to the amazing 81-point games, insane game-winning shots, and flashes of the most devastating offensive set in modern basketball history. More often, we have to suffer through absurd 12 for 40 nights, guys who play defense with the enthusiasm of a 7-Eleven clerk working the graveyard shift, and role players that wet their pants in big moments or are too lousy to put themselves in a position to be too scared to screw up. We have to watch a front office putz around without any discernible plan (unless wasting draft picks on chumps, throwing money after washed-up free agents, and making lousy trades can be considered a plan). And maybe worst of all, we have to put up with these celebrity personalities (players, coach, and owners) who seem to think that their ego and Q rating should supercede the good of the team and franchise.

Without question, LA thrives on celebrity, and the Lakers have always been about stars, from Elgin to Jerry to Wilt to Kareem to Magic to Riles to Shaq to P-Jax to that guy. And it’s the star power, both on the court and in the stands, that have made the Lakers the marquee franchise in the NBA, irrespective of the team’s success (though there’s been a lot of it). But at what point does the incessant fawning over the team’s stars become too much?

Look, there’s no denying that the Lakers possess the singularly most talented player in the game right now (haters, you need to get your eyes checked if you think we have “witnessed” anything to suggest otherwise). He’s spectacular to watch, adored by the vast majority of Laker Nation, and puts a lot of butts in the Staples Center seats. He’s also one of the most alienating figures in team sports that doesn’t necessarily elevate the level of his teammates and gets frustrated easily when others don’t step up their game. And with the crummy, though mostly well-meaning, teammates that Mitch Cupcake has surrounded him with, it’s not all that surprising that he’s throwing a tantrum.

When you’re winning, these distractions are a compelling story, part of the personality of the team. When you’re losing, they become a tired sideshow act. No matter whose side you support right now, I think any reasonably-objective Laker fan will acknowledge that the team doesn’t have a prayer of contending for a championship in the foreseeable future. So if you’re not going to put a team together that is equipped to win a ring, at least give us a team that won’t cause us to reach for the Tylenol every time SportsCenter comes on.

I’m not saying there’s any easy answers. If Cupcake pulls the trigger on a deal for that guy, the team is not going to get equal value back in talent. If Jerry “I dig chicks that could pass for my grandaughter” Buss is adamant about holding on to his cash cow, the aura surrounding the team promises to get even more toxic and destructive. The years of dysfunction and mismanagement that have plagued the franchise but were hidden from view by the tail end of the team’s successes are finally building up to an inevitable implosion. But it sure would be nice if everyone in the organization stopped pointing fingers and started looking back to how they rebuilt the team after the Showtime era ended. Losing sucks. Losing without dignity sucks even more.

Sedale Threatt? Tony Smith? Please come back. We're lost without you.

What’s Cookin’ Behind the Curtain – It Takes a Village to Feed a Hungry Chinese Guy

(Originally posted on LAist on June 15)



Every Friday, LAist is taking you on a trip down to Orange County to uncover the unique dining experiences that await adventurous eaters willing to explore beyond the county line.

Chinese restaurants can generally be categorized into three different buckets: upscale “fusion” dining (aka tamed-down dishes with an "exotic" twist so that non-Chinese will eat them, but served on a pretty square plate so PF Chang’s can get away with charging $20 a dish); hole-in-the-wall authentic dining (aka no English spoken here, and no complaining about our Soup Nazi-esque service and very unsanitary conditions because you’re getting fed for less than $5); and Americanized dining (aka we’ll sell you unlimited quantities of sweet and sour pork and orange chicken for a good price even though there’s no way in hell we’d ever be able to sell this in China).

As an American-born Chinese, I lurve my authentic homestyle food. Good food is so important to the Chinese culture as an integral part of a balanced and harmonious life (even when it involves extra “elbow grease” in the food, certain unspeakable parts of animals, or unspeakable animals altogether). However, I hate going to hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurants where I get condescending looks for not being able to speak a lick of Mandarin or Cantonese (thank goodness for bomb-ass friends that I can drag along to be translators). And there’s plenty of times that I need to find a cleaner and safer option for some of my non-Chinese friends who are plenty game to try something new, but don’t want to feel like they’re putting their life at risk by going to a restaurant with a ‘C’ or worse rating from the Department of Public Health. Or other times that I want to take a date out to a halfway decent restaurant and prove that I’m not as cheap and poor as my appearance may otherwise suggest.

Enter Tri-Village Chinese Cuisine in Irvine. With Irvine rapidly becoming Orange County’s answer to Monterey Park by virtue of its ever-expanding middle-class Chinese population, numerous restaurants and stores continue to cater to this demographic. Tri-Village has been open for about a year and a half and offers an authentic Chinese meal without having to sacrifice some of the familiar comforts of a Western-style restaurant.

Tri-Village’s menu is generally focused on Northern Chinese cuisine, though other regional styles such as Hunan, Hakka, and even Taiwanese dishes are also interspersed throughout the menu. About the only thing that isn’t on the menu are Cantonese dishes. Generally, I’m opposed to places that offer a wide range of cuisines because it usually means they’re good at none of them. But you know what? Chef Roger Lee by and large pulls it off. Whether your fancy is Shanghai-style dumplings (xiao long bao), Sichuan-style spicy tofu and minced pork (ma po dou fu), Wuxi-style braised pork spare ribs (jiang pai gu), Beijing-style green onion pancakes (cong you bing), or Taiwanese-style steamed chicken, there is something on the menu for you that is good to excellent. Tri-Village also serves clay pot dishes, slow-cooked to let the juices absorb for maximum flavor. The food may not measure up to the best individual restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley for a given specialty, but in very few places will you find the breadth of selection and depth of quality in the dishes as at Tri-Village.

Tri-Village does have some trademark dishes. The beef noodle soup was allegedly Jackie Chan’s favorite when Chef Lee was in Hong Kong. Filled with a healthy portion of wheat noodles, tender chunks of beef, and chinese cabbage, the soup has a rich beef broth that feels almost like gravy when it goes down the first time. Also worth a taste is the salt and peppered eggplant, which offers fried eggplant, heavily seasoned and served with minced pork. The eggplant seems to melt in your mouth by its soft texture and rich flavor, which are both balanced by the pork.

While most of Tri-Village’s menu items are more traditional fare, there are also a number of gourmet options, as well as American favorites. The miso-flavored cod is a noteworthy dish, grilled as opposed to steamed, and with a surprisingly sharp soy flavor from the miso marinade. The five spices shrimp is a variant of other popular dishes, crispy but with more subtle flavors than the sweet and pungent shrimp or the walnut prawns. And if you’re a little wary of the braised fish stomach or the sautéed eel, you can still get your fix of mu shu pork or kung pao chicken, or go light with some lettuce wraps.

Unlike many of its more poorly maintained counterparts, Tri-Village is extremely clean and accessible to English-only crowds. The décor is modern and the music is usually American (or Canadian, no joke, Bryan Adams’ Greatest Hits album was being played last time I visited). With only about twelve tables in the restaurant and no reservations, you may have to wait, as it gets crowded during dinner hours. However, you’ll know that you’ll at least be able to communicate with the help and maybe even get menu recommendations. Sure beats the “point and pray” method of ordering.

I like Tri-Village because I can go be Chinese without having to be Chinese. I may not have the burning desire to live out my days in China like Jack Bauer's dad, but I certainly want to eat like they do back in the homeland every once in awhile. Thankfully Tri-Village gives me another choice besides 2-item combo at Panda Express to cure my jones.

Tri-Village Chinese Cuisine
14121 Jeffrey Rd.
Irvine, CA 92620

What’s Cookin’ Behind the Curtain – Carnitas Heaven (Combo Hell)

(Originally posted on LAist on June 8)



I’ll just say it simply: LA rocks Mexican food. With the largest population of Mexicans outside of Mexico City based in the City of Angels, we are blessed with a preponderance of high-quality, authentic grub (at least based on my uneducated Chinese taste buds). Granted, we’ve neutered it a little bit, spreading our gospel of burritos and hard-shell tacos, but nevertheless, it’s nearly impossible to go anywhere without stumbling across a good homestyle meal that sticks to your insides.

Because of the level of quality of Mexican food in the area, a restaurant must truly be exceptional to garner praise. Thus, I set my expectations extraordinarily high for my visit to El Farolito, Citysearch’s 2006 editorial choice for best Mexican food in Orange County, and a hugely popular pick on the Chowhound boards. (“Best” Mexican food in OC should of course be caveated, since authentic cuisine of any kind is so much harder to find in the ‘burbs). The verdict: mad love for the carnitas, everything else not so much.

Situated in Old Town Placentia – yeah, Old Towns actually do exist in OC, it’s not all tract homes and strip malls, even if 'old' means pre-1970 – El Farolito has the charm (read: minimalist décor, old building) of the typical family restaurant you’d find in East LA, with Rivera-like prints on the wall and friendly service. The menu is similar to what you’d find at most Mexican restaurants. However, according to both the servers and the menu, the carnitas are what make the place famous.

Problem is that carnitas are not typically one of my go-to dishes, since I’m not a heavy meat-eater. So me being the stubborn dolt that I am ordered the dreaded combination plate (also known as the gringo special) so I could try a few different things. Thankfully, my friend Amy wisely went with our waitress’ recommendation and got the carnitas.

The carnitas are served as is, alongside a healthy portion of refried beans and rice, as well as fresh pico de gallo. But the truth is that the carnitas don’t need any additional flavor. As Amy let me mooch off her plate, I was blown away by the tenderness and juiciness of the meat on my first bite. Absoultely succulent. The meat was heavily seasoned, which may be a turnoff for those that don’t like salty dishes, but was a huge bonus for me. If there was a Real World-style camera following my mouth, you would have likely seen my mouth pucker up in reaction to the sensory overload from the overwhelming savory goodness. Yet the meat wasn’t heavy at all, seemingly light on oil or lard. However, El Farolito also serves the carnitas crispy-style if you ask, for those that need that fried feeling in their stomach.

As far as my gringo special is concerned, it was pretty ordinary. The pork tamale was tasty (apparently they know their pork) but contained too much masa and not enough filling. The chicken enchilada was also pretty good, not overly doused with sauce, but a little sweeter than I prefer, as if it were trying to be a mole dish without taking out all of the tomatoes and chiles. Steer clear of the beef taco; apparently they sucked all of the moisture out of the ground beef and stuck it in the carnitas, as the meat was horribly dry and flavorless. Blech, combo plates.

The moral of the story? Stick to the specialty; it’s famous for a reason. And El Farolito has justifiably earned its reputation for its carnitas.

El Farolito
201 S. Bradford Ave.
Placentia, CA 92870

Photos by Amy Yang

What’s Cookin’ Behind the Curtain – A Deli-cious Way to Spend a Ditch Day

(Originally posted on LAist on June 1)



The daily grind of life can be a drag. And every so often, you need a place to blow off steam and forget about your worries for a little while. Tired soul, meet your rejuvenator – thy name is Hollingshead’s Delicatessen.

Now you’re thinking, who in their right mind would go to a deli to charge the batteries? Well, Hollingshead’s is no ordinary deli. Although Hollingshead’s has certain European-style deli tendencies, with sandwiches full of high-quality meats and cheeses, and other assorted imported food products, it’s also part beer boutique. It features more than 350 different styles of specialty beers, 15 frequently rotated taps across the spectrum of styles, and a small bar counter. But beyond the good food and beverage, it’s a place where regulars go to hang out, and the help treats you like family. It’s part Cheers, part Central Perk, part Monk’s Café.

Based in an Orange strip mall since opening in 1963, Hollingshead’s is family-owned and operated, with three generations of Hollingshead family members still working behind the counter or bussing tables. As native Wisconsinites (as evidenced by the wall-to-wall Green Bay Packer memorabilia, including green bar stools with yellow trim and ceiling posters of Brett Favre), they bring their Midwest friendliness to their customers: you can always count on a warm smile and conversation, as they enjoy visiting with patrons and catching up on life. And since they offer personalized beer mugs for their frequent visitors, it’s always a place where everybody knows your name.

Needing my own respite from the hustle, I took a “sick day” last Friday and spent a couple of hours at Hollingshead’s clearing my head (of brain cells), along with the other barflies that don’t work day-shifts or have employers which don’t mind a little drinky-drink during the lunch hour. I was warmly greeted by three different people while I perused the menu, which consists of a selection of eight types of meat, six types of cheese, and six types of bread, as well as custom sandwiches filled with assorted ingredients. I finally settled on a ‘demon’, an outstanding combination of smoked turkey, pastrami, and Jarlsberg swiss on an onion roll (pastrami is one of my guilty pleasures), and an ‘angel’, which was filled with roast beef, baked ham, and smoked gouda. The freshness of the ingredients livened up the taste buds which are normally dulled down by eating craptastic Subway sandwiches on a typical workday. I also got a quarter-pint of some excellent potato salad, which was mustard-based (much better than heavy mayo-based, imho) and seemed to be slightly sweetened with pickle juice.

Of course, many places offer great sandwiches. However, most of those places don’t give you the option of a quality draft microbrew to wash it down. Another great thing about Hollingshead’s is that they are as knowledgeable about their beer as they are friendly with their clientele. They’ll speak intelligently about the merits of the Green Flash Imperial IPA versus the Stone Imperial Russian Stout, or any of the beers in their large refrigerated section. They’re so passionate about beer that orders are assigned by beer brand, rather than number (using laminated beer labels rather than order tickets). And like any seller who takes their beer seriously, they give you a taster shot before pouring you a pint to make sure that your selection (or their recommendation) suits your palate. I am a medium-body guy, so they offered me up a seasonal Lagunitas Lucky 13 Red Ale, which had a slight hops bitter taste, but was also sweet and smooth, complementing my sandwiches. I finished my meal with an Allagash White, a Belgian-style wheat beer from Maine with a hint of orange and cardamom, that was a little less my taste but a good light dessert beer.

Now for the bad news. Since Hollingshead’s is a family institution, it’s closed on weekends. The store also shuts down at 8 pm on Monday through Thursday and at 9 pm on Friday. Thus, it will require a special daytime visit or suffering through rush hour traffic for anyone coming down from LA. And because everyone is so friendly, they are a bit more casual about service, so some patience may be required while you wait for them to attend to your order.

Despite these inconveniences, Hollingshead’s is well worth the effort if you can manage it. Not only did I get a good meal and top-notch drinks, but I was able to commiserate with other drunks strangers (men and women, young and old) who just came to chill out, complain about their bosses, and talk about UFC. It was like therapy; I went in feeling tired and stressed out and left feeling renewed for at least one more week. Or maybe it was just the beer talking.

Hollingshead’s Delicatessen
368 S. Main St.
Orange, CA 92868