LA Weekly presents Food & Wine Festival at the California Market Center (CMC). Food porn…read moreextravaganza....oh heaven help me!! So many representing LA eats that the line to get in was weaving out the door. It was well worth it as 40 of the hottest restaurants presented an amuse bouche of their signature bites & alcoholic beverage samples. Mingling with chefs, meeting new people and talking about food was a nice way to end the weekend. Great venue at the California Market Center offering spectacular panoramic views of the city. It was large enough that I didn't feel claustrophobic with the volume of people attending and enough tables and chairs to pace yourself. Surprisingly it wasn't too bad getting out of the parking building either and thought it was well facilitated. LA knows how to do it and LA Weekly had a very successful event. Salud #theessentials till next year!

I signed up for this event assuming it would be like all other food and wine festivals. That is,…read morean overpriced, overcrowded mess of booths and people unsuccessfully intermingling in the hot sun or hot indoor space. Thankfully I can report The Essentials 2015 mostly chipped away at my negative stereotypes. The food we sampled was all quite good, the beer and wine quite drinkable, and the hard booze creatively mixed. Our group appreciated that none of the tables made a point to stamp the ridiculous "drink card" everyone was issued. Make no mistake, the event was PACKED, but once inside the crowds were only an issue for certain restaurants. Thankfully it didn't impact the temperature, as we were fully comfortable start to finish. Some vendors went above and beyond with their food, while others proffered more pedestrian bites. Though I don't remember too many specifics, a few establishments were just really, really good. A big "thank you!" to Connie & Ted's, L&E, and Providence for providing exquisitely fresh oysters on the half shell. Sounds like at least a 4-star review at this point, right? Yup, but I have to voice what I feel are a few legitimate qualms. First, the signs for each vendor were SO small they were often invisible behind the chefs and people in line. Second, a better laid-out map would have worked wonders, as the one provided was essentially useless. The third and fourth issues require their own paragraph. We arrived prior to the 2:00 p.m. opening time for general admission. However, the organizers let us in late, and the throngs of people waiting outside further delayed the process. Long story short, we finally got into the event at 3:00...not cool. To boot, most of the "prestigious" vendors (e.g., Melisse, Hungry Cat) completely ran out of food as early as 3:30. Either they received bad information about the number of tickets sold, or they simply brought whatever quantities they wanted. Regardless of the reason, this was completely unfair to those of us who paid to try their food. I couldn't help feeling a little ripped off. This was definitely an improvement over other foodie festivals. We had a GREAT time. However, there are certainly some kinks that need to be ironed out. I can't wait to go again next time and hopefully leave a 5-star review!

[Review #497] 2019 Yelp 100 Challenge (157/100)…read more Located in Camp Snoopy, the High Sierra Ferris Wheel (3: Moderate Thrill) isn't one of the largest in circumference that I've been on, but it's large enough to give my 9-1/2 YO daughter a mild thrill & enough height that my 4 YO son won't ride it. LOL ヽ(*‿*)ノ It has enough height for you to see Buena Park, though the view isn't all that exciting. Typical wait times are between 30 - 60 mins., especially on weekends, longer in the summer. H & I got on the ferris wheel when the weather was slightly unpredictable... cloudy, sprinkling, & mild showers. We stopped up top for a bit longer than norm & got drenched, & was shivering the rest of the ride. :-( It's a bit short, not even 10 rounds, so you're barely on for a couple of minutes. Although not recommended, slight rocking seems to be the norm, especially by middles schoolers & YAs, but I would be careful because you could tip over & fall out... too dangerous if you're several carriages above ground. My daughter initially was scared of the ferris wheel, & decided to rock our seat then freaked out; I had to use my weight to counter her swinging to bring it to a stop quickly. Now she knows better... or does she? :-X The High Sierra Ferris Wheel is a bit old so I would treat this ride with care. ;-) The wheels on the Ferris wheel go round & round, round & round, round & round... Recommended: High Sierra Ferris Wheel... round & round we go!

The ride itself was good with nice views (that would be the best part), high on top, but the wait…read morefor this classic ride, last year, was bad. There had to be an equal amount of weight distribution, so we waited thirty minutes (this was the only wait of last year's trip). Very few people could ride this ride (the occupancy was very low, maybe six people could ride it at one time). I suppose that is the reason that this ride is being taken out.

OC restaurant weeks launch party was amazing! The parking situation was a little sub par but once…read morethey got it together the event was a success. Food from a bunch of local restaurants that allowed us to create a list of new places to try: 1. Flomenas italian kitchen: The chef was a very nice lady and the food was excellent. 2. Villa Roma: Argentinian-Italian cuisine: must get the sangria and the paella is delicious also. 3. Chihuahua cerveza: they are a local brewery in newport beach, but their tapas were amazing. Street corn, and their tacos. I ate a second and maybe a third taco! Also memorable was Chambord liquor. They had a desert table that was all infused with their liquor and it was amazing. We really enjoyed ourselves despite it pouring down rain and nowhere to sit. I look forward to going again next year.

I RSVP'd for the Orange County Restaurant Week Launch Party to sample some good food and drinks…read more First of all the traffic getting into the Promenade sucked!!! Parking wasn't an issue at the time but did get busier as dinner time approached. There were two tents at opposite sides of the outdoor mall. Although it was a small venue, it was very well organized. I expected a lot more people at this event. I was happy that there was enough room to walk around, talk with other foodies and stand around to watch the bands/singers play. Some of the food samples did run out, but we were able to sample pretty much most of the items (e.g. clam chowder, Peets, Nothing Bundt Cakes, tacos, chips and artichoke dip - just to name a few). Unlimited refills on booze!!! I had a margarita, tequila, wine, and beer. I was totally feelin' it by the end of the night. It was awesome!!!

I participated in the L.A. IFS Film Festival this year and it's basically a giant screening. There…read moreare no introductions welcoming you to the festival or Q&A with filmmakers after the screening which was very dissatisfying. They also charge every filmmaker to get into ALL of their events, including the awards ceremony where the winners are already announced via email ahead of time. I didn't bother to pay to get into any of these events because I already knew that my filmmakers badge should have gotten me into these events for free like every other film festival. There's a reason why the L.A. IFS Film Festival removed their reviews on Film Freeway. Perhaps this was a more legit festival in their early years. But in 2024, no one knows nor unfortunately cares about this festival in LA. I'll never submit to this festival again. Sorry, not sorry.

Why have I not ever thought about attending LA Film Festival before? Last night's Opening Night…read moreScreening (The Kids Are All Right) and Party was just marvelous! The Kids Are All Right was the perfect way to kick off to what is sure to be an amazing 10 day celebration of film and the passionate people behind it! The Festival's new DT location is a colorful backdrop (Game 7 probably has something to do with that!) that incorporates a bustling LA Live scene and DT's architectural gems. The Zone Perfect Live. Create. Lounge had so many interactive elements like painting, magnetic word phrasing, DJ and dancing, phone charging station, bar, etc. Coke products were in abundance also (and they have their own fun, bottle infused lounge area also that is tucked in the back corner). Can't wait to attend even more splendid events in the week to come!

Pixar Fest! We were delighted to stumble upon this special festival while we were in CA for a…read morefriends wedding and make a vacation week out of it. Of couse we hit up Disney for a few days and didn't know Pixar Fest was happening. As a fan of Pixar films this was pretty awesome. So many extra things to see and do related to their films and characters all throughout. Special foods, rides, treats, and items to buy. The Pixar parade was terrific and many of the characters came right up to us for high fives. The fireworks show was also pretty cool and a great way to end a long but fun day. Man, those churros were so good!

Likely my least favorite of all the festivals and parades. I feel like it was very lackluster…read morecomparative to other parades and festivals Disneyland has, which is sad since summer is the one of the busiest time at the Disneyland Resort. A friend did the dessert party, and was so disappointed so I would say skip that as well! The parade is very short, so I don't think a package is needed as I've seen it off to the side when it has gone by. Ultimately an overall skip for me and to anyone I give tips, tricks and recommendations for their perfect Disney day.

came here for an event with kyopo and it was such a spacious venue with areas for food, speakers,…read moreand seating. got to talk with a volunteer at navel and they were very kind as well! the only downside at the time was that the parking lot was packed so i had a hard time finding nearby street parking and the area at night was a bit scary which is fair, it's downtown.

I've been here on several separate occasions for different events, and the space serves its…read morepurpose. Little bar/island on the side that can fit any cooking / bartending needs. One bathroom facing the main space and also behind the kitchen island. Acoustics are good enough with the large speakers. It is difficult to find your first time though, since the entrance is through a black gate and you have to walk up a flight of unsuspecting stairs to get to this second floor venue. You can either access this entrance through the street entrance, or, if the gate isn't open, you have to walk the long way around the perimeter of the building until you come through the parking in the back and to the other side of the gate. Good enough for large events. Not the easiest to navigate, but can be mitigated with directions.

Every third Thursday, from February to November, Road Runner Sports in Costa Mesa hosts its…read moreexciting Adventure Run! Up to 12 mapped checkpoints in the surrounding area are revealed at the moment the scavenger hunt begins, offering free raffle tickets to those who check-in. But you've got to be quick! You've only an hour's time to hustle through as many checkpoints as possible before heading back to Road Runner Sports for the free raffle. Over $3000 worth of prizes await you, so scoring as many tickets as you can greatly increases your odds. And if you purchase an Adventure Run tech shirt, you'll snag double the raffle tickets at each checkpoint! Some of the checkpoints may be a couple miles away, but hitting them, as opposed to some of the closer checkpoints, awards greater numbers of tickets; so you'll have to map out your run. Wearing our shirts to double our prize, we scored 10 tickets each at the Newport Rib Company (0.8 miles) and 12 tickets each at a mobile location (1.6 miles). And it worked out for us, as we won three prizes, including a $50 Road Runner Sports gift certificate! Free Spartan Race registrations and NewBalance running shoes were also presented. Easily, I'd run for a free pair of running shoes. Sound like fun? It is! Register online: http://www.adventurerun.com. Oh...did I mention the free beer?

The July 21st Adventure Run in Costa Mesa was just as fun as the the June run! I met new friends…read moreand saw people I met in June. I ended up winning the in store raffle prize which shocked my socks off because I was packing everything in and getting ready to throw the towel in at the time I heard my name being called! What a surprise it was to find out I won the mother load of prizes!!! Thank you Roadrunner Sports for the great Adventures you host and thank you Adidas for the free pair of shoes I won with all the other items in my prize!!! I can't wait to run the next adventure in September. August I will be taking a class that goes from 6p-10p Mon.-Thurs. see you in September!

To begin with, this was a really inexpensive $5.00 family fun run so I shouldn't be very harsh on…read morethe city or race organizers. However, if you are a competitive runner and are looking for valid race times/results and organization, this isn't the race for you. There was only same day pick up for race packets so the lines were quite large. The race start time was delayed by 15 minutes because the crowd was a lot larger than expected. The race consisted of two 1.5 mile loops and this might have confused some runners and walkers because some people accepted awards for placing in the top three in his or her age divisions based on completing only one lap and not two. There was also a kids "Munchkin Run" that was scheduled for 10:00am and we brought a 3 year old that was ready to run at 9:30. We waited as patiently as possible with a 3 year old and asked staff when the race would start only receiving confused responses saying to "wait and listen for the race announcement." After waiting until 10:20 without hearing a word or seeing any race event in sight, we decided to leave. In all, if you don't care about time or accurate results, you might like this race. For me, I think I will skip it in the future.