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At Designer Camp’s first O.C. session, students get a taste of fashion 101

Whhen Kristen Dees and Mercedes Curran made high school visits on behalf of the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles to speak with adolescent students, many of the pupils seemed unsure about pursuing a future in the industry.

“It was almost too late, like they were too scared to know if this was something they wanted to do for the rest of their lives,” Dees said. “Some parents wanted tutoring and mentoring geared toward the college-bound kids. But what about the age before that?”

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(Photo by Kevin Chang / TimesOC)

Orange Coast: Demystifying Wood-Fueled Baking at Restaurant Marin

A nice little article about one of our restaurants!

Baking to the rhythm of flames and coals; the roar and the whisper attune with browning bread and rising cake batter. Groundbreaking wood-fueled baking is at the heart of Marin Howarth and chef Noah Blom’s Restaurant Marin in Costa Mesa, where stunning layer cakes, pies, and artisanal breads reach perfection in a Wood Stone wood-burning oven.

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OC Magazine: Compton Apparel Line Drifter Opens in Costa Mesa

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When luxe streetwear line Drifter opened its flagship shop at SoCo, everyone asked founder Bada Kim, who hails from a family of apparel manufacturers, “Why Orange County?” Simple, he said. “We didn’t want something traditional. I was blown away by SoCo’s unique stores, great restaurants, and interior design places.”

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Orange Coast: Main Course – Restaurant Marin

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After a round of great signature cocktails at Arc restaurant, we head next door for dinner at its sibling, 5-month-old Restaurant Marin. The contrast is a jarring shift in realms. Where Arc is primal and dark and brawny, Marin is dainty and buoyant and almost girlish. The magical thread stitching these divergent worlds together is the quixotic vision of Marin Howarth and Noah Blom, the hospitality power duo that defies the quaint stereotype of mom-and-pop operators. Marin is the new addition to their SoCo Collection family, and like Arc, it resembles nothing else in our local restaurant landscape. Here, in this 30-seat jewel box of a bistro, Blom and Howarth offer a morning-til-midnight diner serving lush renditions of comfort classics.

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Orange Coast praises Bistro Papillote

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For a truly French experience, head to Bistro Papillote, one of O.C.’s best approximations of a Parisian neighborhood haunt. There are enough finely browned crepes at this OC Mix spot to keep you happy, from breakfast (egg, ham, and Mornay sauce) to lunch (vegetable ratatouille, arugula, and torn basil) to dessert.

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Orange Coast: Taco Maria’s Carlos Salgado Returns to His Culinary Roots

Taco Maria's Carlos Salgado a semifinalist of Culinary Excellence!

With its white tile interior, dark wood accents, and chefs wearing selvage denim shirts, Carlos Salgado’s restaurant, Taco Maria, fits right in at Costa Mesa’s OC Mix, a rustic-mod cluster of businesses that is one of the county’s antidotes to ’80s commercial malls. I like to come down here from L.A. and sit at the counter, eat, and watch the cooks work.

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Orange Coast: Savory Spice Becoming a One-Stop

This might well give Orange County cooks pause: “We’ve had a wonderful 5-1/2 years in Corona del Mar,” says Savory Spice Shop owner Laura Shute, when asked about the June 19 closing of her Newport Beach location.

But, no worries! Shute’s merely consolidating her stores, and little-but-mighty sister Savory Spice Stop in Costa Mesa’s The OC Mix will carry on as usual for all your herb, spice, and seasoning needs. So, no break in the spice supply chain. I’m as glad as anyone else, since I’m very partial to Savory Spice’s Santa Maria-style seasoning for grilled tri-tip—so good in my Viet-Central Coast mashup banh mi.

See more at: http://www.orangecoast.com/diningtaste-of-oc/savory-spice-becoming-a-one-stop/#sthash.R9hscbpM.dpuf