 On May 4th and 5th, Orange County celebrated its inaugural OC Tastefest, a two-day culinary festival at the OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa. General admission prices were $12 advance online purchase or $20 at the door, and additional taste coupons were sold in sheets of 10 for $5. Festival goers were able…
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 The background voices heard from our table evoked a warm feeling of nostalgia for me. The chattering sounds from a group of Italian diners conversing in their native language – at times gentle, other times loud, but always full of laughter and enjoyment of life – had me yearning for a country that forever has…
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 It’s like being invited to an exclusive club, where all the cool kids are the top chefs of the world. The club is Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale’s South Coast Plaza, a restaurant owned by celebrated master chef, Charlie Palmer. Fortunately, there is no air of exclusivity or secrecy here as the restaurant regularly has an…
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.jpg) September 18, 2010. Montezuma, Costa Rica. Every Saturday morning, the locals gather around to the center of Montezuma, a small coastal town in Costa Rica, for the weekly farmer’s market. It’s always nice to see the locals in their environment, happy doing what they do. A few of us wanted to cook dinner for the…
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 When modern sleek meets rustic elegance, that’s where the crowd gathers to mingle and have a drink or two. At 4:30 pm on a Wednesday, the bar at Charlie Palmer is already packed with people unwinding for the day. Upon entering the restaurant, I almost rudely ignore the hostess when she greets me as I…
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.jpg) June 24, 2011. San Diego County, California. While traveling through Europe, I would often see postcards of beautiful flower fields. You know, ones that make you want to hopscotch and do a dance of happy twirls because they look so mesmerizing. Some of the ones that left me lingering for wanderlust were images of expansive…
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.jpg) August 11, 2008. Kauai, Hawaii. I mentally prepared myself for the inevitable as I took the first step onto the boat. I get severe motion sickness, and a boat ride on choppy waters is never a good idea. I speak from experience. Imagine keeling over with a bucket in your face. Or in my cousin…
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.jpg) September 6, 2011. Amsterdam, the Netherlands In the few days leading up to my departure to Amsterdam, I checked the weather forecast. Icons of gray clouds and droplets of water covered the screen of my computer. Sure enough, rain was in the forecast for the majority of my 6-day visit there. I checked and rechecked…
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.jpg) September 15, 2011. Ouarzazate, Morocco. The arrival to this hotel was a much anticipated relief after many hours on the road in the hot desert. Many of us quickly checked-in and changed into our bathing suits to relax by the pool. I had to take a picture of this poolside lounge because I always enjoy…
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.jpg) September 26, 2010. Austin, Texas. There’s something majestic about a lone tall building standing in the vastness of an empty sky. It’s almost like this skyscraper owns the space and nobody dares to intrude. I was lucky to have shot this during dusk because I think the subtle pink in the barely visible clouds adds…
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3 comments
Great pics, Michelle – as always!
Looks like it was so much fun! Awesome pics!!!
Oh man, food samples? I’m so in! =P Your photos really highlight the food well, but the top right is my favorite.