Tide&Canyon

Orange County, California

Tide & Canyon, an independent guide to Orange County

Where to Eat

The restaurants we are crossing the county for right now.

Crispy-skin fish over charred cabbage at Cucina enoteca
Irvine

Cucina enoteca

California-Italian, and a wall of wine

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Din Tai Fung storefront at Irvine Spectrum
Irvine

Din Tai Fung

The soup dumpling worth the wait

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South of Nick's Spanish-colonial storefront in San Clemente
San Clemente

South of Nick's

Modern Mexican and serious tequila

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Ironwood storefront glowing at dusk in Laguna Hills
Laguna Hills

Ironwood

Prime steaks hiding in a strip mall

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The covered patio at King's Fish House, Laguna Hills
Laguna Hills

King's Fish House

Oysters and a daily catch since 1997

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A Dizzy Bird chicken wrap held up at Irvine Spectrum
Irvine

Dizzy Bird

Mediterranean rotisserie, gloriously garlicky

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For Moms

The county's best parks for the stroller-and-nap set, reviewed by the mothers who actually go.

The Great Park Balloon rising over Orange County Great Park
Irvine

Orange County Great Park

A free balloon ride and a carousel

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The oak groves of Irvine Regional Park
Orange

Irvine Regional Park

A train, a zoo, and six playgrounds

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The Luna Park sign at sunset in Irvine
Irvine

Luna Park

One of the county's biggest playgrounds, and real shade

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The nine-acre lake at William R. Mason Regional Park
Irvine

William R. Mason Regional Park

Three playgrounds and a duck lake

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The green expanse of Huntington Central Park
Huntington Beach

Huntington Central Park

350 acres, two playgrounds, a mud pit

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Business Digest

Business news from around the county: who is opening, who is expanding, and the people worth knowing.

A recently built mid-rise apartment building in Irvine
Development

448 more apartments filed for Von Karman

A master plan for 448 units lands at City Hall claiming a state exemption that lets qualifying housing skip a full environmental review. The Business Complex now has more than 1,600 apartments in the pipeline.

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In-N-Out under construction at the Great Park, with a Here Soon banner
Openings

In-N-Out is coming to the Great Park

Its home, The Canopy, cleared the Irvine Planning Commission, and the plans give In-N-Out a drive-thru built to stack 33 cars. Look for it toward the end of 2026.

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Night aerial of the Irvine Business Complex office towers along the Jamboree and Michelson corridor, with existing apartments in the foreground
Development

668 homes are on the drawing board off Michelson

A plan filed with the city would redevelop two parcels near Business Center Drive and Michelson into two residential buildings holding 668 units. Still under review.

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An Amazon fulfillment center
The Deal

Amazon is asking Irvine questions

The company sent the city a note asking whether warehouses and sales outlets are allowed by right in the 5.1 zone. Amazon does not usually ask idle questions.

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A Ferrari sports car
The Buzz

Ferrari wants to turn wrenches in Irvine

A request is on the city's desk to run Ferrari vehicle repair at a McGaw Avenue site.

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Aerial view of Upper Newport Bay, the Back Bay, in Newport Beach
Community Spotlight

The Back Bay

Upper Newport Bay is a thousand acres of tidal estuary in the middle of the most expensive real estate in the county, and it survived. Herons, kayakers, and the best walk in Orange County that does not cost a thing.

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