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Who would say no to dining Chicago style with Arlene & Joe Mantegna? This diva found herself amongst a herd of Bears, Chicago Bears that is, in the valley's only authentic Chicago style restaurant. Taste Chicago offers a culinary gateway to the Windy City and a great alternative to hum-drum LA food. "Fugetabout"calories, tofu, or fat free anything when you go through the doors at Taste Chicago. You'll be overwhelmed by the smell of Chicago pizza. My favorite.. sausage..yum! The pizza, as advertised, is truly ' a meal in itself.' You may want to ask the server to cut it in half or quarters and share with your group, that way they are forced to order something different to share with you. ;) Try the meatballs, with that delicious red sauce, and of course the famous beef 'sangwich.' Thin sliced of authentically seasoned roast beef, served on a bakery fresh Italian roll with your choice of sweet green peppers or hot giardiniera. Ahhh.. slice of heaven... For the more adventurous type, the Taste Chicago hot dog is not your ordinary wiener. This all beef Vienna sausage comes with an array of mustard, celery salt, relish, pickles, onions, tomatoes, and peppers.. just no ...

By Angela Rocco DeCarlo Warning: This is not an unbiased review. I love Las Brisas Restaurant for its incomparable location. The place is quaint, just comfortable enough to satisfy, with flashy rose gardens in seasonal bloom, but make no mistake, it is the ocean which holds pride of place. It sits on a promontory overlooking the sun-dappled Pacific Ocean, with curving Laguna Beach to the south replicating vistas of Italy's Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, our families' ancestral home. For us former Chicagoans, the place, especially in January, represents a fantasy of beauty and breezes (hence the name The Breezes) to which we've brought our most beloved family and friends. Our Chicago-born fathers, Mike DeCarlo and Pete Rocco, taking their first plane ride in their 80s, relished the experience of eating in sunshine on a winter day. My sister, Christine, and others have shared our delight in merely being in this sublimely spectacular spot. Native Californians cannot fathom the depth of pleasure experienced by we cold-clime folk, who find ourselves squinting into the winter sun as we munch delicious Las Brisas nachos on the terrace. We can almost feel we're again visiting fabled Positano, Italy, seated on the terrace of the celebrated ...

What is Matta Napkin? It's a daily drawing on a stolen napkin. My plan is to put a new one up on my blog every day for a year.  It might sound easy, but I'm putting my health in danger by eating so much fast food in order to get the proper canvases to create. Also, I dare you to buy nothing at a  Del Taco but then try to grab a stack of napkins... they will go over the counter to stop you. I truly am an American hero/visionary.   How did the idea come about? I was watching a new-ish mom demand that a Subway Sandwich Artist give her free meat samples so her little boy could taste it before ordering. If the child didn't like the meat, he'd spit it out on the counter. If he liked the meat he'd spit it out on the counter, accompanied by an approving grunt. It was the most wonderful thing I've ever witnessed... and I've seen puppies born. So I felt I  had to document the event by drawing it on a napkin to share it with the world. Unfortunately, that napkin was destroyed in a Mr. Pibb accident in my truck. Since then I've been drawing ...

By Angela Rocco DeCarlo, copyright, 2011 Nothing says summer like an outdoor concert. There are plenty of these around OC in public parks and other such venues. Unfortunately, sometimes these involve parking hassles to distant grassy areas – if there is room – with long walks back to the performing areas. If you are one who desires a little bit more upscale ambience, here’s the spot for you. I recently enjoyed an evening at the posh Balboa Bay Club and am anxious to return for more relaxation along side the fabulous marina. The Balboa Bay Club & Resort, at Newport Beach Harbor, provides the perfect constellation of beautiful setting, fine entertainment and tasty foods. The Club is located at 1221West Coast Highway, Newport Beach. www.balboabayclub.com; 949-646-5000. The BBC is hosting three concerts this month that offer up summer fun at its finest. “The Four Freshman - Live Concert“ Friday, August 12, 6:30 p.m.; “Surfin’ Safari.- The UltimateTribute to the Beach Boys!” Friday, August 19, 6:30 p.m; “Mariachi Sol de Mexico” Friday, August 26, 6:30 p.m Tickets for these concerts are $25, each performance (non-refundable). BBC’s Burger Bash BBQ will be available for purchase at the “Freshman… and “Surfin’” concerts. See below for the menu and prices on foods. “Mariachi…” concert will have available the ...

With the economy being what it is today, we all need a cheap laugh.  Included is a list of LA's comedy open mics, for both amateurs and pros come try out their new material.  Feel like a laugh?  Check out these great venues at great low prices: MONDAY HAHA CAFÉ COMEDY CLUB 5010 Lankershim Blvd  North Hollywood, CA 91610 (818) 508-4995 Sign up: 5:00 pm   Show: 6:00 pm Cost: $5 COMEDY STORE 8433 W Sunset Blvd  Los Angeles, CA 90069 (323) 656-6225 Sign up: 6-6:30 pm  Show: 7:00 pm KULTURAS BOOKS (2ND Monday) 1700 Ocean Park Blvd  Santa Monica, CA (310) 450-8707 Sign up: 6:00 pm  Show: 7:30 pm Notes: Music & comedy open mic CAFÉ MUSE 6547 Santa Monica Blvd  Hollywood, CA 90038 (323) 464-6873 Sign up: 7:00 pm  Show: 7:30 pm Notes: Comedy & poetry RAINBOW BAR AND GRILL 9015 W Sunset Blvd  West Hollywood, CA 90189 (310) 278-4232 Sign up: 8:00 pm  Show: 8:30 pm Cost: $2 Notes: Comedy & music open mic SKINNY'S LOUNGE 4923 Lankershim Blvd  North Hollywood, CA 91601 (818) 763-6581 Sign up: 8:00 pm  Show: 8:15 pm Notes: Mostly booked show. Drawing for 2 open mic spots GROUND ZERO COFFEE HOUSE 615 Child's Way  Los Angeles, CA 90089 (213) 821-1484 Sign up: 9:00 pm (USC students)  Sign up: 9:20 pm (general public) Show: 9:30 pm Notes: Music, comedy & poetry open mic LIQUID ZOO 7214 Sepulveda Blvd  Van Nuys, CA 91405 (818) 997-3818 Sign ...