Best Vegetarian Burrito: Albert’s Mexican Food
Deputy art director Victoria Alvarez has been eating meat-free in O.C. since her days at La Habra High. Albert’s Mexican Food’s chile relleno burrito has almost an entire egg-battered chile relleno inside. Every bite is full of flavor and cheesy goodness. 701 E. Whittier Blvd., La Habra
Most Unexpectedly Photo-worthy Dish: Burnt Crumbs’ Spaghetti Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Staff photographer Priscilla Iezzi has photographed and sampled dishes by nearly every chef in the county. The second I saw Burnt Crumbs’
spaghetti grilled cheese sandwich on Instagram, I knew I had to have it. It’s generously packed with warm, homestyle spaghetti and oozy mozzarella between two buttery, toasted slices of sourdough bread. Uh, yum! At Pacific City in Huntington Beach and Los Olivos Marketplace in Irvine, burntcrumbs.com
Best Chocolate Chip Cookie: Lemonade
Design director Mindy Benham has baked hundreds of batches of cookies and has a blue ribbon from the O.C. Fair to show for it. I evaluated 20 local cookies for taste, texture, and consistency. The winner is a no-nut version that’s fully baked, chewy, buttery, salty, and stuffed full of Guittard chocolate wafers. You’ll find it at Lemonade, where $3.25 buys you nearly a quarter pound of cookie goodness. Three
locations in O.C., lemonadela.com
Best Indoor Playground: We Play Loud
Associate editor Astgik Khatchatryan is mom to a toddler. We Play Loud is the kind of place I only dreamed of when I was young. Kids play (and bounce and climb) on bright, padded equipment and rides such as a giant, twirling octopus. The 12,000-squarefoot space is surprisingly clean and civilized, and there’s a separate toddler area. Fun! 24350 Swartz Drive, Lake Forest, 949-328-9616, weplayloud.com
Best Unique Art Experience for Disney Enthusiasts: WonderGround Gallery
Editorial and art assistant Michelle Pagaran was a Disneyland photographer. WonderGround Gallery collaborates with artists who re-imagine Disney motifs for today’s audience. Artist-inresidence Victoria Ying, who has worked on films such as “Tangled,” will give painting demonstrations through July. Downtown Disney District, 1580 S. Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, 714-781-4565
Best Lap Pool: San Clemente Aquatic Center
Senior editor Laura Bleiberg swims three days a week. The stupendous San Clemente Aquatic Center (built in 2012) can make anyone feel like an Olympian. There’s lap swimming in two pools, including a 50-meter competition pool: 16 roomy lanes for short course (25 yards); overflow gutters that keep the surface smooth; and water temperature at a perfect 78 degrees. 987 Vista Hermosa, San Clemente, 949-429-8797, san-clemente.org
Best O.C. Optical Company: Salt Optics
Style editor Chris Christensen has spent the past decade shopping for the county’s best. Costa Mesa’s Salt Optics is all about timeless design, optimum fit, and polarized lenses—and really, what more do you need from a pair of sunglasses? They’re on trend, without a whisper of trying too hard. Shop the styles at A’maree’s, or saltoptics.com
Best Throwback Home Goods: Driving Miz Daizy vintage market
Home editor Ada Madigan is an antiques enthusiast. Even with its fair share of kitsch, the monthly Driving Miz Daizy vintage market is a manageable endeavor, and a must if rummaging through antiques is your idea of a perfect Sunday. 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, 949-422-0432, drivingmizdaizy.com
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