Lois Rufer was taken on a short ride aboard the Seagrave, the Huntington Beach Fire Department’s refurbished original motorized fire engine, on Thursday afternoon, July 17.

The 102-year-old woman — Rufer is 102.5 years old to be exact, because it’s important to count the months, she said — remembered reading about the vintage fire engine in an Orange County Register article. She mentioned it to her family, and her son Dan reached out to the department to arrange a meeting between the two.

“They wanted to know if I’d be able to ride in it, and I said, ‘I thought I’d be driving it,’” Rufer joked.

Though she’s not licensed to drive a fire truck, she did still have a valid driver’s license at her previous birthday. She was still elated to occupy one of the engine’s two seats, ringing the bell and using the hand-crank horn as it circled the parking lot of the Central Net Training Facility.

The Seagrave was purchased for $14,500 in 1922, Captain Rex Rysewyk said. Though that was a steep price back then, it still pales in comparison to modern fire engines that cost upwards of a million dollars, according to city spokesman Corbin Carson.

“It’s the first non-horse-driven fire apparatus that the city purchased,” Rysewyk said.

The Seagrave was in service from 1923 to 1966 at Huntington Beach’s original firehouse on 5th and Main streets, before being handed over to Los Angeles’ Travel Town Museum. It remained there until 2002, when former Fire Chief Michael Dolder brought it home in exchange for a forklift. The Huntington Beach Firefighters’ Association then purchased it in 2007 and began a 15-year-long restoration project.

The engine was initially stored in a garage at the Boeing Co. complex before being moved to a Huntington Beach fire station to continue restoration.

Built with a single purpose — to get a pump to the scene — the 1922 Seagrave had just two seats: one for the driver and one for a passenger. The rest of the volunteer crew, which included six or more firefighters, rode on the tailboard or gripped the side rails. Today’s engines carry four to six crew members in an enclosed cab and weigh nearly 40,000 pounds — more than three times the estimated 12,000 pounds of the original. The Seagrave runs on a six-cylinder gasoline engine with a 1,020-cubic-inch displacement and a 120-horsepower centrifugal pump rated at 750 gallons per minute.

While sanding the hood, they uncovered the “crown jewel” of the engine — the original hand-painted murals of a ship and a lighthouse decorating the sides of the Seagrave.

They wondered if, beneath a sticker of the department logo and layers upon layers of primer, there was something special, Rysewyk said. They decided to pull the sticker and start sanding the hood.

“We saw a little bit of color finally, and at that point, we knew we had a gem of original artwork on the hood,” Rysewyk said. “That was probably one of the most monumental things of this whole project.”

As part of the restoration, the name “The Hib” was added to the side of the engine in honor of Harry Hibler Sr., who served as chief of the city’s volunteer fire department in the 1920s.

The restoration ultimately cost more than $100,000, funded entirely through donations and community contributions, Carson said. The Seagrave can now be visited by appointment at the Huntington Beach Firefighters’ Association office.

“Seeing (Rufer) elated and having these two historians with each other is pretty satisfying for me — probably more so than the actual restoration process,” Rysewyk said. “Someone appreciating this, that’s as old as this… You don’t get that opportunity ever.”

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misspelled Lois Rufer’s name.

It was the first time the property at 7701 Yorktown Ave. has been on the market in more than 30 years, according to CBRE, which represented the seller and the all-cash buyer from Newport Beach.

Completed in 1973 and 1974, the two-building complex includes one studio and 17 two-bedroom units in 15,903 square feet.

The property includes a courtyard, picnic area and private patios or balconies in certain units. Recent improvements, CBRE noted, include new exterior paint, garage roofs, stairs, upper-level walkways, and washers and dryers.

“For the buyer, this acquisition presented an opportunity to capitalize on the property’s all-electric buildings and the potential for rental upside in a desirable Huntington Beach location, less than 2 miles from the beach,” said Mike O’Neill, a senior vice president at CBRE.

Neither the buyer nor the seller were identified by CBRE.

Industrial building in Fullerton fetches $3.4M

An industrial property in Fullerton sold June 11 for $3,380,000, and the new owner has a plan to convert the building to a dental laboratory.

The property at 1041 S Placentia Ave. includes 9,982 square feet of industrial space.

Lee & Associates in Orange represented the buyer, who acquired the facility with plans to repurpose it.

Medical office in Orange sells for $1M

A medical office building in Orange sold June 6 for $1,025,000, according to Lee & Associates in Orange.

The property at 555 N. Tustin St. includes a 1,690-square-foot building on a 0.16-acre lot, originally built in 1956.

Lee & Associates represented the seller. The buyer had been the property’s tenant for a number of years.

JLL’s new team to manage OCVibe

JLL Property Management’s new team, The Mixx, will be managing OCVibe when it’s completed in Anaheim.

The 100-acre mixed-use development is under construction next to Honda Center and will include 20 acres of parks and plazas, four parking garages, restaurants, the office building The Weave, and retail plazas around the arena.

JLL’s team will oversee operations, management and maintenance of OCVIBE’s commercial and common areas.

The brokerage noted that OC Sports and Entertainment, owned by the Samueli family, will continue to manage Honda Center and future entertainment venues at OCVIBE.

Henry Samueli, the billionaire owner of the Ducks, and his company are the primary investors in the the $4 billion development in Anaheim.

When completed, the complex in Anaheim’s Platinum Triangle will have four performance venues, 28 restaurants and six bars, two hotels, green space and around 2,000 apartments.

The first phase of construction was estimated to be complete in late 2026, with the entire complex finished by 2029.

Wimberly first woman tapped to industry exec board

Leah Wimberly, a principal at the woman-owned union drywall contractor Pacific Wall Systems based in Anaheim, recently was appointed to the executive board of the Western Wall and Ceiling Contractors Association.

She is the first woman in the association’s 124-year history to join the board.

“I look forward to working collaboratively with fellow members and labor partners to advance education, promote best practices, expand training and technology use, and ensure that office and field teams remain aligned in delivering top-tier projects — safely and efficiently,” Wimberly said.

She has spent her 17-year career at Pacific Wall Systems where she began as an estimator and project manager before becoming principal in 2022.

Wimberly’s father, Daryl Wimberly, served on the WWCCA Board of Directors and now is on its advisory board.

The real estate roundup is compiled from news releases and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos via email to  sgowen@scng.com . Please allow at least a week for publication. All items are subject to editing for clarity and length.

Starting Saturday, July 12, the registrar is hosting several workshops to hear from Orange County voters on polling and ballot drop box locations, accessibility of polling stations, language access, voting outreach programs and safety procedures.

The workshops — several of which offer other languages, including Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese — run through the rest of the month and into August.

They are an effort to solicit feedback on how the county can update and improve its Election Administration Plan, which governs how the voting process works in Orange County, said Bob Page, the registrar of voters.

Workshops, which can last between one and one and a half hours, will be split into two categories: general public workshops and accessibility language workshops.

General public workshops are opportunities for anyone to provide feedback. Accessibility language workshops — in addition to having translators for various languages — will focus on how polling centers can better accommodate those whose first language is not English.

Rooms will be divided into five sections — voting and ballot drop box locations, accessibility of voting facilities, language assistance and accessibility services, voter education and outreach programs and safety and security of the election process — where attendees can provide verbal or written feedback, said Page.

Attendees can participate in one or all of the categories. There will also be a packet for attendees who would rather write down all of their feedback instead of visiting each station separately.

“We wanted to give them an opportunity to be comfortable providing feedback in the method they want in the areas they want,” said Page.

The Voters Choice Act, a state law that lays out how counties administer an all-mail ballot election system with ballot drop-off locations and vote centers, requires the registrar to hold a public feedback forum after initial changes are made to the election plan. But Page said his office is hosting the series of workshops — before the plan is edited — to give local voters more involvement in the process.

“We don’t want to just do the minimum required,” Page said. “We want to make sure that we’re getting feedback from as many different people as we can.”

Other factors the registrar is considering for updates include federal and state law, data from previous elections, best practices determined by the registrar and the county budget, Page said.

“The community input and feedback is a very important part of any update we make, but that has to be balanced with those other four elements in terms of what is actually in the plan,” Page said.

Aside from the 15 scheduled workshops, the registrar has invited more than 250 organizations to schedule small group meetings. Many of these organizations are involved in voter outreach and the voting process by lending their facilities for polling locations and drop-off boxes, Page said.

The registrar plans to complete the initial feedback process in the first week of August, Page said. The registrar’s office will then compile summaries of the feedback to be published online and create the first draft of the new 2026-2030 EAP.

“I’ve got a deadline to meet and I’m trying to do my best to give people as much time as possible and as many different formats to provide input,” Page said.

The secretary of state has requested the final draft of the EAP by Dec. 1, although by law it is due 120 days before the June 2026 primary election, which would be in February 2026, Page said.

After the first draft of the EAP is published, there will be a 14-day public review period during which people can provide additional comments on the plan. The registrar’s office has also scheduled a public hearing for Sept. 25 at the Irvine City Hall for in-person feedback.

The registrar will make necessary changes based on feedback received online and at the hearing, Page said. The office will then post a final draft that receives the same 14-day review before final changes are made and the EAP is sent to the secretary of state.

The election plan spanning 2021-2025 is available in 10 languages on the registrar of voters’ website. More information about the workshops or how to submit a feedback form online can also be found on the registrar’s website.

Workshops are scheduled for:

• Saturday, July 12: San Juan Capistrano Community Center (25925 Camino Del Avion), 10-11:30 a.m.

• Monday, July 14: Buena Park Community Center (6688 Beach Blvd.), 6-7 p.m.; Korean language meeting

• Wednesday, July 16: Los Olivos Community Center in Irvine (101 Alfonso), 6-7 p.m.; Farsi interpretation available

• Thursday, July 17: Delhi Center in Santa Ana (505 E. Central Ave.), 6-7 p.m.; Spanish language meeting

• Saturday, July 19: Fountain Valley Recreation Center (16400 Brookhurst St.), 10-11 a.m.; Vietnamese language meeting

• Monday, July 21: South Coast Chinese Cultural Center in Irvine (9 Truman St.), 6-7 p.m.; Chinese language meeting

• Tuesday, July 22: Southwest Senior Center in Santa Ana (2201 W. McFadden Ave.), 6-7:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, July 23: Zoom meeting with ASL interpretation available, 6-7 p.m.

• Thursday, July 24: West Anaheim Youth Center (320 S. Beach Blvd.), 6-7 p.m., Tagalog interpretation available

• Saturday, July 26: Huntington Beach Central Library (7111 Talbert Ave.), 10-11:30 a.m.

• Monday, July 28: Northwood Community Center in Irvine (4531 Bryan Ave.), 6-7 p.m., Japanese interpretation available

• Tuesday, July 29: Norman P. Murray Community Center in Mission Viejo (24932 Veterans Way), 6-7:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, July 30: Buena Park Library (7150 La Palma Ave.), 6-7 p.m.; Hindi interpretation available

• Thursday, July 31: East Anaheim Community Center (8201 E. Santa Ana Canyon Rd.), 6-7 p.m.; Gujarati interpretation available

• Saturday, Aug. 2: Brea Community Center (695 Madison Way), 10-11:30 a.m.

The celebrations for the brewery, which has won various prestigious awards including its most recent win; a  silver medal in the American IPA category at the 2025 World Beer Cup, along with three additional bronze medals, will include food, prizes and of course beer specials.

In Bixby Knolls at Beachwood Brewing & Distilling, 3630 Atlantic Ave., and at Beachwood Pizza & Beer, 5205 Warner Ave., Huntington Beach, people can expect free Coozies for the first 25 guests and for those who wear a vintage Beachwood tee. The brewery will also be pouring a new sour barrel experiment beer on draft and there will be free dog portraits.

Vintage pours from the cellar will be available to those who visit Beachwood Blendery at 247 N. Long Beach Blvd., while beer and a new Bucket Hat drop will mark the occasion at Beachwood’s 2nd and PCH location, 6430 Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach.

For more information go to beachwoodbrewing.com

Four to six feet surf with sets up to seven feet are expected; and those entering the water should keep an eye out for rip currents. Anyone trapped in a rip current should swim parallel to shore to escape, and then swim back to the beach, experts say.

“Rip currents are sort of the opposite of waves in that waves are energy going into the beach, and since there has to be an opposite reaction, rip currents are the energy going back out of the beach,” said Chandler Price, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s San Diego office.

The stronger and larger waves are, the stronger the rip currents will be, Price added.

Rip currents should be avoided. They are generally characterized by smaller waves or a lack of them.

“So, you know, that nice area of the ocean that looks calmer than the rest of them is not a good place to swim necessarily because that’s generally where the rip currents are going to be,” Price said.

Rip currents may also be a different color from the rest of the ocean, especially if they drag up sediment and sand.

The National Weather Service issued Beach Hazard Statements for Ventura, Los Angeles,  Orange and San Diego counties  that will remain in effect through Sunday evening.

The increased hazardous beach conditions are due to an increased southerly swell, and this one is being caused by a hurricane that developed off Mexico’s western coast.

The good news is that the storm is now gone, but the dangerous ripple effect remains for beach-goers in the Southern California until Monday morning, according to Kristan Lund, a meteorologist with the NWS. Southerly facing beaches and beaches near jetties will see an increase in stronger rip currents.

Newport Beach Lifeguards on social media reported rescuing 10 swimmers from “monster rip currents” on the Fourth of July, a small fraction of the 350+ rescues made in Newport Beach that Friday.

Huntington Beach lifeguards rescued 152 people on the Fourth of July.

“The powerful surf produced rip currents that were pulling hundreds of yards offshore into deeper water,” Huntington Beach Fire Department Marine Safety Division Chief Trevor McDonald said in a news release. “It was common to see large wave sets roll through, followed by multiple monster rip currents forming at once and pulling water — and swimmers — rapidly out to sea.”

Brad Herzog, captain at OC Lifeguards, recommended people check lifeguard station flags. A green flag indicates the lowest threat level, whereas the red flag, indicative of the highest threat level, means only experts, such as lifeguards, can go into the water.

Here are other recommendations from experts on how beach-goers can keep themselves safe amid the presence of dangerous rip currents:

• Swim near a lifeguard
• Keep an eye on everyone in your group
• Stay hydrated
• Know what rip currents look like and avoid them
• Know how to get out of a rip current

If you do find yourself caught in a rip current, don’t try to swim back to shore because you’ll likely tire yourself out. Experts recommend swimming parallel to shore until you’re out of the rip current. Once you’re out, it’s then time to swim back to shore.

According to Lund, if another hurricane forms off Mexico’s western coast this week, Southern Californians could expect to see another round of increased beach hazards by Friday.

Throughout Orange County, Independence Day parades and community gatherings are showcasing countless American flags waving, plenty of red, white and blue decore splashed throughout, and patriotic remembrances to mark the Fourth of July holiday.

In Huntington Beach, some parade-goers staked out their prime spots before dawn today to watch the famed march down Main Street, this year celebrating 121 years. The event is dubbed the biggest Fourth of July parade west of the Mississippi River.

Classic cars cruised down the drag, Huntington Beach High students marched, and patriotic floats made their way along the 2.5-mile route.

This year’s 2025 Community Grand Marshal was Mike Ali, a Vietnam veteran and owner of Zack’s by the Beach. The teen Grand Marshal is Bailey Turner, a 16-year-old rising surf star who has earned several prestigious titles, including U18 National USA Champion, Women’s NSSA National Champion, U16 Regional Champion, and Ripcurl Gromsearch Champion.

Further inland, Brea’s annual Country Fair drew crowds for a day full of patriotic festivities.

Today featured everything from a pancake breakfast, live entertainment, kiddie parade, dog parade, classic car show, food, games, exhibits, and handmade gifts. The most patriotic baby was declared and other contests hosted.

The celebration that filled City Hall Park marked the 45th year Brea has held its famed county fair.

The potential relocation was discussed at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, where council members voted unanimously to direct staff to explore the feasibility of the move, with a report expected within 90 days.

The museum has been at its current location on Olive Avenue since the late 1980s and has outgrown the facility, city officials said.

The limited size of the existing location has prevented the museum from displaying many of its larger and more significant surfboards, some dating back to the 1930s, as well as other archival materials, city staff told the council in a report.

A collection of historic documents, publications and surf culture artifacts are currently not accessible to the public due to a lack of storage, cataloging capacity, and archival infrastructure, staffers said.

The museum’s executive director, Peter “PT” Townend, said the idea for a move came up about 18 months ago, with the hopes that Huntington Beach would be the site of the LA28 Olympics surfing venue.

Even though Lower Trestles, just south of San Clemente, was selected instead, the idea for a bigger museum space stuck, needed as a draw for the millions of visitors expected with the Olympics and the World Cup coming to the Los Angeles and Orange County area in coming years, Townend said.

“We’ve been doing world-class exhibits in a box, and we need to be bigger and better,” he added.

Locating the museum in vacant areas of the library could also open the door to future collaboration with the Huntington Beach Art Center, helping to establish “a cohesive cultural district along Main Street that highlights the city’s history and identity as an international surf destination,” city officials said.

Visit Huntington Beach has indicated preliminary support and may assist in underwriting relocation and ongoing operational costs, pending further discussion, staffers told the council.

But first, a full review of the site’s compatibility, operational impacts and required land use entitlements — including permitting requirements — is necessary.

About half of the library space isn’t being used, and moving the museum to the upper end of Main Street could help drive more tourism to that area, Townend said.

The museum was founded by Natalie Kotsch, a Canadian who moved to Huntington Beach and fell in love with surf culture.

Kotsch, who died in 2014, dreamed of a place where people could see memorabilia and art, learn about surfing greats, and gather with others from around the world to celebrate the culture.

Through the years, there have been talks about moving the museum or finding a bigger, more prominent location. In 2002, there were high hopes to raise $6 million to move the museum to a 20,000-square-foot building along Pacific Coast Highway, but those plans never came to fruition.

There were also talks a few years ago about joining forces with the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center in San Clemente, but many Huntington Beach surfers pushed back on that idea, and eventually it wiped out.

A larger space is needed, Townend said. High ceilings would allow relics such as the museum’s 16-foot wooden boards to be displayed upright, and a library area could be a study spot where surf magazines, books and other cultural, environmental and historic information could be accessed by students and the public.

“I just think it will give us a much better opportunity for the exhibits,” Townend said.

An area currently used for reading programs during the day could be turned into a special events space, fitting about 100 people.

If approved, there’s a plan to take the big, world-record-setting surfboard at the museum back to the waves to set a new record on next year’s California Surfing Day, before the board is relocated, Townend said. The current record is 66 people.

City officials seemed to be on board with the relocation idea.

“There’s some amazing artifacts and historical pieces in the Main Street library, I think it makes sense to fuse that together, to give the International Surfing Museum a home it really deserves,  put it on the map,” Councilmember Casey McKeon said. “We need a high-profile location to give it the credit due.

“Obviously, there’s a lot of work to be done,” he said, “but if done right it could be a good fusion of the library with the International Surfing Museum.”

Councilmember Don Kennedy remembers going into the now-museum building back when it was a dentist’s office in the ’70s.

“That surf museum does need a better location,” he said. “The synergy between the surf museum, library and Main Street, it just all fits.”

Last Fourth of July,  a boater offshore from the Santa Ana River mouth appears to have scared off nesting California least terns by setting off fireworks from their vessel, Orange County Coastkeeper officials said. The endangered seabird species nests along the coast each summer.

“The Santa Ana River mouth is a critical breeding site for California least terns, western snowy plovers, and other shorebirds,” said Ray Hiemstra, associate director of policy and projects at Orange County Coastkeeper. “But these birds are incredibly vulnerable to human activity, especially loud noises, dogs off-leash and fireworks. Even well-meaning recreation can have devastating consequences.”

A few days after the holiday, surveyors confirmed that the colony was abandoned, “jeopardizing the immediate and long-term population growth of this species,” Coastkeeper officials said.

This year, there is a planned increase in the presence of government and nonprofit partners who will monitor the areas near the river mouth, which sits between Newport Beach and Huntington Beach, to protect the sensitive shorebirds.

Orange County Coastkeeper, OC Habitats, Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy, Sea and Sage Audubon Society and California State Parks will help with increased enforcement, public education and on-the-ground monitoring aimed at preventing similar disturbances and ensuring the protection of nesting birds.

While the boat incident put a spotlight on the area’s sensitive habitat, coastal advocates are also reminding people that fireworks are banned not just offshore, but also at Huntington State Beach, throughout all of Newport Beach, and along the coast of Huntington Beach.

Already, the holiday weekend draws the largest crowds of the year, with tens of thousands of people cramming into the coast from early-morning hours into the night.

While the least tern preserve is fenced off, other nesting areas for species such as the snowy plover are found around the sandy areas.

California least terns are listed as endangered at both the state and federal levels. Western snowy plovers are federally threatened and considered a “species of special concern” in California. Even brief human disturbance can cause them to flee, abandoning eggs or chicks in the process, according to Coastkeeper officials.

The area has been on the radar for environmentalists for years, concerned about the impacts of off-leash dog activity in the Santa Ana River mouth.

“This is about coexisting,” said Stacey Chartier-Grable, executive director at OC Habitats. “We all love our beaches. Taking small, respectful actions ensures that future generations of people and birds can continue to enjoy them.”

There are typically 300 nests in the area each season, though numbers in recent years have been dwindling, said State Parks Environmental Scientist Lana Nguyen.

Last year was the lowest number since 2008, with only 229 nests counted.

“This year, we’re looking at an even lower number,” she said. “We’re still hatching chicks and trying to fledge birds, but overall their numbers are on decline, and that’s consistent across California, it seems.”

Food supply is an issue, but disturbances are consistently a problem, Nguyen said. Around snowy plover nests, there will be temporary enclosures and fencing and volunteers standing guard, along with signage to warn the public about the sensitive habitat.

“We are entering a critical time, our visitations are busy and the Fourth of July is the busiest time of the year,” Nguyen said. “That many people on the beach usually means the plovers are hunkered down and can’t forage.”

The goal is to find the right balance between recreation and conservation.

“Give birds their space, respect fences and try to make sure activities are causing the least disturbance to both plowers and terns,” Nguyen urged, “so we can live harmoniously.”

“Waves have been good every day of the event,” said NSSA Executive Director Janice Aragon, noting that the swell is expected to bring 4- to 6-foot surf for Thursday. “You couldn’t ask for anything better.”

The contest drew 600 surfers from around the country to compete, with about 60 left with hopes for the prestigious title going into the final day — only a handful will take to the podium by late afternoon.

With the strong swell expected, coupled with the talent level of the kids, “there’s going to be fireworks down here,” Aragon said. “Everybody should come down to check out the action, plus the weather is forecasted to be great.”

Each year, the level of the surfers gets better and better, she added.

“They are pulling off insane moves,” she said, noting there has been two perfect 10 scores during the event. “When the surf is firing, and you have the top kids in the nation, that’s a recipe for excitement … we’re so grateful the waves have cooperated.”

The south side of the pier is “the arena of surfing,” a place where in just a few weeks, pro-level surfers will be competing for the prestigious US Open of Surfing from July 26 to Aug. 3.

Many surfers who win NSSA national championships go on to compete at the US Open or even land on the prestigious World Tour.

“This is kind of the stepping stones to that, right here,” Aragon said. “It’s really a great training ground here — especially when the surf is firing.”

There are still plenty of local surfers in the running.

San Clemente’s Kai Finn and Tanner Sandvig, Huntington Beach’s Finn Castle and Dana Point’s Sean MacDonald are all in the men’s 18U quarterfinal matchups. Castle also made a spot in the U16 semifinals.

Huntington Beach’s Wyatt Yount and Greyson Walker, as well as San Clemente’s Zion Walla, are in the boys U14 final.

Newport Beach’s Brett Gregorious is in the boys U12 final. San Clemente’s Teagan Sandvig is in the girls U14 final and the U12 final.

The open men’s and women’s national champions are expected to be awarded the Mayor’s Cup at about 4:30 p.m. on the south side of the pier. For more information, go to nssa.org.

Our reporters are back at it again with a round-up of our favorite eats from June. This month’s guide includes ice cream recommendations for when you’re in need of a sweet treat, sandwich spots for dining in or grabbing to go to, Indian food packed with spices, Japanese staples like ramen and sushi, and other nearby bites if you’re looking to try something new.

• Also see: The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in May

Here’s a look from reporters at nearby eateries to try around Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.

Related: See the best things we ate in Southern California in 2024.

Tri-tip fries – SeaSalt Honky Tonk, Huntington Beach

While covering Alicia Cox’s SeaSalt Honky Tonk, the “queen of concessions” latest seaside venture on Bolsa Chica State Beach, I simply had to investigate her new partnership with Heritage Barbecue. Daniel and Brenda Castillo’s acclaimed San Juan Capistrano barbecue joint is running a summer-long pop-up at SeaSalt Honky Tonk, featuring a condensed menu. Among their offerings are fries topped with smoked tri-tip, shredded cheddar, pickled jalapenos and onions. The tri-tip was generously portioned and cooked to tender perfection, smoked on-site, of course. However, the true standout, much to my delight, was the exceedingly crisp and well-seasoned fries. Though I’m far from a beach enthusiast, with the sun god and his punishing rays being my lifelong nemesis, this quintessentially Orange County collaboration between Cox and Castillo might just compel me to brave the sands and sun-kissed throngs with SPF 50 and an oversized hat, all for another taste.

— Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter

• RELATED: OC’s ‘queen of concessions’ brings two new beachfront restaurants to Huntington Beach

Eggplant Parm – Ggiata, Studio City

This bread is some of the best sandwich bread I’ve had in my life, and that’s coming from a Bay Area girl who makes dutch crunch her whole personality when she hears you went to Ike’s. If I can grab your attention for one thing about this sandwich, let it be how good the bread was. Ggiata is a name that might ring a bell if you’ve spent recent downtime scrolling on TikTok. The sandwich shop has gained social media fame thanks to a few viral videos, which made me curious to stop by. I ended up going with the eggplant parm, which was one out of a handful of vegetarian options. After opening the to-go box, all I could say was “wow, this smells so good.” And the first bite lived up to every expectation. My parents raised me on eggplant parmesan. They’re big fans of the one from Buca di Beppo, but that’s a whole other story. The flavors, combined with the texture, made it clear that this is where I’ll take them the next time they’re in town. The cheese, sauce and eggplant all felt perfectly portioned, not only to taste, but so you’re not left with parts of the sandwich awkwardly falling out with each bite.

— Carolyn Burt, Audience Engagement Producer

Achari Chicken Tikki – Daddy Ji, Claremont

Daddy Ji, nestled on the west side of Indian Hill in the Claremont Village, is a local favorite. Whether you were planning to grab some Indian street food or not, walking down the block, the spices wafting from the small eatery pull you in, and that’s how my girls and I find ourselves there time after time. Across multiple trips, we haven’t ordered a thing off the menu that we didn’t rave about, but the Achari Chicken Tikki has become a staple dish no matter how much we mix it up from visit to visit. Served on a sizzling hot plate alongside bell peppers and onions, the boneless dark chicken dish is marinated in a blend of spices and light sauce that coats your taste buds like butter. Enjoy alongside some basmati rice or garlic naan, and don’t sleep on the mango lassi to drink.

— Emily St. Martin, Digital Features Editor

Tonkatsu Ramen, USA Roll and Spider Roll – Jikan Japanese Restaurant, Ontario

As the weather takes a warmer turn, there was one thing I was craving…Ramen. A bit wild, I know, but stay with me as I also wanted sushi. Jikan’s Japanese Restaurant in Ontario had everything I was looking for. I shared a bowl of the very large and delicious tonkatsu ramen, which was enough in itself. I also ordered two rolls: the Spider Roll and the USA Roll, both of which were fresh and had large portions. An unexpected star of my meal, though, was the garlic edamame. It was loaded with fresh garlic, and honestly, I couldn’t get enough. For both price and quality, this is a solid choice for Japanese.

— Mercedes Cannon-Tran, Local Reporter

“Anthony’s Special” – McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams, San Juan Capistrano

During a visit to San Juan Capistrano’s River Street Marketplace, I stopped at McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams, hoping to conclude my trip with a frozen fruit-and-cream combination, my second-favorite flavor profile. Anthony, the store’s manager, had different plans for me, subtly guiding me towards an inspired choice: his namesake creation. His clever construction featured two flavors. The first scoop was the double peanut butter chip, a peanut butter-infused ice cream with creamy peanut butter veins and slightly melty bittersweet chocolate shards. This sat atop a scoop of sea salt cream and cookies, a vanilla ice cream spiked with said sea salt and McConnell’s own Guittard chocolate chunk cookies. Anthony’s Special, as he christened it, proved to be the managerial interference I didn’t know I needed. Chocolate and peanut butter, especially with a pop of salt, remains my god-tier flavor combination. Thank you, Anthony.

— Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter

• RELATED: Santa Barbara’s McConnell’s opening first OC scoop shop

Chile Colorado Bowl – Miguel’s Jr., Corona

To mark the 50th anniversary of Miguel’s Jr., I visited the chain’s original restaurant at 1039 1039 W. Sixth St, Corona. I ordered Chile Colorado, an exclusive to that location. There were layers of goodness in the bowl, with sour cream and melted cheese on top of shredded stew meat and chunks of potatoes. Try it with house-made strawberry lemonade. Incidentally, I was in line behind the chain’s founder, Mary Vasquez, who ordered a salad to go. At age 82, she recently picked up her high school equivalency diploma at the nearby high school.

— Fielding Buck, Restaurant Reporter

• ALSO SEE: 82-year-old Miguel’s Jr. cofounder earns her high school diploma as her restaurant chain turns 50

The Greyhound – Stray Dog’s Coffee, Riverside

Stray Dogs Coffee was a delightful recent find. Located conveniently in downtown Riverside, parking wasn’t too bad. It was just what I needed for an afternoon pick-me-up. I ordered the Greyhound and it was delicious. An espresso-based iced drink with Earl Grey honey and topped with a vanilla cold foam made all my coffee dreams come true. I rounded out the drink with an Earl Grey crumb cake, and if you can’t tell by now, I am obsessed with Earl Grey. Did I also mention that they are dog-friendly and help local strays find homes? We love a good coffee with an even greater cause.

— Mercedes Cannon-Tran, Local Reporter

Thrifty Chocolate Malted Krunch Ice Cream – Killer Dana Surf Shop, Dana Point

On the other end of the ice cream spectrum, a visit to Killer Dana Surf Shop led to a stop at their Thrifty Ice Cream counter. The surf and clothing retailer wisely retained the beloved sweet-treat pitstop after moving into the former Rite-Aid location in 2024. I chose Chocolate Malted Krunch, the flavor I grew up with, known for its malted-chocolate ice cream, chocolate flecks, and especially its crisped rice balls. While this mass-produced brand doesn’t have the same cachet as McConnell’s or other small-batch ice creams, it’s rich with memories of yore. As a small child, honing my comedic routine, I’d always pick out the rice balls, clean them with my tongue, and then, with my lips covering my teeth, present them in a dish to weary family members, announcing, “Look, my teeth fell outta my mouth.” Thud. Even though the recurring bit never landed with my blood kin (tough crowd), this ice cream remains a personal favorite. And despite what lauded gastronomes might think of the archaic ice cream brand today, some youthful quirks and tastes are better left unexamined by such sophisticated palates.

— Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter

• SEE MORE: An ice cream parlor tucked inside a surf shop? Check out OC’s hidden food spots

The Kate – Something About Her, West Hollywood

Anyone who has watched Vanderpump Rules knows that the bars and restaurants owned and operated by the cast play a huge role in the series. It all kicked off with S.U.R., the restaurant owned by former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump and her husband, Ken Todd, where a group of friends worked as servers, hosts and bartenders while also pursuing their Hollywood dreams. In the 10 years since the series first aired, the cast has made quite a name for themselves as not only Bravolebs and reality TV icons, but also opening up their own local spots. Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney decided to approach things a little differently when it came to opening Something About Her, opting for a chic, feminine sandwich shop rather than a bar. The names of the dishes are all inspired by leading ladies from RomComs (my favorite genre, so already we were off to a good start). The establishment lives up to its tagline of “romanticizing lunch” with its clear attention to detail when it comes to decor and the dining experience. I decided to go with the Kate, a staff favorite that resembles a caprese. The sauces alone live up to the hype, with the pesto aioli being the standout. Each bite was a blend of flavor from the burrata, tomatoes, balsamic glaze and onion marmalade. The ciabatta roll made for some messy pieces at the end, but each one was so tasty that I couldn’t complain. Additional tip: You can forgo the bread on any of their sandwiches and opt for it as a salad instead, which I’m looking forward to trying during my next visit.

— Carolyn Burt, Audience Engagement Producer

Cheesy Garlic Knots – The 4th Horseman in Long Beach

The 4th horseman has long been a favorite little hideaway of mine since my college days in Long Beach. The funky decor, music, and pizza have always kept me coming back for more. I was in the area on Friday the 13th and thought, what better way to end the night? I opted for a slice of pepperoni pizza, but the real star of the show this visit was the cheesy garlic knots. Not only were they piping hot, fresh from the oven, but they were also delectably soft and cheesy. No need to worry about any vampire attacks after these bad boys, as they were loaded with garlic. The portion is also so large that it could be a meal itself!

— Mercedes Cannon-Tran, Local Reporter

See more of our monthly round-ups of the best things we ate in Southern California

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in May

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in April

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in March

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in February

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in January

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in 2024

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in November

The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants this October

The best thing we ate at Southern California restaurants in September

The best thing we ate at Southern California restaurants in August