Category Archives: Consumer

Shocking local restaurant closures

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  • Denny’s on Portola,  Foothill Ranch closing today, Monday, January 31.
  • The entire Laguna Hills Mall upstairs Food Court. Barricades going up this week, impacting Sbarro, Hot Dog On a Stock, and Chinese Express.
  • Black Forest Bakery in Lake Forest closed Dec. 24. The owners cited the bad economy for the closure.
  • McDonald’s at The Shops at Mission Viejo has closed
  • The Chronic Tacos at 23781 El Toro Road in Lake Forest has closed. The restaurant phone number is disconnected, and the location is no longer listed on the chain’s website.

and temporary closing, per the OC Register:

  • The Sizzler in Lake Forest on Jan. 31 to undergo a top-to-bottom remodel that will transform the aging restaurant into a modern eatery with new furniture, TVs and a revamped menu.  “It’s an extreme makeover,” said Sally Myers, whose Temecula-based company, BMW Management, operates 25 Sizzlers throughout California. “We’re taking Sizzler as our guest knows it today, and it’s going away. ”  The Lake Forest restaurant will serve its last meal Sunday, Jan. 30.  It is among a handful in the chain being transformed to revive the Sizzler brand. The restaurant reopens later this year, and will be the first in Orange County to adopt the new Sizzler look.

“It will be a Sizzler like Orange County has never seen before,” Myers said.

Some foods and the ordering system will also change. Myers reopened a remodeled Sizzler in Murrieta in November, and so far, she said the feedback has been good.  Menu prices will remain the same, she added.  To get a look at the food, decor and structure changes expected at the Sizzler in O.C., check out our food gallery of photos: Behind the Scenes of Sizzler’s Big Remodel

A new, less expensive concept in massage offered by Pandora Massage at Laguna Hills Mall

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I was very short on time the day I went in, my first visit.  I just noticed them driving by so on impulse, I decided to stop and see what their services were and prices.  The first thing I noticed was the soothing sounds of a flute accompanied by a chirping bird. The ambiance is comfortable with a somewhat tropical/Asian decor, very clean, and prices were less expensive than other moderately priced salons I’ve been to.  What I like is that you don’t undress for a massage at Pandora. No hassle of dressing and undressing, make up stays intact, no oily hair so you can go on about your day looking as good as you did when you left the house, but much more relaxed.   All their massage tables are set up in one open space, but fanned out so you have a sense of privacy.  The massage tables may be the most comfortable I’ve layed on.

Again on impulse, I asked for a combination foot/shoulder/neck/back massage for 15 minutes.  It went a little longer but they didn’t charge extra.  Just a 20 minute or so massage and I was so relaxed, I had to peel myself off the massage table.  I didn’t want to move.  Although their website, www.pandoramassage.com, says the massages are for one hour each, they are happy to provide shorter massages that fit your budget or time you have available.

I have a standing appointment at my nail salon every 2 weeks and most of the time, I’ll ask for a longer foot massage or a shoulder/neck/back massage.  I’ll be coming to Pandora for that in the future.  The price is the same, meaning inexpensive, but the quality of massage is better and the soothing environment works wonders.

Issa Hanna, a retired pharmacist, owns Pandora Massage, which only opened 6 weeks ago.   He mentioned they have a large selection of music a customer can choose from if desired.  Then he said the magic words that bought my loyalty on the spot — if established customers are out and about, feeling muscle tension or pain, he’ll be happy to have a masseuse provide a 5 minute massage at no charge. Yep, Pandora’s phone number went immediately into my cell phone Contacts list.

Pandora’s offering a special right now – two one-hour massages for the price of one.  Such a deal!  Use both for yourself or bring a friend.

Pandora Massage is located on the back side of the mall not too far from Sears, and can only be accessed from the parking lot, not from inside the mall.

Open 10am to 10pm everyday. Phone:  (949) 465-0005.  Walk-in’s welcome, appointments preferred.

Quiz–What’s 50% off at Mother’s Market & Kitchen every single day?

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Mother's Market, Laguna WoodsAnswer:

At 7:00 PM and after, all food from their hot case, including the quiche!  The hot case is located at the take-out counter.

How could I not know this?  They carry my two remedies, Cold Sores Begone and Canker Sores Begone, and I’ve shopped there for years.  Tonight, I brought home chile rellanos, some kind of curry dish, spinach and mushroom quiche, and vegetables they call lemon piccata. Yep, that’s about as hard as I want it to get to prepare a meal.

The closest Mother’s Market in the Saddleback area is located in Laguna Woods behind Laguna Hills Mall at Paseo de Valencia and El Toro Rd.

No Healthcare Coverage Due to Economy? Free or Low Cost Clinics Available in OC

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Click on Orange County Health Care Agency.

Although not free, the Minute Clinic (located in select CVS Pharmacy locations) are less expensive than a doctor’s visit, and staffed by physician assistants and nurse practitioners.  Click HERE for info on their Mission Viejo location at La Paz and Marguerite Parkway.

 

 

 

Dial 511 To Check SoCal Traffic Conditions Before Leaving the House or On the Road

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Traffic jamI didn’t know this existed until today!  It’s a free travel information service that provides traffic, transit and commuter service information in Orange County, Los Angeles and Ventura counties via a toll-free phone number, 511, and website, www.Go511.com.  It can even help you plan a trip on a bus or train or find a carpool or vanpool partner.

Calling 511 directly provides you with:

  • Traffic, including freeway travel times and speeds, road construction and traffic incidents
  • Trip planning such as bus and train schedules and a trip planner that helps you find the best transit route for your trip
  • Commuter services including finding a vanpool or carpool partner or locating a park-and-ride facility near you
  • Bike information such as bike maps, how to take bikes on buses and trains and links to area airports and taxis
  • Latest weather in your neighborhood or any other city in Southern California

A new year, desire to get fix-it jobs done, but concerned about expense?

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A few people who used my excellent handyman due to my recommendation, suggested I write about him again since many people don’t go too far back scrolling through a blog.  His name is Daniel Tena and he happens to be a licensed contractor.  His rates are very reasonable, so don’t let that be reason not to call or get your projects, big or small, finally done with–especially if there’s a danger issue involved.  His contact information is: Cell ph:  949-485-8458 , Home ph:  949-365-1085.

Here’s the link to the original blog which provides more information.  http://wp.me/pTlhh-8k

Authentic NY Deli Pastrami and Corned Beef in Irvine – and the Best Rye Bread

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It’s Tommy Pastrami New York Delicatessen, a casual restaurant in a strip mall located at 8685 Irvine Center Drive in Irvine.  Phone  (949) 753-7445

Customer favorites are the pastrami, corned beef, chili and excellent rye bread although other selections include brisket, oven roasted fresh turkey, roast beef, homemade chopped liver, fresh homemade chicken salad, albacore tuna salad, egg salad, homemade chicken matzo ball soup, and more.

The pastrami is leaner and less greasy than what’s offered at The Hat.  With that said, Tommy Pastrami is on the pricey side.

Open Monday thru Saturday,  10:00 am – 8 pm;  Closed Sunday with the exception of catering

Revealing my wonderful handyman

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Daniel, the handyman

Don't let him kid you. His hair is all gray!

Yes, I love to share resources – that’s apparent from this blog.  But I was worried about sharing info about my handyman, Daniel, a licensed contractor, because I had visions of having to wait weeks for him to be available.  Can you blame me?  He’s on time, has fixed every problem I’ve handed him, he’s organized and neat when he works, and his hourly rates are extremely reasonable.

On the personal side, he’s a family man, somewhat urbane, quiet, gentle and kind. My two little dogs took to him instantly and kept trying to sit in his lap when he was working.  Spanish is his native language, and his English could stand improvement, but somehow, all gets communicated and the job gets done just fine.

He works all of south OC, Mondays through Saturdays.  Here’s a quick list of work he does:

Plumbing (doesn’t install water heaters)

Electrical

Painting (no more than one room at a time)+ touch up jobs

Carpentry (small jobs, no flooring)

Installs shelving

Repairs tile, walls, doors, shower doors, window and sliding glass door frames, gates, patio covers, water damage to bathroom and kitchen cabinet doors.

Installs lights, fans

and if it’s not listed here, ask him!

Daniel Tena, Ant Tena Handyman, Contractor’s License #953341

Cell ph:  949-485-8458 , Home ph:  949-365-1085

Highest consumer-rated auto mechanics in Saddleback Valley

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Are you familiar with Yelp.com?  If not, it will become your new best friend if you base a lot of your purchasing decisions on testimonials as I do.

Yelp is an online city guide that helps people find cool places to eat, shop, drink, relax, find a doctor or hair stylist, car mechanic or dog groomer, and on and on – all based on the informed opinions of an active community of locals. There you’ll find rants, raves and everything in between.  They use a 5 star system, 1 representing the lowest rating, 5 stars, the highest. Did I mention that Yelp is free?

I’m looking for a mechanic and thought my readers would appreciate seeing the search results.  Even if given five stars, I don’t consider them unless there are 5 or more reviews.

I will first post the link for the highest ranked mechanic by far, Corner 3 Garage in Lake Forest, 44 reviews, all 5 star ratings.  Further below, I’ll post the link for the rest of the results that came up.

Corner 3 Garage – Yelp Review results

Other auto mechanic reviews for Saddleback Valley

Fresh & Easy Market coming to Lake Forest

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Fresh&EasyIf you haven’t been to a Fresh & Easy Market before, it’s a little different than a regular supermarket.  I’ll let their website speak for itself, but I enjoy shopping there.  Currently the closest store to me in north Mission Viejo is located in Laguna Woods on Moulton in the shopping center where you’ll find Polly’s Restaurant and Moulton Pharmacy.  Since it’s further than a neighborhood supermarket, I don’t shop there all that often, but I certainly will when the Lake Forest store opens in Spring 2011.  They’re taking the space formerly occupied by Von’s at Trabuco and El Toro Roads and sharing their space with a new Walgreens.

If you’re job hunting, they’ll need people so keep an eye out for their recruitment events or contact them directly.

Smart & Final in Lake Forest is now SmartCo Foods

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It was a bit of a shock.  I hadn’t been to Smart & Final for a few months, but this was the day.  As I drove up, something looked very different.  In the spaces previously occupied by Smart & Final and Office Depot was a new supermarket named SmartCo.

SmartCo, owned by Smart & Final, is now a supermarket with a full service bakery and deli, a large produce department with an organic produce section.  This is the only SmartCo store in California.  All other Smart & Final stores remain in the same format.

SmartCo also offers a large selection of natural and organic products, including their own brand, Sun Harvest, and over 8,000 new items in small, convenient sizes.   They still have products for commercial use, although not as much as before, such as styrofoam take-out trays and chafing dishes.

They’ll be offering two fully cooked Thanksgiving dinners to choose from,  for pick prior to Thanksgiving Day. Each costs $39.98 and serves 8-10 people. They’ll only have 100 of each dinner available, so first-come, first-serve.  The store manager  suggests  you wait until tommorrow, Saturday, November 20th to call in your orders.   Ask for the service deli manager.

Dinner #1:   7-8 lb spiral ham, 2.5 lbs of au gratin potatoes, 2 lbs green beans, 2 lbs candied sweet potatoes, 14 oz can of cranberry-orange sauce, 12 Hawaiian roles, choice of pumpkin or apple pie.

Dinner #2:  8-10 lb turkey, 2.5 lbs mashed potatoes, 2 lbs stuffing, 24 oz gravy, 14 oz cranberry sauce, 12 Hawaiian rolls, choice of pumpkin or apple pie.

Did you know that  Smart & Final is the owner of Henry’s Marketplace stores?

SmartCo Foods location:

Twin Peaks Plaza,  23631 El Toro Rd, Lake Forest  (949) 770-8281.  Days/Hours:  Mon-Sat, 7am-10pm; Sunday, 7am-9pm.

Easy MiniFarmBox™ and grow your own vegetables-awesome!

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MiniFarmBox4x4Besides saving water, a MinifarmBox™ optimizes soil drainage and aeration, giving your plants more root space. You’ll grow bigger plants with bigger crops – up to twice the yield of regular ground planting. The MiniFarmBox™ is a cedar raised bed, tool-free assembly in minutes, gets less weeds, extremely termite and rot resistant, and lasts a minimum and 10-15 years untreated.  I live in a condo….but I want one (whining)!

Watch how quick and easy it is to assemble.

The MiniFarmBox™ is available locally at one of my favorite places, Living Green Nursery, on Jeronimo between El Toro and Ridge Route.

Click here for lots more information.

Living Green Nursery, 25290 Jeronimo Road, Lake Forest, CA 92630-4900. Phone: 949-768-4733.

The Foothill Ranch Innovage Warehouse soon open to the public for holiday sale event

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holiday-saleClick here to read a previous blog I wrote about the Innovage Warehouse, which opens its doors to the public only a few times a year.  They carry all kinds of merchandise for all ages, including many of the products you see on informercials.  The savings are really significant.  Click on their website below for their holiday schedule.  Note they’ll only be open Friday, November 26th through December 19th for the rest of the year.

http://www.innovagewarehousesale.com/

Big Lots! in Rancho Santa Margarita-a different shopping experience than other locations

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Big Lots!Last night, driving by, I noticed the new Big Lots! store in RSM was open for business so I dropped in. What a surprise!   If you shop at Big Lots!, you absolutely have to go to this store.  The square footage  is larger than other locations, but that’s the least of it.  All their merchandise is well organized and displayed attractively.  Wall decor is hung rather than stacked upright in boxes on the floor.   Dinnerware is displayed so it’s visually appealing.  It’s like shopping at Target….well, almost:)

30501 Avenida De Las Flores, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, 92688. Phone: (949) 766-5036

 

 

Hand & Stone, A Massage & Facial Spa coming to Lake Mission Viejo shopping center

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Yes!  Finally, a new business opening in the half vacant shopping center at Marguerite Pkwy and Vista Del Lago where Peppino’s and Tortilla Flats are located.  Looking at their website, it’s not clear if their regular price for a massage will be $39.95 and their Signature Facial, $49.95  or just the first visit.  Both are good prices but there’s a footnote that prices at some locations can vary.  It’s a franchise. Waxing services will also be available.

Address:  27722 Vista Del Lago A3,A4, A5, Mission Viejo, CA 92692 (in the same location as the previous 1940’s style women’s clothing store, and before that, the coffee/muffin/bagel cafe).

Let’s wish them well.