1. Thomas House Family Shelter P.O. Box 2737, Garden Grove; 714-554-0357; thomashouseshelter.org When Mary and Bernie Selz came across a young woman with her infant, holding a homeless sign, they had to do something. They took them into their home, fed the woman and had her call her parents. The next day, they bought a…
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1. Katella Bakery, Deli & Restaurant 4470 Katella Ave., Los Alamitos; 562-594-8611; katellabakery.com Katella Bakery, Deli & Restaurant is a landmark eatery in Los Alamitos and one of the first authentic Jewish bakeries in Orange County. Katella Bakery, Deli & Restaurant was founded by Sam and Shirley Ratman, Holocaust survivors who immigrated to America in…
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Orange County was a very different place when the first issue of the Best of Orange County rolled off the presses three decades ago. The county had a gleaming new sports arena, then called the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, and the Disney-owned Mighty Ducks were its main tenants, playing in their second season. Barbra Streisand…
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1. Service Champions 3150 E. Birch St., Brea; 714-462-5200; servicechampions.com Before you call Service Champions, check the blog section of the company’s website. It’s a useful resource with posts on common heating and air conditioning issues that will help you troubleshoot if and determine how quickly you need to schedule an appointment with a professional. If you do…
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Click on a category name to read about the top vote-getters in that category in the 30th Annual Best of Orange County Readers’ Choice poll. PLACES TO GO+DO Segerstrom Center for the Arts was again selected by voters as the best live theater in Best of Orange County balloting. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County…
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In “Rana Joon and the One & Only Now,” the debut novel from Shideh Etaat, teenage Rana approaches high school graduation while managing grief, family struggle and the decision to open up about her sexuality. Set against the backdrop of the mid-1990s San Fernando Valley, it’s a touching tale with details that might ring familiar…
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1. Soka Performing Arts Center 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo; 949-480-4278; performingarts.soka.edu A back-to-back winner in this category, Soka Performing Arts Center has steadily become one of Orange County’s premiere music venues over its dozen-year history. Paul Williams, Kenny Barron, and Diane Schuur all recently appeared at the 1,000-capacity concert hall. Marketing and Communications Manager Jaime…
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1. Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt Multiple locations; handelsicecream.com When Alice Handel began creating the ice cream that made her the toast of Youngstown, Ohio, she never guessed it would lead to this. More than 75 years later, Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream and Yogurt has seven stores in Orange County and 110 stores in…
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1. Custom Comfort Mattress Multiple locations; customcomfortmattress.com With a hometown advantage, perhaps it’s unsurprising that Custom Comfort is a favorite of Orange County Register readers. “I think most of us delivered the paper when we were kids,” says Gary Trudell, the ninth of 10 siblings who grew up in Fullerton. It was Gary’s older brothers, Mel…
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1. MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center 18111 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley; 714-378-7000; memorialcare.org To be the best regarded hospital in Orange County takes some hard work. But Fountain Valley’s MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center tops the readers’ poll again. “Every year, we work tirelessly to raise the bar on our performance level so that we…
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