Month: April 2014

Wonderful World of Comics (WonderCon) at Anaheim Convention Center – April 2014

Published on by Insider Irene1 Comment

I’m a cartoon enthusiast and while my interest for thoughtful storylines is nowhere near the obsession of the TV show characters from Big Bang Theory, I’ve always wondered what attending a Comic book convention would be like. I’ve heard horror stories from friends who had attended the world famous San Diego Comic Convention as tickets are near to impossible to attain and that the venue itself is overwhelming to say the least; however, its concept continued to peak my interest as its mysteriousness attracted me.

 

This past Easter weekend I was informed that there WonderCon, a sister comic book convention, was being hosted in Anaheim, CA – just a hop, skip, and a jump away! I took the initiative to investigate this event as it appeared less known, but was excited about getting my geek-on!

Here are some tid-bits about the event

  • -Started in SF and was called “The Wonderful World of Comics” but shortened to WonderCon
  • -Moved down to Anaheim due to SF venue remodeling
  • -3 day event is held annually during Easter Weekend
  • -Parking in the designated convention parking is $12 a car
  • -There were about 12 or so food trucks lined up outside
  • -Most participants come in costumes
  • -Hundreds of Vendors that sell comics, collectibles and clothes galore

042714 wondercon 4 misty 042714 wondercon meowth

When I first stepped foot on the Anaheim property, I was blown away by some of the cosplayers (amateur costumed characters- though many could pass as the real deal!) and overwhelmed by the amount of vendors in attendance – easily over 100 booths. I dressed up as Misty, a water Pokemon trainer and friend of Ash Ketchum for my cosplay debut – all items that I already own, with the exception of the red suspenders. Dressing up is all part of the
fun! I was even able to buy a livesize Pikachu at the event – I choose you! Haha…

The energy at the event was intense and I definitely wanted to make the most of this first visit. This year marked the 75th anniversary for Batman. Rumors have it that Robin/Nightwing will celebrate next year. *swoons* Anyways there w042714 Wondercon 3ere various panels (discussions on comics, movies, the latest and greatest etc and of course the panels featuring people involved with Frozen or original Batman voice actors maxed out. So, to all you future Wondercon visitors, I would camp out at least an hour for popular panels. Gone are the days when you can walk in right at the start of a panel.

Nevertheless, I was able to catch a few and my favorite premier of “Son of Batman” an animated movie featuring Batman’s romance with villainess Talia and their son Damian (and future Robin). The voice actors came out afterwards to discuss their role and it really helped complete the VIP experience.

042714 Wondercon 2 I was exhausted after the full day, but I would definitely return next year! I purchased a one day pass for $25- which is ¼ of anime expo and substantially cheaper than SD Comic Con. It’s a great alternative to the mass chaos at Comic Con, but allows visitors to experience the wonderful world of comics.

 

Who’s your favorite comic book hero and villain?

Veggie Grill Lent Lunch in Irvine, CA

Published on by Insider IreneLeave a comment

Meat-free healthy meals for the herbivore

I confess I didn’t give up anything for Lent this year, but if meat was your item of choice visiting Veggie Grill may help make the 40 day period more tolerable. A group of foodies met to provide insight on menu items and we were given the opportunity to sample 6 items ranging from appetizers to dessert. We began our tasting with the chill out wings.

I’ll admit I really detest fake meat. The spongy texture just cannot do the meal thing justice. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty and convincing these wings were. It was very tender and flavorful. 5 Stars! The next item we tried was the buffalo chicken. The base item was the same as the chill out wings, but the sauce is the star in this item.

Veggie Grill Lent Lunch in Irvine, CA

We then moved on to their entrees and sampled their quinoa and kale salad. This was an extremely healthy offering and very light, perfect for those days when you feel fat and bloated. The Harvest Bowl on the other-hand was dense and rich. This may be a seasonal item limited to the fall as it makes the consumer feel warm and fuzzy inside. The last entrée we sampled was the Bombay Bowl, a curry over quinoa. The flavor was solid; however, the whole almonds added a crunch that I was not use to.

We then finished up our meal with their carrot-cake. I usually never make it to dessert, but I would for theirs! Overall, it was a pleasant tasting event and among the offerings the chill out wings takes the cake. If you’re a first time visitor, try their “fish” tacos, they’re amazing!

April Fool’s Day Media Event at Rance’s Chicago Pizza in Costa Mesa, Ca

Published on by Insider Irene2 Comments

040114 Rance Menu

On April 1st, I had the opportunity to revisit a local favorite for an intimate blogger’s party. Rance’s Chicago Pizza (Yelp Review) in Costa Mesa, CA spoiled us with a nice spread of appetizers and pies. Although it was April Fool’s Day, their food certainly was no joke and they were very generous with their offerings. We started off with a nice spring salad with 4 different homemade dressings. I enjoyed the assortment of veggies and while the dressings were nice, they were nothing to run home about. Next we moved on to hot appetizers. If you like heat, their artichoke dip certainly will clear your sinuses and the bruschetta was a nice start, but I was obviously holding out for the main dish- a deep dish. Mmm…

040114 Appetizers
Salad and Appetizers

As soon as we finished up the last of bite size apps, we were then given the opportunity to try two thin crust pizzas and 5 stuffed pies. Among my sampling the CSP (Chicken Spinach Pesto) was and still is my favorite- with the stuffed Margarita as a close second. Be sure to get their stuffed as opposed to thin crust as it makes all the difference!

I was beyond stuffed by the time we ended our meal and the owner came by to hand us each a small cup of honey. He stated that in other pizza parlors patrons dip their crust in honey to bring out the flavor. Cool, so I grabbed my crust and dunked it in. I was pleasantly surprised by this simple of great way to end the meal.

What do you like on your pies?

 

XOXO

Rockstar

040114 Pizza 1

040114 pizza 2 040114 pizza 3 040114 pizza 4

Festival of Colors – Norwalk, CA 2014

Published on by Insider IreneLeave a comment
Holi Festival
Festival Goers enjoying the concert

As an older sister I’ve always been the reasonable and responsible one. But when I heard about an event dedicated to causing mischief and being a kid again, I was more than happy to jump on the band wagon and promote an annual Indian celebration called the Festival of Colors. I’d seen pictures of children and adults alike covered in an array of colors and on one Saturday, I decided that I would partake in the festivities as well.

I attended the Holi Festival Of Colors 2014 up in Norwalk and what a celebration! The event filled with non-stop live music from great bands, yoga, mantras, dance, cuisine, and of course the “throwing of dry colors festival goers.” Entrée fee was $5 and bags of colors were available for purchase. I picked up a bag of purple powder to throw at attendees and from my “before” and “after” shot you can see my lost battle. This is definitely a great event for everyone and they’re touring different states. Check out their schedule here.