I walked through Fashion Island today on my lunch break (oh how conveniently located Fashion Island is to our Visitors Bureau office) and immediately a smile came across my face upon seeing the vibrant colors of Spring displayed across the storefront windows. Pops of green, yellow and hot pink splash all over jackets, shoes, belts, and dresses! I love when you can wear a flirty spring dress and feel neither hot nor too cold in early February! Spring has definitely sprung early in southern California this year! (Say that ten times fast!) Bathing suits are quickly replacing boots off the shelves (with prices gladly falling down – great time to stock up!) Although splurging largely on a spring wardrobe may not be the best idea during these economic times, at least you can browse through the stores at the open-air Fashion Island plaza, enjoy views of the celadon blue Pacific Ocean, and watch the colors of spring inspire happiness around you.
(But don’t overlook the INCREDIBLE sales going on at nearly every store! Times are telling us to be cognizant of our spending which is why purchasing something at an additional 50% off relieves that guilt! At least for me anyway. www.shopfashionisland.com
Last Saturday night, I was craving sushi and some rock and roll and fortuitously fell into a restaurant in Newport Beach that had the best of both! California Beach Sushi located a few doors down from the historic Regency Lido Theatre on Balboa Peninsula, is a unique sushi spot with a bit of an unconventional flare. It’s known as the first Rock and Roll sushi bar on the planet mixing traditional sushi in a loud, fun, musical environment! From the moment you walk in to this hard-to-find locale (located inside the Lido Center) you’ll notice the unconvential décor –from the ultra casual attire of the wait staff that looks as though they’re dressed for a rock concert to the canvas art paintings hung on the brick walls of famous musicians like The Beatles and Slash from Guns & Roses. And they’re each for sale! (The Beatles painting shown on the left was going for $1,800!) Not what you would typically expect or see at your regular old traditional sushi restaurant. 
My friends and I approached the host for a seat for four and explained that there was a bit of wait to sit at the sushi bar, but had a table close to the bar if we would like to opt for that instead. We wanted a table anyhow but I guess sitting at the bar was the popular place to sit. I had heard that this place had a special tradition when the Phil Collins song “In the Air Tonight,” played on the stereo. When the song comes on, the sushi chefs begin distributing wooden blocks the size of small bricks to the people sitting at the bar (hence why it’s the popular place to sit). All together (chefs and front row sushi diners alike) clap the two wooden bricks together in harmony as the second chorus begins. As my friends and I are enjoying the economically mindful all-you-can-eat sushi deal for $22 (pretty fresh for all-you-can-eat) we all of a sudden felt as though we had just stepped onto a rock concert. The noise level goes from a 5 to a 10 and the entire restaurant is clapping and chanting along to the old 80s classic! This is definitely a place to go with a group of hungry friends ready for a rockin’ good time. 
California Beach Restaurant & Sushi Bar
You’ve ridden the oceanfront boardwalk now for years with all the visiting relatives and friends. Ready to expand your universe? There are some fabulously exhilarating routes that require perhaps a little more energy and OK, some that require nerves of steel. Some weekends the boardwalk can resemble the 405 Fwy., and that’s when you’ll welcome a change of pace.
To kick off this blog I thought I would point out some interesting news that has recently popped. On Jan. 29 the annual Harris Poll of America’s Favorite Movie Stars came out. Again, a familiar name from Newport Beach was on the list (and has regularly made the cut since the survey began in 1994). Tied this year with Will Smith for the number three spot is perennial favorite, and longtime Newport Beach visitor and resident, John Wayne.
It seems that most movie fans have a favorite John Wayne film. Mine is The Quiet Man. I would be curious to know what yours might be? If we have any blog readers who are longtime Newport Beach residents it would be great if you could share your stories of any personal encounters with “Duke” (Wayne’s popular nickname).
