Save Our Faves 2007! - [Crazies]

Posted by Chubbypanda at 1/11/2007 06:15:00 PM


(Once Cathay Newport, favorite lunchtime spot of UCI staff and faculty, now a stripped shell.)


This has truly been a bad month to be an Orange Country food lover. First, my beloved Red Onion Cafe announces its imminent closure. Then, Thai food Mecca, Thai Nakorn, burns down to the ground in a mysterious fire. Now, fellow OC Food Blogs contributor ChristianZ is reporting that Cathay Newport, a Cantonese-style Chinese restaurant favored by the UC Irvine set, has suddenly shut its doors.

Cathay Newport Closed

Call it a visceral reaction to the vanishing of so many good restaurants in such a short span, but I think it's time for food bloggers and food lovers to give a little bit extra back to the plucky mom & pop food businesses that make our world such a wonderful place. It's meme time!



I'm happy to announce the launch of my "Save Our Faves 2007" food blogger campaign. The rules are simple.

  1. Write a blog post about your favorite mom & pop eatery, grocery, or food supplier. If you've already written one, write another one. It's time to pimp your secret spot, drive some business to a place you think has been unfairly ignored, and help consumers vote with their dollars!

  2. Ask your readers to visit your fave and leave feedback on your post about their experiences, good or bad. The food lovers get to be food bloggers for a day. Let's see if your fave is everything it's cracked up to be!

  3. Tag at least five other bloggers for Save Our Faves 2007. I'd love to see this spread. Everyone has to have a favorite spot that they think is struggling. As responsible consumers and community-oriented food bloggers, it's up to us to do what we can to keep our faves open. Let's generate some buzz. We don't have to sit by and watch our beloved mom & pops close. We can do something!


My post for Save Our Faves 2007 will go up on Monday, January 15, 2007. I'm going to go ahead and ask my fellow OC Food Blogs contributors to join me.

I'll also be tagging five more food bloggers at the end of my Save Our Faves post next Monday in the hopes that they'll also join me in presenting their favorite mom & pop eateries, groceries, or food suppliers to you. However, anyone reading this is welcome to participate.

Only food bloggers and food lovers like us can keep our favorite mom & pops from closing. Our support is particularly needed during slow periods like the post-holiday dining slump. These are quality, family-run businesses that deserve our patronage. By voting with our dollars can we save our faves. Blog Away and Good Eating!

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17 comments:

  1. Rasa Malaysia said... 1/11/2007 10:53:00 PM

    Good idea CP. I would love to contribute, but will have to remind myself to bring my camera!!

    Will write something this long weekend. :)  

  2. ChristianZ said... 1/11/2007 11:58:00 PM

    I have a place or two in mind . . .  

  3. simcooks said... 1/12/2007 06:09:00 AM

    I understand the devastation you go through when your favorite stall / restaurant closes. It happened to me before too.  

  4. Alex said... 1/12/2007 09:49:00 AM

    Hey, this is Alex from the plane ride up to SJ. Thai Nakorn burned down??? That's lame, I only got to eat there once! Oh well... hopefully it reopens.

    Anyway, I keep a blog over on LJ and xanga if you want to check them out. They are exactly the same, just have both because some people prefer one over the other.

    http://lexybeast.livejournal.com/
    http://www.xanga.com/lexybeast  

  5. Deb said... 1/12/2007 03:01:00 PM

    What a great post! We bitch and moan when our 'secret place' shuts down...so maybe it's time they weren't so secret anymore and support our friends that so lovingly fill our bellies! I'm thinkin!!!  

  6. steen said... 1/13/2007 04:37:00 AM

    What a great idea.
    And a challenge!
    ...puts thinking cap on...  

  7. elmomonster said... 1/13/2007 07:55:00 AM

    I got one already in mind!  

  8. Rasa Malaysia said... 1/14/2007 10:39:00 PM

    CP, I am afraid I have another bad news for you. Went to New Shanghai this morning for brunch and the boss told us that he is in the process of selling the restaurant! It sounds like he is too tired with the restaurant work and wanted to move back to Shanghai for good?

    But he said it will happen in a couple of months or so.  

  9. Nguyen said... 1/15/2007 03:43:00 AM

    I am sorry to hear that your faves are closing :( yes let us all eat more!  

  10. Chubbypanda said... 1/16/2007 05:34:00 PM

    Rasa Malaysia,

    Hooray! I'll look forward to it.

    Christian,

    I knew you would.

    Simcooks,

    It really sucks. But a bunch of them all at the same time is really disturbing. I think the owners probably wanted to close shop before Chinese New Year.

    Alex,

    Looking good. I added you as a Livejournal friend.

    Deb,

    I couldn't agree more. If we really like a restaurant, we should tell as many people about it as possible.

    Steen,

    I wait with baited breath. =)

    Elmo,

    Awesome!

    Rasa Malaysia,

    Noooooo~! This really sucks. I'm pretty sure the closures are happening all at once because the Chinese like getting this sort of business finished before Chinese New Year.

    Nguyen,

    Eating is good.

    - Chubbypanda  

  11. Wandering Chopsticks said... 1/16/2007 08:44:00 PM

    Great idea but I'm still in a food coma from eating too much this past weekend. Gimme a week or so before I can do it.  

  12. joanh said... 1/19/2007 12:45:00 AM

    cool!!! thanks for inviting me. so do i have to post by jan 15th?? i won't be back in taipei until feb or so. i think a fav mom and pop vietnamese place of mine is already closed.. boo!!!  

  13. Chubbypanda said... 1/20/2007 10:07:00 PM

    Hey WC and Joanh,

    No worries. Take your time. =)  

  14. obachan said... 1/24/2007 08:12:00 AM

    Hi CP,
    I posted mine today. Wanna come over and take a look?
    Sorry I played it a little differently. Hope you don't mind.  

  15. H. C. said... 1/26/2007 10:13:00 AM

    Ha! have been a bit behind in checking my blogs ~ my Save Our Faves will come this weekend  

  16. Mia said... 1/29/2007 06:24:00 AM

    i'm struggling with this tag! i am not sure which place to blog about.  

  17. Wandering Chopsticks said... 3/18/2007 07:58:00 PM

    Ah, finally got around to doing mine!:P
    http://wanderingchopsticks.blogspot.com/2007/03/luscious-dumplings-inc-san-gabriel.html  

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