Two First Place Trophies at OC Press Club Awards!

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Two weeks ago, at the annual OC Press Club Awards Gala held at the Clubhouse at Anaheim Hills, I won two first place trophies for TimesOC.

To maintain my food critic anonymity, I was not in attendance, but I was honored that my old OC Weekly boss and mentor Gustavo Arellano was the emcee and accepted on my behalf. Word is that he killed with a joke capitalizing on the persistent theory that “Edwin Goei” was just his pseudonym!

I’d like to thank Ada Tseng for taking me into the TimesOC fold; Erik Haugli for publishing my pieces; my beautiful wife for her love and for editing my stories; and you, dear reader, for allowing me to get such satisfaction from this hobby of mine for nearly 20 years.

Here’s the articles that won this year:

BEST ROUND-UP OR BEST OF

First place: Edwin Goei, “Eight meals for $8 (or less) in Orange County”

Second place: Brad A. Johnson, "The 50 Best Places to Eat Tacos in Orange County"

Third place: Anne Valdespino, "Looking for a special spot for drinks? Here are 6 with a vibe"

BEST FOOD/RESTAURANT REVIEW

First place: Edwin Goei, "Hidden haunts: A restaurant critic explores 3 recently opened Orange County ghost kitchens"

Second place: Christopher Trela, "Omakase Menu at Sushi Ii is an Exciting Culinary Adventure"

Third place: Brad A. Johnson, "Review: Chiang An, Tustin"

Read the full story of TimesOC and Daily Pilot’s haul of awards HERE. Congrats to the entire Daily Pilot and TimesOC staff!

Photo Credit: @ocpressclub