Fifi has been writing about restaurants for the Orange County Business Journal since 1990. Before that she was the very first restaurant journalist for the monthly Orange Coast. Her background is as a serious home cook and cooking instructor. Fifi is recognized as the youthful grand dame of Orange County restaurant writers and has the sense of humor to back that up.

As a fun project she is the publisher of Chao’s Dinesty, a private subscription restaurant, wine and travel newsletter. Related to this she hosts special evenings (with her husband Patrick, a retired veteran of the hospitality business) at local restaurants of note. It’s a great way to sample a restaurant you might have heard of but not actually been to. Fifi’s dining group gets the very best a restaurant can offer in terms of food and service. They are both consummate hosts who treat their guests like family.

One of her favorite Chao’s Dinesty evenings of this year thus far was at Three Seventy Common Kitchen + Drink in Laguna Beach. The owner/chef there is Ryan Adams.