A lobster poacher -- or, as they say in my hometown of Boston, a lobstah poachah -- in Orange County who was caught in January with more than three times the legal limit of lobsters was fined $20,000 and had to spend seven days in jail. City News Service reports that 30-year-old Marbel Para of Romoland was picking the little red fellows up on Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve on January 15. It's perfectly legal to catch them by hand for your own devices, but you can only take seven a day. more ›

A recent reader e-mail prompted us to look into the possibility of there being a really (really, really) expensive bowl of pho out there. Our reader writes: "I heard that Tiato restaurant in San ta Monica will have a Pho Noodle with KOBE beef for $5,000.00 a bowl. Is this true?" The answer: Yes. more ›

If you've been to Crustacean Restaurant in Beverly Hills, then you know the An Family style. This week they announced a big expansion, with two new restaurants in Orange County and more locally in Santa Monica scheduled to open by the end of this year. AnQi in Costa Mesa's South Coast Plaza will carry a more casual bistro environment. Tiato, located in Santa Monica's MTV building, will be a quick service restaurant, serving up traditional fare with some Asian flare. Think eggs on bao instead of Eggs Benedict or pancakes with persimmon instead of with strawberries. For lunch, one of the highlighted menu items is Vegetarian Crepe Ratatouille and the family's secret kitchen Garlic Noodles. more ›