OC Restaurant Embiggenings: French Pharmacy Ice Cream, Crema Cafe And Zov's

While Chi-Lin and Sumter Pendergast are best known for yummy Sidecar Doughnuts in Costa Mesa, they are going in a sweeter, new direction with French Pharmacy Ice Cream.  Teaming up with confectioner Chris Michael, they are crafting small batch flavors like Bourbon Vanilla, Garden Mint with Chocolate Ganache and Roasted Strawberry & Dark Chocolate. According to Chi-Lin,

“Projects Sumter and I do always usually seem to come together in an incredibly organic way. With French Pharmacy, we saw an opportunity in our community for a great ice cream place that could become a tradition for friends and family— similar to one we had experienced in the past. We were first exposed to Christopher Michael when he had his chocolate and ice cream shop in Newport Beach, and we quickly fell in love with his delicious products. We would visit a couple of times a week, and even had his spectacular and beautiful chocolates shipped to our wedding in Mexico.

When we first had the idea for an ice cream shop, we started playing around with making it ourselves at home, but quickly realized nothing would ever compare to the ice cream Christopher Michael had made. We gave him a call, and the rest is history . . . .French Pharmacy was born!”

Now in its early stages (much like Sidecar was), they are in the process of testing flavors and finalizing a location. If you follow their Facebook page, you'll learn about upcoming events where they'll be scooping samples. The next one is this weekend at the Krochet Kids holiday warehouse sale off Superior in Costa Mesa.

As both owner and baker, Tarit Tanjasiri knew that as The Crema Cafe and Artisan Bakery business grew, his Seal Beach spot wouldn't be able to handle the workload. So the next phase of his business plan was locating a much larger production space. He not only found it, it was closer to home. He's now fully operational in Irvine's Sky Park Circle as Crema Artisan Bakers. Per Tarit,

“We are a production bakery focusing on laminated dough product like croissants, pastries and artisan breads. My goal is to work with like-minded people who are interested in simple and classic things, properly done.”

It should be noted that this is not a storefront that's open to the public. Interested parties seeking a bakery for their restaurant or resort property should visit their website or email

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Chef Zov Karamardian celebrates a serious milestone this coming January: 30 years in Tustin. While a full lineup of events is forthcoming, the first was announced earlier this month, as she introduced a familiar dessert brand to her bakery.

“Nearly 30 years ago, I turned my at-home catering business into a cafe, in what was formerly an ice cream parlor. As “30 Years of Zov's” arrives in 2017, I wanted to celebrate that by welcoming Gelato Paradiso to Zov's Bakery in Tustin. Supporting local business is important to us, and we're proud to offer such a delicious treat with their gelato.”

Fresh waffle bowls will be available as customers can choose a single ($3.95) or double ($5.95) scoop from their selection of chilled options. Flavors include Toasted Almond, Salted Caramel with Chocolate Chips, Mint and Pumpkin.