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Enjoy Soft and Fluffy Soufflé Pancakes Now at Gram Cafe in Irvine

Issue # 0582

Author

Joshua Tjia
05 Mar

In this Irvine Insider Issue . . .

😁 Laugh of the Day

🌤️ Irvine Weather

🏞️🌳💰 Great Park Funding Concerns Raised as Irvine Officials Review Long-Term Finances

🍊🍽️ See How Second Harvest Helps Feed Orange County — Join the Irvine Tour

🥞🍓🫐 Enjoy Soft and Fluffy Soufflé Pancakes Now at Gram Cafe in Irvine

📣🌟 IUSD Cheer Teams Shine at 2026 USA Spirit Nationals with 1st and 2nd Place Finishes

👂 Better Hearing, Better Living: How Getting Help for Hearing Loss Can Improve Daily Life

🚧🌾 Quail Hill Loop Trail Temporarily Closed for Storm Repairs

🎶🎤 Live Acoustic Music Returns to The Market Place with Spring Music Series

🎼🎼 Upcoming High School Music Calendar

🐕 Meet Jax: A Playful Pup Ready to Find His Forever Home

🎾 UCI Women’s Tennis Rolls Past Oakland, Pushes Win Streak to Five

🏀🏐🎾⚽️ UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

🎾 IVC Men’s Tennis Defeats Orange Coast 8–1, Improves to 3–0 in Conference

🏀🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS

🏀 Crean Lutheran Boys Basketball Defeats Santa Fe Christian 68–56

🏈🎾 High School Athletics Calendar

🚔🛒 Irvine Police Seek Help Identifying Suspects in $5,000 Albertsons Liquor Theft

🍏🥭🍑 Local Farmers Markets

🌟🏪🎉Irvine’s Best Kept Secrets: Is Your Business One of Them?

📅📅 Lots of Local Events

📞💡 Useful Contact Information

Why do cats always get their way?

Because they are very purr-suasive.

We hope this joke brings some laughter to your day! 😁

Great Park Funding Concerns Raised as Irvine Officials Review Long-Term Finances

Orange County Great Park in Irvine may face future financial pressures as city officials review how to fund the park’s long-term development and operations.

  • During a recent meeting, staff told the Irvine City Council that without adjustments, current funding sources could be depleted around 2031–2032.

  • The park is largely funded through Mello-Roos property taxes from nearby homes, and staff are considering options such as modest user-fee increases, sponsorships, or new revenue sources.

  • Several planned amenities, including an amphitheater, remain in development, while some councilmembers have called for evaluating finances before moving forward with additional projects.

See How Second Harvest Helps Feed Orange County — Join the Irvine Tour

Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County invites the community to a Food for Thought Tour of its 108,000-square-foot Distribution Center in Irvine.

  • The one-hour tour on March 10 (12:30–1:30 p.m.) offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the food bank serves Orange County.

  • Register and find more information at feedoc.org/tour.

Enjoy Soft and Fluffy Soufflé Pancakes Now at Gram Cafe in Irvine

Gram Cafe & Pancakes at Culver Plaza is serving its famous Japanese-style soufflé pancakes—light, fluffy, and airy treats. Known for its delicate, jiggly pancakes and sweet café-style desserts topped with fruit, cream, and syrups, Gram Cafe offers a cozy spot in Irvine for a fun dessert outing or casual brunch. If you’re craving something sweet and indulgent, this popular café is a must-try stop for dessert lovers.

IUSD Cheer Teams Shine at 2026 USA Spirit Nationals with 1st and 2nd Place Finishes

Irvine Unified School District cheer teams delivered standout performances at the 2026 USA Spirit Nationals, one of the nation’s most competitive cheer and dance competitions.

  • University High School’s Varsity Song/Pom team captured 1st place in the Intermediate Small division.

  • Woodbridge High School’s Varsity Show Cheer team earned 2nd place in the Advanced Non-Tumbling Small division

Better Hearing, Better Living: How Getting Help for Hearing Loss Can Improve Daily Life

Hearing loss isn’t an inevitable part of aging, and getting help early can make a big difference, according to Dr. Sonia Sehgal of UCI Health. She notes that loved ones are often the first to notice hearing changes and encourages people to seek evaluation and consider hearing aids when needed. Untreated hearing loss can lead people to withdraw from social interactions, which can impact overall well-being, but modern hearing aids and medical assessments offer many options to help people stay connected and maintain a better quality of life.

Quail Hill Loop Trail Temporarily Closed for Storm Repairs

The Quail Hill Loop Trail in Irvine is temporarily closed for several days due to storm damage repairs, trail maintenance, and regrading. An update will be provided once the trail has been restored and is ready to reopen.

Live Acoustic Music Returns to The Market Place with Spring Music Series

The Spring Music Series returns to Paradise Park at The Market Place from March 7 through May 9 (10 a.m.–12 p.m.), featuring free live acoustic performances on select Saturday mornings. The first upcoming performance is March 7 with the Jessica Louise Trio.

Upcoming Northwood High School’s Music Calendar

  1. March 5, 7:00 - 8:30 PM: Spring Band Festival Concert, NHS Theater

  2. March 7, 12:00 - 8:00 PM: CSUF Wind Ensemble Festival, CSU Fullerton

  3. March 11, 7:00 - 8:30 PM: Spring Vocal Music Concert, NHS Theater

  4. March 13: Night of the Arts – Jazz Ensemble I, Wind Symphony, Philharmonic, NHS Theater

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://timbmusic.org/events/

Upcoming Woodbridge High School's Music Calendar

  1. March 12: Orchestra Music Festival Concert, WHS Performing Arts Center

  2. March 13: Band Music Festival Concert, WHS Performing Arts Center

  3. March 16: Wind Ensemble & Philharmonic Festival, IHS Performing Arts Center

  4. March 20: WHS Carnival

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.whs-music.org/

Upcoming Woodbridge High School’s Vocal Music Calendar

  1. March 20, 7:00 PM: Spring Concert, WHS Performing Arts Center

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://woodbridgechoirs.weebly.com/calendar.html

Upcoming Irvine High Choral’s Music Calendar

  1. March 5: Performing Arts Assembly, IHS PAC

  2. March 13: Spring Rally

  3. March 15, 3:00 PM: Plotkin Foundation Performance, Plotkin Art Gallery

  4. March 17, 7:00 PM: Spring Concert, Irvine High PAC

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.ihschoralmusic.org/calendar.html 

Upcoming Portola High School Music’s Calendar

No further events scheduled for this month.

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.phsmusicbooster.org/buy-ticket

Meet Jax: A Playful Pup Ready to Find His Forever Home

Meet Jax, a loyal and playful pup who may seem a bit shy at first but quickly shows his friendly, energetic personality once he gets to know you. With a little training and a structured environment, Jax can grow into an even more confident and well-behaved companion.

Stop by the Irvine Animal Care Center during adoption hours to meet Jax and other adoptable pets, or learn more at cityofirvine.org/animals.

UCI Women’s Tennis Rolls Past Oakland, Pushes Win Streak to Five

The UC Irvine women's tennis defeated Oakland on Wednesday, extending their winning streak to five—the program’s longest since the 2018–19 season. UCI swept doubles and singles without dropping a set.

UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

Women's Tennis

  • Thu, Mar 5 – vs Seton Hill, 1:00 PM

Men's Basketball

  • Thu, Mar 5 – vs Cal Poly, 7:00 PM

IVC Men’s Tennis Defeats Orange Coast 8–1, Improves to 3–0 in Conference

Irvine Valley College men’s tennis improved to 3–0 in the Orange Empire Conference and 4–1 overall after a strong 8–1 victory over Orange Coast. The team won all three doubles matches and five of the six singles matches to secure the dominant win.

🏐⚽🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS 

Men’s Tennis

  • Thu, Mar 5 – vs Bakersfield, 1:00 PM

  • Fri, Mar 6 – vs Mt. San Antonio, 12:00 PM

Baseball

  • Thu, Mar 5 – vs Cypress, 2:00 PM

  • Tue, Mar 10 – vs Riverside, 2:00 PM

Women’s Basketball

  • Sat, Mar 7 – vs Fullerton, 3C2A Southern California Regional - Round 3, 7:00 PM

Crean Lutheran Boys Basketball Defeats Santa Fe Christian 68–56

Crean Lutheran defeated Santa Fe Christian 68–56 Tuesday night in the opening round of the CIF State SoCal Division I regional. Jacob Majok led with 16 points, while Hunter Caplan and Chadrack Mpoyi each scored 14.

High School Athletics Calendar

**

Updated With March Schedule

Upcoming Irvine High School’s Varsity home games:

March 2026

Thursday, March 5

  • Track & Field, Boys - 2:30 PM vs Woodbridge

  • Track & Field, Girls - 2:30 PM vs Woodbridge

Friday, March 6

  • Volleyball, Boys - 5:15 PM vs University

Saturday, March 7

  • Baseball - 12:00 PM vs Costa Mesa

Irvine Police Seek Help Identifying Suspects in $5,000 Albertsons Liquor Theft

The Irvine Police Department is asking for the public’s help identifying two suspects who allegedly stole more than $5,000 worth of liquor from Albertsons. If you recognize the individuals, please contact Detective Sampson at [email protected].

Irvine’s Best Kept Secrets: Is Your Business One of Them?

We know our community is brimming with businesses that have fascinating stories and big hearts. If you’re a local business owner making waves, crafting unique experiences, or simply putting a smile on our faces, we want to chat with you! “Irvine Insider” is eager to shine a light on the unsung heroes of our city. Let’s collaborate and let the community know what makes your business special.

Click the link below and fill out the Local Business Spotlight Application Form to be featured and let’s celebrate the spirit of Irvine together!

Irvine Insider is sent to a local audience of Irvine residence Monday through Friday with 50% - 60% open rate. Our newsletter is a great way to reach Irvine residents.

  • Kaiser Permanente Irvine Farmers Market

  • Saturday Farmers Market at Mariners Church Irvine

    • When: Saturday, 8 AM - 12 PM

    • Where: 5428 Bonita Canyon Dr, Irvine, CA 92603

  • Great Park Certified Farmers Market

  • Manassero Farmers

    • When: Daily, 9 AM - 4:30 PM

    • Where: 33 Irvine Valley, Irvine, CA 92604

  • Tanaka Farms

    • When: Daily, 9 AM - 5 PM

    • Where: 5380 3/4 University Dr, Irvine, CA 92612

    • More Info:Tanaka Farms

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