There’s been a lot of events lately mixing great food and great causes, but among the best was the 20th anniversary celebration of Zov’s Bistro.

You foodies know what I’m talking about: if it’s an event at Zov’s, you know the food is going to be exquisite, the hospitality gracious and warm.

It’s no wonder Zov’s has been in business for two decades!

Owner-chef Zov Karamardian is 62 but looks easily 20 years younger. It’s gotta be all that great food she’s cooked up for more than 45 years, and the sheer joy she gets out of making all of us happy with her incredible food.

Karamardian came to the U.S. at age 15 after living with her Armenian family in various regions of the Middle East.
She is now considered one of the region’s top chefs; her Tustin bistro has become iconic in gourmet and gourmand circles.

And now, she’s expanding her empire: she opened Zov’s Cafe in Newport Coast in March and an Irvine location is slated to open in October.

So she - and her legions of fans - had much to celebrate at her May 6 gala, which also benefitted two very worthy causes: Serving People in Need (SPIN), which helps low-income families and individuals become self-sufficient, and the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine at UC Irvine. The 350 people who attended the event helped raise a total of $41,000 for the two organizations (through the $100-per-person tickets and a silent auction).

But back to the food … the menu was long, fulfilling the night’s theme, “An Enchanted Evening of 1001 Mediterranean Spices and Flavors.”

I won’t rattle off everything, but all of the terrific Zov’s favorites were available, from the rack of lamb to this incredible appetizer table dripping with hummus and Armenian pizza and the best olives …

… to the DESSERT ROOM:

I could have died happy in that dessert room, next to the platter full of baklava and other honey-and-nut-packed pastries. Either that or at the appetizer table.

And a couple of SqueezeOC staff who went to lunch at the Newport Beach location today report that all the food there is reliably delicious, especially the sweets, and the location is perfect. Coastal residents can celebrate - at last they have a Zov’s in their neighborhood!

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