The Shopoff Group’s pending deal for land in the Platinum Triangle of Anaheim, where the developer is eyeing apartment projects, is expected to bring a significant shift to North OC’s lineup for fine dining. One of two parcels Shopoff expects to buy is home to area landmark Mr. Stox, an old-school steak-and-seafood place with a full bar and fireplace that’s been a mainstay of the business crowd for decades. Shopoff is working toward two separate developments, and it looks as though the parcel of land next to Mr. Stox would get cleared for construction first. An initial plan, shelved during the recession, called for Mr. Stox to get a new home on the site, alongside 327 condos or apartments. Shopoff’s plan would bring 350 apartments and send Mr. Stox packing. Chick Marshall, whose family is selling their roughly 4-acre property to Shopoff for undisclosed terms (other parcels in the area eyed for apartments have been trading for about $3 million an acre), said they’ll shutter the restaurant if the sale goes through, and expect the closure to occur sometime next year. There are no plans to relocate. Marshall said he hopes someone else will look to fill the gap left in the city’s fine dining scene …
Elton & Bernie in Laguna Beach: That’s rocker Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin, who’ve been off-and-on writing partners on hit songs for more than four decades. They’ve got separate interests these days in Laguna Beach, where a collection of Taupin’s paintings, titled Beyond Words, is scheduled for display at Coast Gallery from Feb. 6-10. Taupin is expected to make an appearance on the latter two days. RSVPs to (949) 376-4185 are requested. John has donated $25,000 to toward a $1.2 million rehab and renovation of Glennwood House, a home for special-needs adults, just down Coast Highway …
A couple of high fliers are lined up for the World Affairs Council of Orange County’s holiday part on Dec. 19 at the Westin South Coast Plaza: tenor Cesar Sanchez, who’s gaining altitude in the opera world lately, and astronaut Buzz Aldrin …
Condolences to family and friends of FivePoint Communities’ longtime VP Bob Santos, who specialized in strategic planning and programming for the developer before his recent passing. Santos’ colleagues gathered for a Dec. 7 memorial at Hangar 244 at the Great Park. The Santos family requested donations to the International Myeloma Foundation in North Hollywood and Irvine-based Families Forward in lieu of flowers …
Welcome back to former Irvine Company communications honcho and big-league political vet Larry Thomas, who’s back to his roots in journalism with a new gig doing the closer column for Coast Magazine. It’s called Making Waves and set to debut in the January issue due out in coming weeks. Thomas has been living up to the title of the monthly, with a place on Lido and a penchant for hitting the boardwalk on his beach cruiser. He’s added a night shift lately, trolling the local bars and restaurants for column ideas …
Beto Villegas is one of the hardest-working guys in the business as counterman at Paradise Cleaners at the Harvard Place shopping center in Irvine. The Insider isn’t the only one who’s noticed: Some kind customer gave Villegas a pair of primo tickets to the Lakers game on Christmas Day. Villeagas, a big sports fan, is tickled about the upcoming trip to the Staples Center, with plans to take girlfriend Joanna Rojas along for the holiday.
