A DOWN-TO-EARTH EDIT OF THE NEWS YOU LOVE
IN ORANGE COUNTY AND BEYOND
A thoughtfully curated collection of food, services, products, giving, and people in Orange County
GET TO KNOW TABLEAU
Thank you for visiting our website — we’re so happy you’re here! Whether you prefer to browse the site for stories or want to flip through the virtual pages of our digital magazine, we know you’ll love Tableau. Each issue is full of inspiring people, interesting places, delicious dining, fun shopping, captivating art, and opportunities to give back.
Happy reading,
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Summer is here…and we’re here for it! Every year, I wait with my characteristic impatience, a new novel, and a beach umbrella standing at the ready for the June gloom to clear. Now that we’re under sunny blue skies, it seems everything “summer” is possible — and that is a fantastic feeling.
The issue celebrates that feeling of expansiveness — from our incredible coastal cover shot by Aline Espino to our thought-provoking back cover by photographer Ed Olen. In between these covers, you’ll find stories that celebrate hard work, happy memories and the power of hope. You’ll also enjoy our coverage of what’s new in dining, the best summer spa treatments and — planning ahead as we know summer goes by all too fast — ways that you and your family can make sure that area students have everything they need to thrive when they go back to school this fall.
If you haven’t yet, please visit our brand-new website at tableauofficial.com. It’s beautiful, bold, so easy to navigate and full of wonderful stories for you to enjoy and share. Be sure to sign up for a free subscription so you’ll be the first to get our new issues and other updates.
Wishing you all the best of this magical season.
Carrie Freitas
TEAM TABLEAU
Meet the passionate and talented team that brings Tableau to life
Introducing the
TABLEAU STAFF
Miki Akil
After working as a publicist in Hollywood, Miki found her calling in consumer/lifestyle PR. She is a Houston native (who you’ll always find watching the Astros or Texans) with a proven track record of developing powerful marketing communications campaigns. After moving to the West Coast more than 10 years ago, she now calls Oceanside home and lives with her husband, two kitties and pups.
Carrie Freitas
Carrie hails from a newspaper/journalism family on her mother’s side, and a marketing/ printing family on her father’s — which explains why she is both a published writer and founder of Kitchen Table Marketing. She lives in Newport Beach with her husband and is a proud mom of two, and stepmom of three. Carrie is passionate about giving back to her community and supporting LGBTQ+ rights.
Jordan Kruk
Jordan has had a love of writing from a young age, leading her to pursue a career in PR. She started off in B2B marketing in the commercial real estate industry before joining the Kitchen Table team where she quickly discovered her passion for the restaurant and nonprofit industries. Jordan is an OC native and currently resides in Huntington Beach with her boyfriend and their pug, Franklin.
Madi Sutherland
Madi found her love for public relations and social media while studying Communications at California State University, Fullerton. After pursuing her degree, she worked for a digital marketing agency overseeing clients in the tech space before finding herself at the Kitchen Table. Born and raised in Orange County, Madi supports a range of locally (and a few national) based food, design, nonprofit and real estate clients for KTM.
Thank You to the July-August issue's
CONTRIBUTORS
Elisabeth Abrahamson
OC native Elisabeth Abrahamson enjoys writing about her beloved hometown. When she’s not creating content, she spends her time traveling (Palm Springs is a local fave!), discovering the best new brunch spots with friends, and watching The Office with her fiancé, Doug.
Robin Hoik
Phillips
A born and bred East Coaster, Robin moved with her husband, two teenagers, and two
dachshunds to Newport Beach last summer and is really enjoying the weather and the laidback SoCal lifestyle. Robin was most recently the editor of Fairfield Magazine, a popular luxury lifestyle magazine in Connecticut. Prior to that, she worked at New York publisher Conde Nast on such titles as House & Garden Magazine and Bon Appetit. In addition to contributing to Tableau, Robin is also a writer for Venu Magazine, and a copywriter/editor for several small business websites. Check out robinedits.com to learn more about her and her work.
Sophia Anderson
Sophia is a high school journalist who was born near the beach and has seldom left it since. When she’s not writing or studying, Sophia is spending time with her family: doing yoga in her backyard, going out for tacos, and watching movies in her family’s cozy OC condo. It’s her, her numerous notebooks and her purple Converse against the world!
Alyssa Swanson Hamilton
Alyssa is a lifelong Southern California resident. She has been writing professionally for over 20 years, primarily for health websites and magazines. She is an MFA candidate at Sierra Nevada University and is currently working on a novel. She enjoys permaculture, tending her meadow garden, basking in freezing water wherever she can find it, and spending time in the desert under the stars. She lives in Newport Beach with her two teenage sons and a black Lab named Bear.
Aline Espino
Aline is a Drone Photographer based in Orange County. Originally from Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Mexico studied Industrial Design at Tec de Monterrey before moving to Orange County in 2012. Since then, she has specialized in professional drone photography, web, and graphic design.
Several of her photographs have been published in international magazines and displayed at local galleries.
Michelle Pulfrey
For more than two decades, Michelle Pulfrey has shaped SoCal’s TV news landscape as a senior producer for Fox 11’s “Good Day L.A.” Always on the pulse of what’s new and noteworthy, Michelle also produced the station’s popular “Style File” segment and has written on fashion, beauty and lifestyle for Modern Luxury OC/Riviera. Now, this OC resident brings her talents to Tableau.
Sara Hall
Sara has nearly 14 years of experience at several daily and weekly newspapers, including The Record Searchlight in Redding, The Daily Advocate in Greenville, Ohio, the Newport Beach Independent, and most recently at Stu News Newport and Stu News Laguna. Her work has included photography, writing, design and layout. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, backpacking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and pets.
Sarah Mosqueda
Sarah Mosqueda has worked as a freelance journalist in OC and LA for a decade. Her work has appeared in Orange Coast Magazine, Coast Magazine, Hispanic Network Magazine and Bon Appetit Magazine. She is an avid podcast listener, amateur yogi and skilled bartender who enjoys trying new restaurants and cooking at home with her fiancé.
