FUN PASTA: Some shoppers, convinced Ralphs and...

FUN PASTA: Some shoppers, convinced Ralphs and Alpha Beta aren’t giving them enough variety when it comes to new cuisine, are trying some of the many ethnic food markets in Orange County. (OC Live!) The Al Dente Italian Food Mart in Los Alamitos, for example, has dozens of pastas and rices not found in standard supermarkets. Says a spokeswoman: “Most who come in are just novices who want to try something special, usually for a holiday. We get a lot of holiday traffic.”

THE CLAP FLAP: Sometimes freedom of expression depends on who has the gavel. In Brea this week, many in the audience heavily applauded resident William Vega after he criticized the City Council over controversial redevelopment issues. Mayor Pro Tem Bev Perry ordered: “No clapping.” . . . But when someone thanked the council for support of an 8K race, Perry herself helped lead the applause. Angry resident Jim Cook shot back: “Someone compliments you and you clap. That’s inconsistent.”

NEWPORT IMAGE: Anything look familiar in that new black-and-white TV ad for Volvo? It was shot near the Newport Pier by famed art photographer Bruce Weber, above. It involved a cast of hundreds, mostly bikini-clad. . . . “We recaptured what I witnessed in my youth here during spring break,” says Joseph Cleary, film liaison for the city. “It was the most ambitious commercial production ever shot in Orange County.” The new ad is supposed to help shed Volvo’s image of being just a mom-and-dad car.

TACO TALLY: What do the nation’s business leaders eat? John Martin, chief executive of Irvine-based Taco Bell, made such a query during a recent speech at a forum of top leaders. . . . Their response: 35% admitted eating at a fast-food restaurant during the previous week, and 6% admitted eating at Taco Bell. But Martin told them: “You’ve helped prove my point. As successful as Taco Bell has become, there’s still a lot of eating going on out there that we’re not part of.”