It's officially SUMMER at Memphis Cafe in Costa Mesa!

It's definitely SUMMER at Memphis Cafe in Costa Mesa! 

Chef Diego Velasco, who has been at the helm of Memphis since it opened in 1995 has outdone himself with the new summer menu dropping on July 10th!  Crafted to highlight all that is fresh and in season, while at the same time staying true to Memphis' distinct southern home style cooking style, the summer menu has something to please everyone. 

Spice Crusted Sea Bass

I recently got to try out the menu at a preview and one of the standouts for me was the Spice Crusted Striped Bass. Admittedly, I'm  more of a meat eater and tend to eat fish mostly at home so I can indulge in a perfectly cooked steak when I eat out. However, this preparation of sea bass was one of the best I think I've ever tried. The bass was served with perfectly crispy skin (yum!) and atop the most fluffy and flavorful scallion-ginger pancake, drizzled with a soy lime glaze. It also comes served with a side of charred baby bok choy which complimented the tender, melt-in-your-mouth fish to a tee. I can't recommend this dish enough! 

I also really enjoyed the Hickory Barbecue Platter that comes loaded with burnt ends, BBQ chicken and baby back ribs. Be warned though - its quite a feast so make sure you're hungry! Truthfully, my favorite thing about it is the variety as it's perfect for the indecisive eater like me who typically wants everything at the BBQ restaurant. The burnt ends were especially well done and delivered on their promise of smokey BBQ goodness! 

The Retirement

Not to be outdone, the special seasonal cocktails also deliver in bringing a hint of summer to your meal at Memphis. Amaro is all the rage at the moment, and Memphis captures this trend in it's new Retirement cocktail. Served up hipster style in a martini glass, it's every citrus lover's dream. 

I also LOVED the incredibly unique Chai on Fire cocktail. made with everyone's favorite Chai Tea and mezcal which gives it a warm comforting feeling even though it's an iced cocktail. It was just about everyone's favorite drink at the table so definitely a must try.  

Summer Menu 

Dishes

Blackened Rib Cap

Fried Washington Oysters: Red Beans & Rice, Smoked Pork Belly, Zucchini Mignonette 

Fresh Baby Corn-Street Style: New Caledonian Prawns, Queso Fresco, Green Tomato Conserva

Spice Crusted Striped Bass: Scallion-Ginger Pancakes, Baby Bok Choy, Soy-Lime Glaze 

Hickory Barbecue: Burnt Ends, Chicken, Baby Back Ribs, Corn Bread Madeleines, Roasted Jalapeno Slaw

Blackened Rib Cap Steak: Corn Cheese, Hen of the Woods Mushroom, House Steak Sauce

Cocktails

Retirement: California Gin, Wine Aperitif, Amaro, Love

Chai on Fire: Mezcal, Coconut Rum, Lime, Honey, Chai Spiced Tea

Melt Banana: Aquavit, Banana Liqueur, Lemon, Absinthe

Melt Banana

Memphis is located at 2920 Bristol Street in Costa Mesa - in the Sobeca district. 

For more info or to see the full menu, visit their website: https://www.memphiscafe.com/ or call 714/432-7685. 

NEW Restaurant Review: The Little Greek at Mess Hall Market in Tustin

Lamb Gyro

Just about everyone in OC who loves Mediterranean food has heard of or visited the OC icon, Christakis Greek Restaurant in Tustin. In the crazy world of restaurants that come and go, there's a reason they've been in business for over 23 years. Well, your casual Greek food dreams have been answered OC! The family behind the beloved Christakis have just opened up a NEW fast casual version of their restaurant called The Little Greek in the new Mess Hall Market at Flight Center in Tustin Legacy. Currently only in soft opening mode which means they are only serving lunch for now.  

Padakia - marinated lamb chops plate

I recently visited to try out their new digs and am beyond happy to report that the food is just as delicious as it is at the original Christakis. With a pretty large menu covering everything from mezzes (aka appetizers) to pitas, salads, plates and of course, everyone's favorite dessert baklava - there is definitely something for every craving on The Little Greek's menu!

Being a lamb lover, my favorite dish was the lamb chop plate which comes with two marinated and perfectly cooked to your taste (medium-rare for me!) juicy lamb chops and a little greek salad, fluffy wild rice pilaf and a side of  yummy homemade tzatziki. I will be dreaming about these lamb chops for a while as they were rather sinful! 

The SINFUL dolmades w lemon dill sauce

While I tried several of the mezzes, including the delicious hummus and the flaky spanikopita, the one that stood out for me as with a unique flavor and perfect execution was the dolmades. Now, I love me a stuffed grape leaf and typically order them wherever I see them but these were unlike any I'd seen before. Usually they come with a bit of an olive oil and lemon marinade but these came topped with a creamy lemon dill sauce that literally made my taste-buds wake up! If you're a fan of dolmades these are  MUST order and if you've never tried stuffed grape leaves before there is no better rendition to try! 

If you're not a meat-eater or looking for a gluten-free option they have you both covered with a vegetable souvlaki dish as well as several meat-free sides and mezzes. You can also get any of their salads without meat. As for gluten-free, did you know that falafel is naturally gluten-free? Yep, and they have several falafel dish options that will work - just skip the pitas! ;) 

The Little Greek is currently only open for lunch from 11-3pm as the new Mess Hall Market isn't fully operational until their grand opening on Saturday, July 20th.  However, if you want to avoid the crowds and brag to your friends that you were first to try them, I'd hightail it over to The Little Greek before then! If you'd rather wait til the 20th, Mess Hall Market is having a BIG Grand Opening event that day starting at noon with live entertainment, balloon artists, raffles and all kinds of fun events throughout the day. They're also donating 10% of all sales to the OC Rescue Mission. 

Mess Hall Market and The Little Greek are located in the Flight at Tustin Legacy, a new creative office campus. Located at 1705 Flight way near the corner of Red Hill and Barranca/Dyer. Be warned that this brand new area of Tustin Legacy is still under construction so be sure to enter off Barranca/Dyer - onto either Flight Way or Airship Avenue. Parking is abundant with structures and a large lot right next to Mess Hall Market. Also if you GPS it be sure to use Google Maps and not Apple Maps as Apple sent me to the wrong place or better yet just drive west on Barranca/Dyer from Tustin Ranch Road and you'll see it on your right, before you hit Red Hill - it's pretty hard to miss and there's lot of signage. 

For more information or to see the full menu, visit the little greek's website: https://christakisgreekcuisine.com/the-little-greek/

Be sure to tell them OCFoodieGirl sent you! ;)