NEW Chef means NEW Menu at Mesa Restaurant and Lounge!

Have you been to Mesa in Costa Mesa recently? If not, it may be time for a revisit!



Chef Abad Martinez has recently joined the Mesa family and brings with him several years of experience cooking in many OC kitchens. He also bring a creative flair for pairing unique flavor combinations so it's no surprise his arrival has resulted in a recharge of the menu at Mesa. 

The new menu features several new dishes including a lovely Hamachi Crudo that's almost too pretty to eat - "almost". ;)

The item on the menu that had me the most intrigues is the unique Beef Wellington Bites. Being an avid fan of this not often seen dish, I was BEYOND excited to try these, and my excitement was well rewarded!

They're served up warm and perfectly paired with a creamy bernaise sauce for dipping. They're very well executed and I HIGHLY recommend you try them next time you visit!

One of the other dishes I really enjoyed is the charred New York Steak with potato au gratin, roasted trumpet mushrooms, and a green onion pistou.  It was cooked  perfectly with a flavorful sear, and paired perfectly with the sides. 





Other new dishes include the ricotta gnocchi, a crispy Proscioutto and Fig Pizza, a perfectly Grilled Halibut with a polenta cake and an Ahi Fried Rice. 

Don't forget to save room for dessert! There's two new yummy desserts including a spring-is-here Strawberry Shortcake and a decadent Chocolate Chip Breadpudding.  


                                                                             

No matter what you're in the mood for, enjoying a meal at Mesa will have your taste buds thanking you! 

Mesa is located at 724 Baker Street in Costa Mesa - located at the north end of the The Camp. (714) 557-6700

Valet parking available for dinner. 

More info here: https://www.mesacostamesa.com/

There's a NEW Cooking School in OC - Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School is now open!

Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School recently opened up at South Coast Plaza, on the lower level floor of the Macy's Home Store in Costa Mesa. 


The Cooking School is a partnership between award-winning specialty New England food producer Stonewall Kitchen and Macy’s to create an interesting and interactive retail experience for guests. 


Macy’s has worked closely with Stonewall Kitchen for many years and this expansion is an exciting milestone in their relationship. This is actually Stonewall Kitchen's first foray on the west coast. If you've ever visited their shops in Maine, you're inevitably aware of the popularity of their cooking classes at their New England locations.  

Resident Chef Susan Carter

I was recently able to attend a class and was very impressed with not just the instruction, but the classroom itself which is situated with large screen TVs so that you are sure to see all the action up close no matter where you're sitting. The classes are also limited to 24 students which is the perfect size to ensure you don't get lost in the class. 

Chef Max and his Avocado Toast

The class I attended was hosted by their resident Chef, Susan Carter and local Chef Max Schlutz, owner and Executive Chef of Sessions West Coast Deli. 



These talented Chefs whipped up several delicious dishes for us to try including a lovely watermelon gazpacho, a mouthwatering avocado toast with smoked salmon, classic Italian arancini risotto balls and ended with a refreshing vanilla bean panacotta. 

Yummy Panacotta w Candied Lemon & Mint

Every dish was delicious and the best part was learning how to cook these yummy dishes with the step-by-step demonstration.

If you like to cook (or eat!) you definitely want to check out the Stonewall Cooking School soon! They are currently offering a variety of demonstration classes with chef instructors — the current/upcoming class schedule can be found at: 
www.macysrestaurants.com/stonewall-kitchen-cooking-school/
  
In addition, the space is available for private classes for instructor-led corporate team building, unique meetings, birthday celebrations, or a girls' night out!

The Taste of Orange is coming....!

The Taste of Orange is a little over a month away on May 5th

 AND prices are going up tomorrow! 

Buy your tix before March 31st and get them for only $25! 

Link to buy your tix here: https://www.freshtix.com/events/tasteoforange

If you have some friends who also want to attend there's also a special buy 4 adult tix and get 1 free deal which also expires tomorrow, March 31st - just use code: buy4get1 at checkout! 

If you've never attended The Taste of Orange, it's such a fun event featuring local food, beer, and wine tasting from top local restaurants and breweries. This event also includes a silent auction, opportunity drawings, live music and  lots MORE!

Proceeds benefit the Orange Blossoms, an auxiliary of the Assistance League of Orange. Their programs focus on helping children and families within our local community, including the Ronald McDonald House, CHOC Hospital, Casa Teresa, Juvenile Hall, and many others!

***NOTE: Keep your eyes on the OCFoodiegirl Instagram for your chance to win two tickets to attend! Posting soon!***

Eating with OCFoodieGirl...in Tustin!

Eating with OCFoodieGirl...in Tustin

So I get asked a lot by friends, family and people who find out I'm a food blogger where to eat. I figured I'd start a little series highlighting my favorite current picks in specific cities. Seeing as most of the requests I get are specific to certain occasions (i.e. family birthday, romantic dinner, GNO, etc.) I've broken 'em down by occasion. Since I live in Tustin I thought I'd do my little hometown the honor of being the first one I review. :) 

Best place for a night out with friends: Black Marlin is where the food is consistently good, the music is loud and the people are happy and friendly. What more can you ask for? Tip: they also have some great nightly specials so make sure to ask!

Patio at Christakis

Best place to take a date: the patio at Christakis - romantic, live music on occasion, and delicious Greek food that's very shareable (hint hint) ;) 

Best place to find a date: Swinging Door - yes, it's a dive bar but the drinks are cheap, the pool is free, and there's absolutely NO pretentiousness here. This ain't Newport Beach folks! P.S. the burgers next door at sister restaurant American Grub really hit the spot with one of their beers. ;) 

Best place to feel like a local: Rutabegorz cuz everyone in town goes here and it's one of those places where the waitresses know your name, and on occasion your order too. A close second here is the bar area of 17th Street Grill - any night here you'll see folks walking over from the neighborhood. 

Best place to celebrate a birthday with an older relative: Roma D'Italia's - old school Italian in a family environment with reasonable prices. Everything your mom, dad, grandma or grandpa loves in one location.

Best place to grab some catering for an at-home gathering: Claro's Italian Market - an institution in OC with a great catering selection including their infamous ring sandwiches and heat-at-home pasta dishes. Be warned, they are VERY generous and the dishes always serve more than they say! 

Best place to take the BFF who loves the hole in the walls: Naan and Kebob and Laxmi Indian Market Lunch Buffet - you wouldn't think either of these are anything special by walking by (or even going inside) but the food at both is top notch! Laxmi is actually a small Indian market so make sure to walk to the back to see the deli. 

Best Breakfast to catch up with a friend: Snooze at the Marketplace - you know how you hear about some places and there's so much hype, then you try them and you're like 'meh'. Yeah - that's NOT this place. Snooze is one of those rare places that lives up to the hype.  Tip: Use the Yelp app to help minimize the waiting pain or just put your name in, enjoy the free coffee and chat with your friend while you wait.

Best place to take a friend who thinks Tustin doesn't have any restaurants w great ambiance: Chaak - brought to old town Tustin by the owners of the much beloved Gabbi's in old towne Orange. Gorgeous open space with a retractable roof, lovely outdoor seating and that same delicious Yucatan inspired Mexican food that makes them stand out in a sea of Mexican restaurants in OC! 

Best Place to go with a friend of limited means: Costco (we have two in Tustin!) food court - anyone can eat there (no membership required!) and how can you beat $1.50 hot dogs w a soda and $2 pizza slices? You can't.

Best Place to satisfy your Burger craving that isn't a chain:  Yes, we are lucky to have not one but TWO In n Out's in Tustin, but when I'm looking for a unique burger - Peter's Gourmade Grill is it. Why are they so good? Well, first you have a classically trained Chef running a burger joint that started in a gas station (now in a stripmall) and second, the creative combinations of flavors are well put together and cooked perfectly! I also LOVE the Greek fries so make sure you try those as well cuz even though the burgers are the stars here, it's ALL good! 

Pan Roast from Kettle Bar

Best Place to eat on a rainy day: Kettle Bar at the District - if you've never had a pan roast you're seriously missing out. It's like a big ole hug from your long lost southern Grandma served up in a bowl. Ahh... :)

Best Place to grab a cake or pastry for a celebration: Yes, I know the beloved Taiwanese chain 85C opened up on Irvine Blvd last year and yes, I know Cream Pan attracts strawberry croissant lovers from all over the land, BUT my pick is the fairly recently relocated from our neighbors to the north (a.k.a. Orange) Polish Bakery Poul's on Newport Blvd. Seriously some of the best baked goods around and the variety works for just about any occasion!

Best GNO: Centro - small enough to actually catch up but big enough to feel like a night out!  Make sure to try the flatbread style pizzas and of course, the locally produced wine! 

Best GDO: Morning Lavender - this somewhat new addition to old town Tustin has really taken the area by storm! Fronted by a chic clothing boutique, in the back you will find an adorably decorated tea room complete with an outdoor patio seating area and a stunning flower wall for all those 'girls day out' selfies that you know will inevitably happen! 

Spicy Wontons from
Szechuan Impression

Best Place to take your friends and brag that you found it first: Any of the Asian restaurants at the Redhill Plaza strip mall including O Shine Taiwanese (the green onion pancake & the sticky rice are TDF!), Szechuan Impression (the spicy wontons=#faint!) , OB Square (garlic soy wings are heaven here!) and a few others. They are nothing to look at from the outside but have authentic delicious food and attract a crowd of in-the-know folks who come from all over.

Best Place to curb that after dinner sweet craving: Joghurt - I know there are many more desserts that are more exciting than fro-yo, but Joghurt has stood the test of time and for good reason - great frozen yogurt flavors that rotate often and the toppings are always fresh and varied. Who has coconut jelly squares as a topping AND Pineapple Whip fro-yo? Joghurt, that's who!  P.S. A close second in this category is the relatively new Cinnaholic at The District - fresh warm cinnamon rolls with your choice of over 20+ toppings and glazes, everything is organic and made in house, and get this - vegan, although you'd NEVER know it. 

If you know of any places I should keep on my radar in Tustin please feel free to comment or email me at ocfoodiegirl@gmail.com  I'd love to check them out and possibly include them next time!

Note: I've linked up every place listed so just click on the name for more info and locations! 

Get your TACO on at the 26th Annual SOS Wild & Crazy Taco Night!

The Original Taco Night is back! 

Share Our Selves (SOS) is excited to announce the 26th Annual Wild & Crazy Taco Night on Thursday, April 4th at SOS in Costa Mesa. 


25+ of Orange County’s most recognized and honored chefs will be vying for TOP taco at a fun-filled evening of inventive tacos, craft beer, and margaritas.


Wild & Crazy Taco Night has been a hallmark party for foodies and philanthropists alike. At last year’s event, the YELP People’s Choice Taco winner (as chosen by attendees) was the Adobo Prime Rib Double Decker Taco created by Chef Eric Mickle of Orange Hill Restaurant. 

Mmm... tacos! 

Each distinct taco is conceived SOLELY for this event, allowing the discerning foodie an exclusive experience. Tickets include all-you-can-eat tacos and beverages, including DesMaDre Tequila, margaritas, and beer from Barley Forge Brewing Co. and Sol Cerveza.

Back by popular demand is the pre-event VIP Party! Participating guests will enjoy early admission and have the opportunity to meet all of the chefs and sample their tacos before the general event begins. 

Better get your tickets soon before it sells out!  
General Admission tix are $75 & VIP are $150. 
See the list of awesome Chef's and get your tickets here: Wild & Crazy Taco Night Tickets


Proceeds from the event benefit the SOS Food Pantry, which provides critical food security to low-income and homeless Orange County residents. Volunteer and staff drivers collect food from grocery stores, restaurants, bakeries and caterers throughout Orange County and deliver it to SOS who distributes an average of 235 bags of groceries a day to individuals and families in need. For more information about Share Our Selves please visit shareourselves.org.

Last year's Wild & Crazy Taco Nigh Chefs! 

OC Restaurant Week is coming!

It's almost THAT time again! 

OC Restaurant Week starts March 3rd!!!

The most wonderful foodie time of the year happens when all the best restaurants in Orange County offer special menus at special prices as part of OC Restaurant Week! There's no better time to revisit one of your favorites local dining destinations or check out a new place.

The list of participating restaurants is almost endless and includes some of OC's most coveted reservations including the fabulous Bluegold in HB, the NEW Davios Steakhouse in Irvine, the gorgeous Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens, the sinful Mix Mix Kitchen in downtown Santa Ana, and the list goes on! 

You can take your pick of lunch menus ($10 - $20 menus) or dinner ($20-$50) or the new $80 "luxe" dinner option! There's something for everyone at every price point!

I HIGHLY recommend you start making your reservations NOW as OC Restaurant Week only lasts for one week from March 3 - 9th!  

You can see the full list of restaurants and menus on the OCRW website: Restaurant List

AND if you want to get a head start on trying out some of the participating restaurants don't forget that tickets are still availabel for the OC Restaurant WEek Launch Party on March 2nd! Get your tickets here before they sell out cuz they will:  Buy Tickets

Be sure to tell them OCFoodieGirl sent you! 

Restaurant Review: Coastal Kitchen in Dana Point

So I admittedly don't get down to Dana Point too often but I heard that there has been a bit of a renaissance going on in the city for the past few years, so I was eager to head down to try the highly touted Coastal Kitchen. 

Coastal Kitchen opened up in mid-2016 in a historic building that was actually the first commercial building in Dana Point. It's' been lovingly transformed into a beautiful restaurant with a coastal ambiance taking full advantage of the Southern California lifestyle with large open glass doors and cozy fire pits all along the north entrance. 

The open glass doors lead to a chic bar area which was quite popular the night we were there. I imagine the fire pits and bar area draw quite a crowd on a nice evening. 

This casual coast ambiance is also evident in the interior with a comfy nautical decor with lots of  blues and crisp whites which makes for a very inviting space. This atmosphere is also reflected in the menu at Coastal Kitchen. The varied menu has something for everyone from sandwiches, salads to fresh sustainable seafood and hearty steaks. It made for a difficult decision when it came time for order! 

We settled on the Chef's tacos as a starter - every night the Chef features a local protein to make a small starter plate of 3 tacos. This could easily be a course for someone too but we opted to share them as an appetizer.  The tacos were some of the most delicious salmon tacos I think I've ever tried - fresh and meaty with a lovely mango salsa on top to brighten it up. Needless to say, we devoured them! 

Coastal Kitchen has an open kitchen with windows separating the chefs from the dining room. Luckily, we were seated right next to the window so it was quite a treat to watch the Chefs cooking up our meals.  The first entrée we sampled was the Big Island Ribeye steak - 14 ounces of perfectly cooked juicy marbled ribeye. Prep of this gorgeous cut includes 72 hours bathing in a teriyaki style marinade, which lends a really nice flavor to the steak. 

When the scallops arrived they were so stunning we almost felt bad cutting into them - seared perfectly with a nice char and topped with a pineapple avocado mango salsa. There were three large U-10 scallops which were large enough to make an entire meal. 

One thing I really found appealing is that even though the entrees are listed with a side, Coastal Kitchen lets you change it to any of the sides listed on their menu. It was great as we were sharing entrees and mashed potatoes are a whole lot easier to share than a baked potato. It also afforded us a chance to substitute their delicious crispy Brussels sprouts! 

We had such a hard time deciding on dessert that we ended up with two - the infamous S'mores Pie that Coastal Kitchen is known for, and the sinful butter cake w berries.







Both were as delicious as they sound! We especially loved the playfulness of the S'mores Pie, with a graham cracker crust filled with silky chocolate mousse and crowned with pillowy charred marshmallow topping.  This would be the perfect thing to enjoy out by the fire pits on a chilly night!

I was very impressed with Coastal Kitchen. It's a great place for any occasion with a varied menu and several distinct areas that are right for any occasion.  The food is fabulous, the service was attentive and helpful (kudos to our awesome waiter Ryan!) and I highly recommend you check it out!

Coastal Kitchen is located at 34091 Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point. 949/449-2822

Hours are Sun - Thurs from 11:30am - 9pm; Fri - Sat from 11:30am-10pm

For the full menu and to see more pictures see CK's website: http://www.coastalkitchendanapoint.com/

Be sure to tell them OCFoodieGirl sent you! ;)