Travel Costa Mesa Blog
One Weekend, Two Food Festivals
If Costa Mesa isn’t on your food destination list, we think it should be. It’s home to award-winning dining, including Orange County’s only two Michelin Star restaurants and was recently featured throughout OC Weekly “Best Of 2019” food and drink categories. It’s no surprise, then, that Costa Mesa hosted two events the same weekend to celebrate all things culinary.
The TASTE
October 18-19, Los Angeles Times and Travel Costa Mesa presented the 2nd annual The TASTE Costa Mesa, a 21-and-over food and drink festival that included unlimited tastings, chef demos and live music. The event was held over three sessions–Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Saturday night. Restaurants from Orange County and Long Beach served crowds of hungry foodies who couldn’t wait to get a taste of each dish.
Over a dozen Costa Mesa restaurants participated in The TASTE. Friday included dishes from Tackle Box, Verde Kitchen and Filomena’s Italian Kitchen. Vaca chef Amar Santana was on hand to dish out paella and chef Ross Pangilinan, of Terrace by Mix Mix, talked about his family inspiration during his cooking demo.
Among Saturday afternoon dishes were smoked salmon mousse from Shuck Oyster Bar, tomatillo gazpacho and pork two ways from 2145 Pizza and paella valenciana from Cafe Sevilla, opening at Triangle Square in December.
Wahoo’s Fish Taco co-founder Wing Lam and Knife Pleat chef Tony Esnault closed out the event with cooking demonstrations, while guests dined on Costa Mesa’s Toast Kitchen & Bakery, Mesa, Descanso and Silver Trumpet Restaurant & Bar.
VIP ticket holders also enjoyed exclusive dishes from Mastro’s Steakhouse and The Crack Shack, as well as additional drink options and personalized wine tumblers.
SoCal VegFest
October 19-20, OC Fair & Events Center hosted the 5th annual SoCal VegFest. Although the goal of VegFest is to introduce and inspire health conscious living, food lovers had plenty of plant-based options to try. Orange County vegan restaurants such as Vegan by El Zamorano, plant-based fast food The Black Bean, The Donuttery and Cinnaholic served up delicious vegan treats outdoors. Indoor exhibitors included larger brands like Orgain, Forager, Follow Your Heart and Califia Farms. SoCal VegFest also included a cruelty free market, cooking demos, live music kid-friendly events and even a cupcake contest.
Whether you’re an omnivore or plant-based, Costa Mesa has plenty of delicious options for your next food getaway. From a DIY Top Chef Tour to our Costa Mesa Beer Trail, there’s something for everyone. So go ahead: take an Eatcation™.
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The OC Fair returns to SoCal with more “Acres of Fun” than ever!
Orange County’s most anticipated annual event, the OC Fair, returns to Costa Mesa July 12 through August 11! This year’s theme, “Acres of Fun,” is fitting for the seventh largest county fair in the U.S., A holiday in
Orange County , is very relaxing – find out more. which fills every inch of its grounds with ride, games, exhibitions and live performances.
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Top 10 Concerts at the Pacific Amphitheatre During the OC Fair
With the OC Fair comes the return of the Pacific Amphitheatre Toyota Summer Concert Series! Beginning with a July 4th kick off with Eagles tribute band Hotel California, Pacific Amphitheatre will play host to more than 30 concerts this summer. The best part? Every concert ticket includes free admission to the OC Fair, too. If you’re planning to catch as many live shows as you can this summer, here are some of the top concerts you don’t want to miss in 2019!
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Things to Do in Costa Mesa as a Wedding Guest
May marks the unofficial start of wedding season and while Orange County is known for its vacation spots, it’s equally chock-full of incredible destination wedding venues. If you’re visiting the area as a wedding guest this summer, why not take the opportunity to create your own Orange County vacation?
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13 Memorable Things to Do in Orange County
Planning a trip to Orange County? We don’t blame you! With access to some of the best dining, shopping, activities and beaches (not to mention that sunshine), it’s the place to be! And at the center of it all is OC’s not-so-hidden-gem Costa Mesa, the epicenter of the arts, dining and shopping scenes.
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