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10 Places to Get Your Barbie™ Fix in Costa Mesa

Posted on July 18, 2023 | 7:51pm

Come on Barbie, let’s go party! With the whole world ready for the Barbie™ movie opening July 21, we found a few fun places in Costa Mesa where we could definitely see Barbie stopping by…and where you can channel that fun, colorful energy into a Barbie moment yourself. Here’s 10 spots to check out in Costa Mesa and get your Barbie fix!

Local Fare

Local Fare is ready for the season with a whole line of Barbie-inspired products including this cuter-than-can-be beach towel. Find other items to go with your pretty new towel including more fun things for the pool or beach. Visit Local Fare in the shops at The OC Mix.

Coffee Dose

It’s like Coffee Dose was made for Barbie. With a bright, whimsical design and cheeky quotes on dishes and mugs, it’s a delightful cafe to spend the afternoon dreaming about Ken while the pink Corvette is parked outside.

Susie Cakes

Susie Cakes has bright, fun cakes for order or purchase including a Barbie cake with Barbie and her friends! Stop by and see them and taste something delightful at The OC Mix.

SoCo & The OC Mix

With great shopping in a rustic spot full of unique boutiques and pop-ups, SoCo and the OC Mix is one of Costa Mesa’s delightfully fun indoor and outdoor shopping and dining centers. We can see Barbie getting her Instagram moment in front of this sign and then picking up an adorable locally made blouse or earrings!

Forever Nails and Spa

We think Barbie would just love this manicure, but if you want some different choices, they know what they’re doing over at Forever Nails and Spa.

South Coast Plaza

Barbie loves a good designer pair of shoes or bag, and these stilettos from Jimmy Choo seem right up her alley. You can find the Jimmy Choo store at South Coast Plaza, and here are some other ideas from them in the South Coast Plaza blog featuring beautiful items in Barbie Blue.

Costa Mesa Bloom

Costa Mesa IS the City of the Arts®, so you can’t miss checking out some of the great public art in the city. Dress in your cutest colorful outfit like @hellokatiegirlblog and take a picture in front of the “Costa Mesa Bloom” mural, just outside Triangle Square off Harbor Blvd. Inside Triangle Square, you’ll find awesome dining and entertainment too.

Nectar Bath Treats

The bright and bubbly personality of the bath bombs and soap treats Nectar Bath makes seems like a perfect fit for Barbie’s bathtub. Visit the store on Level 1 of South Coast Plaza’s Carousel Court (and take a ride on the carousel while you’re at it!).

Fill Bakery

Pretty and delicious, Fill Bakeshop is a must stop to get your bubble gum pink Barbie treats. Make sure to get extras for Ken and the gang.

The Crack Shack

Did you know Richard Blais’s Crack Shack opened its first OC location in Costa Mesa? One of their best sandwiches is aptly named the “Malibu Barbie Q” and we’re sure you’ll love it. This fried chicken sandwich with an onion ring, bacon and melted cheese might make it harder to keep that famous 18″ waist, but everything in moderation!

Don’t miss the Barbie™ movie, coming out July 21.

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Posted in Food, Locals, Misc, Play, Shopping

Over-The-Top Food For This Year’s OC Fair

Posted on July 11, 2023 | 7:22am

Chances are good that you’ve been waiting all year to see what deliciously eyebrow-raising foods the creative vendors of the OC Fair have cooked up for us this year. Of all the fun the OC Fair brings to Costa Mesa each year, the free pass to indulge in new and curious foods is hard to beat. That’s why we’re showing you some of the newest additions to this year’s menu, along with our old favorites.

If you want to fit the most into your your OC Fair food tour, stop by on Thursdays between noon and 4 p.m. when vendors will be offering a sampling of treats for $4 each! And be sure to buy your OC Fair tickets ahead of time, because advance tickets are required.

Read More

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Posted in Events, Food

Ten Ways to Heat Up Your Summer in Costa Mesa

Posted on May 30, 2023 | 8:23am

The joy of summer is back, and Costa Mesa is ready to welcome you for a summer full of fun in Orange County. From exciting new dining to Broadway shows to one of the biggest fairs on the West Coast, there’s just so much to see in Costa Mesa.

Great New Dining

Costa Mesa offers Orange County’s only Michelin-starred restaurants – three of them, to be
exact. A slate of new dining destinations are popping up around the city, adding to its already
robust varieties of cuisine. But that’s not all! A host of exciting new restaurant concepts have opened or are opening this summer, and the new dining continues to raise the bar as a perfect spot for an Eatcation®.

Read more about the hot new restaurants in Costa Mesa in our latest press release, including Blossoms and Brass pictured below – a European, cocktail-forward restaurant with surprising Japanese influences.

Tickets to a Show

Segerstrom Center for the Arts (SCFTA) offers not only Broadway plays and musicals, but lots of other great outdoor summer events as well. The hottest ticket of the summer will be Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, playing July 11-23, 2023. With the world’s recent loss of legendary singer Tina Turner, watching this show will be bittersweet, but an absolute must to appreciate the life and music of this phenomenal artist.

Another show coming this summer is Six, June 13-25. From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix 500 years of historical heartbreak into a celebration of 21st century girl power. For outdoor fun, be sure to check SCFTA’s calendar, including free dance events and their famous Movie Mondays free on the Plaza starting with The Lion King on July 10. Don’t forget to take a stroll through Costa Mesa’s Art Walk.

OC Fair

Costa Mesa’s biggest event of the year, the OC Fair returns July 14 – August 13 with the theme “Happy Together.” The Orange County Fair is the 9th-largest fair in the United States and dazzles visitors every year with its wide array of events, rides, carnival, fantastic food, and the biggest Ferris wheel on the West Coast. Tickets are on sale now – choose dates carefully as there are no refunds or exchanges. Fairgoers must choose a specific date due to a certain number of guests allowed per day.

Pacific Amphitheater

PacAmp concerts are one of the highlights of Costa Mesa’s summer roster, and this year’s slate of artists is an exciting one. Pacific Amphitheatre is the 3,000-seat outdoor stadium located on the OC Fair grounds, and offers months of summer concerts for music lovers of every genre. Enjoy artists like Robin Thicke, Neyo and Mario, Dwight Yoakam, Smokey Robinson and more. See PacAmp’s concert lineup here – and remember, your concert ticket purchase gets your free admission to the OC Fair as well!

Centennial Farm

Centennial Farm is a 3-acre working farm at Costa Mesa’s OC Fair & Event Center. Created to educate youth about agriculture and its importance to daily life. Centennial Farm is home to fruit and vegetable gardens, livestock, and the Millennium Barn. Two youth educational tour programs are offered, Discovery Days and Junior Farmer Tours – as well as year-round daily hours so the public can visit the farm. The Farm is well known for its Pig Cam, a live feed of the adorable Centennial Farm pigs. Check the Centennial Farm calendar for hours, and find out more about the farm’s programs here.

OCMA

With free admission to all visitors, there’s no reason to not make a visit to Orange County’s newest museum. On the Segerstrom Center for the Arts campus, the Orange County Museum of Art houses a collection of Check the OCMA calendar to see current exhibits and events happening this summer, including their monthly happy hour and pop-up talks!

Outdoor Shopping

Summer means being outside, but it doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite pasttime of shopping the day away! Costa Mesa has multiple outdoor shopping, dining and retail environments including The LAB, pictured here. Its sister facility The CAMP is directly across Bristol Street with a crosswalk connecting the two. Both of these shopping and dining centers offer relaxing and kitschy outdoor space (even hammocks!) along with a great collection of restaurants – in fact, The LAB even has a Michelin Star restaurant, Hana re sushi. Find a brewery, sustainable shopping, wine tasting, a tattoo shop, eclectic bars and so much more – and spend the majority of your day strolling outside in the California sunshine.

Don’t miss SoCo and The OC Mix – you’ll find one of Costa Mesa’s Michelin Star restaurants here, Taco Maria – plus unique local boutique shopping. Triangle Square houses a movie theater plus wonderful outdoor dining and OC’s only nightclub, Time.

Orange County Beaches

Costa Mesa’s just minutes from some of the country’s most sought-after Orange County beaches. A short ride away from the Newport Beach and Huntington Beach crowds, Costa Mesa offers reasonable hotel rates plus incredible shopping and dining, frequently within walking distance of your hotel. Here’s some secret OC beach spots you may not know about.

Lions Park Fish Fry

A cherished favorite local event, summer brings Costa Mesa’s 76th Fish Fry & Carnival in Lions Park, 570 18th Street, Costa Mesa. This year the number of carnival rides will triple in size, as the carnival will expand onto Davis Baseball field. The Fish Fry is run by the Costa Mesa/Newport Harbor Lions Club, which has been serving the community for over 100 years.

Join in for three days of family fun June 23-25! Fish fry dinners, carnival rides, games, booths, listen to headliner bands, additional food stations, wine/beer garden, free giveaways, opportunity drawings, and more! All the money raised goes to support youth activities, sight and hearing conservation and other community needs.

Admission is FREE! Fish Dinners $15 – Food & Entertainment – Fish Dinners – Beer and Wine Garden – Carnival Rides – Games – Blues and Rock Bands – Booths – Opportunity Drawing –

Date & Time

Friday, June 23 · 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Saturday, June 24 · 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Sunday, June 25 · 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Goat Hill Junction Railroad

All aboard! A great family activity for locals and visitors, ride the model train for a 15-minute loop around Fairview Park on over 5 miles of track! Did you know Goat Hill Junction has one of the largest miniature train layouts on the West Coast? Managed by Orange County Model Engineers, club members operate over 40 gas and steam-powered model locomotives on the miniature railway. Riding Goat Hill Junction trains is great fun for both adults and kids. Free train rides every 3rd weekend of the month from 10am-3:30pm, weather permitting. Goathill Junction Railroad is located in Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park. It’s at 2520 Placentia Avenue between Adams Avenue and Victoria Street.

We know you’ll enjoy the summer in Costa Mesa! With its proximity to the beach and great OC hotel rates, Costa Mesa is your perfect home base to visit Orange County this summer.

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Posted in Events, Food, Hotels, Locals, Misc

Sustainable Eats in Costa Mesa

Posted on May 25, 2023 | 11:10am

famers market orange county

Come find where the love of sustainability and slow living meets great eats. Many of our Costa Mesa restaurants prioritize supporting local and ethical food sourcing along with sustainable and limited food waste in their kitchens. This adds up to a dining experience that combines phenomenal taste with the support of our environment.

Six Sustainably Focused Restaurants

Outpost Kitchen: The gourmet coffee and organic food experience is reminiscent of his Australian hometown. From local, organic, fresh produce, delicious creations are made. The Avocado Toast is a good example; more than just toast and avocado, it includes Pappadew pesto, feta cheese, Asian greens and olive oil – and you can add a poached egg to put it over the top. 

Fermentation Farm: Focused on creating health from the gut out. “Healthy Gut = Healthy Life,” with probiotic-rich and restorative foods. Enjoy fermented drinks like kombucha, plus brewed sodas, organic bone broth, plus yogurts, kefir, soups and more.

Mother’s Organic Kitchen: Bringing wellness to SoCal since 1978. Beyond the market, where you can get fresh juice and smoothies, you can shop in the market filled with 100% organic products and groceries.

Veg’d: Giving a whole new meaning to fast food. A 100% plant-based menu where even the patties are made without preservatives.

Seabirds Kitchen: This vegan restaurant offers creative and flavorful dishes using fresh, organic ingredients. HINT: Try the Beer Battered Avocado Tacos

The Plot: Coming late summer 2023. Restaurateurs Devin and Jessica Waite are bringing exciting plant-forward eating to OC with the opening of their second location of The Plot at The CAMP. The Plot’s menu features creative and sustainable plant-based dishes with a zero-waste ethos business model. They say their mission is to make plant-based food irresistible and to give back more than they take.

Want to expand your sustainability support in Costa Mesa beyond restaurants? Explore these 10 ways that you can take your commitment to the environment to the next level.

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Posted in Food

Cool Drinks to Sip this Summer

Posted on May 24, 2023 | 1:40pm

Things are heating up in Costa Mesa this summer and there’s nothing better than cooling off with a delicious cocktail! We’ve picked a few of the hottest places in town to get a cold libation.

  1. Silver Trumpet – Located in the Theater & Arts District, the mixologists at Silver Trumpet weave the taste of art into everything they make. HINT: Try the Summer Sounds Sangria.
  2. SOCIAL Restaurant & Bar – This upscale bar offers craft cocktails with fresh, unique ingredients.
  3. Playa Mesa – This Mexican restaurant offers a variety of margaritas and other tequila-based cocktails.
    playa mesa drinks
  4. Habana – This Michelin Guide Cuban restaurant at The LAB offers a variety of mojitos and other rum-based cocktails.
  5. Portola Coffee Roasters – This artisanal coffee shop offers some of the best coffee in Orange County, as well as refreshing iced coffee and cold brew options.

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Posted in Food