Archives for Food

Located directly across the street from South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California, Scott’s Restaurant & Bar is hard to miss.  However, over the years I had never tried it, let alone stepped inside.  Most everyone I know that frequented Scott’s raved about the seafood. Since I was never much one for fish, I always skipped over it in my mind as a dining destination.  After becoming completely vegetarian, a friend once suggested Scott’s and after looking over a menu that was most definitely a meatatarian menu, I dismissed it once again.

Then last week, I went to Scott’s for a cocktail meeting.  I didn’t think much about it, since we were only going for cocktails, not food.  I somehow had it in my mind that Scott’s was an old and stodgy restaurant and I certainly hadn’t thought of it as a world class restaurant.  Little did I know that I was in store for a wonderful evening that would dispel all of my preconceived notions of this restaurant. Read More

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Guest post written by Dave Lieberman of the OC Weekly

The problem with wine tasting is that the palate-cleansing oyster crackers they give out are short on flavor (which is probably the point). Wine lovers in Costa Mesa, however, have an option, at least Fridays in April.

The Barcelona on the Go tapas truck will be parked at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa every Friday in April from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Hi-Time will be offering wines in their tasting cellar (at the back of the store and down a ramp).

It isn’t quite the same as standing in a bar in the Barri Gòtic with a glass of excellent cava screwed into your hand and a plate of navalles (razor clams) on a tiny table in front of you while the room gripes about the latest foibles of the Generalitat, but it’s as close as you’re going to get in OC.

I haven’t been back to Barcelona on the Go since their opening, but you might want to order your food first, then ask to have it brought down into the wine cellar as you do your wine tasting. Their croquettes are very good, their tortilla española (a room-temperature potato omelet called a truita in Catalan) is nicely done, and their excellent orange flan is a steal at $3.

Hi-Time Wine Cellars, 250 Ogle St., Costa Mesa; (949) 650-8463. Barcelona on the Go will be there from 4:30-8:30 p.m. on April 9, 16, 23 and 30.

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Flame Broiler has numerous locations all over Orange County, but the one I went to was on Anton and Ave of the Arts in Costa Mesa.  They are a newer location and mainly cater to the people that work in the surrounding offices.  Having heard such great things about this teriyaki place, I decided to finally try it for myself.

Flame Broiler prides themselves on being a healthy option.  Upon walking into the restaurant, I noticed numerous signs that say “no frying, no MSG, no trans fat, and no skin”.  I don’t think fast food can get any better than that.  Glancing over the menu, I noticed they only had a handful of choices, which makes my life just a bit easier.  They had veggie, beef, chicken, and rib options.  You can get it either in a bowl or a plate.  The bowl comes with just rice and the plate comes with a salad and fruit. Read More

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I’d have to say one of the toughest decisions in life is figuring out where to eat for OC Restaurant Week, but lucky for me it comes around twice a year.  After studying the menu for a couple of days, I narrowed it down to a couple of restaurants and Royal Khyber took the final win.  I met up with a friend at the restaurant for lunch and was promptly seated.  The restaurant was dimly lit with a nice warm atmosphere.  The seating along the wall was one long couch with bright colored pillows.  The restaurant was on the smaller side but had a homely feel to it. Read More

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I finally made it over to AnQi, the new gourmet Vietnamese-fusion bistro at South Coast Plaza that is a sister of the celebrity-patronized Crustacean restaurant in Beverly Hills. The interior has an incredibly unique ambiance: it’s dark, candle-lit with little pots of moss on each table. Wine cellars are visible at both ends and traditional Asian screens break off the otherwise large dining area into smaller, individualized, separate ones. Read More

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