Travel Costa Mesa Blog
Grab-and-Go Options Perfect for a Beach Day
- Blue Bowl – Stay energized during your beach day by creating your own superfood bowls and drinks.
- Mendocino Farms – This gourmet sandwich shop offers fresh, healthy options with locally sourced ingredients.
- The Crack Shack – Known for its delicious fried chicken sandwiches and creative sides. Convenient outdoor order and pick-up window. HINT: The dipping sauces are the secret ingredient to every dish.
- Seabirds Kitchen – A vegetarian and vegan restaurant serving up creative and flavorful dishes using fresh, organic ingredients. Located at The LAB.
- Milligram Coffee – More than a coffee shop! This independently owned shop has great bites. Features locally sourced and seasonal produce combined with modern and clean cooking techniques.
- Greenleaf Chopshop – A healthy restaurant offering salads, bowls, and sandwiches made with fresh, organic ingredients.
- Jan’s Health Bar – A place always full of fresh food! Locally sourced ingredients and a casual atmosphere. HINT: Try the date shake for a perfect after-beach treat.
For more tasty food options in Costa Mesa, start exploring (and making reservations) now!
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10 Ways to Support Sustainability in Costa Mesa
Sustainability is quickly becoming an important consideration with those planning to travel. If you’re thinking about sustainable travel, Costa Mesa should definitely be on your destinations list. The City of Costa Mesa has been named a LEED Gold City, recognized for sustainability achievement and a Tree City USA community in California by the Arbor Day Foundation. Not only is the city committed to sustainability, but so are many Costa Mesa businesses. We’ve put together a list of our most sustainable places to shop – and eat – while you’re visiting.
Shopping
The CAMP
Visitors may recognize The CAMP as one of Costa Mesa’s most Instagrammable spots, but The CAMP is also one of the first eco-friendly retail and dining campuses in the country. It’s designed with tanks, filters and percolation wells underneath the parking lot that treats stormwater before it’s absorbed into the soil and underground water storage. Around the property, there are 12 gardens growing herbs, fruit and vegetables so the restaurants can source locally grown ingredients for their dishes.
This Earth Day, The CAMP is hosting a special Earth Day “Mother Earth Market.” It includes focus on eco-conscious vendors, a clothing swap, workshops on sustainability and more. RSVP here.
SEED Peoples Market
At SEED Peoples Market, you’ll find a curated collection of eco-friendly and ethical brands. They inspire sustainable living and highlight one-of-a-kind items from local and global artisans. SEED Peoples Market is one of our favorites and we recommend checking out their unique goods for a true Costa Mesa locals’ experience. It’s in The CAMP, too.
Bulk & Refilling Shops
Fill Up Buttercup
Fill Up Buttercup tells us that only 9% of recyclables are actually recycled, so the best thing we can do is reduce or reuse what we consume. Fill Up Buttercup is dedicated to keeping toxins and plastics out of your body, home & planet! The adorable shop is a one-stop shop for all your nontoxic household essentials in bulk to be refilled in your own container, as well as utilizing products that are easily composted or biodegradable. Its 3 female founders are hoping their store is a place to be fulfilled and inspired.
Eco Now
Orange County’s first zero waste and refill shop, Eco Now has plenty of plastic-free options as well as refills for everything from laundry detergent to shampoo. It’s located just across the street from The CAMP at The LAB Anti-Mall. The friendly staff are happy to answer questions for those who aren’t familiar with zero waste or plastic free living.
Amis de la Terre Market
Amis de la Terre is born from years of research on the ocean. Owners and PhD grad students Chris and Jessica have spent countless hours looking at water samples from our local beaches and finding micro plastics in everything. Visit Orange County’s first zero-waste grocer and find delicious treats like plantain chips, organic cashews,fruits, grains, flour, vinegar, honey and even fair-trade chocolate
Cooking/Dining
We Olive & Wine Bar
We Olive & Wine Bar at SOCO & The OC Mix offers refillable bottles of olive oil and vinegar. You can sample before you buy to find your favorite. Bring back your clean, empty bottle to refill and enjoy a discount. We Olive specializes in small-production, boutique West Coast wines, highlighting local vintners.
Wine Lab
Located in the bustling CAMP shopping center, the 1,270-square-foot space serves wine from a MicroMatic wine dispenser; Wine Lab’s offering of 8 wines on tap was a first in Orange County. Small wineries love the keg-delivery option because it maintains the temperature and quality of the wines, but with a smaller carbon footprint. Wine Lab also features a beer dispenser with 6 taps offering local microbrews. There’s also a small shop where customers can buy wine or the local artisan cheese, goat butter or other items they’ve tasted while sipping.
Fermentation Farm
Fermentation Farm is what might be called a fermentation hub providing OC with all things fermented, from kombucha to kimchi. Ferm Farm, as it is fondly called by locals, hosts things like Sustainability Boot Camps to teach visitors ways to be eco-friendly and sustainable in a variety of cooking or preservation methods. They focus on how to raise animals and plants organically, without the use of antibiotics or pesticides and sell products to promote organic living and gut health.
Veg’d
Veg’d offers a 100% plant-based menu uses nourishing, whole foods. It’s a vegan fast-food restaurant that used to be a Del Taco, if you can believe that. They have burgers and fries but also serve kung pao veggie bowls and other great items. Everything is provided in 100% packaging that’s biodegradable and compostable. The restaurant also composts or donates all unused food.
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Who Run the World? Women-Owned Businesses in Costa Mesa
As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, we wanted to call out the huge number of businesses owned by women in Costa Mesa. Per the Orange County Business Journal, the 39 largest businesses owned by women generated a collective $4.2 billion in 2021 revenue. Women-owned businesses are definitely powerhouses in the OC, but what about Costa Mesa specifically? Well, this city’s no exception! This is by no means an exhaustive list of the women-owned businesses in Costa Mesa, but here are just a few of the great women-owned businesses in the city.
ARTime Barro
Photo by ARTime Barro
Co-founders Gabriela and Nicole work daily to bring the joy of pottery and ceramics into the lives of those around them. ARTime Barro is more than just another ceramics studio, it is a place where they can share their love of the craft with their community. Every class taught and every artwork sold in their shop are infused with the creative spirit of this mother-daughter duo.
The LAB
The LAB’s got a whole page dedicated to female entrepreneurs at The LAB; in fact, The LAB itself is owned by Linda Sadeghi, a business owner in Costa Mesa for over 30 years. The LAB began its journey to combat what they call retail monotony in 1993, when it was recycled from a night-vision goggle factory to the fun, urban and artsy retail and dining center it is today. As they say, “From clothes to candles, beer to bags, jewelry to jackfruit nachos, the women who have set-up shop at the Anti-Mall are a force to be reckoned with.”
From left to right, Patricia Barkenhagen is co-owner of Bootlegger’s Brewery. Read more about women brewers in OC here. House of Inspiration says they “serve as a culturally inclusive metaphysical oasis” where people can enhance their spiritual journeys, by owners Marlene Vargas and Alex Naranjo. And Thea Merrit is the founder of Eco Now at The LAB. Eco Now was the first zero-waste refill station in OC and is a local favorite.
The CAMP
The CAMP shares its powerhouse lineup of female entrepreneurs at the center here, celebrating their part of the history as a center, as well as Costa Mesa’s history. Currently, The CAMP lists 8 businesses as women owned; the three featured here are: at left, Natasha Quinn, owner of Pürre Boutique, a little oasis of unique new and vintage finds along with decor for your home and essential beauty items. Second, tattoo legend Kari Barba has been operating legacy shop Outer Limits Tattoo at the CAMP since 1983. Looks like she’s having a blast! And third, arguably one of the most well-known female business owners in Costa Mesa is Rachel Klemek, the owner of Blackmarket Bakery. Besides her store at The CAMP, she also has two more stores in San Diego. But what makes her so well known? Well, Rachel won Food Network’s “Chopped” in the Sweets Showdown in 2019!
The OC Mix
Photo by The Salon
There are so many more women-owned boutiques in the trendy OC Mix retail center in Costa Mesa, we found just a couple to share…
The story of The Salon is one of a harmonious coming together between like-minded women. Founded by Ana in 2022, The Salon’s mission is to continue that sense of harmony through their care for their clients’ hair with a focus on well-being and health.
Hadley and Ren was founded by Cynthia, who used floral design to find her way through a period of immense grief and loss. Now, she uses floral design to bring joy and beauty into the lives of her clients. Each design is bespoke, inspired, and instilled with her passion, which you can see and feel with a single visit to the shop.
One of the newest additions to The OC Mix, Balboa Gold is owned by Savannah, who is excited to use her shop as a way to express her creativity and provide unique pieces. Her shop sells curated and crafted jewelry items, specializing in permanent pieces. That is, jewelry that is permanently (and painlessly) welded onto you for a fun, meaningful way to wear your purchase.
The Mixing Glass
Photo by Emily J. Davis
Gabrielle Dion is another well-known Costa Mesa business owner, a mixologist extraordinaire turned owner of The Mixing Glass, a specialty cocktail store in Costa Mesa. Voice of OC did a piece on Gaby last summer as she opened her new, bigger retail space at Harbor and Adams. Not only selling specialty liquors, beer and wine, you can also get high-end products to make your cocktails, mixers, cocktail ice, condiments and even seasonal produce. Gaby offers cocktail-making classes focused on carrying local products by women-owned businesses whenever possible.
Coffee Dose
Photo by Jeni Castro
Coffee Dose might have started as a sudden epiphany for co-founder Jeni Castro, but through hard work and dedication to carrying out her goals, it now has five locations across Orange County. But their flagship shop is in Costa Mesa. This wife and husband team are dedicated to coffee, injecting a new sense of fun into this centuries-old beverage and doing their part to keep SoCal caffeinated with real, carefully selected ingredients in their coffee.
South Coast Plaza
Photo by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
South Coast Plaza is a world-renowned shopping center featuring hundreds of shops, award-winning eats, and year-round events. And for the first time in its 50+ years of history, a woman is the general manager of the entire center. Molly Unger has taken the helm of this luxury shopping destination, bringing with her a suite of experience and a track record of success from her time overseeing properties such as Westfield Century City and Westfield UTC.
OC Fair & Event Center
Photo by OC Fair & Event Center
As the CEO and general manager of the OC Fair & Event Center, Michele Richards works tirelessly to ensure year-round fun and events for her community. Her decades of leadership experience have made her integral to the inner workings of the organization, which is a staple of the Costa Mesa and larger Orange County communities. Of the four members of the OCFEC executive staff, three are women, each bringing a unique set of experience and skills to continue improving the organization year by year.
City Government…and even Travel Costa Mesa!
There are many other women-owned businesses in Costa Mesa, and women have also held high places in city government – Costa Mesa’s city manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison had some thoughts to share to celebrate Women’s History Month (she was the first woman to hold the position, and has held it since 2019).
And even here at Travel Costa Mesa, we’re proud to say that we’re an all-woman staff too!
The Costa Mesa Historical Society tells a great history of women who have been important to the city’s development. Costa Mesa’s first female city council member, Norma Hertzog, even has a community center named after her. Visit the Costa Mesa Historical Society’s website for more great tidbits and stories of how women impacted this community, then and today.
Even the new Orange County Museum of Art, originally started by its 13 female founders, has an exhibition honoring the women pioneering the museum’s collection. Did we mention that OCMA’s CEO and Director is a woman too? Heidi Zuckerman has been at the helm of the organization since it opened in October 2022.
Happy International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month! We hope you’ll visit some of the links to see other great women entrepreneurs in our city.
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Lunar New Year in Costa Mesa: Year of the Rabbit Celebrations 2023
Many around the world celebrate the new year at midnight on December 31. But there are 2 billion people who celebrate the new year on a different day. Lunar New Year, sometimes called Chinese New Year, is an international holiday celebrated in many Asian countries. Depending on the country or culture, the length of Lunar New Year celebrations can change, but last several days.
Globally, around two billion people celebrate the Lunar New Year. This year, Lunar New Year begins on Sunday, January 22 and ends on Sunday, February 5. 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. Chinese culture gives a person born under a specific sign certain personality traits. Those born under the sign of the rabbit do not like to argue, preferring peace and quiet. They are good listeners, excellent negotiators and tend to work well on a team. The best romantic partners for people born in the Year of the Rabbit are people born in the year of the Dog, Sheep, or Pig.
Lunar New Year at South Coast Plaza
There’s fun events going on in Costa Mesa to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit, and South Coast Plaza is at the heart of the season. Now in its 11th year, South Coast Plaza’s 19-day Lunar New Year festivities are the largest and most extensive of any shopping center on the West Coast, drawing visitors from all over California.
Beginning January 19, you’ll find a special Lunar New Year display in Jewel Court. Surrounded by LED screens providing a 360-degree view, the centerpiece will depict rabbits, symbolizing longevity, peace and prosperity. The peaceful rabbit is sitting on top of a garden showered with gold coins and ingots signifying the arrival of Spring and fortune.
With a minimum of $2,500 in same-day purchases from any combination of South Coast Plaza boutiques and restaurants, guests will receive a pair of exclusive Water Rabbit of Fortune glasses by LIULI Crystal Art.
South Coast Plaza’s annual Enter-to-Win contest running Jan. 19 – Feb. 5 features an opportunity to win an $800 South Coast Plaza gift card plus luxury prizes from boutiques and restaurants.
Pacific Symphony hosts a Lunar New Year gala in South Coast Plaza’s Jewel Court on January 28.
Many South Coast Plaza boutiques will celebrate The Year of the Rabbit with special displays and by offering limited-edition items and themed products to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit and Lunar New Year. GUCCI has created a special capsule collection to celebrate the season. Echoing the joyful mood of the occasion, the collection sees a fanciful use of color, print, and embellishment across ready-to-wear, bags, shoes, accessories, jewelry, and timepieces.
Special Menus and Treats at South Coast Plaza Restaurants (Various dates)
Select South Coast Plaza restaurants such as Knife Pleat and Water Grill will celebrate Lunar New Year with special menus, while confectioners and bakeries offer an assortment of treats, some with festive Year of the Rabbit gift packaging.
Chef Tony Esnault of the Michelin-star Knife Pleat has created a three-course lunch menu honoring Year of the Rabbit that begins January 24 and is available Tuesday-Friday. The dishes may be ordered à la carte as well. A Lunar New Year cocktail has also been created, the Lucky Rabbit, with exotic touches of vodka, szechwan, ambrosia tea, mandarin and star anise.
Knife Pleat will also feature a Lunar New Year afternoon tea on January 21 and 28. Specially designed dishes include mini mooncake, black sesame ball with mandarin filling, chocolate gold coins and more.
Pastry chef Germain Biotteau’s collection of six signature macarons with Asian forward flavors such as mandarin, passion fruit, mango and black sesame is available in a decorative box. $26
Water Grill honors Lunar New Year with beautiful décor and and an à la carte menu of four symbolic dishes including crispy black sea bass, shrimp shumai and fried local spiny lobster, January 18-February 7. Special offerings will be available at lunch and dinner.
Din Tai Fung is internationally renowned for its Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings), handmade noodles, wontons potstickers and much more. Reservations are encouraged, and the restaurant has an excellent take-out program perfect for lunar new year dining at home.
New to South Coast Plaza this year is MIÀN. Named after the Chinese word for “noodle,” MIÀN serves authentic Sichuan-style noodles and traditional dishes. An homage to the distinctly delicious (and tongue-numbing) cuisine of China’s Sichuan Province, the menu is anchored by the bold, pungent and spicy flavors for which the region is known and revered.
Located at Collage Culinary Experience level 2 at Bloomingdale’s South Coast Plaza, Paradise Dynasty is a full-service restaurant featuring the regional cuisine of China, will offer Lunar New Year specials and red envelope surprises for guests.
Confectioners will offer an assortment of treats with festive Year of the Rabbit gift packaging.
Läderach Chocolatier Suisse assorted praline and truffles are available in classic white and wooden boxes, wrapped in red ribbon with Lunar New Year insert card and gift tag.
Sugarfina features an array of colorful, limited-edition candy gifts for Lunar New Year, with red and gold packaging. Custom-make a bento box with seasonal candies such as lotus flowers, green tea almonds or peach tea bears.
To view the Sugarfina Lunar New Year collection, click here.
See’s Candies has gifts, chocolates, and treats for a prosperous New Year, festively wrapped in red and gold. A favorite is the Lunar New Year milk chocolate gold coins. Two locations.
To view See’s Lunar New Year collection, click here.
Sur La Table is offering a hands-on cooking class to pull off a festive feast. You can cook a celebratory meal and take home a carbon steel wok with this upcoming class on January 19.
UnionPay Program (Jan. 19 – Feb. 5)
When guests spend over $2,000 in combined sales at all participating South Coast Plaza retailers and restaurants (not including department stores) using their UnionPay card, they will receive a $100 South Coast Plaza gift card. Receipts can be presented at any of South Coast Plaza’s four Concierge locations.
Children’s Crafts (Jan. 21-22, 12-4 PM)
Children are invited to assemble decorative Year of the Rabbit paper lanterns at a craft station in Carousel Court, Level 1. The lanterns are complimentary.
Photography Exhibition (Jan. 19 – Feb. 5) Presented by the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China, the exhibition demonstrates the beauty of Chinese culture.
More details can be found on South Coast Plaza’s Lunar New Year page.
Tet Festival at OC Fair & Event Center
The Tet Festival is a fantastic event at the OC Fair and Event Center on January 27-29, celebrating the Lunar New Year. Although it falls on the same day, Tết differs from Chinese new year as Vietnam has its own zodiac and set of new year beliefs and traditions.
Tết, short for Tết Nguyên Đán, is the Vietnamese celebration of lunar new year.
According to the Vietnamese zodiac, 2023 is the Year of the Cat. Per Vietnam Online, people born in the Year of the Cat are considered to be “courteous and sociable, yet always they keep a secret to themselves, which makes them attractive.” This year’s event will be January 27-29. Tickets are only $8 to enter and activities include a Vietnamese cultural village, live entertainment, the Miss Vietnam of Southern California pageant, festive games and rides, a variety of ethnically diverse foods, and a dazzling firecracker show celebrating the new year. On Saturday, there’s free entrance for visitors who wear traditional outfits (no religious outfits), military, and scout uniforms (no costumes).
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Welcome the Year of the Rabbit with the Center’s annual Lunar New Year celebration featuring joyous music, festive dance and a delightful fusion of musical traditions from East and West.
Music Director Carl St. Clair conducts the Pacific Symphony at the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, including performances from Pacific Chorale, on Saturday, January 28.
OC Lantern Festival at Segerstrom Center for the Arts: The Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall is adorned with paper lanterns to welcome guests for the new year. Ring in the animal known as the luckiest of the 12 animals with music, dance, art, and food at this free event for the whole family. February 18, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.
A Lunar New Year Stay
One Costa Mesa hotel is even offering a very special Lunar New Year shopping package. Avenue of the Arts, A Tribute Portfolio hotel, welcomes guests to an overnight stay with a luxury shopping experience at South Coast Plaza, showcasing extraordinary boutiques and personal shopping services. Take advantage of the exclusive Lunar New Year styles and accessories from Gucci, Ferragamo, and Kate Spade.
The package includes an upgraded room, a South Coast Plaza VIP passport and complimentary valet, and most importantly, a Red Envelope $100 Gift Card for the duration of your stay and 2 Pearished Dragon cocktails, specially created for the occasion, at Silver Trumpet Restaurant & Bar.
Will you be visiting any of this year’s events in Costa Mesa? Be sure to tag us on your Instagram posts to be featured on our page or stories!
Looking for more Chinese New Year events in Orange County? Check out Living Mi Vida Loca’s blog to find great events in nearby cities.
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A New Year’s Eve 2023 to Remember in Costa Mesa
New Year’s Eve is a time to regroup for the past year and celebrate the start of a new year with a fresh slate. And Costa Mesa’s a great spot to do it. While making those party plans, be sure to check on reservations for brunch the next day… here’s our list of top Costa Mesa brunch spots.
We found a few fun things and tips for you to celebrate the arrival of 2023!
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