Travel Costa Mesa Blog
Your Mother’s Day Dining & Entertainment Guide in Costa Mesa
As lives return to something closer to normal, it’s time to celebrate Mom (safely, of course) on Mother’s Day with great gift ideas, special brunches and other great offers. Here’s how to make the most of your Mother’s Day in Costa Mesa!
Pampering Mom couldn’t be sweeter and more treasured this year, with the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions in Costa Mesa. Choose South Coast Plaza for a great day of shopping and perfect ideas for a Mother’s Day bite. Here are some offers from South Coast Plaza restaurants for the big day:
Tiffany & Co. Blue Box Cafe
Breakfast at Tiffany For Two
If only Audrey Hepburn could join you! The world-famous jewelry retailer offers their special cafe experience in only two spots in the U.S., including at South Coast Plaza. The bento box packaged menu includes chia seed yogurt pudding with farmer’s market fruit, croissants with organic strawberries and lavender mascarpone, Tiffany avocado toast, smoked salmon and buckwheat mille feuille, and Bellocq No. 727 The Tiffany Blend: a floral infusion of Chinese and Ceylon black tea with notes of lychee, rose buds, lavender and vanilla.
Tea For Two
A delightfully elegant tea service for you and Mom begins with assorted scones and Devonshire cream, cherry ginger marmalade and wildflower honey. Next tea sandwiches with a variety of fillings—smoked salmon, lemon cucumber, chicken salad, truffle and mushroom butter, goat cheese, fig and honey–as well as a petit lobster roll. End with a generous selection of petit fours and confections such as chocolate hazelnut Rocher, opera cake, citrus-olive oil cake and Key lime cheesecake. Included is a tin of Bellocq No. 727 Tiffany Blend Tea.Breakfast for 2, $120, excluding tax. Tea for 2, $150, excluding tax. For more details and to preorder 48 hours in advance, or for information, please call (714) 540-5330 and press 7.
Knife Pleat
Knife Pleat offers Mother’s Day tea on Sunday, May 9th! Guests will begin the classic tea service with scones, clotted cream and house-made marmalades. Finger sandwiches on assorted breads include Persian cucumber, egg salad, beet-cured salmon and chicken salad. End on a sweet note with cream puffs, seasonal fruit tart, macaron and the signature chocolate Louis XV. Select from six teas such as jasmine, Earl Grey, rooibos raspberry vanilla, assam and sencha. À la carte champagne and caviar service will be available.
11am-2:30pm (last seating) $75 per person, $36 children, exclusive of tax/gratuity. Reservations advised.
Terrace by Mix Mix
One of Costa Mesa’s hottest chefs, Ross Pangilinan, is serving a three-course brunch for Mother’s Day at his beautiful terrace restaurant in the Macy’s Home Store wing.
Guests will have a choice of four starters: seared yellowfin tuna, house Caesar, “snack” plate of bacon-wrapped date, mushroom tempura and signature albacore tostada or a trio of toast: avocado, goat cheese and chicken liver mousse.
Main course selections are house-made bucatini, diver scallops & pork belly Benedict, prosciutto pizza, or for a $10 surcharge, beef ribeye with sides. A lemon semifreddo or chocolate potato cake are offered for dessert. Kids’ menu has three choices: French toast, cheese pizza, or pork adobo with fried rice.
11am-3pm. $50 per person, $12.50 kids, excluding tax/gratuity. Reservations advised.
Water Grill
Enjoy an unparalleled offering of fresh seafood such as wild Alaskan halibut, iced shellfish platters, sushi and seasonal soft-shell crab. For Mother’s Day only, there will be specials for the day, a new spring cocktail and dessert featuring Harry’s Berries over lemon sable cake.
11am-10pm, Reservations advised.
The Capital Grille
The Capital Grille will open early serving the full dinner menu of contemporary classics as well as three brunch features: lobster frittata, bone-in NY strip steak and eggs and 8 oz. filet mignon from 11am-2pm.
Another option is Mother’s Day at home. A three-course dinner features whole roasted tenderloin of beef with butter poached lobster tails as the main course with accompaniments to share. Guests will start with a butter leaf lettuce salad and French rolls and finish with flourless chocolate espresso cake and chocolate covered strawberries. The pre-ordered dinner will be ready to warm and enjoy at home.
11am-9pm. Reservations needed for dine-in à la carte menu. Mother’s Day at Home starts at $165, excluding tax. Available for pick up May 8, 12-5pm; May 9, 10am-12pm.
Seasons 52
Seasons 52 offers dine-in and outdoor seating for Mother’s Day with its popular, fresh à la carte menu that includes brunch selections. A takeout Green Box is the perfect option for those who prefer to dine at home. It offers three entrée selections and is available in two sizes.
Brunch, served 10am-2pm, includes à la carte specials for Mother’s Day. Avocado toast, strawberry spinach salad, asparagus soup and lobster bisque are starters for the day. Brunch entrées include crab and cheddar quiche, French toast, apricot-glazed ham and wood-grilled shrimp and grits.
Green Box three-course menu starts with either field green or Caesar salad. Wood-grilled beef tenderloin, whole side of cedar plank-roasted salmon and apricot-glazed spiral ham are selections for the group entrée, served with roasted French green beans and a choice of sweet potato mash with maple-pecan streusel or marble potatoes. Finish with Mini-Indulgences: chocolate-dipped strawberry, coconut cream pie or raspberry chocolate chip cannoli. Food is chilled and ready to be reheated when convenient; pre-order required.
10am-2pm, brunch; à la carte menu until 9pm, Reservations needed for dine-in. Mother’s Day Green Box for 2 or 4-6; prices range from $55-$165 depending on size and entrée selection, excluding tax. Available for pickup May 7-8.
Outside of South Coast Plaza, there are even more great brunch celebrations to choose from. Here’s more:
Silver Trumpet
Choose the spacious outdoor lakeside patio to enjoy Mom this Sunday. Silver Trumpet Restaurant at the Avenue of the Arts Hotel presents a very special Mother’s Day brunch! Choose from many items such as Smoked Trout Tartine to Steak & Eggs or Blueberry Pancakes – there’s also a build-your-own omelet bar. See the menu for all offerings in this special brunch. Please reserve your spot by calling the restaurant at (714) 442-8593.
Le Chateau Garden Bistro
The beautiful Le Chateau inside the Ayres Hotel is offering a brunch in their outdoor courtyard that will make Mom feel as if she’s been transported to the French countryside. With an omelet station and an à la carte menu as well, let Mom choose from eggs benedict, Belgian waffles, herb-crusted prime rib or Le Chateau’s famous Monte Cristo sandwich. Plus, bottomless mimosas for just $15! Available Sunday from 10am to 3pm. See the full menu here and call (714) 549-0300 for reservations.
Cafe Sevilla
Celebrate Mother’s Day at Cafe Sevilla this Sunday, May 9th. You can spoil mom 3 different ways on her special day as outlined below:
Champagne Brunch and Live Music
Treat mom to our delicious brunch menu while listening to live Spanish guitar and vocals from 10am-3pm. All moms will receive a complimentary glass of champagne during brunch. The menu includes favorites such as our Spanish Eggs Benedict (Poached farm fresh eggs, Spanish jamón Serrano crisp and saffron hollandaise on Kalamata olive loaf); Short Rib Hash (Hash of 16 hour braised Rioja short ribs, papas bravas, bell peppers and onions topped with two fried eggs); or the Breakfast Meat Paella (Pork tenderloin, grilled sausages, chicken and flat iron steak served over authentic saffron bomba rice and topped with two fried eggs). Bottomless mimosas are also available (with a 1.5 time limit). Dinner menu is also available during brunch.
Dinner and Live Music
The Mother’s Day celebrations continue into the evening with dinner and live Latin music by Tian Musica from 6pm-8pm.
Special Mother’s Day Flamenco Show at Cafe Sevilla!
Looking for something extra special for mom this Mother’s Day? Treat her to Cafe Sevilla’s Flamenco Dinner Show, offering a sensory indulgence of sight, sound, and taste, leaving her with a piece of truly Spanish culture. Marvel at the passion, beauty, and athleticism of this traditional art form as you enjoy a welcome glass of cava sangria paired with a 3-course dinner featuring our Shaved Jamón Serrano Ensalada Sevillana followed by our award-winning Paella Valenciana and Lemon Tart with Linguee Cherries for dessert. The Flamenco Dinner Show is $89.50 per person* and tickets must be purchased in advance. Doors open at 5pm and the show starts promptly at 5:30pm. *price does not include tax/gratuity.
To provide an enjoyable and safe dining experience, Cafe Sevilla has a spacious patio for outdoor dining as well as limited capacity indoor dining.
Fill Bakeshop
Stay home with mom and make some sweet treats! Fill Bakeshop is teaming up with Manoa Bake Co. to offer two bags of Mochi Baking Mix and two mochi doughnut Molds for $24.99. This adorable offering will come inside their half-dozen box and makes the perfect Mother’s Day gift. Preorder now!
Where will you be taking Mom for Mother’s Day, or will you be staying in? Let us know in the comments. Either way, have a Happy Mother’s Day!
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Treat Yourself with a $100 South Coast Plaza Gift Card from Travel Costa Mesa
Travel Costa Mesa wants your holidays to still be bright this year. We’re going to Light Up Your Holidays with a $100 South Coast Plaza gift card when you stay 2 nights in the City of the Arts®! South Coast Plaza is the premier shopping destination on the West Coast. They’re also dedicated to your health and safety. You can find something special from one of 250 boutiques, of course. However, we think a trip to South Coast Plaza isn’t complete without trying, at least, one of their 30 restaurants. We’re sharing some ideas for you to treat yourself to some amazing food.
Tapas and Cocktails at Vaca
Since Vaca is located across the street, between Segerstrom Center for the Arts and The Westin South Coast Plaza, you may not realize that it is actually part of the South Coast Plaza restaurants. The Spanish-inspired cuisine, from Top Chef finalist Amar Santana, is a Costa Mesa favorite. We recommend going for tapas and cocktails for an authentic experience. You can’t dine at Vaca without trying the Canellon de Pollo Ahumado ($18)–a smoked chicken cannelloni with foie gras sauce and a sherry reduction–and their signature Vaca Tonic ($13). Pair them with the Pan Con Tomate ($9) or the Ensalada de Remolacha ($13) with watercress, roasted beets, caña de cabra, saffron poached pears and a caramelized sherry-honey vinaigrette for an unforgettable meal.
Sushi at Water Grill
Another adjacent South Coast Plaza restaurant, Water Grill is known for their extensive selection of fresh seafood. We think it’s a great place to stop in for some unbelievably good sushi. The Trojan Roll includes wild bigeye tuna, wasabi vinaigrette, yuzu tobiko and traditional ponzu sauce ($20). Pair it with the Smoked Hamachi Nachos ($17)–with Japanese yellowtail, Asian pear, yucca chips and toasted marcona almonds–or the King Crab California Roll ($27)–with wild barents sea red king crab leg, avocado, fried leeks and brown butter nikiri. In the mood for a cocktail? The Bristol Street ($14.50) is vodka-based with fresh strawberry and lemon juice, infused with tarragon essence.
Lunch at Terrace by Mix Mix
One of our favorite options for lunch at South Coast Plaza is the Express Lunch Menu ($25) at Terrace by Mix Mix from chef Ross Pangilinan. The three-course meal changes daily, so it’s a great opportunity to try a variety of dishes. Another popular option is their bone-marrow pizza ($19–with shallot marmalade, mornay sauce and red wine jus–and the marinated tomatoes ($9) with burrata, oregano, basil and sherry vinaigrette.
Breakfast or Lunch at The Hall: Global Eatery
The Hall: Global Eatery, also from chef Amar Santana, is inspired by European food halls. It includes a patisserie, a Mediterranean grill and poke. The patisserie serves coffee, pastries and sandwiches. If you’re in the mood for the Mediterranean grill, we suggest trying the shawarma fries ($12) or the bowl ($11), which comes with your choice of starch, protein, five sides and sauce. Poke bowls ($14) also come with five sides, two scoops of protein, sauce, topping and a base of rice or salad.
Tasting Menu at Knife Pleat
If you want to indulge at one restaurant, it’s hard to beat the tasting menu at Knife Pleat ($175) on November 6 and 13. Chef Tony Esnault’s 6-course menu begins with vegetable consomme and foie gras, followed by pasta, fish and meat courses and dessert. You can view the entire menu here. The tasting menu dinners regularly sell out, so we recommend making reservations as early as possible.
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Posted in Food
16 Holiday Shopping Deals at South Coast Plaza Restaurants!
Whether you’re looking for a last-minute stocking stuffer or a full-fledged gourmet gift for the ultimate foodie on your list, South Coast Plaza restaurants have you covered this year! Continue below to learn more about the seasonal promotions at some of Costa Mesa’s favorite eateries.
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Posted in Food
50 Years of Fashion and Firsts at South Coast Plaza
For 50 years, visitors have arrived in Costa Mesa from neighborhoods around the corner, and from countries around the world. They come to shop at South Coast Plaza, one of the premier shopping destinations in the United States, celebrating its 50-year anniversary in 2017. In its early days, the center was anchored by May Company and Sears and opened the first Nordstrom outside the Pacific Northwest. Within the first 10 years, designer boutiques Courrèges and Halston opened. Most recently Les Parfumes Louis Vuitton and Dior Homme have joined the expansive shopping experience, continuing the legacy of being on the forefront of fashion.
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5 Costa Mesa Restaurants to Visit During Orange County Restaurant Week
It’s Orange County Restaurant Week, one of the best reasons to dine out and try a new restaurant, or enjoy your favorites with specially featured menus and pricing all week long.
From $15 prix fixe lunch menus to $80 exclusive Luxe menus, Orange County Restaurant Week offers popular menu items at a great price, with appetizers and desserts included.
Between now and March 11, 2017, restaurants throughout Orange County are participating in this annual restaurant week event, and in Costa Mesa, you’ll find 16 restaurants featuring some of the best dining experiences. We picked 5 top OC Restaurant Week menus to share with you.
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