Playa Mesa

Highway, Dana Point, 949-481-7734, eatatcrafthouse.com Grilled meatloaf from Craft House in Dana Point (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG) Chicken enchiladas at Playa Mesa Playa Mesa is currently serving a limited, scaled-back version

, playamesa.com Chicken enchiladas suizas at Playa Mesa in Costa Mesa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG) Nem nuong cuon at Brodard You can find Vietnamese pork spring rolls, nem nuong cuon, at lots of restaurants throughout Little Saigon, and

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Brea Downtown. The menu includes rolls with names such as Elvis and Heart Attack. 375 W Birch St, Brea, CA 92821 Mario Marovic–the restaurateur behind Wild Goose Tavern, Stag Bar, and most recently, The Country Club–has now opened Playa Mesa, a Mexican

After four visits, I still haven’t sampled the tacos at Playa Mesa in Costa Mesa. I keep meaning to order tacos. I mean, seriously, how can I review a Mexican restaurant and not taste the tacos? I always see something else on the menu that sounds

tacos, though. After that I might get around to the quesadilla. Playa Mesa Rating: 3 stars Where: 428 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa When: Lunch (or weekend brunch) and dinner daily County health inspection: Not yet available online Cost: Appetizers, $7-$19

Photo by @ocwmktgdirector The first thing I noticed upon walking into Playa Mesa was its pastel-colored warmth. Since I knew the restaurant was the latest from owners Mario Marovic and Andrew Gabriel—the partners responsible for the Country Club and

Wild Goose Tavern—I wasn’t expecting it. Their style is more dark and slightly claustrophobic. In contrast, Playa Mesa feels vibrant and vast, as though one of Georgia O’Keeffe’s New Mexican watercolors leapt off the canvas. The ambiance was so out of

such as cha gio and banh mi. 215 W Birch St, Ste 2, Brea, CA 92821 Helmsman Ale House by Mario Marovic’s Lounge Group (Playa Mesa and The Country Club) held a soft opening in the space that was formerly Newport Beach Brewing Company. When it officially

, 657-699-3019, chaakkitchen.com. The bar, right, is below the open-air ceiling at Chaak Kitchen, a Mayan Mexican restaurant in Tustin.. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) 2. Playa Mesa. Forgo the chips and salsa and ask instead for

chop al pastor is brilliant. The tres leches is wet and creamy and sweet in all the right places. The cocktails are superb, especially the bloody maria. 428 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa, 949-287-5292, playamesa.com Menudo at Playa Mesa in Costa Mesa. (Photo

mix of birds-eye and habanero. Be extremely judicious with this stuff. Spice level: 5 Housemade chili paste at Pho Go in Garden Grove. (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG) Playa Mesa 428 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa. 949-287-5292

, playamesa.com The dish: Chili oil Description: Another condiment rather than a dish, the chili aceite, or chili oil, is made with dried, smoked jalapeños called moritas. A few drops go a long, long way. Spice level: 5 Chips with chili oil at Playa Mesa in Costa

and Playa Mesa might want to take note of.  A small but equally interesting list of beers runs the gamut from IPAs brewed in Mexico to Mexican-style lagers crafted by small breweries in California. The charming waitstaff tells me that tequila and

, oliversosteria.com Keeping it simple with cacio e pepe at Oliver’s Osteria in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG) 38. Playa Mesa (New for 2019) This is one of the best Mexican restaurants to open in years, with a breezy indoor

leches is wet and creamy and sweet in all the right places. Must order: The torta Milanesa is epic. 428 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa, 949-287-5292, playamesa.com The torta de milanesa at Playa Mesa in Costa Mesa is big enough to share but you’ll want it all

some of the most successful eateries in the area. When the Country Club and later Playa Mesa opened, I saw the organization’s strategy in action: buy up older establishments in prime locations, revitalize them with a remodel, then let customers