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Dining



MESA’S Shining Starr

09.24.14

Easily one of the chicest, lounge-like restaurants--the retractable open air ceiling, nightly entertainment and ambience is incredible--in Orange County, MESA at the Camp in Costa Mesa, is also a great dining spot with a new Executive Chef Niki Starr Weyler who has worked in some of the best kitchens in OC, including French 75, Charlie Palmer’s and Broadway by Amar Santana.

Chef Niki is slowly incorporating at taste of Niki to the menu, while keeping the die hard favorites that MESA regulars love, such as the tempura green beans served with eel and green goddess dipping sauce, margherita pizza, house burger with bacon, flash fried calamari and shishito peppers to name just a few.

Some of Chef Niki’s seasonal favorites on the menu that we highly recommend are the roasted beet salad with Humboldt fog cheese, oranges, lemon poppy seed vinaigrette and pistachios; and the grilled Kurobuta pork chop with smoked blackberry jus, sweet potato puree, and flash fried Brussels sprouts, and the secret menu (just ask) Chef’s Spanish style mussels, black pei mussels, with Bilbao chorizo, Spanish smoked paprika, green onion, white wine and grilled bread.

For dessert, there’s a perfect carrot cake with cream cheese shmear, candied orange and parsnip ice cream.

Starting Oct. 1, Chef Niki will add her fave holiday sliders, that are the best wintery comfort food sliders we’ve had: duck confit, cranberry orange compote, pomme puree on a potato bun, served with gravy dipping sauce.

Chef Niki works closely alongside the super-talented mixologist Eliott Montero, who can perfectly pair handcrafted cocktails with each course. Current favorites include the Manhattan Holiday with 77 New York Wheat Whiskey, Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth, Amaro Ciociaro, orange oil and nutmeg and a Spanish G&T, with Leopold’s small batch Gin, Fever Tree Mediterranean, tonic water, fresh rosemary, grapefruit oil, lime and a splash of St. Germain.

Unlike most OC kitchens, MESA stays open until 1 a.m. which means you can enjoy all of these great dishes into the wee hours of the night.

For a list of nightly entertainment, visit here.

Open Tuesday through Saturday from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.

725 Baker Street in Costa Mesa.  714.557.6700.

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