The LA Times Food Staff took their popular event, The Taste LA, on the road to Orange County. On Friday, Oct. 19, they held their inaugural event for their OC version of The Taste Costa Mesa. This is a three-day event for foodies and for people that enjoy tasty beverages. It seemed fitting that the LA Times staff selected The Met in Costa Mesa as the city is known for the arts, entertainment, and gourmet food.
The Taste Costa Mesa is hosted by The Times’ Food staff. Despite that it was their inaugural event in the OC, everything seemed to go smoothly. Prior to the beginning of the event, I observed quite a few event staff doing last minute preparations and no one seemed frantic. Among the attendees, I didn’t see people that were lost or confused.
The scene inside the Tasting Tent
The event was held outdoors and most of the food vendors had tables in the big tent towards the rear of their setup. Music energized the audience; the Sea Funk Brass Band played a medley of hip-hop blended with jazz and spirited Cajun tunes. As I meandered through the event, a duo (sax & drummer) entertained as you entered the tasting tent.
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- Vegetarian Chile Relleno Taco on a freshly made blue corn tortilla
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- Salt and Straw’s Honey Lavender ice cream
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- Braised Pork Shank with Creamy Semolina
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- I got lucky when I found this amazing seafood gumbo at @CircleHook
Some of my favorites that evening included: chile relleno taco on a blue corn tortilla (Puesto), braised pork shank with creamy semolina topped with sweet peppers (Ellie’s), honey lavender ice cream (Salt and Straw). Dre’s Gumbo by Circle Hook was full of creole seasoning and was heavenly.
Many of the events I attend are set up with high top tables and no chairs, so I was impressed that The Taste Costa Mesa had quite a few bench seats and tables. This really added to the social element as attendees were able to converse, exchange their thoughts and relax after a hard work week.
Co-presenting sponsor, Travel Costa Mesa set up a Relaxation Area. There, attendees enjoyed a glass of Prosecco and plugged their mobile phone into one of the many charging stations present. They had both the micro and mini USB connectors available.
If you missed attending Friday’s event, some of the same vendors such as Grasslands, Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken and Tabu Shabu will be present on Saturday, October 20. Other vendors like The Cut, Water Grill, Francis Ford Coppola, and Stratus Wines will be added to the line-up.
The Taste Costa Mesa concludes on Sunday with new vendors such as Clay Oven, Blackmarket Bakery, Bodvar House of Roses, Knife Pleat and DADU Vineyards. Sunday’s entertainment features Boogaloo Assassins, Scott Dallavo (KCRW) with Todd Simon (trumpet) and David Chegwidden (percussion).
VIP tickets are now sold out, but General Admission tickets are still available. Tickets for Saturday are $100 ea. and Sunday are $85 ea. There is a 6.50 processing fee from Eventbrite. Tickets include entertainment, food, and drink and are all-inclusive.
The Taste Costa Mesa
The MET
535 Anton Blvd
Costa Mesa, CA 92626