Dining
Innovative sushi at Ikko
02.22.10
Ikko is for sushi lovers with an open mind. However, it’s not for anyone looking for sushi rolls or even soy sauce on the table. The tiny restaurant is known for its innovative delicacies at the hands of skilled sushi artist Ikko Kobayashi. Sit at the bar and ask for the omakase (chef’s choice), which starts at $60 for six courses and you might wind up with treats such as the steamed egg custard with sea urchin sauce and black truffles, oysters with ponzu mousse or foie gras tacos, and so on and so forth. Otherwise, tasty picks include the salmon nachos (slices of fresh salmon and wasabi cream dotted with salmon roe, all atop crunchy tortilla chips) to spicy tuna with eggplant tempura to prosciutto-wrapped duck salad. Don’t forget to check out the blackboard sushi specials for an array of fish flown in from Japan like whelk, amberjack and barracuda, too.
It can get packed for dinner, reservations are recommended.
Ikko is located at 735 Baker St. in Costa Mesa
714.556.7822
Hours:
Lunch: Noon - 2:00 p.m. Mon-Thu.
Dinner: 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. Mon-Thu.
Lunch: Noon - 2 p.m. Friday
Dinner: 6 p.m. - 11 p.m. Friday
Dinner: 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Saturday
Dinner: 5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday
Photo credit: J. Wesley Brown
Southern comfort
02.16.10
Old Vine Cafe has long been known for its fabulously approachable wine-paired dinners, but savvy fans already know that the Costa Mesa eatery serves up some serious brunch and breakfast fare as well. And now, Sunday brunch has gone southern: two eggs, fresh-baked biscuit with honey butter, house made scrapple and a panko-crusted fried green tomato—makes for some must-eat morning eats, no? For those who prefer something less breakfast-y, there’s also a new salad of seasonal greens, hearts of palm, artisan-cured ham with crispy-fried artichokes tossed in a creamy tarragon dressing and aged pecorino.
You can also never go wrong with brunch favorites like the Omelette Espana, with proscuitto and Manchego cheese or the Pizza Omelette, tender meatballs tucked inside fluffy omelette and slathered with a savory pomodoro sauce. There’s also the breakfast that’s practically dessert: Chef Mark McDonald’s pumpkin pecan French toast is to die for.
Old Vine Cafe is located at 2937 Bristol St. (at The Camp) in Costa Mesa
714.545.1411
www.oldvinecafe.com
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