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.
Blog
Grow With Us, Partner With Us
09.24.14
For the past 8 years, the devoted readers of Greer’s OC have provided advertisers with a lucrative target market of highly motivated shoppers, diners and trendsetters.
The devotees trust Greer’s OC to give them the latest information about Orange County’s shopping, dining, trends, travel and events, and they are ready to act on the tips. In general, the readers of Greer’s OC are female, affluent and live in Coastal or South Orange County and Los Angeles.
For more information, or to request a Media Kit email us at info@pacific-creative.digital.
Follow Greer on Pinterest
from the blog
- 06.04.25 – Anaheim Hills Festival to Host Bubble Poppin’ Fun Event June 14
- 06.02.25 – Coming Soon: Miami City Ballet’s Swan Lake June 20–22 at Segerstrom Hall
- 06.01.25 – Celebrate Juneteenth at Musco Center
- 05.30.25 – Newport Beach TV Fest Awards ‘Landman’ Outstanding Drama
- 05.28.25 – VEA Newport Beach Partners with Orlebar Brown for Stylish June Pop-Up
- 05.25.25 – Beckman Arts and Science Family Festival Returns to Segerstrom Center
- 05.25.25 – Woody’s Wharf Marks 60 Years with Music and Giving
- 05.24.25 – Chef-Driven Farmhouse Opens at Descanso Gardens
- 05.24.25 – Georgia’s Introduces New Weekday Lunch Specials
- 05.21.25 – CasaDamí Introduces Weekend Brunch and Golden Hour in Newport Beach
- 05.20.25 – HomeAid OCLA Hosts Annual Diaper Drive May 30 at The District at Tustin Legacy
- 05.20.25 – Sammy Hagar Day Hits Cabo Wabo Beach Club in Huntington Beach
- 05.14.25 – Summer Starts May 17 at Wild Rivers With New Mermaid Cove
- 05.14.25 – Adam Brody, Kate Hudson, Jason Segel, and Sam Rockwell to Be Honored at Inaugural Newport Beach TV Fest
- 05.13.25 – Trevor’s at the Tracks Launches Farm-to-Table Program with Two Local Farms
- 05.13.25 – The Ranch at Laguna Beach Introduces Ceramic Collaboration With Isa Carr
- 05.12.25 – LAWineFest 2025 – Celebrating 20 Years of Wine, Community, and Fun
- 05.09.25 – Bowers Museum Celebrates $500,000 Lead Gift for Terracotta Warriors Exhibition
- 05.07.25 – Celebrate Mother’s Day with Brunch, Flamenco, and Champagne at Café Sevilla
- 05.06.25 – UCI Opera and Symphony Present Puccini’s Suor Angelica at Irvine Barclay Theatre
More Daily Doses
- 06.02.25 – Cirque du Soleil’s ECHO in Laguna Hills – Free Kids Tickets This Week
- 05.26.25 – Chef Jason Yamaguchi to Debut Konpa Nikkei in Corona del Mar This Summer
- 05.25.25 – Hilbert Museum and Pageant of the Masters Partner for 2025 Celebration of California Art
- 05.25.25 – Lido House Launches ‘La Dolce Vita’ – A Taste of Europe in Newport Beach
- 05.21.25 – A Catalina Day Trip: Ocean Views, Island History, and Memorable Stops
- 05.20.25 – Pendry Newport Beach Kicks Off Summer with New Experiences
- 05.15.25 – Cinq à Sept Opens First California Boutique at Fashion Island
- 05.14.25 – Meet Atome Bakery: Sourdough Without the Stress
- 05.14.25 – Newport Beach TV Fest Launches June 5-8, 2025
- 05.11.25 – Cozy Earth Opens Flagship Store in Corona del Mar
- 05.09.25 – Celebrate Mother’s Day at Wild Strawberry Café in Newport Beach
- 05.08.25 – Mom-Worthy Dining in Orange County
- 05.05.25 – Celebrate Mother’s Day in Style Across Orange County
- 04.29.25 – Mother’s Day Dining and Experiences in Orange County
- 04.24.25 – Monaco Italian Kitchen Brings Neapolitan Pizzas and Housemade Pastas to Irvine
- 04.23.25 – South Coast Plaza Celebrates 35 Years of Southern California’s Premier Garden Show
- 04.20.25 – The District at Tustin Legacy Hosts Earth Day Celebration
- 04.17.25 – California Wine Festival Returns to Dana Point
- 04.15.25 – Easter Hoppenings in Orange County
- 04.11.25 – Fashion Island Welcomes a New Season of Style
