Blog
The Coffee Lab Opens!
05.27.11
Exciting news for all coffee lovers in Orange County! The Portola Coffee Lab is officially open at the OC Mart Mix in Costa Mesa. Taste premium organic coffee always hand-picked and flawlessly-roasted. Portola takes the coffee experience to a new level, with its “Art of Brewing” process serving coffee from state-of-the-art Slayer espresso machine, Bunn Trifectas, at the Hario Halogen-Heated Syphon Bar, or v60 pour over bar. If all of these terms are new to you, you need to stop by Portola and learn more. We promise you will be hooked.
Open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
The OC Mart Mix at SoCo Collection is at 3313 Hyland Avenue in Costa Mesa.
(Photo credit: Anne Watson Photography)
Dining
STARFISH OPENS IN SOUTH LAGUNA
05.26.11
By Sheryll Alexander
Starfish, which is a new restaurant by Tabu Grill proprietor Nancy Wilhelm, is officially opening the second week in June (call for exact opening date).
Situated directly across from The Montage Resort in the Aliso Creek Shopping Center right on PCH, Starfish features lunch and dinner daily, a takeout menu and a late night bar scene on Friday and Saturday evenings.
The menu has been created around what Wilhelm calls Amer-Asian cuisine. Using Asian ingredients and preparations from Thailand, Vietnam, China, Korea and India, dishes at Starfish are American renditions of classic dishes from these Asian cultures such as summer rolls, pho, udon and soba noodles, Bhutanese rice, wok sauté and sweet-and-sour ribs.
Ready to relax? The horseshoe-shaped Starfish bar prepares refreshing libations flavored with hibiscus, gogi blossoms, lemongrass and passion fruit in mojitos, martinis, sakes, sangrias. Artisan beers and boutique wines are also available.
Wilhelm loves lush seaside décor, so she has enlivened this space with soft turquoise-colored tufted banquettes along with contrasting sunset colors of orange, pink and purple. Asian art deco antiques and objects d’art please the eye.
For more information, visit www.starfishlaguna.com or follow Starfish on Facebook (www.facebook.com/starfishlaguna) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/starfishlaguna).
Starfish, Aliso Creek Shopping Center, 30832 S. Pacific Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, 949-715-9200.
Sheryll Alexander runs a news media agency based in Costa Mesa, California.
Follow Greer on Pinterest
from the blog
- 05.14.26 – 44 Women for Orangewood Luncheon in Newport Beach
- 05.13.26 – CasaDami Teams Up With Gelato Paradiso for a Summer Dessert Flight
- 05.13.26 – Riverdance 30 Brings a New Generation to Segerstrom Center
- 05.11.26 – Lido Theater Receives 2026 Preservation Award
- 05.08.26 – Free Summer Dance Nights and Concerts Return to Segerstrom Center
- 05.08.26 – Bluewater Grill Celebrates 30 Years With Seafood Tastings and Holiday Specials
- 05.08.26 – Outpost Kitchen at South Coast Plaza Debuts Mother’s Day Menu
- 05.05.26 – Alabaster International Debuts in OC with ‘Her Light & Legacy’
- 04.29.26 – ILYA Welcomes Sunday Brunch to San Clemente
- 04.28.26 – Mastro’s Plans Mother’s Day Brunch in Irvine and Costa Mesa
- 04.28.26 – Mother’s Day Style: Matching Moments for Moms and Minis at Famous Footwear
- 04.27.26 – March for Babies Returns to Irvine May 2
- 04.25.26 – Classic Packards Take Center Stage in Newport Beach
- 04.23.26 – Spring Menu Arrives at The Park Club California
- 04.23.26 – SpiceQuest Brings the Heat Home
- 04.20.26 – Honda Center Serves Up Playoff-Ready Menu for Ducks Fans
- 04.17.26 – A Night of Fashion and Giving in Newport Beach
- 04.13.26 – A Night at Knife Pleat Paired With South Coast Repertory’s Eat Me
- 04.13.26 – Sender One Expands With New Aliso Viejo Location
- 04.13.26 – Bluewater Grill Celebrates 30 Years With New Seafood Cookbook
More Daily Doses
- 05.13.26 – Uncle Fluffy Brings Viral Japanese Cheesecake to Costa Mesa’s Triangle Square
- 05.13.26 – Pure Salt Marks 10 Years With New Newport Beach Flagship
- 05.13.26 – Newport Beach TV Fest Returns With Star-Powered Lineup at Lido Theater
- 05.10.26 – A Coastal Spa Experience Arrives at Surf & Sand Laguna Beach
- 05.10.26 – Cozy Earth’s Cuddle Collection Brings Luxury Comfort to Corona del Mar
- 05.07.26 – Sweetgreen Opens at Irvine’s University Center
- 05.06.26 – Icons of Napa Valley Wine Dinner Returns to Henry’s Coastal Cuisine
- 04.29.26 – Mother’s Day Dining Across Orange County
- 04.29.26 – La La Land Kind Cafe Grand Opening at Irvine Spectrum
- 04.29.26 – J Ruby: A Colorful Creative Find in South Laguna
- 04.28.26 – A New Chapter for Zov’s in San Clemente
- 04.23.26 – David Spade Takes The Lido Theater Stage
- 04.20.26 – Arrive in Style. Leave the Driving to Us.
- 04.19.26 – Candace Bushnell Brings One-Woman Show to South Coast Repertory
- 04.18.26 – A Coastal Weekend of Wine, Food and Ocean Views
- 04.13.26 – An Evening of Connection and Compassion in Aliso Viejo
- 04.08.26 – A Mother’s Day Gathering with Costa Mesa History
- 04.06.26 – Spring in Full Bloom at South Coast Plaza
- 04.05.26 – Taste of Napa Comes to Huntington Beach and Returns to Napa Valley
- 04.01.26 – A Taste of Italy Arrives in Corona del Mar
