Dining

Mini But Mighty Bar
05.21.13
Orange County’s newest martini and small plates eatery Microbar, just opened at Mercantile West shopping center in Ladera Ranch. Microbar, from the same owner of the popular Pizza e Vino in Rancho Santa Margarita, offers seasonal small plates with influences from Spain and Italy and all seafood is wild, and beef is grass fed and hormone free.
Microbar's Chef Brad Robison’s specialties include proscuitto wrapped dates, burrata with roasted tomatoes with balsamic reduction, olive oil and basil; shrimp wontons; bone marrow with crostini, maldon salt and roasted garlic; and pan-fried oysters with Asian greens and Cajun remoulade.
Heartier plates includes filet mignon; New Zealand green mussels with garlic and wine reduction; pork belly sliders braised and served on Hawaiian bread; and a berry salad, with chicken breast, seasonal berries, gorgonzola, candied walnuts and a berry walnut dressing, among other offerings.
Microbar’s cocktails made with fresh, house-made mixes include a refreshing Solerno spritz (Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, fresh lemon juice and sparkling wine), reviver (Hendricks Gin, Lillet Blanc, fresh lemon juice, Cointreau and Absinthe Rinse), and beat the heat (Milagro Silver Tequila, St. Germain Liqueur, fresh lime juice, cucumber, jalapeno and Agave syrup.)
The bar opens at 4 p.m. and the dining room opens at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Open at 11:30 a.m. for lunch and remains open through dinner Saturday and Sunday.
Microbar is in Mercantile West, across from Pavilions, at 25612 Crown Valley Parkway in Ladera Ranch. 949.429.3380.
Blog

The Intergalactic Nemesis Giveaway
05.20.13
We’re giving away two tickets to the live-action graphic novel “The Intergalactic Nemesis Book One: Target Earth” at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. The tickets are good for the performance Friday, May 31 at 7:30 p.m. Expect a one-of-a-kind whirlwind show with radio drama and more than 1,000 hand-drawn vivid comic book images displayed on a giant screen as three actors play all the parts and one Foley artist and one keyboardist perform all sound effects and music.
To enter, simply subscribe to Greer's OC and enter code "Segerstrom."
The performance was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered and CONAN. Now, in its second touring season, the production arrives at 40 venues around the U.S., U.K. and Canada. Segerstrom Center for the Arts at Samueli Theater May 31 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 2 at noon and 4 p.m. Tickets cost $20. 615 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa.
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