“We are all set for take off,” are the first words that begin my week in Orange County, California. As the smile widens across my face, I look out the plane window and think about the fun I will soon have with my dear friends hitting all of the hot local food spots. My husband had a business trip planned for the OC, and I quickly volunteered to keep him company!
The moment we landed at John Wayne airport, we headed straight for The CAMP in Costa Mesa. The CAMP is a green, eco-friendly retail campus dedicated to and supportive of the local community. No better spot to begin the week! There is a plethora of unique stores, murals, and great eateries here; my favorite being Milk and Honey. This unique organic coffee bar serves a variety of organic teas, lattes, smoothies, acia bowls… but my favorite is their shaved ice specialty. The menu provides three shaved ice options: Milk and Honey Special, Green Tea Deluxe, and Chai Deluxe. The Green Tea Deluxe has my vote. The ingredients that compliment each other so well are green tea ice blended with kiwi, pineapple, and mochi, topped with coconut and red azuki beans. Red azuki is a super food known to be in high in vitamin B and an excellent source of dietary minerals. After we finished off our bowls, it was time for the next stop.
No question the next stop was Laguna Beach! Each and every beach in Southern California is stunning and beautiful in its own way. With that said, our family favorite beach town is Laguna Beach. Laguna Beach has everything we desire in a beach town: a mix between public and private beaches all along the coast, a quaint-artsy feeling, and a hip vibe throughout the day. We stopped at Aliso Creek to feel the sand beneath our feet and then it was off to Main Street, to walk along the boardwalk and cheer on the local volleyball players. Noticing our hunger creeping up again, we went to our favorite seaside restaurant – Splashes at Surf and Sand Resort. The best part of Splashes is the ocean front view just 25 feet below the deck. This restaurant gives a whole new meaning to dining seaside. We ordered drinks and aps, in awe of the waves rolling in and out. I suggest the cutlery board, as it never disappoints, and the bartender makes a tasty cosmopolitan! (One of the best in Laguna)
My favorite way to start a morning is breakfast at Urth Cafe in Laguna Beach. The menu is filled wth organic coffee and fine teas to compliment the tasty breakfast and lunch menu. My ultimate suggestion is the Japanese Tea latte with whole milk. It is an indulgent drink that helps me both relax and get energized for the remainder of my day. After breakfast, we walked the beach and enjoyed the sand between our toes! Then it was off to the next stop, Las Brisas! This restaurant is a must for any visitor! The views are breathtaking and menu offers the best of California cuisine with bold flavors of Mexico. My treat for the afternoon consisted of Seafood Ceviche and their House Margarita on the rocks!
After another day of shopping and hanging with friends, we stopped for lunch at Café Gratitude! It is a plant-based restaurant specializing in gourmet cuisines. They offer a menu that supports health and sustainability for the local community and the planet. I sipped on a Turmeric Latte that consisted of cold-pressed turmeric, essential oil of black pepper, raw honey, and sprouted almond milk. Turmeric health benefits include; reducing inflammation, boosting ones immune system, and can even help reduce stress. For lunch, I feasted on an Indian Curry bowl filled with red lentil dal, spinach, roasted garnet yams, coconut mint chutney, spicy tomato jam, and quinoa as the base. The menu of Café Gratitude speaks volumes to flavor and taste, while it is also evident they value tradition in their dishes.
After a week of good dinning and fun conversation, it was finally time to say goodbye to Southern California! As I clutch my husband’s arm and listen to the pilot once again say, “We are all set for take off,” I think about how blessed I am to have such incredible friends to spend time with. The week was nonstop and there was nothing else I could have asked for.
Leave a comment below or email me with any questions! I am full of many more suggestions and/or would love to go into more detail on any of the locations listed above!
