My mom, Addy, and I had the BEST girls weekend in Costa Mesa recently. Good weather, great food, and an amazing hotel. Plus the shopping was UNREAL! (And we didn’t have our husbands complaining about how long we were taking!)

Even though we’ve been to LA a million times, it’s usually for Disneyland so we haven’t had a chance to explore the surrounding areas. Costa Mesa is a DREAM! And for sure a place we will be visiting often from here on out.

I am sharing with you guys today a play by play of our weekend in Costa Mesa so you can plan YOUR perfect getaway! I know they have a few deals right now like The Westin Hotel at South Coast Plaza is offering $100 to the South Coast Plaza Shopping Center when you book two nights! You can learn more about it here. And make sure to follow @travelcostamesa on Instagram to stay up-to-date on the latest events/restaurants/things to do!

DAY 1:

We traveled the first weekend of November so there were still a few fall activities to do that we found out about from @travelcostamesa Instagram!

We started the day early with breakfast at TOAST Kitchen located at: 1767 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa 

Toast has been named the Best Breakfast, Best Brunch and their Chef has been named Chef of the Year by various Orange County publications. It has always been John Park’s, Executive Chef and Owner of Toast Kitchen + Bakery, mission to utilize his culinary talents to serve the community.  Toast donates 10% of all proceeds each month to a different charitable organization year-round.

Since I am a MAJOR foodie we had to check it out! Their restaurant reminded me of the ones you would find in Portland. Full of love, authenticity, and flavor. TOAST offered a hilarious drink list with cocktails such as 2020 $#!+ Show made with rum, passion fruit, banana, and tiki. YUM.

Although that sounded delicious, my mom and I got the Hail Mary Bloody Mary made with tequila, bloody mix, and habanera rimmed with black salt. YUM!

For breakfast my mom got the BIGGEST BREAKFAST BURRITO I HAVE EVER SEEN!!! And it was as delicious as it was ginormous! It was stuffed with chorizo, bacon, tater tots, cheesy scrambled eggs, salsa roja, and avocado. Topped with house made salsa. YUMMMM!

I am a huge sucker for Pork Belly so I got their Pork Belly Rice Bowl. It was butter rice topped with hoisin glaze, pork belly, boy choy, and sunnyside up egg. YUMM! Both meals were equally mouthwatering!

After we finished breakfast we stopped by Ant Hill Shop & Play! Ant Hill aims to bring back the interpersonal contact and intimacy of shopping – away from e-commerce. The store caters to the entire family, regardless of ageor interests. A 5,000 square-foot mecca of wonders with something for everyone. We scored some unique Christmas gifts and had a blast browsing the aisle. If you are not able to make it to Costa Mesa to shop, you can shop online here. 

After that we made our way over to the O.C Fair Centennial Farm, 88 Fair Drive (located adjacent to Heroes Hall). It was created to educate youth about agriculture and its importance in our daily lives, Centennial Farm, a three-acre working farm, is home to fruit and vegetable gardens and array of livestock. We had SO much fun watching the piglets play (seriously could have sat there watching for HOURS) and interacting with all the different animals. Addy had a blast exploring and seeing farm animals in person that she has only read about! It is a great experience for the family and kids of all ages!

Since it was lunch time and Addy was still holding up pretty well, we drove a few minutes up the road to  THE LAB “Anti-Mall”  for lunch. Omg if I was local this is where I would go to write blogs like these and get work done. SO MANY unique shops, restaurants, and outdoor working area.

Once a night-vision goggle factory, The LAB celebrated 25 years in 2018. THE LAB stands for “Little American Business”; celebrating small and unique businesses and restaurants. Here you’ll find Cuban food at Habana, an organic coffee bar at NOOK, vegan eats at Seabirds Kitchen and Gypsey Den, along with a few small hidden bars and locally owned boutiques housed in Airstream trailers. 

We explored the shops and had and some snacks from their wonderful cafe! We didn’t want to fill up too much since we were still pretty full from breakfast and had an incredible dinner planned at Vitaly.

After a full day we headed back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner. You can read all about our incredible stay at The Westin at South Coast Plaza here! And don’t forget to take advantage of their promotion going on!

For dinner that night we had the MOST WONDERFUL time at Vitaly. I have screamed my love for them from the rooftops!! Make sure to check out my blog on Vitaly here. YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS IT!! (or just make a reservation and thank me later!)

DAY 2:

We had a late start to our day since we spent so much time exploring the day before. We enjoyed our wonderful hotel, had coffee in bed, and got up at our own pace. When we did finally get ready we headed back to Vitaly for their breakfast, OMG SOOOO GOOD. Can you tell they are my favorite restaurant?!

We were then geared up for a whole day of SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!! We parked our car at our hotel and walked across the Unity Bridge to the South Coast Plaza.

South Coast Plaza, a renowned international destination for shopping and dining celebrates more than 50 years of quality brand names and experiences. Located in Costa Mesa, California, South Coast Plaza opened on March 15, 1967. Today, it is home to more than 250 prominent boutiques, critically acclaimed restaurants and the celebrated Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Its unparalleled collection of diverse retailers, from Bottega Veneta, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels to Hermès, Gucci, Roger Vivier, COACH, UNIQLO and more, along with its customized concierge services, makes it California’s premier shopping experience.

We had SOOO much fun!!! When we needed a break we stopped in one of their 40 dining locations for appetizers and drinks. Once we were done we walked back to the hotel to freshen up. I think we logged over 10,000 steps exploring every single inch of South Coast Plaza.

After a long day of shopping which makes the PERFECT girls trip, we got ready for a great dinner at Old Vine Kitchen & Bar, 2937 Bristol St.

We got there early so we could explore The CAMP , an outdoor mixed-use space with restaurants and shops focused on independent business owners, as well as health conscious or fitness related lifestyles. “Green” is everywhere, from the native vegetation to the progressive and select retailers offering their organic wares in the first-known environmentally sensitive retail campus in the United States. 

Once we were ready, we checked in for dinner. Old Vine Kitchen & Bar  is an award-winning restaurant, operated by chef-owner Mark McDonald and sommelier-owner Kate Perry, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, curating the best of food, wine, and cocktails in a non-pretentious, casual atmosphere. 

With the 2019 expansion, diners now enjoy a newly designed restaurant space featuring custom metalwork by Mark Gerardi.

At dinner we enjoyed a wonderful bottle of red wine with their bread starter. They brought out 3 different house made breads that were to DIE FOR!! We could of had it for our entire meal and had to remind ourselves dinner was on the way.

I ordered the Gnocchi for dinner which is always a favorite of mine. It was cooked absolutely perfectly (which can make or break the dish) and was in a a creamy sauce topped with bacon. I ate every last bite and would have licked the plate if others weren’t around.  I highly recommend Old Vine Kitchen & Bar and heard they have an amazing brunch special on Sundays worth checking out!!

Bye, Bye Costa Mesa…

We were SO sad to wake up the next morning preparing to go home. We felt like royalty in our suite at The Westin at South Coast plaza and felt like there was so much more to explore still! Not including we could have probably shopped for three days straight and still not hit every store at The South Coast Plaza.

Our girls trip was one for the books and we filled up every second with adventure, good food, and made incredible memories. We will be back and will be planning an annual girls shopping trip to Costa Mesa!!!

Xoxo,

Mariah