When I hear about a new restaurant opening up in Orange County, I immediately at it to a list of places on my radar.  With all the constant updates, sometimes one place slips through the cracks for far too long.  Unfortunately for me, SOCIAL Costa Mesa was one of those restaurants.

Fortunately for my stomach, I finally had the chance to check out a cooking demo by Executive Chef Jeffrey Boullt and Bar Director Mike West the previous day, so I was primed and ready for my dinner!

First of all, the ambiance is relaxed with low mood lighting and lots of rustic touches.  Any place that uses this much distressed wood is fine by me.  🙂

We sat near the bar area, which was absolutely beautiful.  They aim to make the cocktails as much a part of the SOCIAL experience as the food, and they certainly achieve that.  In fact, let’s get to cocktail number one (of four!) that I enjoyed!

Yes, this is the same cocktail that I enjoyed from the cooking demo the previous day.  It was just as gorgeous, and even though I wanted to leave the pretty layers intact, I mixed it up as the cocktail is intended to be enjoyed.  So fresh and delicious!

This was my favorite presentation of the night, hands down.  I loved the rambutan half and sugar cane garnishes, plus pouring the blackberry over the ice was almost like having an adult snowcone!  Tequila is a tricky alcohol to work with, but the fresh flavors balanced perfectly.  Well done!

You need to order this appetizer.  The oxtail is tender, the croquettes are fried perfectly, and the salad plus sauces are nice, light accompaniments to a potentially heavy dish.  Just gorgeous!

We were suggested this dish by the manager and I am so happy we took him up on it!  First of all, I am always intrigued by any dish with blue crab in it.  Also, the combination of crab and avocado is expected, but the herbaceous harissa and sweet pear were somehow a great mix of ingredients!

By the way, here are a close-ups of the croquettes and blue crab toast.  This makes me want to dig in yet again…

This is the dish that I pictured at the top of the post just after I broke open the egg yolk.  I’ll pause while scroll back up to see it…  😉  In honesty, I am a little on the fence about beef tartare at times… but this one is amazing!  The wagyu ribeye is of such high quality and the flavors are bold, even the biggest skeptics should order this.

Is this breakfast for dinner?  Practically!  I love the foie gras plus huckleberry combination, and fruit and pancakes are always a good idea… so all three together is a fantastic idea!  The richness of the foie gras is balanced well with the tart huckleberries.  Also, the plating is absolutely gorgeous!

At first, I was a bit disappointed when I saw the word “bacon” in the description, but when I saw it was lamb,  I was doubly excited!  The combination of “regular” ingredients of cream of wheat and butternut squash with the unique ones of harissa and confit grapes was unexpected and wonderful!

By the way, take a look at how thick the bacon is!  Yum!

Then, we had another round of drinks!

I am a fan of any drink with egg whites, so I just had to order it.  This one was fresh and floral, presented in a classic glass.  Lovely!

The torched bitters and coffee rinse made this a “man’s drink” with all of the smoky flavors.  Completely different than drink number three, even though they both had egg whites.  Super creative!

This was the blackboard special of the day and absolutely gorgeous!  The branzino was cooked perfectly with a crispy outside and succulently moist interior.  Simply mouthwatering!  🙂

This was possibly my favorite entrée of the night!  The shrimp succotash was so delectable, it could have been a dish on its own.  The tri trip with the crispy shallots on top were just the icing on the cake, so to speak.  🙂

Which brings us to dessert…

With so much food, I almost did not order dessert.  ALMOST.  Coffee and doughnuts are usually a breakfast item, but I loved this spin on a morning favorite!

By the way, with so much delicious food, I had so much to document on Instagram.  Make sure to follow me there!

As you can tell, the gorgeous dishes, creative cocktails, and eclectic menus have made SOCIAL Costa Mesa one of my new favorite restaurants.  I can’t wait to try a few more items the next time I stop in.

SOCIAL
512 W 19th St
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
socialcostamesa.com
(949) 642-2425