On July 19,
2015, La Vida Cantina celebrated its first anniversary at The Triangle in Costa
Mesa. Chef Marco Martinez designed a menu of fresh, high quality ingredients
where traditional Mexican recipes are prepared with a modern twist. They have
an outdoor bar under palapas with exterior seating along with interior seating
with a dark lounge feel.
Hawaiian Margarita ($12) is a blend
of Don Julio Silver, St. Germaine liqueur, agave nectar, Hawaiian li hing mui
seasoning, fresh pineapple, jalapenos, lime juice, and rimmed with house blend
of spices. I grew up eating li ming mui crackseed so I was very intrigued by
this drink. It is a very creative idea, but the li hing mui flavor is far too
intense. The tequila is apparent but in the background. Less li hing mui powder
or bumping up the pineapple juice to balance out the salty sourness of the li
hing mui powder would be better. Rating: 3/5
Molé con Pollo ($15.25) is grilled
chicken breast topped with molé sauce, sesame seeds, red onions, and served
with Mexican rice and refried beans. The chicken was tender but a little dry.
The mole sauce was very thin and didn’t have the dark chocolatey color you
normally see in molé. The background spices need to be more robust. Rating:
3.5/5
Carne Asada ($24.75) is seasoned
marinated grilled 10 oz. certified Angus skirt steak topped with Rico’s Queso, guajillo
chili flakes, and served with refried beans, guacamole, salsa quemada, and your
choice of corn or flour tortillas. The skirt steak was grilled to a perfect
medium rare and very juicy. The beans were thick with cheese melted and gooey
on top. The guacamole was creamy and buttery. Rating: 4.5/5
Churros ($5.75) are homemade and
served with a caramel dipping sauce. The churros had a crispy exterior and
custardy interior. The caramel sauce would be better if it was a little thicker
so it would stick to the churro better after dipping. Rating: 3.5/5
If you’re in the Costa Mesa area and
have a craving for Mexican cuisine in a comfortable setting, head on over to
The Triangle and give La Vida Cantina a try!
Atmosphere:
4 out of 5 stars
Service: 4
out of 5 stars
Décor: 4
out of 5 stars
Food: 4
out of 5 stars
For more information:
1870
Harbor Blvd
Costa
Mesa, CA 92627, United States
+1.949.612.2349
Hours: Monday
and Wednesday from 3pm to 10pm; Tuesday from 3pm to 11pm; Thursday from 3pm to
2am; Friday from 11am to 2am; Saturday from 9am to 2am; Sunday from 9am to 10pm
Parking: Garage
– Self and Valet parking available
Happy
Hour: Monday through Friday from 4pm to 6:30pm;
Late Night
Happy Hour: Thursday through Saturday from 11pm to 2am
Brunch:
Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 2pm
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