Best thing I ate: Critic Brad A. Johnson’s 20 best dishes of 2018
Torta de Milanesa at Playa Mesa. A football-sized bolillo is buttered and toasted and slathered with a glop of refried beans and chipotle mayo, then heaped with finely shredded lettuce, pickled jalapeños and fat slices of avocado and tomato. Stuffed into the middle of all

After four visits, I still haven’t sampled the tacos at Playa Mesa in Costa Mesa. I keep meaning to order tacos. I mean, seriously, how can I review a Mexican restaurant and not taste the tacos? I always see something else on the menu that sounds even more tempting. The menu is extensive.

“Enchiladas Suizas or chicken tacos?” I

Wild Goose Tavern, Stag Bar, The Country Club. When it comes to the 21 and over bars, Mario Marovic’s Lounge Group seems to have the market cornered in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa.

But his next multi-million dollar project breaks the mold: Playa Mesa Mexican Kitchen, a family-friendly restaurant.

“We want to open a place where the kids can