Did you hear our whoops of joy a couple of weeks ago? We have found what we consider to be - by far - THE BEST baguettes to be found in Orange County. Chewy and tasty inside, with a satisfying crunch to the crust, we find ourselves looking for any reason at all to justify the drive to Costa Mesa so that "gee, while we're in the neighborhood..." we can pick up another one of these gems. You can find them at Surfas Culinary District, recently opened in the South Coast Collection (SOCO) in Costa Mesa.
While you're in Surfas, good luck escaping with just the baguette - this is a playground for anyone who loves to cook (or eat, for that matter!). There are terrific cheeses, olive oils, and balsamic vinegars to sample before you buy; many interesting and unusual jams, condiments, and flours; plus a whole range of unique cooking and baking ingredients. Oh, and did we mention the chef's equipment and serving items? This is a store that (like its parent store in Culver City) serves the restaurant and catering industry, so you can even pick up a chef jacket and some chef pants while you're there.
SOCO has some other very cool stores, and a farmer's market every Saturday. We will fill you in on these in a future post. In the meantime, enjoy those baguettes - but be sure to leave one for us!
