Sometimes the best surprises are found off the beaten path. That’s the case with one of the latest restaurant discoveries to find their way to the Grow in Wellness list of approved restaurants, Outpost Kitchen.

This Aussie-inspired restaurant is a gem of a find. Their original location is on Monrovia Avenue in Costa Mesa (a second location is underway on Bristol Street, also in Costa Mesa).

This restaurant might be small, but it delivers in a big way. Outpost Kitchen is passionate about food and where it comes from. They work with local farms, butchers, bakers and coffee roasters to ensure that everything they serve upholds their passion for living well and providing the best quality meals, without sacrificing taste.

They serve mostly organic, local grown produce that rotates with the seasons. Their eggs come from pastured chickens and their meats come from Electric City Butcher, who provide high quality meats from sustainable farmers and humanely raised animals. Their small space provides an open kitchen for transparency, which also makes it fun to peer into while you eat to watch them make delicious meals from scratch.

And when I say delicious, I mean delicious. Deciding what to eat could possibly be the most challenging decision of your day. For breakfast, the Aussie Style Scramble hits the spot with a combination of crisp prosciutto, spinach and roasted tomato served with toasted flatbread topped with avocado. Speaking of avocados, the Avocado on Toast is also fantastic and comes with harissa and peppadew pesto and house ricotta alongside a herb salad with grapefruit reduction. Their breakfast smoothies are a perfect side to any of their menu items.

If lunch is more your thing, then there are just as many mouth-watering options to choose from. Creative combinations like the Eagle & Pig sandwich (balsamic pulled pork, pear relish, charred scallion aioli, watercress and Humboldt Fog), the STH Straddie Taco or Lamb “Gyro”. Vegetarian options include Spaghetti Squash with Meatless Balls, and Carrot Fennel Soup. For you pescatarians, try the Outpost Salmon with its Thai flavors.

Outpost kitchen also has gluten-free treats. In fact, they have no in-house flour. All their muffins are gluten free and the few gluten containing pastries they do offer, come from a trusted outside baker. Need some organic coffee to go with your cashew-kiwi muffin? They have that, too. They use only olive oil and expeller pressed grapeseed oil in their kitchen and when it comes to sweetening, there are no refined sugars, only raw. They have no freezers, so you know freshness is a priority.

They don’t take reservations, so plan your visit around down times, or plan to wait. It will be worth it, I promise.

(Review originally posted on Thrive & Dine)

In 2015, in a famous, historical location in Laguna Beach, Urth Caffe made its Orange County debut. Already a popular, well established restaurant in Los Angeles, this cafe, with roots as an organic coffee and tea spot, quickly grew in popularity in the place once known simply as The Cottage.

Certified organic, sustainably grown coffee is the basis for Urth Caffe’s existence, but they have grown into a great destination for all-day dining. Breakfast offers everything from oatmeal to omelettes, including some not-so-healthy options like pasties and waffles. Willpower may need to be used if you have a weakness for sweets. Salads are a lunchtime favorite, but sandwiches, panini and a few pizzas are also on the menu. On our lunchtime visit we had a few salads and the quiche. The Urth’s Farmer’s salad had shaved fennel, artichoke hearts, red onions and tomatoes with radishes, pecans and spinach tossed in a peppercorn dressing. A grilled chicken breast was added on top. The hearty fruit and nut bread on the side was a great compliment to the flavors of the salad. The Urth Salad takes a Mediterranean approach and combines feta, Kalamata olives, hearts of palm, garbanzo beans and pine nuts in a tangy vinaigrette. And finally, the bacon and leek quiche with a side salad was a great way to make a breakfast staple into a hearty lunch.

Urth Caffe puts together menu items that keep health in mind and are crowd pleasers,too. Their salad greens are organic and when organic vegetables are not available, they purchase locally grown produce. The fish is wild caught. They have a wonderful selection of pastries and baked goods that are made with natural sugars and are baked fresh daily. With several locations to choose from, the newest addition in Orange has a great historical vibe to the architecture… worth a visit for sure.

(review originally posted 3/24/17)