A Simple, Brilliant Snack at Mesa: Carrots

No Mexican food here, but Taco Man nevertheless approves...

Went to Mesa in Costa Mesa yesterday, and it remains as great as ever: big-breasted women in slinky dresses, corporate suits dining or ogling them, bumping DJs (yesterday, they spun Fela Kuti, ska as it turned to dub, and samba funk), and great, affordable meals. The chica ate a leek pizza with buttery prosciutto shavings; my pals scarfed down fried olives (don't like the small fruit much meself, but these tempura treasures nearly made me change my mind) and a simple, yummy cheese platter wiith a honeycomb and quince cube.

But the best item of the night is something most folks might scoff at: roasted carrots. Heirloom carrots, to be exacto, cooked in some type of butter. Better yet, the cooks included three types of carrots: a slightly bitter yellow varietal, sweet red, and an orange one. The owner (who looked like Sawyer from Lost) told me the chef picked them from a farmer's market specifically to show eaters the glories of heirloom vegetables, and anyone who eats this dish will forsake mass-produced veggies forever for the glories of heirlooms.

Mesa, 725 Baker Street Costa Mesa, (714) 557-6700