[REVIEW] A “Raw” Lunch at 118 Degrees, Costa Mesa, CA

118 Degrees of Costa Mesa probably serves well-executed “raw” cuisine, but not all the items were exactly pleasing to the palate.

The eatery which only serves items prepared at temperatures no greater than 118 degrees (except the coffee apparently) in order to preserve the nutritional integrity of the ingredients is a participant in the OC Restaurant Week festivities.

Although I am not a big “raw foods” follower I am still always willing to try new things. And, at $10 for a three course meal how can I resist?

We started our lunch with the “Farmer’s Market Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette and Basil Cheese” (pictured above). Overall this was a very balanced, light and refreshing dish, perfect for any workday lunch. (By the way, the speckles of “Basil Cheese” you see above are actually nuts and added a great salty bite.)

One of the entrees available on the special menu was the unfortunately named Topaz Pizza (above), which consisted of pistachio pesto, marinated squash, olives, sun-dried tomato marina and served warm’ish. Clearly this would have been a better dish if they didn’t call it, well, a “pizza”. Doing so provokes preconceived notions of what the classic Italian confection should and should not be. And, when those ideas are not met you’re left with a rather disappointing impression.

As a result it came across more like a granola bar with stuff on top. Sure the Italian flavorings were there, but I couldn’t get past the wooden aspect of the so called crust (a major component of any deftly prepared pizza).

Another entrée offered was the Mexican inspired Baja (pictured at the top of this post), which consisted of Tahini cheese, chipotle sauce and vegetables on a thin shell. Although it reminded me of a tostada, I didn’t expect it to be one – especially since they also didn’t name it as such. Sure it’s like a salad on a “shell” but a very good salad at that.

Among the available desserts was the apple cobbler with caramel sauce (above). Since the apples were a bit sticky and sweet, a knife proved essential to help cut up bite sized pieces. Since I love, love LOVE sweets, this hit the spot for me. Fortunately, this one lived up to its given moniker.

Another dessert offered was the GINORmous chocolate strawberry (above and right). The creamy chocolate spread exterior was pretty standard and, since strawberry season is around the corner, the berry was perfectly picked at its peak of ripeness. This was another delicious component to cap off a special meal.

Although the food we had was deftly prepared, I doubt it would win over any carnivores anytime soon. Moreover, since I’m not a vegetarian/vegan/raw foods aficionado, I can’t say whether or not the items we received were the best.

However, I can speak for myself and from my point of view: “Thank God it was OC Restaurant Week.”

118 Degrees
2981 Bristol, Suite B5
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Phone: 714.754.0718
http://www.shop118degrees.com/