Located in The Camp right next to East Borough and Taco Asylum, Old Vine Cafe is one of those places I want to like more than I actually do. It’s a cool place to people watch (if you’re into hipsters), but for some reason I just can’t get into the food. None of it is bad, it’s just so amazingly forgettable. Their breakfast foods are a bit better than their paninis, but just a heads up they’re really heavy. I’ve had their Open Faced, which is a biscuit, chicken sausage, scrambled eggs, chipotle gravy, and queso fresco with potatoes, and by the end all I wanted to do was take off my pants, lay on the ground, and pass out. And I would’ve, too, except apparently there are these things called “laws” that say a grown man can’t strip down to his underwear and take a nap in the middle of a restaurant. What kind of world are we living in?!
$7.5 Porcini Mushroom (bisque of porcini mushrooms finished with mascarpone)
$14.5 Beef & Truffles Panini (thinly sliced rib roast & Italian white truffle cheese with garlic aioli) – Honestly, I think I’m a little truffled out. People need to start using the real stuff, because this truffle oil nonsense just makes everything taste the same.
$13.5 Meat Ball Panini (house made meat balls, provolone cheese & tomato sauce for dipping) – Personally, I liked this better than the beef and truffle panini. I’m a sucker for meatball sandwiches though. If I saw a half eaten meatball sandwich in the garbage it wouldn’t be completely ridiculous for me to fish it out and eat it.
Old Vine Café
2937 Bristol St
Ste A102
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 545-1411
