I’m so excited to bring you the first ever recurring column to the blog, and to start it all off we’re going to The Recess Room in Fountain Valley, CA! It was where my wife and I met up with our friends Jessica and Vanessa to “research,” and we were met with tasty tapas and refreshing libations. This was a fitting place to host a gathering of friends, because the founders met on the school playground during recess and came back together as adults to start this most delicious project.

It’s an unassuming place, located in a strip-mall type shopping center right off the 405 freeway. However, one glance at the menu and you’ll realize they aren’t playing around. The cocktails are award winning, and they have an assortment of beers from local breweries and a wine list that highlights the California coast. We started off with El Dorados and blue crab beignets, and ended with the cereal milk crème brulee.

What I Wore

The Recess Room is the kind of place where 9-5 work wear needs a casual twist, but casual daywear might need a pick up. I opted for a collared chiffon shirt from Nordstrom Rack, with a pair of Good American jeans and a trendy round croco Rebecca Minkoff handbag. Sculptural Madewell acetate earrings and a pair of sleek ballet flats finish off the look.

What I ate

As stated above, the drinks and tapas are the stars of the show. The four of us started with tropical El Dorados (think less sugar rush than a pina colada), then shared a host of small plates. We munched on the portobello fries, shrimp taquitos, bone marrow mac and cheese with bacon jam, and burrata. Everyone opted to try different drinks for our second round (like the shiso horny- which tastes better than its off-color name), and then split the cereal milk crème brulee.

The Verdict

The Recess Room was an instant favorite. The service was stellar (they made sure to get heaters going outside for us, never let our water glasses run empty, and made great recommendations), the food was tasty, and the ambience was pleasant without being fussy or unapproachable. We loved the sharing aspect of the menu, because we were able to try more dishes.

Hunting down the best food and drink spots in Orange County won’t be easy, but someone’s gotta do it, right? If you have food and drink recommendations for the next column, drop them in the comments below and I’ll get right to researching! Cheers!

And if you happen to be up in Portland and are looking for where to eat and drink, check out my downtown Portland guide!