Habana - Orange County, CA

Orange County has arguably the greatest weather in the world. Yet for some inexplicable reason there are very few restaurants that offer outdoor dining. Located in a funky part of Costa Mesa in an anti-strip center called The Lab is Habana… and it has one of the greatest outdoor dining areas around. Moderately priced, yet deliciously comforting Cuban food is the fare here. On a winter day where the weather is 65 degrees and sunny (typical for the OC, right?) this is the spot for an outdoor lunch. Just about everything on the menu is great and I highly recommend the red sangria and the plantains (in addition to your meal of course). I haven’t been for dinner yet, but I imagine the hundreds of candles and dangling light bulbs on a strand above make for a great setting, and a truly unique Orange County restaurant experience.