There are very few things that seem more American to me than milkshakes and grilled cheese sandwiches. Ranch dressing also comes to mind when I think “American food,” but this isn’t a blog about ranch dressing, so we’ll leave it alone. The Straw in Costa Mesa recently opened and it already boasts some admirable accolades (Travel and Leisure Magazine ranks it #1 for best milkshakes in the US). I found it because it is near the Orange Coast College Campus and in the same strip mall as another sandwich place, Lil Pickle.
Of course, we didn’t come here to talk about Milkshakes (even though I will, YOLO) so let’s talk about this:
The Garfield
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- Lobster Ravioli
- Cheddar Cheese
- Sourdough bread
- Flaming Hot Cheetos crust
The Straw took a basic cheese sandwich and added some excessive accoutrements. Of course you can order a standard grilled cheese, but what would be the fun in that? There’s more chaos in this sandwich than any grilled cheese should have, but there’s something in its randomness that works. I never thought a carb (pasta) inside a carb(bread) crusted with another carb(Cheetos) would work, but the tides of what works and what doesn’t are shifting. The sandwich is rich and spicy, the cheese and lobster ravioli helps mellow out the Flamin Hot Cheetos but also makes it pretty heavy. The Lobster filling doesn’t do much for the sandwich but it doesn’t hinder it. My favorite part of the sandwich was the cheese that melted out of the bread and cooked on the grill, it was lightly spiced with the Cheetos. It’s a minor part of the sandwich, but I find it to be one of the most satisfying parts.
The spicy tomato broth that it is served with is also a bit thick. It has a marinara quality to it that is lightly spiced and a good dip for the grilled cheese. Honestly, the best pairing for the Garfield was my milkshake, The Bangkok Betty.
The Bangkok Betty Milkshake
Made with Coconut cream and fresh mango, the Bangkok Betty is reminiscent of the classic Thai dessert: mango and sticky rice. It takes a little more prep than a standard shake, but it is worth the wait. Its flavors aren’t overpowered with sweetness or syrup making it a great balance to the Garfield’s chaotic richness.
The Straw is known for their milkshakes and I can understand why, it was the best milkshake that I’ve had so far. The grilled cheese menu has an interesting variety that I think works well with the shakes but I don’t think the Garfield will be order the next time around. Next time, I’ll try The Jazz: Cajun butter with andouille sausage; perhaps pair it with a Rosie Jetson: Rose water infused Strawberry milkshake.
-Vy
The Straw:Modern Milkshakes
1215 Baker Street Suite A
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Monday-Thursday 11:00am-9:00pm
Friday-Saturday 11:00am-10:00pm
Sunday 12:00pm-8:00pm
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