Greer’s Best Buys:
Room Service is here! No, not at your hotel door, but at Fashion Island. The new home store skewed toward mid-century modern carries clean furnishings and accessories for trend-setting types.
Customizing furniture is a cinch at Room Service. There’s more available than what you see in the showroom. Go to its website to view more, or even bring in photos, and they’ll custom make furniture from a picture.
Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Room Service is in Atrium Court at Fashion Island.
More information may be found at (949) 759-1606 or www.roomservicestore.com.
Whiskey tasting
Hi-Time Wine Cellars is having its annual whiskey tasting from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, at the Holiday Inn in Costa Mesa. Who knew there were 100 types of whiskey in existence, but Hi-Time is pouring them, with appetizers, at $50 per person. Also save 15% on whiskey purchases, and Holiday Inn’s offering special room rates for those who want to stay.
Holiday Inn is at 3131 Bristol St. in Costa Mesa. More information may be found at (800) 331-3005 or www.hitimewine.net.
$29 two-course dinner
It’s not every day that a top-rated restaurant in Orange County offers a two-course dinner for $29, but guess what? Marche Moderne at South Coast Plaza is doing just that through November. Chef-owners Amelia and Florent Marneau are celebrating fall with an Alsace-influenced menu.
The dishes showcase the Pig from Head to Toe: six pork specialties with pressure-cooked choucroute, German butterball potatoes and a pungent Dijon mustard.
Dessert will be Amelia Marneau’s apple tarte à l’Alsaciènne with vanilla-scented crème fraîche custard, and Chimay beer gelato.
The menu will be available at dinner only.
More information may be found at (714) 437-7900 or www.marchemoderne.net.
Bargains at Nordstrom Rack
If you haven’t yet checked out Nordstrom Rack’s bargains on designer apparel, then it’s time. Here’s the skinny: You can walk into Nordstrom Rack at Metro Pointe in Costa Mesa on any given day (preferably before noon) and find designer clothing for men and women, shoes, purses and more at a fraction of retail prices.
Don’t be surprised if you see top labels such as Christian Dior, Marni, Tory Burch, Miu Miu, Lanvin, Burberry, and much more. New merchandise arrives daily. And right now Nordstrom Rack is having a red dot sale: Any shoe with a red dot will be marked down an additional 35% to 60%.
Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at 901 South Coast Drive in Costa Mesa.
More information may be found at (714) 751-5901 or shop.nordstrom.com.
Cheese lovers unite
Picnics Deli goes all out Thursday nights for cheese aficionados. It offers a tasting of select cheeses and assorted small plates for $15 on Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. Past tastings have featured heirloom tomato gazpacho, meatballs and other tasty bites, including a glass of sparkling wine.
The neighborhood favorite gourmet foods shop offers an array of posh deli fare and elegant catered goods, and its selection of cheeses are incredible. Choose from a hand-selected variety of 40 to 50 cheeses, from Brillat-Savarin with raisin and Halloumi to new picks like Epoisses Berthaut and Gravenstein Gold.
Picnics is at 435 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa. More information may be found at (949) 722-7200 or www.picnicsdeli.com.
GREER WYLDER writes Best Buys, which runs Fridays. She’s the founder and president of www.greersoc.com , a free daily e-mail service that provides the latest in Orange County fashion, dining and trends.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.