July 1, 2017 - Today we were in Costa Mesa to visit the Diego Sepúlveda Adobe, also known as the Costa Mesa Estancia or the Santa Ana Estancia. The adobe was built between 1817 and 1823 to house the majordomo and herdsmen who tended the cattle and horses from the Mission San Juan Capistrano. After the Mexican Secularization Act of 1833, the church lost the land and building to the Mexican land grant of Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. The adobe and its surrounding property, which was a portion of Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, were deeded by the U.S. government to Diego Sepúlveda around 1868. Four distinct periods of California history are represented in the rooms of the Estancia: Indian, Mission, Spanish and Victorian.
While the adobe is small and our tour of it was rather brief, its restoration and preservation is commendable. It's a beautiful building considering it is nearly 200 years old.
Since the adobe didn't open until noon, we decided to eat first at the Memphis Cafe, which is also in Costa Mesa. The atmosphere inside is similar to that of a "road house." The food was good but not great, except for the Chicken Curry soup that Judy ordered. She loved it! I had their crab cakes that needed a little more punch and Judy had their chicken and brie quesadilla with an avocado corn salsa. Again, hers was a little disappointing, but we can't expect perfection every time.
