Mercado Gonzalez Northgate Market –
Pasteleria + Cevicheria
Outstanding Mexican baked goods and healthy ceviches, inside a sprawling Costa Mesa market
It would be easy to call Costa Mesa’s Mercado Gonzalez a temple to Mexican cuisine, but no temple has ever offered the array of foods and drinks found here every day. Upleveled from Southern California’s growing number of Northgate Markets, Mercado Gonzalez has a full service bakery (the Pasteleria) and a large collection of ceviches (the Cevicheria) that continue to be amongst the store’s star attractions.
At the Pasteleria, you’ll find multiple gelatin cakes including an ornate black hibiscus cake (Gelatin Jamaica), a “mosaic” of milk and fruits, a milk and dulce de leche gelatin, and a lime-chia gelatin, just to name a few. Pasteleria also produces an especially delicious Tres Leches Cafe de Olla cake, moistened with three types of milk and glazed with a unique coffee caramel, then topped with churro pieces – likely sourced from neighboring churreria El Moro. Other impressive alternatives include Gansito-styled chocolate cake, custard-centered pastries, sugared croissants, cinnamon rolls, pastry hearts, and caramel-cored alfahores. (Note: If you’re unfamiliar with Mexican baked goods, you’ll probably be surprised that the pastries and cakes are less intensely sweet than typical Americanized versions, which may appeal more to some people than others.)
At the Cevicheria, seven different chilled seafood options are available each day, including:
- Aguachile Verde: A green shrimp aguachile with cucumbers and onions
- Ceviche de Camaron: A mild shrimp ceviche with tomatoes and onions
- Aguachile Chiltepin: A spicy orange-colored shrimp aguachile powered by chiltepin peppers, onions and cucumbers
- Ceviche de Mango: Chopped mango cubes, shrimp, and scallops mix with small onion and tomato pieces
- Ceviche (Rojo) de Camarón con Callo: A red shrimp and scallop ceviche with cucumbers and onions
- Ceviche de Pascado: Seabass fish ceviche with tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and citrus
- Guacaceviche: Avocado, tomatoes, and onions mix with shrimp chunks and citrus to a guacamole-like effect
These variations aren’t just for show: thanks to different peppers, citrus, and seafoods, the ceviches and aguachiles taste as different as they look – to sample them, you can purchase either containers by the pound or ready-to-go three-packs. Tostadas are also available at reasonable prices if you want to serve or enjoy your ceviche with a crunchy tortilla. Missing in action though historically advertised on the menu board are a black aguachile with shrimp, and squid ceviches. Does the Cevicheria really need more choices? Given how delicious the first seven are, we’d gladly try anything else they make available.