Laguna Beach Magazine: January/February 2018
Notes From the Editors
Brunch is one of those activities that’s enjoyed by all: Who doesn’t love getting to sleep late and eat breakfast with family and friends in the afternoon? Personally, my favorite brunch dish is eggs Benedict—just thinking about an egg yolk running into that creamy hollandaise sauce is making my mouth water. But brunch in Laguna Beach is anything but basic. Take, for example, Las Brisas’ rendition of this classic menu item that comprises New York steak medallions as opposed to the more traditional Canadian bacon. To read more about this dish, and others that you can find around town, check out “Bountiful Brunches” (page 26).
Bluebird Canyon Farms | Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Around Town
Down on the Farm
Help yourself stick to your New Year’s resolution with various health and wellness classes being offered at Bluebird Canyon Farms in coming weeks. Already, the lineup has included making immunity-boosting tinctures and a photography lesson.
For a fun fitness class, check out Yoga on the Farm from 9-11 a.m. Feb. 10. This session will entail a 60-minute power vinyasa yoga class hosted by Beth McCall and a tour of the farm, with each participant also receiving a healthy juice or tea made from the farm’s fresh, organic produce.
Then, learn how to impress your health-conscious partner with a Feb. 6 cooking class focused on a Valentine’s Day menu filled with raw and steamed cooking methods, healthy oils and beneficial spices. Join Aurelie Glorieux, a chef and nutrition coach, who will teach you how to perfectly prepare goat cheese and beet cakes; steamed fish with seaweed, leeks, ginger and a pink sauce; and raw chocolate truffles. (949-715-0325; bluebirdcanyonfarms.com)
The Laguna Beach Music Festival’s guest artistic director Nicholas Phan | Photo by Henry Dombey
Tuneful Tradition
The Laguna Beach Music Festival will return for its 16th annual event, Feb. 7-11 at various venues including a kick-off celebration Feb. 7 at seven-degrees and free outreach events for students, seniors and the community at locations around town. The festival’s guest artistic director will be Nicholas Phan, the first vocal soloist to be given this honor. Notably, Phan’s “Gods & Monsters” was nominated for a 2018 Grammy for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.
This festival is known for being a platform to discover up-and-coming artists, as well as bringing world-renowned musicians to be part of the same lineup. Opening night will feature pieces by Robert and Clara Schumann, and Bach, as well as Johannes Brahms’ “Liebeslieder Walzer,” Op. 52, which translates to “Love Song Waltz,” at Laguna Playhouse on Feb. 9. The next evening will follow a theme titled “Diaries: The Art of the Confessional,” looking at a tradition of composers turning to their own journals for inspiration, which ties in well to a premiere multimedia event based on Leos Janacek’s “The Diary of One Who Disappeared,” also at Laguna Playhouse. On the festival’s final day, starting at 3 p.m., Phan and other special guests will perform “The American Spirit,” featuring great American classics from Broadway and beyond. (949-553-2422; philharmonicsociety.org/LBMF)
Project Bandaloop performs in Dallas, as seen in “America’s Musical Journey” | Photo courtesy of MacGillivray Freeman Films/VisitTheUSA.com
A Musical Journey
The MacGillivray family, Laguna Beach locals and filmmakers for their namesake company, MacGillivray Freeman Films, is releasing a new 3-D documentary for the giant screen. Titled “America’s Musical Journey,” the film captures the country’s melodic history by celebrating this nation’s reputation as a melting pot of cultures as well as its tendency to produce artists with out-of-the-box creativity.
The film stars Grammy Award-nominated singer and songwriter Aloe Blacc, who embarks on a cross-country adventure, visiting music hubs including Chicago, New York City and Nashville, Tenn., while following in the steps of the famous American jazz musician Louis Armstrong. Guest appearances will be made by Jon Batiste, bandleader for “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”; Dr. John and Irma Thomas, who are considered to be music heroes in New Orleans; and the Bandaloop vertical dancers, who suspend themselves in the air for their choreographed performances.
“America’s Musical Journey” will premiere Feb. 16, soon making its way to various IMAX and giant screen theaters around the world, including Mexico, France and the Netherlands. As of publication, the only venue booked in California is The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, but the filmmakers are working on securing screenings in Orange County, Los Angeles and San Diego for sometime this spring. (949-494-1055; americasmusicaljourney.com)
The Fountain Valley Marching Band in Laguna Beach’s Patriots Day Parade | Photo by Mitch Ridder
Patriotic Parade
The 52nd annual Patriots Day Parade will make its way through the streets of downtown Laguna Beach on March 3, with an 11 a.m. start time at Laguna Beach High School. This year’s theme is “Waves of Freedom,” which represents the town’s proximity to the ocean as well as how the fluttering flag at Monument Point is an iconic piece of Laguna Beach. Along the parade route, spectators will see vintage cars and fantastic floats as well as groups ranging from veterans organizations to school bands.
The parade also honors noteworthy community members each year, and the 2018 recipients of these esteemed titles are novelist and screenwriter Gloria “Glori” Fickling as grand marshal, World War II veteran and filmmaker George Ciampa as the honored patriot, entrepreneur Heidi Miller as Citizen of the Year, Laguna Art Museum as Artist of the Year in honor of its 100th anniversary and local student Alexandra Keyser as the essay contest winner for her piece that is appropriately titled “Waves of Freedom.”
The honorees will also be recognized at a Feb. 4 brunch at Tivoli Terrace, on the Festival of Arts grounds. (949-494-6016; lagunabeachparade.org)
Laguna Canyon Foundation is undergoing a creek rehabilitation project. | Photo courtesy of Laguna Canyon Foundation
Restoration & Rehabilitation
The Laguna Canyon Foundation received approval from the city in late September to begin a creek rehabilitation project on land near the organization’s new, under-construction headquarters, which will take about three years to complete to the tune of $600,000.
The project will include the restoration of 5 acres, encompassing both riparian and upland habitats but mainly focusing on the section of Laguna Canyon Creek near Phillips Street. Local landscape architect Bob Borthwick originally pitched the idea for this project as part of a bigger plan to touch up the entire creek while also improving the appearance of Laguna Canyon Road.
So far, the project has received a $500,000 grant from the Natural Resources Agency and work is scheduled to begin this year, starting with the removal of invasive species, trash and other debris. The next step will be planting native species to help restore habitat around the creek, with additions of a rustic nature trail and signs later down the line. (949-497-8324; lagunacanyon.org)
Students counting and organizing donations before taking them to Laguna Food Pantry | Photo by Cindy Cohn Hierbaum
Crushing Hunger
In September, students from Laguna Beach High School started an extracurricular service club called Crushing Hunger. This club uses technology as a method for collecting food and monetary donations to benefit the Laguna Food Pantry, a local organization that provides free groceries to those in need, such as elderly, disabled, unemployed and low-wage residents. The club has already donated 1,542 pounds of food to the pantry on top of raising $1,200 for the cause and garnering support from well-known name brands such as Quaker, Dole and Barilla.
The key organizers of the club are Jackson and Benji Jenkins as well as Ella and Sophia Pachl, all of whom are students working alongside their respective parents, Cynthia Jenkins and Anne Pachl, as well as various other families with ties to the club. These students aim to create a legacy that can then be passed on to future generations of students and anyone else who is dedicated to ending hunger in southern Orange County.
For the club’s last food drive in December, members asked Ralphs shoppers to purchase an extra nonperishable item to then donate to their cause. The club has also established an Amazon wish list, which allows anyone to order requested food items, such as peanut butter, beans, rice, cereal, tuna and pasta, in bulk. These online donations are sent to the Jenkins’ home for storage and then the family brings them in to the pantry. (crushinghunger.org)
An aerial shot of Hotel Laguna | Photo by Dave Warwick
Landmark in Limbo
Historic Hotel Laguna has closed and the local landmark’s future remains unclear as a lawsuit winds its way through the courts. The Andersen family, which does business as Andersen Hotels, had leased the oceanfront space and operated Hotel Laguna there since 1985; a lawsuit filed Dec. 28, 2017, in California Superior Court alleges that the family was forced out illegally.
Andersen Hotels had a lease with Porterville, Calif.-based E.W. Merritt Farms that was set to expire on Dec. 31, 2017, but a 99-year lease has reportedly been given to another group, “essentially a sale transaction,” the claim states. The Hotel Laguna operators say this infringed upon their right of first refusal, guaranteed in their lease, allowing them to review the terms of sale and either purchase the property themselves or choose to close down their business in a timely manner.
And it seems that Andersen Hotels had no plans of slowing down, with frustrations arising from uncertainty over the lease. The business claims it turned away hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue because it had to refuse guests who inquired about dates beyond the end of the lease. Additionally, Andersen Hotels had contracted with Majestic Realty Co. to renovate Hotel Laguna, but, according to the lawsuit, Majestic is now working with the new leaseholders on development of the property.
Andersen Hotels claims that Merritt Farms has leased the property to a group including local residents Joe Hanauer, a real estate investor; Greg MacGillivray, a filmmaker; James “Walkie” Ray; and the Kimbark Group, a Delaware-based limited liability company. The lawsuit also claims Andersen Hotels owns the Hotel Laguna trademark and that the new leaseholders had been using this name without consent.
Messages left for Proud Usahacharoenporn, an attorney for Andersen Hotels, were not returned.
Various other businesses on the property shut down around the same time as Hotel Laguna, but there are currently three businesses still in operation: International Hair Salon, Exclusive Collections Gallery and a car valet.
A runway model at the Friends of CASA Holiday Luncheon on Dec. 13 at Monarch Beach Resort | Photo by John Watkins Photography
Community
Friends of CASA Holiday Luncheon
More than $426,000, a record-setting amount, was raised at the OC-based Friends of CASA Holiday Luncheon on Dec. 13 at Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point. The organization is the fundraising auxiliary group for Court Appointed Special Advocates of Orange County, a nonprofit whose volunteers serve as mentors for abused, abandoned and neglected children, providing support and representing their best interests in the courtroom and throughout their time in the foster system.
The 22nd annual luncheon also included a fashion show, co-sponsored by South Coast Plaza, with models strutting down the catwalk in a variety of outfits by Intermix and Jimmy Choo. Before the lunch and show, attended by 620 supporters, the event began with a Champagne reception and silent auction. An opportunity drawing featured black diamond earrings, valued at $25,000, donated by Lugano Diamonds.
While viewing the latest fashions, guests dined on ginger- and lemon grass-glazed chicken, creamy polenta and vegetables followed by a blackout brownie served with salted caramel and candied popcorn. Also during the event, two speakers—a foster parent and a CASA volunteer—shared their moving stories of providing a home and advocating for children in need, which can be both challenging and rewarding. (casaoc.org)
Performers at the Goodwill of Orange County Gala | Photo by Brocoff Photography
Goodwill of Orange County Gala
The fourth annual Goodwill Gala, which has raised more than $1 million for Goodwill of Orange County to date, was held Oct. 27 at Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point. This is the nonprofit organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year and benefits its own mission to help people who are dealing with various obstacles to find employment while maintaining job satisfaction. Specifically, these funds go toward the Tierney Center for Veteran Services; the Rogers A. Severson Fitness & Technology Center, a fitness center designed for those with physical disabilities or chronic illness; and the Assistive Technology Exchange Center, a program designed to help children and adults with disabilities reach their maximum potential.
More than 450 guests attended the gala, including a special appearance by gold-medal sprinter and retired Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Ron Brown, NBA star A.C. Green and three-time NBA Lakers champion Byron Scott. The athletes autographed sports memorabilia that was then sold during a live auction and also announced a partnership between Goodwill and the Retired NFL Players Congress. They weren’t the only all-stars to attend, with musical guests providing two hours of live entertainment featuring names such as Rick Derringer, Martha Davis of The Motels, Eric Troyer of Electric Light Orchestra Part II, Tommy Tutone, Wally Palmar of The Romantics and Skip Martin of Kool & The Gang. All of the musicians were accompanied by the Wes Quave Band, an eight-member troupe ranked as Southern California’s No. 1 dance band.
The program also featured three participants from the Goodwill program who shared their personal success stories, a silent auction and a video depicting Goodwill’s mission being carried out in the real world as well as a presentation of the Face of Independence Award to Alan A. Greenberg and Wayne R. Gross, both of Greenberg Gross law firm. (ocgoodwill.org)
Signing autographs at KXMas With Eric Burdon and The Animals, in support of KX 93.5 | Photo by Bear Flag Photography
KXMas With Eric Burdon and The Animals
Local radio station KX 93.5 held a benefit concert at Irvine Bowl on Dec. 2 with headliner Eric Burdon and The Animals, who played classic tunes such as “House of the Rising Sun” and “Spill the Wine.” Preceding the main performance, two opening acts took to the stage including one group comprising two homeless guitarists from Friendship Shelter, Emmanuel Wood and Ed Shute, alongside Tommy Benson, a DJ for the radio station. The other entertainer was Joachim Cooder, who was joined by his father, renowned musical artist Ry Cooder.
About 1,800 people attended the event, which raised approximately $125,000 to benefit the individual missions of KX 93.5 and local nonprofits Friendship Shelter and Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce. Guests were provided food by Royal Hawaiian, seven-degrees and Montage Laguna Beach as well as additional bites and drinks from the likes of C’est la Vie, The Dirty Cookie, Laguna Beach Beer Co., Tito’s Handmade Vodka, BLKdot Coffee and the Mex It Up food truck. In addition to the concert, the nearby Festival of Arts grounds showcased various holiday-themed activities such as visits with Santa Claus and songs by Christmas carolers. (kx935.com)
Wine & Dine
Bountiful Brunches
The brunch craze has made its way to Laguna Beach, where plenty of local eateries offer classic dishes with creative twists that will pique any foodie’s interest.
Brunch has supposedly been around since the late 19th century, when the portmanteau word (combining breakfast and lunch) was introduced by a British writer who called for a lighter spread following Sunday mass. From there, the midday meal has blossomed into a much-loved weekend tradition that allows friends to come together for a late breakfast filled with delectable dishes and boozy beverages—namely mimosas and bloody marys.
But the real focal point of brunch is the food: French toast, eggs Benedict, pastries, pancakes and waffles—the possibilities are truly endless. Here, we look at some of the standout brunch dishes being served in restaurants around Laguna Beach.
Lobster avocado toast and Champagne | Courtesy of The Rooftop Lounge at La Casa del Camino Hotel
The Rooftop Lounge at La Casa Del Camino Hotel
Avocado toast has been a brunch staple for the last few years, but the rendition served on the menu at The Rooftop Lounge is a step above the rest—featuring oven-roasted tomato, over-easy eggs and, of course, guacamole, but with additional sumptuous toppings including chopped Maine lobster and truffle pecorino cheese, all piled onto a slice of sourdough bread. This toast also has various fresh flavors including onions, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice and basil.
“A couple of years ago, there was this big … fad of toast that kind of stuck around,” explains Craig Connole, executive chef at The Rooftop Lounge. “ … At first, it was kind of a novelty thing, but [then] a bunch of places, like in LA and San Francisco, [these] hipster-type restaurants were doing toasts. … You’ve got to give the people what they want.”
Due to the steadily increasing interest in this brunch dish, it comes as no surprise that the lobster avocado toast at The Rooftop Lounge is the restaurant’s best-seller.
New York Benedict at Las Brisas | Photo by Dondee Quincena
Las Brisas
For a classic breakfast dish with a unique spin, reserve a space for the Sunday brunch at Las Brisas from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Diners will be treated to a four-course meal, complete with full service and complimentary Champagne from the restaurant’s private stock. Though the menu includes seasonal fresh fruit, a house-made soup or salad and the chef’s daily dessert special, the shining star of the entree options is the New York Benedict.
This plate starts off with a toasted English muffin, which is then topped with seared New York steak medallions and accented with perfectly poached eggs plus a drizzle of hollandaise sauce—all served with Las Brisas’ famous breakfast potatoes. This is certainly a more exquisite version of traditional eggs Benedict recipes, which call for Canadian bacon as opposed to the succulent steak used in this dish.
Other standout plates on the brunch menu include the panettone French toast with strawberry gastrique, lemon mascarpone and organic maple syrup; the chilled seafood salad filled with lobster medallions, wild Mexican shrimp, crab claws, seared tuna, frisee, asparagus, hearts of palm and oranges; and the crab-stuffed trout.
Bananas Foster waffles at The Loft at Montage Laguna Beach | Photo courtesy of Montage Laguna Beach
The Loft at Montage Laguna Beach
Chef de Cuisine Michael Campbell has always enjoyed the combination of peanut butter and banana, which was his inspiration behind the bananas Foster waffles served at The Loft at Montage Laguna Beach. “By adding the bourbon caramel and using a waffle as our base, we turned bananas Foster—a traditional dessert—into this wonderful … brunch dish.” For those who enjoy indulging in dessert for breakfast, this is certainly the ideal meal.
The bananas Foster waffles start with a crisp, yet fluffy waffle that is topped with a light and airy peanut butter cream. The bananas are sauteed in a sweet, smooth bourbon caramel sauce, which is then drizzled over the waffle before finishing the dish with crunchy, lightly salted peanuts. “The texture combination in this dish is what makes it compelling,” Campbell says. “The flavors melt in your mouth.”
This dish is available during breakfast from 6-11 a.m. daily as well as on the brunch menu, which is served from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. Other plates to choose from include the brioche French toast with cinnamon and whipped creme fraiche or the apple and mascarpone crepes with vanilla and bourbon caramel topped with candied pecans.
Red velvet pancakes at Splashes at Surf & Sand Resort | Photo by TIm King/TimKingPhoto.com
Splashes at Surf & Sand Resort
For those who prefer pancakes, Splashes has myriad options for diners including lemon and ricotta pancakes with blackberry compote as well as mesquite flour pancakes as a gluten-free option—both on the breakfast menu. But a crowd favorite is by far the red velvet pancakes, on both the breakfast and brunch lineups.
“We have a lot of kids that come in, so it’s definitely a kid-friendly item,” says Splashes Executive Chef Ron Fougeray. “ … Sometimes we have a lot of adults that are looking for something sweet for … brunch and they go for the red velvet.”
The red velvet pancakes are adored by Fougeray’s family as well—he says they’re one of his wife’s favorites and his two children are big fans of the sweet flavor and distinct color. “When my son comes [into the restaurant] … he can never finish more than one of … [the pancakes], but he loves it,” Fougeray says. “He actually comes into the kitchen to put the finishing touches on.”
Each plate comes with two large pancakes, which are made with dark cocoa powder, buttermilk and a bit of sour cream “to balance the sweetness of the batter,” according to Fougeray. Other ingredients include flour, baking powder and soda, eggs, melted butter to make sure the pancakes are moist, and vanilla for flavor. The dish is then finished with white chocolate shavings and mascarpone whipped cream as well as a touch of powdered sugar and cocoa powder, and served with fresh raspberries.
“All our pancakes, we put a lot of care into,” Fougeray says. “ … Red velvet is kind of trendy, and for people that come to Splashes, they love it.”
Loco Okimoto at Skyloft | Photo by Dondee Quincena
Skyloft
Transport yourself across the Pacific to a tropical paradise with this Hawaiian-inspired dish presented by Executive Chef Arthur Ortiz at Skyloft. The Loco Okimoto, an island-style comfort food, is a delicious way to start a day of relaxing in the sun or playing in the waves at Main Beach, which is just a short walk from the restaurant.
Based on a traditional Hawaiian loco moco, this dish incorporates a bed of garlic sticky rice with a skinny beef patty and fried egg piled on top. Ortiz recently added grilled Spam as an ingredient, and serves four slices of it alongside the stack with brown gravy and au jus. This item started as a brunch item, but became so popular that the restaurant has made it available all day.
Other unique items on Skyloft’s breakfast menu include dishes that can be made as either an omelet or a wet burrito, such as The Climb Over with smoked rib meat that is slow-cooked in salsa verde, the Machaca with smoked brisket and spicy avocado dressing, and the Veggie-Head with avocado, spicy borracho beans and soy chorizo.
Grilled Duroc pork chop at Oak | Photo courtesy of Janel Conlan/Focus Photography Inc.
Dine Sides
Updated Oak Options
All new for winter, Oak has updated its menu with seasonal items as well as changing its hours and nightly specials. The restaurant will now be open Tuesday through Sunday with weeknight offers such as Tapas and Tequila Tuesdays from 3-8 p.m., when diners can indulge in light Mexican bites for $5 and tequila cocktails for $10, and Wine Wednesday, when house wines are $6-8 by the glass and select bottles are half off. Happy hour will still be offered on weekdays from 3-5 p.m. and Sunday Brunch will also still run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
New menu items on both the lunch and dinner menus include a charcuterie board with the chef’s daily selection of meats and cheese as well as almonds, Dijon mustard, fig jam and toasted bread; fried pork belly salad; warm vegan saute with squash, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato quinoa and eggplant; and Nana’s Fried Chicken which comprises buttermilk fried chicken breast, mashed potatoes, thyme gravy and sauteed spinach. (949-940-3010; oak-lagunabeach.com)
Executive Chef Craig Strong in the Studio kitchen | Photo courtesy of Montage Laguna Beach
Culinary Courses
Executive Chef Craig Strong of Studio at Montage Laguna Beach is now offering a series of cooking classes that provide participants with the unique opportunity to learn from a renowned culinary master. Each class includes an interactive, hands-on experience with tips from Strong, lunch with a wine pairing, take-home recipes and a Studio apron.
The series kicked off Jan. 13 with Spanish Cooking 101, in which Strong revealed how to execute the perfect Spanish-themed dinner party with traditional tapas and paella. The next class, Sweet Tooth: Pastry Basics, will take place Feb. 17, and on the menu are some classic, romantic desserts including a lemon tart, warm chocolate cake and creme brulee—the latter of which is infused with garden herbs for a creative twist. The final class in the series will be held March 17, and with a title like Italian Love Affair with Pasta, it’s clear what’s in store: Students will learn how to make three types of pasta—hand-rolled, dumplings and noodles—as well as a variety of sauces to pair with them. (949-715-6420; montagehotels.com/lagunabeach)
Kicktail Energy Mixers include flavors like cranberry (pictured above), ginger beer and cola. | Photo courtesy of Kicktail Energy Mixers
Kicking It Up a Notch
An innovative cocktail mixer is now on the market and being served in select Orange County bars. Kicktail Energy Mixers provide consumers with an energy boost as well as delicious flavors that complement traditional cocktails. The product and business was developed by Laguna Beach resident Darin Rasmussen, who spent an entire year doing research and testing different flavors with naturally energizing ingredients to deduce the perfect concoctions that comprise light, natural and appealing flavors.
The mixers, which can be enjoyed in an alcoholic beverage or on their own, are supplemented with caffeine, taurine and B-group vitamins, and come in six flavors: ginger beer, club soda, tonic water, cranberry, lemon lime and cola. Cocktails made with Kicktail mixers, as well as the brand’s mascot, dubbed Klubby Soda, can be found in local establishments including Stag Bar & Kitchen, Malarky’s Irish Pub and Cruisers Pizza Bar Grill, all in Newport Beach. Cases of the energy drinks can also be purchased on the company website or through Amazon. (kicktailmixers.com)
A trio of small bites at Las Brisas | Photo courtesy of Las Brisas
Lovely Lunches
Las Brisas is continuing to revamp its menu, this time with all new lunch items presented by Chef de Cuisine Matthew Robinson. Some of these delectable dishes include asada dip, which comprises prime New York steak, Oaxaca cheese, sauteed onions and serrano au jus served with house chips; the shrimp linguine Veracruz with sauteed Laughing Bird shrimp, olives, capers, tomatoes and anchovies, all on a bed of fresh pasta; and braised short rib enchiladas with guajillo chili sauce and black beans.
The restaurant has also refreshed its popular trio of small bites, for which diners can choose any three out of nine items for a set price. Options for the trio plate include seared tuna with hoisin sauce, sirloin bruschetta with blue cheese butter, crispy sweetbreads with plum chutney and sunflower seeds, and arancini, a deep-fried rice ball with goat cheese and peppadew relish. Lunch is served daily from 11 a.m. to3 p.m. (949-497-5434; lasbrisaslagunabeach.com)
Nutella crepes at Moulin | Photo by Jody Tiongco
Dining Extravaganza
OC Restaurant Week is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and invites you to taste dishes at more than 150 dining establishments throughout Orange County. The highly anticipated culinary event runs from March 4-10, when participating restaurants will offer three-course prix fixe menus, many of which will also include a cocktail or other house specialty, at discounted prices ranging from $10-$20 for lunch and $20-$50 for dinner, plus a luxe dinner menu with wine or cocktail pairings for $80 at various fine dining venues.
Eleven Laguna Beach restaurants will be taking part in this year’s event, such as Sapphire Laguna with a $20 lunch menu and $50 dinner menu, and Ti Amo by Il Barone with a $40 dinner menu. Other participating restaurants include Moulin, Mozambique, Nirvana Grille, Royal Hawaiian, Selanne Steak Tavern, Skyloft, Starfish Laguna, Tommy Bahama Bar & Grill and Tortilla Republic. Visit the OC Restaurant Week website for more information and a list of all participating locations. (ocrestaurantweek.com)
