OK, perhaps I’ve belabored my point with my breakfast reviews of Anastasia Café in Laguna Beach. I think these folks serve the best breakfast in Laguna Beach, period. But, fact is, they also serve a mean lunch.
For starters, our Anastasia chefs don’t know what “small portions” means. You’ll be able to split just about any gargantuan serving if you can stand only eating one thing. But that IS the conundrum here.
The Anastasia Cafe in Laguna Beach sandwiches are spectacular, all running between $9 and $11. The Poulet with blackened chicken breast, avocado and smoked gouda is a best seller, as is its Italian take on a Caprese salad with basil, fresh tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and pesto piled onto Ciabetta bread.
Their salads are fresh and very tasty – my favorites are the Salade Nicoise (seared tuna, greens, green beans, hard-boiled egg, potatoes, olives, etc.) and the divine Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken (penne pasta in pesto with sun-dried tomatoes and roasted pine nuts). (Hey! That counts as salad, right? I mean, they CALL it a salad, right?)
If that’s not enough to stuff you to the gills, Anastasia’s has huge pasta dishes and thin crust pizzas to boot. Even their daily soups are delectable. I tell you, these people so rarely go wrong, I can’t even remember the last time they were less than an “8” on a scale of 10 in my book.