by Diane | May 2, 2019 | Best Restaurants
It’s been one month since the newest rendition of The Royal Hawaiian Fire Grill opened with Chef Owner/Operators Maro Molteni and Martin Molteni. “My brother and I have opened many restaurants around the world, but we’ve never experienced an opening...
by Diane | Apr 30, 2019 | Best Restaurants, Holiday Events & Gifts
My Mom LOVES Laguna Beach. (And I so love my Mom. The photo is us when I was about 8.) There’s no place she would rather be on Mother’s Day than here in Laguna Beach. So, by default, I’m sure your mothers all feel the same. Fortunately, there are a...
by Diane | Apr 23, 2019 | Best Restaurants, OC & LA Chef Interviews
Meet Chef Peter Lai, new Chef of the award-winning Blind Rabbit speakeasy in Anaheim. Chef Peter Lai wasn’t even looking for a new job when he was invited to take a look at The Blind Rabbit … and then he couldn’t even find the door when he showed up for...
by Diane | Apr 16, 2019 | Best Activities
On Wednesday, April 24th, the 24th annual “A Taste for Charity” is hosting a rousing number of local restaurants, live music and sizable silent and live auctions to raise funds for 10 local non-profit organizations. Some tables are still available for sponsorship...
by Diane | Mar 31, 2019 | Best Restaurants
Laguna’s grand dame, the Royal Hawaiian Fire Grill restaurant, is re-opening this Wednesday, April 3rd, under new owner/operators (and brothers) Maro Molteni and Martin Molteni, and the buzz is significant. The restaurant will be open six days a week, beginning at...
by Diane | Mar 4, 2019 | Arts + Laguna Culture
When you own a marketing agency for 25 years, you figure you’re going to have to deal with some bad PR from time to time. Fortunately, my clients have been so stellar that we’ve rarely seen something fall apart that we’ve had to jump on … until Sunday morning, just...
by Diane | Mar 3, 2019 | Arts + Laguna Culture
On Friday, May 3, 2019, the Garden Club will host its annual Laguna Beach Gate & Garden Tour, a major fundraiser for educational school gardens, local scholarships and community projects. This year’s docent-led walking tour from 9;00 am – 2:00 pm will visit...
by Diane | Feb 13, 2019 | Uncategorized
Heading into my dining review last week, I circled the block a couple times before I realized there was a spot right there in front of the restaurant. I whipped into the space, put the car in park and gathered my camera, notebook, purse and key to make my exit. At the...
by Diane | Feb 13, 2019 | Best Retail in Laguna Beach, Holiday Events & Gifts
If red “heart” boxes of stale chocolates aren’t your Valentine’s style, Laguna Beach’s Chocolate Soldier is for you. Squeezed into the little alley between the Sapphire Restaurant and Tootsie’s/Laguna Beach Books at the old Pottery Shack, Chocolate Soldier will...
by Diane | Feb 7, 2019 | Best Restaurants
Yesterday, I was talking to one of our Laguna chefs about Valentine’s Day. Oddly, reservations for Valentine’s Day tend to occur well in advance, while Mother’s Day reservations tend to happen at the last minute. Imagine that. If you’re one of the few who’s still...
by Diane | Jan 25, 2019 | Best Restaurants
Chef Mariano (“Maro”) Molteni still remembers the November day when Mo Honarkar suggested that Maro take over the Royal Hawaiian space as the new restaurant owner/operator. “All the hair stood up on my head,” he says with his wide grin. “The Royal Hawaiian … now,...
by Diane | Jan 4, 2019 | Best Activities
Can you stand still for 90 seconds? The Pageant of the Masters is looking for volunteer cast members fr next summer’s show, The Time Machine. Individuals of all sizes and ages are needed to be cast members in the world’s most famous presentation of...
