by Diane | Aug 27, 2020 | Best Restaurants
As I was flipping through my phone’s August photos this morning, I realized that if you aren’t following my social media platforms, you’re missing out on most of the food I eat all month long! So, I’m introducing an end-of-month Diane’s...
by Diane | Aug 14, 2020 | Best Restaurants
On Wednesday this week, I unchained myself from my desk and joined a friend (Ali, the lead concierge at Surf & Sand Resort) at Harley Laguna Beach to try Chef Greg Daniel’s outdoor dining. Several weeks ago, it was a happy relief to all of us when Chef Greg...
by Diane | Aug 8, 2020 | Best Restaurants
Exactly one year ago, I interviewed the founders of The Drake Laguna Beach who, after three long years, were putting the finishing touches on the city’s new posh jazz supper club. They finally opened the last week of September, just when the City of Laguna Beach...
by Diane | Aug 4, 2020 | Best Activities
On Friday, August 14 at 5 p.m., Laguna Beach Books is pleased to present the latest virtual event in its new Signature Event Series. Enjoy a literary evening with author T. Jefferson Parker as he speaks about his new book, Then She Vanished. He will be in conversation...
by Diane | Jul 30, 2020 | Best Restaurants
I was so busy last week that I can’t even think of a metaphor to describe it. The weekend prior, I had invited four of my COVID-quarantined neighbors (meaning they’re being as cautious as I am) to my roomy patio table for a Thursday night dinner. As I tore...
by Diane | Jul 23, 2020 | Best Restaurants
One of my followers the other day commented that I was “focusing on too much meat,” and by golly, I can fix that! As it turns out, I haven’t pieced together a vegetarian-styled column since the end of April, when I mentioned many of my favorite...
by Diane | Jul 16, 2020 | Best Restaurants
With new closure orders issued this week for most California counties (including Orange), our Laguna Beach restaurateurs are “watchful.” “It’s great that we still have outdoor dining available to us, but I feel like I’m waiting for the...
by Diane | Jul 13, 2020 | Best Restaurants
Just when you thought you could get started on that diet after all your comfort food eating, Burger Week rolls around. (So, yes I’d recommend you put that diet off just one more week.) From Sunday, July 12th through this Saturday, restaurants throughout L.A. and...
by Diane | Jul 2, 2020 | Best Restaurants
On Wednesday this week, Governor Newsom announced that dine-in options would close in 19 counties, including Orange County, for the next three weeks. Outdoor dining and take-out can still continue. Minutes after the announcement, Laguna Beach restaurateurs and chefs...
by Diane | Jun 30, 2020 | Best Restaurants
Typically on the 4th of July in Laguna Beach, many of our dine-in restaurants close. Our 4th of July crowds tend to flock to Heisler Park and Main Beach, hunkering down for the day and rarely even sending one designated “food buyer” out of the fray to pick...
by Diane | Jun 26, 2020 | OC & LA Chef Interviews
Fourteen years ago, I decided I’d make a hobby out of covering all the “best of Laguna Beach.” Initially, it was just a few lonely blogs that – just as the movie Julie & Julie reported – seemed to only attract my Mom’s attention and...
by Diane | Jun 23, 2020 | 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...
