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 | 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 | 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,...
