Diane Armitage
21-year Laguna Beach resident &
absolute devotee of this amazing town.
Here our thousands of insider tips and
recommendations
for all the best places
to dine, drink and play in
LAGUNA BEACH
Best Food & Drink
Yard Bar Patio Restaurant Debuts to Happy Acclaim
On Wednesday afternoon, a new patio restaurant was born in the heart of downtown. Aptly named Yard Bar, this patio is more of a little brother to the Lumberyard restaurant on Forest. A concept dreamed up by the ever-innovative Restaurateurs Cary and Suzanne Redfearn,...
New Sapphire, Cellar. Craft. Cook Lives Up to its Name
Nothing gives me greater pleasure than seeing a talented restaurateur choose Laguna Beach. In Sapphire, Cellar. Craft. Cook's case, Restaurateur Russ Bendel has stacked the deck with additional talent that plays at a very big culinary level. For daily operations, Russ...
Popular Kya/Rooftop Chef Craig Moves to Ristorante Rumari
After 15 years of creating renowned success as the Corporate Chef of Casa Del Camino's K'ya Bistro and The Rooftop, Chef Craig Connole has moved four blocks south to Ristorante Rumari. "I was planning to leave Casa at the end of March and take off the month of April...
Harley Restaurant Re-opens for Summery Take-Out
It's been nearly three months since Chef Greg Daniels temporarily closed his doors at his popular Harley Laguna Beach restaurant. Today (Fri, June 5th), he re-opens for take-out with family meal options that will certainly brighten any backyard or beachy picnic. For...
June 1: At Least 36 Dine-In Restaurants Are Back in Play in Laguna
After receiving news on Saturday, May 23rd that they could begin the re-opening process, several Laguna Beach restaurants immediately hopped into motion. By Memorial Weekend's end, at least 12 restaurants were either offering patio seating or the full dine-in...
Papa’s Tacos is Back With 60+ Menu Items To Go
After temporarily shuttering on March 223nd, Papa's Tacos Owner Michael Skerly figured he might be able to quietly merge back into business eight weeks later … on Saturday of Memorial Weekend. Instead, he and his crew were zambonied. "It was three days in an absolute...
Upcoming Events & News
Phenom Musician Francois Dean Takes It Virtual
If you've followed me for any length of time, you know that I'm a giant fan of the great musician, Francois Dean. Here in town, he's primarily played at Skyloft and Mozambique, and also ran the "Laguna Voice" contest with me at Mozambique for over a year. This guy is...
Laguna Beach Unified closes school and cancels student-related activities effective March 16 to April 3, 2020
The Laguna Beach Unified School District (LBUSD), after careful deliberation and in an abundance of caution, announced today that it is closing its schools, effective Monday, March 16, in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The District’s Spring Break is the...
2020 Festival of Whales Parade Changes Dana Point Route
While Laguna Beach has its Annual Patriot's Day Parade on the morning of Saturday, March 7th, neighboring Dana Point has its own parade - the 49th Annual Festival of Whales Parade - same day, same timeframe – which is just the beginning of a two-weekend festival of...
Laguna Playhouse’s “Barefoot in the Park” a Must
Laguna Playhouse is debuting one of my all-time favorites, Barefoot in the Park, with shows that begin on Sunday, March 1st and run through Sunday, March 22nd. No less than Paul Rodriguez and Rita Rudner are in two of the four starring roles. Rodriguez plays the part...
2020 Patriot’s Day Parade Promises Fun & LESS Traffic Snarls!
In Laguna Beach, the well-loved Annual Patriot's Day parade starts at 11 a.m., which means hundreds of happy citizens participating, thousands watching from the sidewalks, and traffic diversions beginning as early as 9:00 a.m. The parade starts at 11:00 a.m. by Laguna...
Beach Club at Main Beach has reopened behind Hotel Laguna
Hotel Laguna operators, Laguna Creative Ventures, has launched what it calls a "first stage" Beach Club, open Wednesday through Sunday and holidays (weather permitting) with limited beach service. Anytime between 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., you can walk down or park in the...
Get to Know OC & LA Chefs
Chef Randy Gruspe – Duke’s – Huntington Beach
Meet Chef Randy Gruspe, new Chef of the renowned Duke's in Huntington Beach. Chef Randy Gruspe was born and raised a Hawaiian, which might make him the best possibly suited chef for the popular Duke's chain. Click to learn more about Chef Randy Gruspe and … The events...
Chef Jeff Moore – EATS Kitchen – Irvine
Meet Chef Jeff Moore, Owner and Chef of EATS in Irvine. Chef Moore started working in restaurants to stay alive in college and, after learning to make the best Philly Cheesesteak in the world, he was hooked on creating food that people love. Click to learn more about...