Diane Armitage
21-year Laguna Beach resident &
absolute devotee of this amazing town.
Here our thousands of insider tips and
recommendations
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LAGUNA BEACH
Best Food & Drink
Laguna Chefs Share the Love with Valentine’s Day Menus
No matter what may be going on all around us, and despite the fact that social distancing is in play, Valentine's Day will always be our annual optimist. It may look a little different at our restaurants this year - the two-by-two tables won't be shoulder to shoulder,...
Superbowl Sunday Eats
With outdoor dining open now, our Laguna Beach restaurants are scrambling to accommodate residents and visitors. This coming weekend, though, might be a bit quieter than most as the Superbowl take over center stage. Typically, Superbowl Sundays are pretty quiet in our...
Upcoming Events & News
“Tuscany Beyond Expectations” Documentary Fills That Travel Yearning
Did you miss your trip to Tuscany this year? I have a solution for you. Three years ago, a friend introduced me to Brian Gendece. My friend was a giant foodie fan, and Brian had recently retired with the idea to expand his cooking hobby as "The Showbiz Chef." Brian...
Sawdust Festival – Plenty of Shop Opps Thru Dec. 20th
After a thwarted attempt to open at the end of July this year, our famed Sawdust Festival chose to wait it out a few more weeks They finally opened on Sept. 19th to a scaled back "Outdoor Marketplace" on weekends only. And so far, it's moving along just beautifully....
Get to Know OC & LA Chefs
Chef Peter Lai – The Blind Rabbit Speakeasy – Anaheim
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 his...
Chef Rich Mead – Farmhouse – Newport Beach
Meet Chef Rich Mead the unassuming chef of Farmhouse in Newport Beach at Roger's Gardens. Chef Mead has been cooking for GIANT tables of guests for years, so he's looking forward to his return to OC Chef's Table where he simply tends to 10 guests during the...
Best Food & Drink
Deal of the Century: Brussels Bistro’s Monthly Meal Plan
This holiday, while perusing some of my favorite Laguna Beach restaurant sites for various take-out options, I stumbled across an amazing deal that almost seemed too good to be true. Brussels Bistro had begun a new offer: A subscription of $89 a month gets you 10 new...
Ring in NYE with Laguna Restaurants “To Go”
We've finally made it. Well, sort of. Normally, this town is rocking on New Year's Eve with plenty of restaurants open, live music playing and parties rambling from north to south. This year …not so much, for obvious reason. The good news? Most of our restaurants are...
Holiday Feasts for Take Out from Laguna Beach Restaurants
Can you believe Christmas Eve is just 10 days away? Fortunately, a number of Laguna Beach restaurants are ahead of the curve with a variety of take out/delivery options for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. This article lists seven participating restaurants, but more...
Laguna Restaurants Shift Once Again to Take-Out Only
Take-out programs are back in play at all Laguna Beach restaurants. Recent Stay At Home orders went into effect on Sunday evening, Dec 6th at 10 p.m. It is expected to last at least three weeks. Along with sweeping closure changes, all restaurants are to cease outdoor...
A Tale of Two Pot Pies
While it seems that winter may never arrive in Laguna Beach this year, two of our restaurants are certainly ready with their own homemade versions of Chicken Pot Pie. My longtime favorite, The Lumberyard Chicken Pot Pie, has been on the menu since the restaurant...
Thanksgiving Options in Laguna Beach: Outdoors & Take Out
This is an updated article from the one I first published a couple weeks ago on Thanksgiving dining options in Laguna Beach. Last week's announcement of the dreaded return of "COVID's purple tier" created its share of chaos in restaurants everywhere. Fortunately, the...
Upcoming Events & News
Sawdust Will Open Smaller Outdoor Marketplace on July 17th
Clearly, the above photo will NOT be happening at the Sawdust Art Festival this year. But they DO have a different solution! While the Festival of Arts, Pageant of the Masters and Art-A-Fair all cancelled their summer seasons this year, the Sawdust leadership worked...
Beaches in Laguna Beach – City vs. County Beaches in Laguna Beach
Thanks to all of its beautiful cove beaches, Laguna Beach has an extraordinary number of beaches in just an eight mile stretch. With all of the recent closures, many people have been confused on WHAT a CITY beach is and WHAT a COUNTY beach is as they're somewhat...
Update: Orange County Beach Closures Beginning May 1, 2020
As you probably know, Governor Newsom announced on Thursday a HARD CLOSE of all Orange County beaches. The Governor did not include other counties in California in his order. Beaches may be closed in OTHER counties and cities, based on the decision of their city and...
Who to Complain to About Beach and Traffic Chaos this Weekend in Laguna Beach
This week with warmer weather and impatient people who are tired of staying at home, South Laguna Beach (SoLag) was overrun with beach visitors. It's only going to get busier this weekend. Because the County has closed its parking lots but NOT its beaches, we have...
Laguna Beach Books Announces Virtual Best-Selling Author Events
Just when you thought our entire globe had relegated itself to Netflix binge watching and TikTok karaoke, I have refreshing news: People are ordering books. That's right – actual books that have covers and pages and smell like books! "I can't say that we're seeing as...
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...
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...