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
Rum Social Hoping to Open Late August
As of about a week ago, the City of Laguna gave Rum Social owners the greenlight to complete their interior renovations. Rum Social is the highly anticipated new concept moving into the old Watermarc location at 448 S. Coast Highway in "Restaurant Row." The ownership...
Seabutter Sushi Opens This Week
This week, Seabutter Sushi began its soft open phase in the old San Shi Go location at 1100 S. Coast Highway. Essentially, they're using this week to dial in the service and food before they expand to full operational hours. This Friday and Saturday (and moving...
Upcoming Events & News
Citing COVID Cases, Sawdust Marketplace Closes
Initially scheduled through December 20th, the Sawdust Marketplace closed yesterday (Saturday) for the season and the year. Marketplace organizers noted that "Due to rapidly increasing COVID-19 cases in our own area, and several confirmed cases among our Sawdust...
“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...
Get to Know OC & LA Chefs
Chef Jet Tila – Food Network’s Iron Chef
Meet the Food Network’s Celebrity Chef Jet Tila, the likable and uber-talented chef on a number of shows, including Iron Chef America. Chef Jet Tila is returning for his second year to OC Chef’s Table as the spotlight celebrity chef. Click to learn more about Chef...
Chef Jason Neroni – Rose Cafe – Santa Monica
Meet Chef Jason Neroni, the renowned L.A. based chef of Rose Cafe in Santa Monica. Chef Neroni has heard about the OC Chef's Table, and was so affected by the homelessness in his own neighborhood, that he contacted Illumination Foundation, the non-profit entity...
Best Food & Drink
Comedor Offers Spanish Style Flair
New concept, Comedor, began its "soft open" three weeks ago in the old K'ya location at the base of La Casa del Camino hotel. The word "comedor" is Spanish for dining room or dining room table, and this new entry certainly highlights tapas and entrées of Spanish...
Rebel Omakase to Open in Former Central Restaurant
Since we're on the subject of sushi, this just in: A Japanese chef has leased the old Central location on Forest Avenue. The City has approved his conditional use permit (CUP) and he's submitted a building plan for minor tenant improvements. "Omakase" is actually a...
Beverly Hills Seabutter Swims into Old San Shi Go location
Beverly Hills' posh and popular Seabutter is expanding to Laguna Beach. They've recently signed a lease in the old San Shi Go location at the 1100 S. Coast Highway building. Touting "the freshest fish and Japanese culinary creations," Seabutter met with wide acclaim...
Harley’s Sunday Brunch is an Easy Sunday Morning
Weekend brunch has always been a special treat for me. Harley Laguna Beach's recently added Sunday brunch proved a fabulous destination last week. Bottomless mimosas are a great start, and Chef offers various juices to suit your favorite. The menu is hearty, offering...
Rumari Expanding with Neighborhood Italian Market
As we inch ever closer to expanded restaurant seating options, Laguna restaurateurs are expanding their options, period. Chef Craig Connole (formerly K'ya and Rooftop) has gained traction since taking over Ristorante Rumari's operation a year ago. With the City's...
Saigon Beach Vietnamese Eats Opens at Last!
It's been exactly two years and eleven months since the former Royal Thai went dark, waiting for a new breath of life. She finally got her wish when new owners Phong and Lan Vu opened the doors to Saigon Beach Vietnamese Eats last Thursday. "As you can probably guess,...
Upcoming Events & News
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...
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...
Get to Know OC & LA Chefs
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