Casa Laguna Inn

2510 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, California 92651
Innkeeper(s): Francois Leclair, Kathryn Mace
 
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The Perfect 48 Hours in Laguna Beach 21 Mar 2013, 2:40 am

 

Day 1

  • 3pm Arrive at Casa Laguna
  • 5pm Casa Laguna Wine & Hors d'oeuvre Reception
  • 6:30 Early drinks and dinner at Nirvana Grille
  • 8pm Catch a play at Laguna Playhouse

Day 2

Day 3

  • 8am Breakfast at Casa Laguna
  • 9am Enjoy morning lounging by pool
  • 11am Casa Laguna Check-out time
  • 12pm Visit downtown Laguna galleries & shops
  • 1:30 Leisurely lunch at Nick’s
  • 3pm Drive North along the coast past Crystal Cove

Laguna Beach offers a myriad of leisure activities, shops, galleries, and restaurants to fill each day of your visit with fun, sun, and good food. Casa Laguna’s management and staff have put together this suggested itinerary for the “perfect 48 hours in Laguna Beach” to give prospective visitors a sampling of the places and activities we might choose for a balance of fun and relaxation during a two-night stay at our inn. Our Guest Service Associates can help you make any required arrangements or reservations and provide directions to all of the activities mentioned, or just ask and we’ll suggest some alternatives. Best times and availability vary with the seasons, so be sure to plan early.

Day 1
Casa Laguna check-in time is 3pm. We want everyone’s room to be perfectly clean and comfortable for arrival, so we use every minute between check-out and check-in to make that happen. While your accommodations might be available earlier, we suggest you plan your arrival as close as possible to 3pm to assure you can be taken straight to your room. Then settle in and check out all the great amenities. Maybe explore our terraced gardens or take a dip in the heated pool. Our Wine & Hors d'oeuvre Reception starts at 5pm and we suggest you plan to arrive early so that you can relax and enjoy talking to other guests before heading out to dinner. Since you’re going to the theater, you’ll need to make sure you have early dinner reservations. We’re suggesting Nirvana Grille because it’s one of our favorite restaurants and it’s within a short walk of the Laguna Playhouse. A 6:30 dinner reservation will give you plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely meal and still get to the theater on time for the 8pm show. And here’s a little money-saving secret: Take a few minutes and go to the Playhouse to pick up your tickets before dinner. Then show your tickets at Nirvana Grille and get 10% off your meal! Laguna Playhouse hosts a wide range of theatrical presentations, ranging from comedies to musicals to special appearance performances. We’ve seen a lot of shows there, and we can honestly say we’ve enjoyed them all. It will be around 11pm when you get out of the theater and, to be candid, there just isn’t much to do that time of night in Laguna Beach. So if you’re not ready to snuggle down on our cloudlike beds and call it a day, stop by the Mission House and check out a DVD from our extensive library.

Day 2
 Our inn is famous for our fabulous breakfasts, chosen from a menu of multiple entrees and sides. Our breakfast was even mentioned in a New York Times article about California travel. Service starts at 7:30 and if you’ve made arrangements to go on Whale Watching safari with Captain Dave you should probably come down for breakfast as early as possible. Safari schedules change often, depending on the season and the likelihood of seeing specific types of whales, so you may need to adjust your schedule for 9am, 10:30am, or 12noon, departure. We’ll help you make those arrangements, or you can make them yourself on the Captain Dave website. If you’re not into whale watching, or maybe you don’t do well on boats, we suggest you spend the morning at beautiful Victoria Beach, which is just a 10 minute walk from the inn. (Maybe a little longer if you’re not used to short hikes.) We’ll even loan you beach chairs and umbrellas. Just be aware that there are no restrooms at Victoria Beach, so you’ll probably want to head back to Casa in a couple hours. Whether you’re just back from your safari or your morning at the beach, you’ll probably be ready for a refreshing Mai Tai and lunch, and what better place to enjoy both than right on the ocean. We recommend either The Deck on Laguna Beach, where the ocean waves can sometimes roll in right under the deck, or The Cliff Restaurant, which boasts spectacular Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island views. At the Deck, we love the Surf N Turf Kebobs (skewered filet mignon and shrimp on a bed of large pearl cous cous). At the Cliff, we go for the Fish & Chips, with tender, nearly greasless Cod and the best fries on the beach. Both restaurants offer valet parking—or park downtown, then make the short uphill walk to either restaurant and check out the famous Whelan art gallery along the way. After lunch, walk back downtown and stroll along the Main Beach boardwalk—the perfect place to people-watch—or drive north through town to Heisler Park. If you chose the second option, be sure you have your camera with you so you can photograph all the beautiful gardens, public art displays, and expansive ocean views. After your busy day in the sun, you’ll probably be ready for a nice massage and therapeutic soak. Casa Laguna’s spa offers a wide variety of massage services. Just be sure to make your reservations well in advance—especially if you are interested in our very popular sunset soak with sparkling wine and souvenir flutes. Then, don’t forget our Wine & Hors d'oeuvre Reception starts at 5pm--but you can arrive a little later this time because your 7pm dinner reservations are at Tabu Grille, which is just a 10-minute walk from the inn. You’ll love Tabu’s eclectic atmosphere, superior food, and acclaimed wine list. We love sitting at the kitchen bar, where we can watch the busy chefs prepare our food. If that’s your choice as well, just be sure to reserve a spot well in advance. You’ve probably had your share of walking, but if you still have a little late night energy left after dinner, we recommend walking to the nearby Montage Hotel, where you can stroll the oceanfront pathways in the moonlight and listen to the waves crash against the rocks. You’re only a half-mile from Casa Laguna, but after your busy day, you may want to grab a taxi back.

Day 3
 It’s departure day, but our fabulous waffles and a cup of our delicious free trade coffee will make you smile as you have a relaxing breakfast followed by a dip in the pool, or just lounging your remaining time away on the sundeck. Checkout time is 11am, and we ask that you have everything out of your room by that time. But your 48 hours isn’t over yet. Today is the perfect day for shopping and browsing Laguna Beach’s many art galleries--with a stop at Nicks for a leisurely lunch. (We recommend Nick’s blackened chicken and noodle salad with mango, cucumber, and thai peanut vinaigrette.) If it fits with your travel plans we suggest a northerly exit from Laguna Beach via Coast Highway, past picturesque Crystal Cove Beach.

As we said, this is just one scenario for a perfect 48 hours in Laguna Beach. We invite you to explore the Activities page of our website for more ideas, or peruse the Visitors Bureau’s official Laguna Beach website.

Chef Michell's Laguna Beach Top Ten 19 Mar 2013, 1:25 pm

Laguna Beach offers an amazing array of things to see and do, and the Casa Laguna staff is always happy to recommend fun activities and destinations for our guests to enjoy during their visit. But what many visitors want to know is: What do the locals like to do on their days off? Our head chef Michell lives in North Laguna, within walking distance of the village, Main Beach, and the festival grounds. Here’s her “Top Ten” list of things she likes about Laguna Beach:

1. Watching the goats that graze on the hillsides to help keep the fire danger down.
2. Visiting the many great restaurants in town, that include everything from Armenian to Vegan, and burgers to Foie Gras!
3. Riding the free summertime trolley to local shops and art galleries.
4. Taking advantage of the “First Thursday Art Walk” each month.
5. Visiting the Laguna Culinary Arts Wine & Cheese Shop in the canyon.
6. Listening to all the great street musicians!
7. Stopping by Zinc café to grab a great cup of coffee!
8. Sampling a great craft beer from La Sirena's revolving selection.
9. Shopping at Areo, a fabulous gem of a gift shop with clever books , art objects, cards & trinkets as well as hand crafted jewelry from local artists. My "go to" store for gifts & cards!
10. Hanging out at “The Saloon,” with its standing room only antique bar. It’s like something out of an old western.

As you can see, the locals know about lots of cool places the tourists may not know about. Watch this blog in the coming weeks to see what our other employees find interesting and entertaining in Laguna Beach. And when you visit Casa Laguna, please don’t hesitate to ask them for recommendations. They’re always happy to make suggestions.

Introducing Casa Laguna’s new Boxed Lunch menu for 2013 16 Feb 2013, 2:04 pm

Last year our box lunches proved to be quite popular with couples who wanted to take a picnic to Victoria beach or who just wanted to hang by the pool and sun deck all day without having to leave the compound for lunch. For 2013, Chef Bretall has introduced a new selection of sandwiches and goodies to satisfy your mid-day munchies.  Each lunch includes a delicious gourmet sandwich, a side salad, grissini bread sticks, a piece of fruit, cookies, & a soft drink or bottled water. Just $15 per person.

Choose from:

1. Paris Train Station Sandwich: Delighted by this simple, delicious sandwich while visiting France, Chef brought home the idea for our Casa guests. Prosciutto, house made herbed butter, & sliced cornichon on La Brea French baguette.

2. Monterosso Chicken Salad Sandwich: Baked chicken breast chopped & combined with Niciose Olives, Sundried Tomatoes, Leeks & Celery. Tossed in a lemon herb dressing & served with Grana Padano cheese on a La Brea French baguette.

3. Roasted Vegetable Sandwich: Seasonal sliced roasted vegetables are complimented by Gruyere, fresh spinach & house made vinaigrette on La Brea French baguette.

4. Sonoma Chicken Salad Sandwich (shown): Roasted and chopped chicken breast, celery, red grapes, sliced almonds mixed with a light creamy tangy dressing. Served on La Brea French baguette.

Sandwiches should be ordered by 10:30am for pickup at 1pm. We suggest you ask your breakfast server for a menu/order form.

Reviewing the Ocean View Bar & Grill 31 Jan 2013, 3:41 pm

We’ve provided our “take” on ocean view restaurants in this forum before. It seems that it is impossible for the management of most “view” restaurants to have any concern for good service and good food. “You got this beautiful view….what more do you want?” There are a few notable exceptions – the Ocean View Bar & Grill is not one of them. However, it is far from being one of the worst offenders.

Laguna Beach regulars and residents remember when the Hotel Laguna had two restaurants. Claes’ Ovation was the indoor “fine-dining” dinner venue, and breakfast and lunch was served in the bar or attached outside patio. After the passing of Claes Anderson in 2010, the hotel and restaurants fell into a bit of limbo. The bar, deck, and dining room were combined as the aptly named Ocean View Bar & Grill last year, and since that time overall reviews from all sources have been mixed, with complaints centering more on mediocre food than anything else.

We arrived at the OVB&G early on a Wednesday evening and found that we had the place to ourselves. One jolly gentleman served as our host, waiter, and bar server. I wouldn’t call the service “snappy,” but it was adequate and, most importantly, accompanied by a smile. We took a seat on the outdoor patio and ordered martinis and two appetizers – some tasty but overly charred crab cakes and a generous order of steak nachos. The martinis were well-made and correctly shaken to arrive well-chilled. The sauce on the crab cakes and the cheese on the nachos were both low quality but not off-putting.

As the sun began to set and the temperature dropped, we moved inside to what used to be Claes dining room. Perhaps my memory had faded with the years, but it seemed very little had changed from when we were last there in 2009. (Alas, our review blog of Claes was lost in the website upgrade.) Like the bar and deck, the view in the dining room is commanding. There isn’t a bad seat, but you’ll want one by the window. We were the second table to be seated, and only two more were occupied before we left about 90 minutes later. Actually, “seated” is a misnomer. Everyone was simply advised to pick a table.

The OVB&G lunch menu serves as the dinner menu as well, with the addition of a selection of “sunset menu” items. Pricing is a matter of opinion, but we found the prices to be quite reasonable for a view restaurant. I chose the 9 oz. New York Steak served with Demi-Glace, Fingerling Potatoes, and Garlic Green Beans, $23.00. The generous-portion (9oz.++) steak was reasonably tender and tasty, but the glace was applied a bit too generously for my taste. The green beans were oddly tough and I ate very few of them. My husband ordered the Atlantic Salmon with Citrus Beurre Blanc, Steamed Rice, and Broccoli Rab, $22.00. He felt the salmon (again, a very generous portion) was slightly overcooked and—like all of the sauces we had that evening—the beurre blanc almost seemed canned or at the least made well in advance. (In retrospect I wish we had asked if the sauces were freshly made.) Also, his broccoli rab suffered from the same odd toughness as my green beans. He actually borrowed my steak knife to cut it up.

All that seems like a lot of complaining, but we didn’t hate our dinner. We just felt there were some problems. The bottom line is that no one should go to OVB&G thinking they are going to a fine dining restaurant. Service is generally good and the food, for the most part, is acceptable. You will likely leave with your tummy filled and the memory of a beautiful view, but it’s unlikely you will brag about how great your meal was.

If you didn’t know before, you now know that Ocean View Bar & Grill is located overlooking the beach in the Hotel Laguna. Menus and photos can be seen on their website. Arrive a bit before sunset and bring your camera.

Reviewing Carmelita's Kitchen de Mexico 8 Jan 2013, 3:43 pm

Laguna Beach has always had its share of Mexican Restaurants and it probably has more now than ever before. Some are good. Some are not so great. But we’ve always felt that there is not enough difference between them (other than price) to make any one stand out from the others—until now. I’ll be honest….when Carmelita’s opened last September in the old Crab Zone location, I said “Just what we need, another Mexican Restaurant.” And, therefore, we did not rush to check it out until we started seeing the customer reviews, which have been about 90% five-star.

We don’t believe in reviewing restaurants on their busiest night. For that matter, we just don’t go to restaurants on their busiest night whether we’re there for a review or not. If you’ve read my reviews before, you know that we almost always visit a new restaurant on a weeknight, and therefore your experience on a busy weekend will very likely be somewhat different from what we experienced. We visited Carmelita’s early on a Monday evening in January and we were the first table patrons of the evening. A few barflies had already attached themselves to the bar and most were still there when we left. Let me tell you right off the bat, the service at Carmelita’s is alarmingly attentive. There is certainly no shortage of staff and you could very well end up with your own personal waiter. Our waiter Mario spent his first five minutes with us giving a brief history of the “chain” and describing their most popular dishes in great detail. Some customer reviews have dissed this service model as annoying. We found it refreshing and efficient, making our selection process quicker and much easier.

Mario took our order for two house margaritas, and chips with salsa and a wonderful bean dip came almost immediately thereafter. We also ordered Carmelita’s popular guacamole. We’re not big fans of guacamole as a rule, but Carmelita’s version, with bits of plantain and mango, was exceptional. Despite attempts to limit ourselves, we ended up eating way too much of these appetizers.

As usual, my husband chose a seafood dish for dinner, Wild Mexican Prawns, and I chose what I thought would be more classic Mexican fare, pork Carnitas. Both of these Carmelita’s dishes have received high marks on the customer reviews sites, and we soon found out why. My husband said the prawns were fresh and tender, with a wonderful garlic butter sauce. He was given the choice of a more spicy style sauce, but he is not a fan of heat and even found the mild garlic sauce a bit too spicy (which greatly confused Mario). The pork Carnitas were unlike anything I’ve ever had, super tender with a crisply carmelized outer coating. I ended up eating it more like pork roast, dipping forkloads of shredded meat into the spectacular Salsa Quemada it was served with. (Definitely too spicy for my husband, but right up my alley.) About half of the huge portion came home with me. Although we were both stuffed, Mario tempted us with Carmelita’s Tres Leches dessert, which we planned to just taste and take the balance home. We ended up finishing it off with a second margarita (which went surprisingly well with the sweet cake).

Bottom line: We felt the service was flawless and the food was exceptional. We can’t guarantee that everyone will have the same experience, but unless we just got lucky that Monday night, we think Carmelitas Laguna Beach is the best Mexican restaurant in the area. Does it have the atmosphere or people-watching qualities of Javier’s or Las Brisas? Of course not. But for quality of food and service, it beats those popular high-end establishments hands down. The menu is so varied and extensive I won’t attempt to discuss it in detail here. Check out the website menu to get a general idea.

Carmelitas Laguna Beach is located at 217 Broadway St. just east of the intersection with Pacific Coast Highway. Parking is where you can find it. We always have luck in the lots or street parking on Ocean Avenue. Carmelitas is a family owned chain, with additional restaurants in Rancho Santa Margarita and in the Sacramento area. They have a number of websites, which can be confusing. The site for the Laguna Beach location is Carmelita’s Kitchen de Mexico.

Reviewing the Wine Gallery—Wine Bar & Kitchen 30 Nov 2012, 4:59 pm

We loved it!

I usually work my way up to a dramatic reveal on how we like the new restaurants we visit, but this one impressed us from arrival to departure. I should immediately follow that declaration with a caveat that there’s a possibility not everyone will be as impressed with the Wine Gallery as we were. As I’m about to reveal, the Wine Gallery is the epitome of a niche venue.

The full name of the establishment—the Wine Gallery Wine Bar & Kitchen—says a lot. You’ll see every bit of that when you walk in the door. A square bar takes up the center of the room and is surrounded by several high two-tops and four-tops on two sides, a long group-table on one side, and a small wood-fired oven at the back. The room is not large, but everything is well-spaced and uncrowded. While the place fills up by 7:30-8ish at the latest, I doubt you’ll ever see a large noisy crowd standing around sipping wine while waiting for a seat. The Thursday night that we were there, it was clear that the bar has already developed a following of locals who make their way there from nearby neighborhoods for a glass of wine and a nosh at the end of the day.

We arrived shortly after the 5pm opening time and were greeted by the owner-bartender Chris Olsen, who invited us to choose any table we wanted. Within seconds of seating we were presented with two menus—one for wine by the glass, carafe, or bottle—and a food menu sporting a variety of Cheese, Salami, Bruschetta, Pizza, Small Plates (kinda like tapas but a bit more generous), Large Plates (limited but well-varied), and Dessert. We immediately went for the braised short-rib tacos and the mushroom risotto. Our friendly and efficient server Amanda suggested we give their pizza a try, so we rounded out our sampling with their classic wood-fired Margherita pizza. The food arrived quickly and was fresh and delish. The tacos were loaded with filling and filled with flavor. The pizza was perfectly fired by Chef Josh—crisp, lightly charred crust, a flavorful sauce, and just the right amount of cheese.

And, of course, we would expect a place called the Wine Gallery to have a great selection of wines—and they did not disappoint. My husband and I are by no means wine connoisseurs, but we do consider ourselves well-educated on the subject and our pallets are certainly experienced. We were impressed with the variety of both recognizable and unfamiliar offerings. I am a fan of what has become old-fashioned buttery Chardonnay, and Amanda recommended one that was right on the mark. My husband is a Pinot guy, and tried two, one of which--from Chris Olsen's own Mile 216 winery--well exceeded his expectations.

So why wouldn’t someone like the Wine Gallery. Well, it’s a wine bar, so obviously if you’re not into wine, this is not the bar for you. The wines are high-end and are priced accordingly. Our tab for the described food and four generous glasses of wine was a cool $100 before tip and well worth it in our opinion. The atmosphere is laid back and pleasant. And while I’m sure the patrons occasionally look up from their Cabernet to check out the basketball score, this is definitely not a sports bar. No burgers and fries here, though you can get frites with your sirloin. We liked the Wine Gallery’s classy style, superb friendly service, deliciously uncommon food, and great selection of wines. If that sounds like your style, we suggest you give it a first-try early in the evening on a weekday. And don’t worry about the constantly crammed street parking. All of the stalls in the parking structure on Pearl Street are available to Wine Gallery customers during regular evening hours. The Wine Gallery Wine Bar & Kitchen is located at 1833 South Coast Hwy #110 and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 5 to 11pm. The menus on their website are representative, but you'll notice most of the items I mentioned are not shown there. I have a feeling you’ll see something new and wonderful on the in-house menu every time you visit.

Flash Sale!! Gift Certificate Bonus 28 Nov 2012, 9:16 am

Time Sensitive Offer Ends Midnight December 5

Limited offer begins at 12:01 A.M. Thursday, November 29, 2012 and ends at 11:59 P.M. on Wednesday, December 5, 2012, or when 100 coupons have been issued. Purchase a gift certificate in an amount from $100 to $500 online at www.casalaguna.com/gift-shop/ordering during the above designated 7-day period and type the word FLASH after the amount. When we process the gift certificate, we will issue a coupon for an additional 50% of the value of the gift certificate. The gift certificate can be used at any time, as described in the gift certificate terms and conditions. This Limited Use Coupon expires March 31, 2013, and can be used toward your billing at Casa Laguna during the period December 2012 through March 2013, excluding holiday periods. See definitions below. This offer is strictly limited to the first 100 orders, so place your order soon.

Example: You purchase a gift certificate via our online gift shop for $200. We will process the order and send you the $200 gift certificate, plus a coupon for $100 off a stay at Casa Laguna. The coupon can be used by you or someone you have gifted it to, but only until the end of March 2013—and reservations must be made by calling our front desk at 800-233-0449. The Gift Certificate can be used at any time by you or someone you have gifted it to, subject to the standard terms and conditions listed below and on our website. During the prescribed period, the coupon may be used in conjunction with the Gift Certificate or on its own.

About Gift Certificates: Gift certificates are available in increments of $25, $50 and $100. Gift certificates can be used towards a stay at the inn or our gift shop. We do not give money back. Gift Certificates are non-refundable and cannot be replaced if lost. The cancellation and minimum stay requirements apply even when using a gift certificate. If you are giving a certificate to someone who has not previously stayed with us, be sure to let them know that our rooms are designed for one or two adult guests only and we have no accommodations or amenities suitable for infants, children, groups, or events. Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the property. Be sure to read our cancelation policy at www.casalaguna.com/about/policies

About Limited Use Coupons: Unlike a Gift Certificate, a Limited Use Coupon has a specific expiration date and has specific restrictions regarding when and how it can be used. The Flash Sale coupon described above expires March 31, 2013. It cannot be used during the following high-volume periods: December 22 through 25; December 29 through January 1; or February 13 & 14. Only 100 of these coupons will be issued during the Flash Sale period. Reservations for a stay for which a coupon will be used must be booked through the Casa Laguna front desk. You must advise Casa Laguna at the time of your booking that you will be using a coupon. Coupons cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount or special and are not valid for existing reservations. Coupons have no cash value and any unused value will not be refunded.

Casa Laguna's Exclusive New Fall Menu Offers Something for Everyone 27 Sep 2012, 1:28 pm

Ask our previous guests what they liked most about Casa Laguna and some will say the great service. Others might say the beautiful ocean view terraced gardens or the cloudlike beds with luxurious linens. But almost everyone will say they loved our fabulous gourmet breakfasts, chosen from a menu of seven entrees and cooked to order by our acclaimed chefs. Casa Laguna's Chef de Cuisine, Michell Bretall, has just unveiled her new Fall menu, and it's clearly one of our most varied and flavor-filled menus ever—ranging from heavenly duck confit sitting atop a perfectly fried egg and tri-color potatoes; to a hot, crispy corn meal-apple waffle with a sweet-tart cider syrup that is guaranteed to wake up those drowsy morning taste buds. Our always popular Meyer steak and eggs is back on the menu, and the every-changing Casa Benedict once again has a new incarnation—this time with house-made, spicy salt & pepper sausage. As always, the full current Casa Laguna breakfast menu can be found on our website. But don’t forget, Casa Laguna is a bed & breakfast inn, not a restaurant—you must experience our beds before you experience our breakfasts. Book now for the Fall and Winter seasons – and don’t forget to check out the Specials page. (Shhhh….don’t tell our bustling summer crowds….the cooler months are the best time to visit Casa Laguna and Laguna Beach—less traffic, uncrowded beaches, and almost no lines for those coveted sunset-view ocean-front tables.)

Reviewing "The Cliff" Restaurant 19 Sep 2012, 12:56 pm

Now that the summer rush has slowed a bit, we took the opportunity to have lunch at The Cliff, a well-known but somewhat hidden gem “view-restaurant” in the Laguna Village (Pacific Coast Hwy at Legion St). In previous blogs we’ve discussed our trepidation about ocean view eateries. It’s sad but true that many of them know they’ve got a captive audience and therefore just don’t put a lot of effort into food and service. We were pleased to discover that, on the day we were there, the food at The Cliff was quite good and the service was acceptable for a busy outdoor restaurant in a bustling resort town. We waited until after our experience to check out The Cliff’s reviews on TripAdvisor, Yelp, etc. Based on our personal experience and the reviews, it seems clear that service slows down a bit when the place fills up with demanding tourists. So don’t go there expecting to order, chow down, and hit the road in 30 minutes. Go there with the expectation that your meal and your experience will be worth the time invested.

The Cliff serves lunch and dinner (and breakfast, but if you’re staying Casa Laguna you don’t need to know about that). After viewing the dinner menu and photos on the website, we definitely plan to go back soon to experience The Cliff after sunset. Their menus have something for everyone—although you’re certainly not going to see anything listed that you haven’t seen somewhere before. The lunch menu is weighted toward seafood, as might be expected, but includes a wide selection of starters, sandwiches, burgers, and more. I’ve always thought that one the best ways to judge lunch quality is to order a burger. If the chef is thinking, “it’s just a burger, who cares” the product will clearly show where his/her head is at. My burger ($10.75) was done exactly as I asked (the server didn’t ask me), not overdone, well-made and tasty. My husband had the Shrimp & Chips ($20.75) and was pleased to find they were not overly greasy, as can sometimes be the standard for deep-fried seafood. We were both impressed that the food arrived hot and fresh enough to survive the cool seaside breeze—the better-than-average French fries that accompanied both dishes were still warm and crispy after the rest of the food had been consumed.

Our server was friendly and courteous, as were the bussers who busily passed by. We initially sat a bit longer than we would have preferred before being approached, and after the food arrived it was some time before we were asked about refills on our drinks. Neither failing was cause for complaint. We kept a close watch on the tables around us, and it seemed they were being adequately serviced and that the other patrons were thoroughly enjoying their drinks and food. The other dishes we observed nearby (and passing by) appeared to have the same consistent quality as our own.

The bottom line is that The Cliff provides fresh tasty food in a beautiful seaside setting. (Check out the “Photo Gallery” section on their website and you’ll be hooked.) And while the service won’t win any speed awards, The Cliff is not a place to go when you’re in a hurry anyway. The patios fill up quickly in the evenings and on weekends, so if you go during those times be prepared to wait a bit, maybe even up to an hour or so, and then sit back, relax, and enjoy the view, knowing that good food and drink is on its way.

Casa Laguna's Chef de Cuisine Tastes Her Way Through Europe--Final Installment--Paris 2 Jul 2012, 1:55 pm

Bon Jour from Paris,

We have thoroughly enjoyed our journey & could not think of a better way to cap it all off then to spend a few days in Paris! The weather has been a welcome change from Rome's sweltering heat! We are staying in an apartment just a few blocks from the famous Rue Cler, where one can find gastronomic delights for every palate! Here we purchased some roasted chicken (which you see all over the city, roasting in food shop windows) & little baby roasted potatoes- much like the ones we make each day for Casa Laguna's breakfasts!! We had some of the best gazpacho here in Paris as well! Of course we have parked ourselves in a few cafes to enjoy a bottle of wine while people-watching. I think anyone who has visited Paris understands that this is compulsory!

We have eaten many tasty meals throughout Europe & I have been feverishly jotting down ideas for Casa Laguna’s Fall menu. I have enjoyed the recharge on my culinary battery & the time spent with my family! We have walked along ancient cobble stones, climbed to the top of castle turrets, marveled at the natural beauty of the beaches of San Sebastian, and stood in front of some of the worlds most treasured pieces of art- and right now....I am looking forward to getting back to the good 'ol USA and firing up the back yard Bar-B-Q to make the American classic: CHEESBURGERS!!! Have an exciting 4th of July celebration, wherever you are & I will see you soon at Casa Laguna, bright and early for breakfast!

Au Revoir, Ciao, & Adios for now!

Chef Michell Bretall