There’s a lot happening in Laguna and all of it is good.
Azmin Ghahreman, chef/owner of Sapphire in Laguna, was at the forefront of Orange County’s introduction to the joys of sharing small plates of food with worldly flavors instead of purely oversized entrees (those are available for lunch and dinner too). The menu items give us an opportunity to experience some worldwide tastes and enjoy decidedly clever presentations.
Azmin’s passion is to give us an emotional connection to other parts of the world through food, and he does it in a polished way. He does not insist on having dishes that are so indigenous to other cultures that they offend our palates. Instead, the best flavors and ideas from various countries—he’s worked in many exotic locations around the world—are redefined as mini adventures at the table that we can remember fondly thereafter. He’s always been driven to use local artisanal products and natural ingredients as much as possible.
We recently tried many of his small plates and, along the way, also have tasted many of the dishes on the full menu. We ate our way across the globe with Lebanese lamb kibbeh, Hong Kong salt and pepper shrimp, Vietnamese spring rolls, tandoori chicken on skewers with genteel Indian chaat masala-spiced okra, American pumpkin ravioli with crumbles of goat cheese and pine nuts, Japanese/Peruvian style kampachi and day boat scallop combo, and a bowl of his incomparable wild mushroom bisque.
At lunch, a bento box with five different items is enticing (the items vary day to day). Ling cod on brioche with a pineapple spread sparks interest, as does the “crazy” cobb salad that incorporates lobster, chicken, scallops, shrimp, smoked pork and baby veggies.
This place resets my food clock and floats myriad reasons to go back often. When you are there, do not miss the food pantry next door. The cheese selections, worldly condiments, deli products and ready to prepare at home menu items will make life in your own kitchen more enjoyable.
Sapphire: 1200 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, (949) 715-9888.
Sorrento’s Rustic Sophistication
Chef Ryan Adams is cooking up some delicious New American cuisine based on the fresh “farm to fork” concept at Sorrento Grille in Laguna. In the remake of the menu, there’s now an aura of rustic sophistication that permeates the offerings without jacking up the prices. I’ve tried many dishes and used up my share of their focaccia-style bread to swipe clean the last morsels on given plates.
The menu is divided into small and large plates. Small plates are $7 to $14 and I am appreciative of the generosity in the portions. Wait until you see, smell and taste the full-cut lamb “chopsicles” with mint chimichurri sauce and a truly addictive smoked eggplant puree on the side. Maui-style tuna poke mimics the best fresh seafood we’ve had in the Hawaiian Islands. There’s a flatbread of the day (each with select ingredients adorning the top), a creamy wild mushroom and artichoke risotto, and a modern take on tuna Niçoise—a seared rare slab of silky tuna adorned by fresh green beans, arugula, a classy tapenade and the surprise of a sunny-side-up quail egg.
On the large plate side—for $15 to $29—I have scarfed down the zinfandel-braised short ribs, the orecchiette pasta (roasted mushroom, shallot, broccolini sauce), the all-natural pork chops with sweet and sour cabbage complement, one of the best rib eye steaks ever, day boat scallops with pea tendrils, roasted wild sea bass, and a superb confit of Jidori chicken. And, there’s the fish burger (grilled fish of the day), plus steaks, other seafoods and additional creative dishes.
You really must give this iconic restaurant and martini bar a try. Sorrento Grille: 370 Glenneyre Street, Laguna Beach, (949) 494-8686.
Reaching Nirvana
Another impressive Laguna dining room is the Nirvana Grille, the domain of chef Lindsay Smith-Rosales and husband Luis Rosales, who runs the front of the house with spot-on service.
Chef Lindsay brings together Latin, French and American food sensibilities in a melange of dishes served in a California bistro setting that speaks of comfort.
Some of my favorites on the menu include an organic fennel, arugula, spinach and caramelized onion salad that is textured and really tasty. Another of my favorite things here is the trio plates (three items per dish for $17 to $19). Each serving is quite substantial. One is based on seafood: herb-crusted jumbo scallops on Yukon mashed potatoes, blackened prawns with French lentils and great crabcakes with a signature salad. Sauces are saffron-paprika, chipotle cream and Creole aioli.
Another trio is vegetarian-based: seasonal mushroom ragout, grilled fresh corn (off the cob) with cotija cheese and grilled squash and fresh mozzarella mini quesadilla—all three items served with unique sauces. The third is for carnivores: lamb lollipops on French lentils, coffee-crusted filet brochette with blue cheese mashed potatoes and chicken, corn and manchego cheese fried wontons with a bit of heat in the background. Everything has more of those cleverly imagined sauces.
There are a dozen unique appetizers in the $7 to $12 range, while entrees run $12 to $32. Try the prime pork loin with caramelized leeks, mashed potatoes and glazed carrots. The lamb chops and scallops on the same plate offer the best of both land and sea. Cioppino in a rich tomato broth is crammed with fresh seafood and shellfish. Scottish salmon with asparagus and jasmine rice sings of springtime.
Desserts are not to be missed since they are given equally passionate attention; even the ice creams and sorbets are made fresh each day. Add points for a convivial bar, good wine list and even communal tables where conversations with others make for more of a fun evening.
Nirvana Grille: 303 Broadway, Laguna Beach, (949) 497-0027.
Sleep and Eat
If you overdo it at one of these Laguna locales, consider staying at a bed and breakfast such as the Casa Laguna Inn. We recently cuddled into one of the charming rooms and took full advantage of the comforting facilities and abundant food. There’s a full complimentary breakfast in the morning, snacks in the flower-bedecked courtyard and a glass of wine or tea in the afternoon with more free food. The food is much more than expected in such a setting.
Casa Laguna Inn: 2510 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, (800) 233-0449.
New Restaurants
True Food Kitchen, a healthy dining concept, is edging closer to its summer opening at Fashion Island. In that same center, Celestino Drago will not be coming to the old Francoli space behind the Nordstrom’s with one of his signature restaurants. Instead, award-winning chef Grant MacPherson will open Rustica in June. He’s billing it as the ultimate seasonal dining experience. You might make it there before I get a chance to but I’ll fill in here after I decadently eat my way through even more food.
Sandy’s Beach Grill, which took over the Chimayo spot in Huntington Beach, celebrated its grand opening late last week. Its parent—TS Restaurants, which also runs Duke’s—bought the pier site in December.
Cha Cha
I was delighted to find the energetic eatery Cha Cha’s Tacos & Tequila in Brea. It opened last August as the vision of dedicated restaurant partners Don Myers and Peter Serantoni and spices up Latin/Mexican cuisine by weaving threads of California creativity through the dishes. It’s good that there’s so much emphasis now in the more serious restaurants, including this one, on resourcing for local fresh ingredients and products delivered from dedicated purveyors.
Some of these modern Latin dishes are roasted in a wood-burning oven, which delivers another layer of interest. Plan on tasting salsas that are fire-roasted, combination plates with an adjusted sense of vibrancy and little surprises in dishes along the way.
The open kitchen design combines views of the state-of-the-art kitchen overlooking a large room with colorful appeal and seating that includes casually chic banquette and booth seating, as well as tables with more pizzazz than we expected.
An absolute must to start your meal is the fantastic wood-fired queso fundido with a delicate undertone of smoke in the baked cheese casserole that is further enhanced with roasted potato and poblano peppers. We would not let the busboy take the dish until the last smear of cheese was gone.
The chips and dip so common in this type of restaurant also are among the best. Shrimp ceviche with an orange-lime ribbon of taste, clams with smacks of chorizo, tacos in organic corn tortillas and crispy chicken flautas to be dipped in a mango-habanero salsa are swell appetizers to share (priced $4.95 to $10.95).
Entrees we’ve recently enjoyed are the carnitas (fork-tender meat slowly braised in the wood-burning oven), a short rib rendition with Tecate and guajillo chili, a Latin version of Italian cioppino, grilled salmon with black beans and asparagus, and a couple of enchiladas. Fine tastes of seafood are tucked in the crab and shrimp enchilada and a totally different kind of chicken in the other (simmered with tomato, chilies and Oaxacan cheese). There are also steaks and other seafoods that I’ve not yet tried. Dinner entrees run $9.95 to $16.95, lunch entrees are somewhat less.
Cha Cha’s Tacos & Tequila: 110 West Birch, Brea, (714) 255-1040.
Personal Note
Finally, my husband, Patrick, and I would like to thank the many readers, restaurateurs, friends and coworkers who have offered comfort with their words and hugs in the past two weeks. As Executive Editor Rick Reiff mentioned last week in his Insider column, our son Geoff, who worked in the local hotel industry, collapsed and died at the OC Marathon. It is a tragedy, but we are proud that he was a great family man and left behind a fine legacy of smiles, friendship and mentoring with those who worked with him. He had so many close personal and professional contacts. May it serve as a reminder to everyone to care deeply and cherish their loved ones every day.
