Toles Savours Space in Historic Laguna Beach Hotel
EXECUTIVE DINING by Fifi Chao
Brad Toles, gold medal-winning chef of the Culinary Olympics, first cooked in Laguna Beach in 1993, when he and his volunteer staff fed 5,000 people during the devastating fires.
He was already versed in cooking for large crowds via his own very successful, and very large, catering company. But that experience with the people and city of Laguna Beach gave him a new thirst.
He wanted to open a restaurant there and did so last October, keeping the name Savoury’s from his catering venue.
Cuddling inside the renovated historic La Casa del Camino Hotel, Brad’s newest dream is so reminiscent of a Napa Valley bistro. Savoury’s is warm and really charming, and there’s an aura about the room that says this is a place where good food and wine are respected.
Large arched windows look out onto the front patio facing Pacific Coast Highway and the arched theme is carried forward inside the room. Towards the back, there’s a convivial cocktail and tapas bar. Earthy tiles flow throughout and balance their casualness with the sophistication of pressed linens and very proper wineglasses on the tables.
It takes but one glance around at other diners to realize that artistry in presenting the food is high on the scale here. Plates in various geometric forms show off their culinary bounty.
But before we ever get our food, there’s so much personal evidence taking place that speaks of professionalism. Brad’s business partner, Dawn Wilson, is the general manager and hostess. She radiates warmth and welcome when greeting people and checks carefully on customer satisfaction throughout the evening.
The waitstaff is one of the best we’ve encountered: helpful, knowledgeable, efficient and dispensing just the right amount of friendliness to punctuate the dining experience.
Very soon after Savoury’s opened, I began getting calls and e-mails from friends, along with some from readers I did not know. Now, sometimes a person or two will remind me of some worthwhile restaurant or special dish they’ve just discovered, but this was different. I was getting a lot of feedback and it was all good. As soon as I could manage it, I delved in and discovered for myself that this was food of extraordinary quality, creativeness, presentation and value. What a compliment to Laguna Beach and definitely a new destination dining spot for us.
The nightly specials are fine examples of food ideas put into action the moment something of great culinary intrigue comes off a purveyor’s truck.
We began one meal, for instance, with a special that incorporated a finely tuned goat cheese that suddenly became available. On the bottom was a little salad of flavor-studded micro greens in a mild vinaigrette that included mixed berries and walnuts. Atop the salad was a little basket shaped from flatbread, and inside that was this creamy little goat cheese souffl & #233;. Definitely a dish to remember.
I’d have to say ditto for the duck breast pastrami that followed. Brad had used the traditional pastrami seasonings to give a whole new meaning to his generously sliced duck. The oval shapes of the fanned-out slices of meat were deliberately served on a square plate, minding the visual impact of it all. I’d also recommend starting with the Vietnamese-style spring rolls stuffed with duck and tucked inside crunchy lettuce wraps. There’s only one word to describe the pan-seared foie gras with Port wine reduction, served over a delicate salad and sided with a liqueur-poached pear and wild berry compote: exquisite!
It’s pleasing to find a menu that honors vegetarians and followers of holistic cuisine as well as meat eaters.
A lovely vegetarian entr & #233;e on a recent menu was comprised of a mound of hazelnut polenta with a sweet roasted garlic pomodoro sauce and a forest of fresh vegetables around it. A discussion with your waiter about holistic preferences can bring forth amazing, zen-like variations.
Meat entr & #233;es are also very interesting. One evening, we had a special entr & #233;e, a trio of protein tastes,lamb chop, beef tenderloin and fresh fish nestled against a redolent risotto on one side and artichoke mashed potatoes on the other. What a nice multi-faceted treat it was. Mongolian shortribs of beef with wokked vegetables and scallion basmati rice are fork tender and make good use of Asian spices. A nice double-cut prime rib of pork comes Southwest style with smoky baked beans and tamale corn fritters. Organic chicken lends its rich flavor to the French country coq a vin.
Handled with just as much aplomb are the fish and shellfish offerings. Lobster and blue crab cannelloni came atop a wild mushroom and vegetable cassoulet one evening. Shrimp were grilled then topped gratin-style with Shaft blue cheese as the pillow for a tomato, mushroom and penne pasta mattress.
At least two entr & #233;es are meant to be shared. Shabu shabu, which must be ordered 48 hours beforehand, brings forth charred strips of sirloin of beef or shrimp and scallops and vegetables to be simmered in the steaming broth provided. The meal comes with appropriate condiments, ponzu dipping sauce and steamed rice.
The other two-person entr & #233;e on the last menu I saw was crispy catfish laced with Thai ginger and citrus sauce, accompanied by lobster raviolis, curried potato and avocado roasted corn ragout. How could I have missed ordering something that sounds so delicious?
Naturally, to go along with all this interesting food is a superb wine list.
Pastry chef Karen Oliphint, backs it all up with a variety of beautiful and impressive tasting treats to finish off the evening in style.
Of course, Brad has helpers too on the main cooking line who add their talent to the pool. Perhaps what impresses me most of all is that this whole restaurant team was brought together on instinct, each a living-from-the-heart kind of person whose personal grace punctuates the style and culinary genius that are cornerstones here. Do not miss this special restaurant experience. It’s definitely one of the current highlights of dining in our county.
AT A GLANCE: SAVOURY’S
Address: 1287 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach
Phone: (949) 376-9716
Open: Dinner only
Prices: Entr & #233;es $16 to $32
