Restaurants/Hotels/Attractions

New Restaurant Openings

Asada Laguna Beach is a Mexican steakhouse featuring fresh California-Mexican cooking. The festive Tequila Bar offers an extensive selection of spirits, ice cold beer, margaritas and signature cocktails. The beautiful ocean view makes it a perfect destination for fun. www.asadalaguna.com

Broadway by Amar Santana opened September 2011. Amar Santana was formerly the chef at Charlie Palmer restaurant in South Coast Plaza. The restaurant is designed with an industrial New York vibe. The inventive menu will feature
seasonal items such as Lobster and Shrimp Corn Dogs with Tarragon Emulsion; Pan
Roasted Sea Scallops with Sea Urchin Risotto and Passion Fruit; Bacon Wrapped
Braised Pork Cheek with Roasted Garlic Grits and BBQ Honey; Slow Poached
Organic Chicken Eggs with Chicken Livers, Chicken Wings and Crispy Chicken
Skin, and Foie Gras Stuffed Quail in Celery Root Puree with Pumpernickel and
Truffle Jus. www.broadwaybyamarsantana.com

French 75 recently opened its rooftop terrace which seats 25. New menu items: Humboldt Bay Oysters, Shrimp Lime Ceviche and Eye Filet Croustades, and their $32 three-course pre-fixe menus, which will change weekly. Also new are the Perfect 10 menu items (including the Snow Crab salad); a Spanish-inspired $5 tapas menu (including Tomato Bruschetta with Goat Cheese and Basil Lime Balsamic Dressing, and Chicken Sliders with Cilantro Mayo); and dessert items (like Banana Nutella Crepes). www.french75.net

Katsuya Laguna Beach is a dynamic pairing of Master Sushi Chef Katsuya Uechi and design impresario Philippe Starck, making Katsuya by Starck a feast for the senses. With a family-friendly indoor-outdoor dining space, Katsuya offers more than just sushi - there is something for everyone. www.sbe.com/Katsuya

Starfish Laguna, owned by Nancy Wilhelm, who has successfully earned the highest Zagat rating (29 out of 30) in Southern California for the past two years for Tabu Grill restaurant in Laguna, features "AmerAsian" cuisine such as Summer
rolls; pho, udon and soba noodles; Bhutanese rice; wok sauté; ribs and other
chef's expressions. Asian mojitos, martinis, sakes, sangrias, artesian beers
and boutique wines are served at the horseshoe-shaped bar. Enjoy muddled
cocktails, a street satay bar and romantic atmosphere. Indulge in Opium Hour,
Sunday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. with $5 Opium Bites, $8 Cocktails and
Select Beer & Wine Specials. www.starfishlaguna.com

Three Seventy Common Kitchen + Drink (370 Glenneyre), opened October 2011, is a gathering place for good food, fun and camaraderie. It's where Chef/Owner Ryan Adams offers boldly updated, locally sourced American cuisine with some global influences at a welcoming, energized setting. Small, medium and large plates and a Kids Menu are offered, as well as classic and creative cocktails, along with a carefully selected California all-the-way wine list. Special food and wine gatherings include: Uncommon Mondays: Just Once a Month with visiting guest chefs; Sunday Night Social, a family-style meal; Wino Wednesdays; and Buy Your Friend a Drink program. Open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday, 5pm to close.  Also available is the upstairs Whiskey Room, a private room for up to 8 guests. 949-494-8686. www.370common.com

Umami Burger
This ultra-popular L.A. mini-chain will open its first Orange County restaurant in Laguna Beach in early 2012. Umami will have a nautical theme, full-service bar, as well as their signature gourmet hamburgers along with inventive sides such as smushed potatoes, sweet potato fries, tempura onion rings and specialty salads. 610 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. www.umamiburger.com 

Laguna Beach Foodies

The Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau launched www.lagunabeachfoodies.com in 2011. Guests have the opportunity to sign up to receive instant access to exclusive restaurant offers in Laguna Beach (2 for 1 entrees, 20% off total bill, etc).

Laguna Beach a la Carte - A Food & Wine Experience takes place on March 7-10, 2013 at various venues in Laguna Beach. Guests will experience world-class
cuisine, prix-fixe menus, cooking demonstrations, food & wine pairings, and
special offers by local restaurateurs ... taking place at various restaurants
over four special days. www.lagunabeachfoodies.com

Hotel/Lodging Developments

Art Hotel Laguna Beach, located one block north of downtown shops and galleries and just a stroll to Crescent Bay Cove, recently refurbished/acquired new furniture in all 28 guest rooms; added new, upgraded linens in every room; added new furniture in the pool area; and are in the process of acquiring artwork from 28 artists to decorate each of the rooms. www.arthotellagunabeach.com

Hotel Laguna has created a new synergy with the community by partnering with Pageant of the Masters for their property-wide renovation. They are now displaying large, framed photographs taken 'behind the scenes' at Pageant of the Masters in the newly renovated guest rooms. Also, the Terrace Cafe has been renamed OceanView Bar & Grill offering new menu items. www.hotellaguna.com

Inn at Laguna Beach, offering intimate ocean lodging at Main Beach above the Pacific in the heart of Laguna, will undergo a complete renovation in Spring 2012 to
include guest rooms, the swimming pool and spa, and sun terrace. Guest rooms
will have new furniture, carpet and paint with upgraded bathrooms. The pool area will have a new deck and furniture, and the pool will be re-plastered with new tiles. The Pacific meeting room and fourth floor terrace will receive new flooring, new furniture and higher glass walls on both sides to cut down on noise and wind. The concept is to create a beachy chic look, and wherever possible they are using items that are environmentally conscious such as dual flush toilets and 30% recycled material for the bathroom tiles. is located at 211 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach.  www.innatlagunabeach.com

Pacific Edge Hotel

New additions include The Deck and Indoor/Outdoor Cabanas. Pacific Edge, Joie de Vivre Hotels' Laguna Beach property, unveils The Deck, boasting the ultimate beachfront restaurant experience literally right on the sand. Guests can nosh on casual beach fare, sip on freshly made cocktails, take a dip in the ocean, watch the surfers, paddle boarders and dolphins, or catch a sunset. Guests visiting The Deck can relax on lounge chairs in the sand, store paddleboards at the beach valet, take
a surf lesson, or rent a cabana. The five fully private beachfront cabanas (that open out to a deck with direct access to the beach) offer a menu of "extras," including a masseuse, mobile airbrush spray tanning, manicure/pedicure, and a personal photographer/videographer. Available for day use only, and you don't have to be a hotel guest to take advantage of this special pampering. Cabanas can accommodate up to eight people. www.pacificedgehotel.com

Surf & Sand Resort

Surf & Sand recently underwent a complete guest room/suite and pool deck renovation. With the completion of its $3 million renovation project that included the pool deck, Aquaterra Spa and Splashes Restaurant, these new design elements have transformed this idyllic ocean front resort to a more modern aesthetic. The resort features 167 guest rooms, including 13 suites and 3 penthouses that sit terraced above the sea. Its newly remodeled pool, with a modern-chic design, features new cabanas, chaise lounges, a mosaic tile wall designed by a local artist and a newly added poolside bar. Surf & Sand is one of only five oceanfront properties in the state. www.surfandsandresort.com

Major Anniversaries

Festival of Arts/Pageant of the Masters is celebrating its 80th anniversary. Voted one of the Top Ten Art Festivals by AmericanStyle Magazine, the summer events feature the Festival of Arts - California's Premier Fine Art Show showcasing more than 140 award-winning artists, with the Pageant of the Masters serving as a world-class stage presenting "living pictures,"where cast members magically transform into famous works of art. www.foapom.com

The Laguna Playhouse celebrates its 90th anniversary with a year-long celebration of their long-standing history in the community and their exciting future as a vibrant cultural arts center geared to provide theatrical entertainment of the highest caliber. Photo available. www.lagunaplayhouse.com

About the Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau

The Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau is celebrating 25 years of
commitment to Laguna Beach and the tourism industry, and is located at 361
Forest Avenue, Suite 200 with its Visitors Center at 381 Forest Ave. in the
HOM Sotheby's International Realty office. The Visitors Center is open daily,
Monday - Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Laguna Beach is Southern California's premier seaside destination located midway
between Los Angeles and San Diego and along the southern coast of Orange
County. Known as home to hundreds of local artists, and set amid 20,000 acres of
wilderness, Laguna Beach is primarily served by John Wayne/Orange County
Airport located just 20 minutes away. For more information, please visit www.lagunabeachinfo.com.