Contacts
Info
From 25-year Laguna Beach Resident Diane Armitage enjoy fun, engaging interviews of our international chefs and the town's most creative people + my recommendations for THE best places to dine,...
show more
From 25-year Laguna Beach Resident Diane Armitage enjoy fun, engaging interviews of our international chefs and the town's most creative people + my recommendations for THE best places to dine, drink and play in our famous SoCal seaside town.
Also enjoy the monthly series, "Revenue Recipes: Cooking Up Profits for Restaurants" with me and my special guest, award-winning Restaurant Developer Bruce Russo.
The Best of Laguna Beach™ podcasts are uploaded on Wednesdays every week by 12 p.m. PST/3 p.m. EST
show less
Also enjoy the monthly series, "Revenue Recipes: Cooking Up Profits for Restaurants" with me and my special guest, award-winning Restaurant Developer Bruce Russo.
The Best of Laguna Beach™ podcasts are uploaded on Wednesdays every week by 12 p.m. PST/3 p.m. EST
31 OCT 2024 · This past Monday, Oct. 28th, Laguna Beach native Chef Evan Lewis of the new restaurant, Evan’s Gourmet, joined me at the radio station, KFM 104.7. For nearly an hour, we talked everything from …
● Evan’s native roots in Laguna Beach and the roots of her recipes in her fabulous restaurant
● Her ongoing, creative tenure at the infamous Sawdust Festival (she makes HOW many burgers each day??)
● Evan’s new Thanksgiving specials for you and yours
● Her group dining and catering options for the holidays and beyond, andthe mot creative recipes she creates for her lucky patrons
SHOW NOTES:
:55 Chef Evan’s roots in Laguna Beach, including her cookin’ beginnings as a 7-year-old and her first cooking job at this famed Laguna restaurant.
6:20 The first important lesson the yet-to-be-chef learned from restaurateurs Mike & Toni Leech of Café Zoolu.
7:15 We review Chef Evan’s menus at Evan’s Gourmet and jump into her most recent mushroom soup, a recipe she created in honor of the Tanterra Winery.
9:30 Evan’s 30 years in “complete custom catering,” including multiple events yearly of more than 200 people. (And her biggest panic moments in catering.)
16:41 The difference in crowds and Evans’ menus between the upcoming Winter Fantasy at the Sawdust grounds vs. the summer crowds at Sawdust.
18:24 Evan’s biggest selling menu item at the Sawdust and the 3 major adjustments Chef Evan had to make to quicken her Sawdust ticket times.
23:00 We discuss the intricacies of crispy fried chicken (and why it usually fails)
26:38 The Thanksgiving holiday specialty I talked Chef Evan into doing because Chef Ron Reno retired and we NEED this.
29:03 Oddly, how my Pumpkin Pie request became Chef Evan’s NEW, ENTIRE Thanksgiving Dinner offering.
37:28 How Evan’s Gourmet was a “morph” of Evan’s decades-long journey in cooking, and why Evan made the decision to begin her restaurant business.
40:10 How Chef Evan decided on her restaurant’s menu items and the “gimmick” she decided on for an-always memorable taste.
41:30 Chef Evan tells us what her favorite restaurants were in Laguna as she was growing up.
42:40 A wrap up on everything Chef Evan is doing in the next 60 days, including her 25-quart soup pan for her turkey chili and her upgraded vertical smoker for her smoked tomatoes.
50:01 Chef tells us where her favorite restaurant is in town (when she’s not cooking at hers).
24 OCT 2024 · Mon, Sept. 23rd’s Best of Laguna show at KXFM 104.7 radio with my special guest, “Beautification Consultant” Ruben Flores:
3:39 Ruben Flores recalls his first visit to Laguna Beach at the age of 5. (You wouldn’t believe where his family parked for their beach visit)
6:33 The eclectic property in Laguna Beach that Ruben chose for his own home
7:47 One of the Best of Laguna Beach Walking Tours ever … still rolling this winter
12:29 When Laguna Sushi is closing. Get in there, please, to thank Chef Jay Sada (and the funniest story Chef ever shared with me)
14:44 Ruben’s favorite taco in town as we discuss the Best of Laguna https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HXMR6KD?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email in honor of National Taco Day on Oct. 1st.
22:35 We talk about easy, inexpensive upgrades for our Laguna Beach “Bourbon Street,” Ocean Avenue. We also discuss the “beautification ordinance” the City recently passed to provide subsidy to Laguna Beach storefront owners.
27:28 The “https://littlefreebirds.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoq9BYhihNkoGACPkEbCB2vq1PCczZJOqupocQ8h1x2hUIdo7fu1” awesome kids’ clothing store I love on Ocean Avenue, Chef Leo Bongarra’s move to 237 Ocean Avenue to brighten that space, and Wild Taco’s commitment to staying in Laguna Beach on the corner of Ocean Ave.
36:20 Our combined take on the new restaurant, https://evansgourmet.com/, and Chef Evan Lewis’ stint in this town since childhood. We discuss Evan’s serendipitous movement into restaurant ownership, her 22-year catering world that still continues, and her menu items we loved most when Ruben, Nelson Coates and I chose Evan’s for dinner last weekend.
44:56 Evan’s is changing up her reservation system, and this is why. Plus - Evan’s Happy Hour specials and Laguna Beach resident DISCOUNTS (quite lovely).
24 OCT 2024 · This Monday, Oct. 21st, my dear buddy Ruben Flores, joined me at my “Best of Laguna Beach” radio show on KXFM 104.7 Radio for lively, fun discussion that covers everything from places we think are haunted to updates on our favorite eats in Laguna and favorite sets around the world, thanks to Nelson Coates.
Moments in the show:
1:00 Introducing Ruben Flores “Laguna’s Beautification Consultant” and his versions of Laguna Nursery here in Laguna Beach.
3:30 We talk a few minutes about Nelson Coates behind his back (Ruben’s partner and the Production Designer of “The Morning Show” on Apple TV).
- 5:10 Why Nelson’s title is so misleading, and how Ruben defines Nelson’s role as a “Production Designer.”
- 6:40 Nelson’s greatest forté and how that showed itself in two sets of bricks Nelson decided on for a “hotel” facade in “The Morning Show.”
- 8:55 Different movie and streaming creations by Nelson that Ruben has visited all over the world. We also discuss Nelson’s emotional detachment as all of his sets are swept away after filming.
- 13:25 Ruben talks about his favorite sets from Nelson’s world and how Nelson helps make actors feel more at home on their sets during filming.
16:10 Can you name the style of your home in three words? We talk to Ruben’s bi-monthly Garden Walks (next one is Nov. 2nd at 10 am, Laguna Nursery, 481 N. Coast Highway).
18:00 Why Ruben continues to haul in GIANT pumpkins for his Nursery’s frontage during Halloween/autumn’s season. And the haunted paintings inside the Nursery.
21:45 A rundown of Halloween events in Laguna Beach. Then we wander into haunted places in town and mention the places we think are the most haunted place in town. Ruben also talks about the “Storybook Architecture” homes in North Laguna (usually referred to as witches’ houses)
25:40 The horrific, heartbreaking demise of our National Historic Registered Villa Rockledge. Ruben shares an amazing historical story that connects Riverside’s Mission Inn to Villa Rockledge here.
28:15 We return to Halloween events in Laguna and talk about the long-running, extensive “trick or treat street” FIERCE competition between Oak Street and Brooks Street. I also mention the Halloween parties/costume contests at Mozambique and Skyloft.
31:00 We discuss our recent dinner at Chef Erik’s Oliver’s Osteria in the Canyon (next to Sawdust), and why it FEELS good. Oliver’s, a Michelin Bib Gourmand winner, was a third-generation restaurant in the space and was initially quite tiny until post-COVID came along and provided the giant outdoor tenting for additional dining. Although I’m often there for brunch on the weekends, this was one of our first times back for dinner. (Stay tuned for that larger article here at Best of Laguna Beach.)
36:55 An Oto Sushi and Pinafini update on their coming-soon dates. We also discuss that second floor level at the Oto Sushi location; it has always been in play since Sorrento Grill was first established by Restaurateur David Wilhelm. We discuss the possibility of putting a different theme in place in that upper level, and skip over to Bodega’s unique multiple dining “themes” and my favorite restaurant as a kid, Casa Bonita in Denver (Go South Park for making Casa Bonita famous!)
41:15 We discuss the ingenuity of Ivan Spiers (owner of Bodega and Skyloft in downtown, in addition to Rumari’s and Mozambique) and my quick margarita and wings at Skyloft on Saturday.
42:10 The loss of Wild Taco at the corner of Coast Highway and Ocean. We discuss our own brilliant opinions about what should go in that space next.
45:45 We discuss the sorry state of lower Ocean Avenue, the storybook “step sister” to the one street over, Forest Avenue’s continually marketed “Promenade.” Ruben talks about showing love to Ocean Avenue, where trees aren’t being watered, and where pumpkin displays and large containers of flowers do not exist.
We then move into clean up and “love” that could occur on “Restaurant Row” and the singular Peppertree Lane whose charm could be duplicated elsewhere in town. We close with more suggestions on what to do to attract more polish, life and beauty into our town.
54:00 Next week: Chef Evan of Evan’s Gourmet will be discussing her holiday season plans for YOU at “The Best of Laguna Beach radio show on KXFM 104.7!
17 OCT 2024 · On Monday, Sept 30th on my KXFM 104.7 radio show, I chatted with two great guests - https://www.coyotegrill.tv/ Co-Owner Desirée Gomez and https://rastataco.com/ / https://www.rastaritacantina.com/ / https://www.rastarita.com/ Owner Mario Melendez.This was an enlightening, funny conversation as we covered a multitude of topics primarily around the best tacos, inventive margarita trucks and decades of time in Laguna Beach as local-favorite MExican restaurants. Here’s a quick rundown:
START: I introduce Mario Melendez, 9-year Owner of Rasta Taco and Desirée Gomez, 35-year Owner of Coyote Grill, How they arrived in the restaurant business and why they chose Laguna Beach
4:08 The two discuss the pros and cons of catering and renovations
(Mario refers to a catering event as “moving a small apartment to another location.)
16:19 Remembering Adolfo Vides, our 39-year Adolfo’s Mexican Restaurant Owner, who passed away last week … and why our restaurant owners rarely meet each other in this town.
18:14 Dealing with incoming tourist traffic in our summers, plus the odd seasons we’ve experienced this year.
20:51 Mario Melendez explains how he came up with “The Flank Move” to survive as a restaurant owner when he was initially denied a liquor license in Laguna Beach. This is when Mario became that Bugsy Malone guy who envisioned Las Vegas in the middle of a barren desert. Now, Mario pulls in tens of thousands with multiple “RastaRita Trucks, Cantina food truck and actual Cantina catering and event center.
32:29 How Mario’s “pen pal” relationship with Island Records Founder Chris Blackwell turned into a Rasta Taco restaurant opportunity in Jamaica.
36:00 Coyote Grill’s Baja-Style Local Lobster Season starts this Thursday!
Desireé educates us on the difference between “other” lobster and “Laguna’s spiny local lobster” and what happened when China discovered our own crustaceans. We discuss the moving stock market price of lobster and why specific “I WANT LOBSTER” reservations from all of you are encouraged.
43:37 The Best Taco in Laguna Beach discussion begins
My guests talk to their best-selling tacos as well as their own favorites in their own kitchens. 45:24 The #1 Taco of Laguna Beach SURVEY RESULTS!
49:36 How Coyote and Rasta Taco are celebrating National Taco Day (Tues, Oct 1st) 50:36 The difference between our indy restaurants in Laguna Beach vs. franchise restaurants 52:00 KXFM
Radio’s Exec Director Billy Fried steps into the show to ask about a New 3% tax proposal levied on the Laguna restaurants
Billy asks - How much of their customer base is more local than visitor? He discusses a “statistic” that was presented to the City as “80% of the restaurant business being tourist traffic,” but probably not the case. Mario comes up with an inventive idea for handling the swarm of tourists descending upon us.
55:45 Indy restaurants vs. national franchises allowed in Laguna Beach
56:50 I announce next week’s guest - Chef Maro Molteni from former Maro Wood Grill, Royal Hawaiian and Terra fame. We’ll be talking about the new restaurant he’s developing … where??
Show Notes
Rasta Taco is a tiny shop in downtown Laguna Beach at 170 Beach St, across from the Whole Foods Market. Go to https://rastataco.com/ for additional information on catering, including the use of the 29 Palms Cantina Event Center and/or RastaRita Margarita Trucks.
Coyote Grill is located in South Laguna (SoLag) across from the Community Garden at 31261 Coast Highway, laguna Beach. Go to https://coyotegrill.tv/ for breakfast/lunch/dinner menus and happy hour details
Join me LIVE on Mondays, 2 pm PDT/5 pm EDT at KXFM 104.7 Radio for new restaurant news and reviews, the best Laguna events, and plenty of rockin’ interviews with Laguna Beach chefs, restaurateurs and downright interesting people.
If you’re not nearby to twirl that radio dial … in fact, if you’re one of my subscribers hailing from one of those 32 countries, download the free KXFM Radio app fromhttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kxrn.player&hl=en_US&pli=1 or thehttps://apps.apple.com/us/app/kx-fm-radio/id829768460 … OR just go online tohttps://kxfmradio.org/
17 OCT 2024 · On Monday, Oct. 7th, it was another lively interview in my “Best of Laguna Beach” show at KXFM 104.7, Laguna’s Community Radio station.This week, my guest was local favorite, the immensely talented Chef Maro Molteni, who initially began Maro Wood Grill … then moved to Royal Hawaiian Fire Grill. He then stepped in as pinch hitter with Chef Leo Bongarra for the 2023 summer season at the Festival of Arts’ Terra (along with concessions, seven 7 seven, the [seven-degrees] event center, Hotel Laguna’s Larsen, and even the restaurant at Laguna Art A Fair … long story that you’ll hear about here).
This past summer, Chef Maro stepped in again to handle Terra through the Festival season, but NOW he’s working on his own project. And it’s not in Laguna Beach. (sob).
Here’s how Chef Maro’s story unfolds:
3:00 Maro’s recent birthday, his Argentinian origins and what he really planned for his life (that was not about cooking).
6:00 Maro’s first (disastrous) forays in the cooking world but why he chose to continue.
9:00 When wood grilling, here are his preferences of wood for various proteins.
13:00 How his schooling internships led to Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Manhattan and the deciding factor that got Maro to permanently move to the States.
15:15 What brought Maro to Orange County and why he and his growing family specifically chose Laguna Beach in 2008.
19:40 How Chef Maro discovered the original building that became the famed Maro Wood Grill in Dec. 2010 (and the weird way they opened).
23:35 Why I, the designated restaurant reviewer, never reviewed Maro Wood Grill.
24:15 The biggest mistake Maro made when he sold the restaurant in 2017.
25:50 How Chef Maro landed on his next restaurant, Royal Hawaiian Fire Grill, why he chose it, and the initial issues he dealt with in establishing his “Argentinian way” in RH. We further discuss the COVID shutdown, how I managed to work out my “Annual Gratitude Party” virtually with Chef Maro’s help, and the best idea he came up with to continue bringing in income.
37:40 Chef Maro is opening up shop in … Laguna Niguel. But before we discuss THAT terrible news, we quickly review more of the great “chefery” Chef Maro has provided since leaving Royal Hawaiian Fire Grill. This includes a super fast prep with Chef Leo Bongarra for the onslaught of the Festival Summer Season in 2023
43:15 Chef Maro explains the grand plan for his new restaurant, Tierra de Fuegos, including why he chose Laguna Niguel instead of Laguna Beach. (And the restaurant he tried to check on in Laguna Beach that he didn’t get a response on.)
47:05 We talk “ideal square footage” of restaurants in Laguna Beach vs. the more ideal square footage Chef Maro wants for Tierra de Fuegos in Laguna Niguel.
49:20 Chef Maro shares his timeline for planned opening of Tierra de Fuegos, and explains his “all-wood cooking” plan that includes his grills, a pizza oven and rotisserie. He also discusses lunch and dinner menus, coffee-and-pastry afternoon moments, “to go” family dinners, late night gatherings (that will likely attract fellow Argentinians he says) and a large table plan for … well, you’ll have to listen for this one.
SHOW NOTES
Join me LIVE on Mondays, 2 pm PDT/5 pm EDT at KXFM 104.7 Radio for new restaurant news and reviews, the best Laguna events, and plenty of rockin’ interviews with Laguna Beach chefs, restaurateurs and downright interesting people. If you’re not nearby to twirl that radio dial … in fact, if you’re one of my subscribers hailing from one of those 32 countries, download the free KXFM Radio app fromhttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kxrn.player&hl=en_US&pli=1 or thehttps://apps.apple.com/us/app/kx-fm-radio/id829768460 … OR just go online tohttps://kxfmradio.org/
17 OCT 2024 · Overview:
This Monday, Oct 14th on my Best of Laguna Beach™ show at KXFM 104.7, I introduced one of the most prolifically successful restaurant designers in the United States. Bruce and I first met in 2015 when his Dallas-based restaurateur client asked him to oversee the Laguna development of what would become “Taverna” at 222 Ocean Avenue. I was on the prowl, covering all the restaurant happenings in Laguna Beach. We’ve been fast friends ever since.
I consider Bruce Russo the most consequential, definitive restaurant developer and designer in the U.S. Having developed nearly 600 restaurant concepts and operated multiple concepts of his own creation, Bruce has a sweeping mastery of what it takes to create a successful, thriving restaurant from the ground up. Since I’m the one who is more commonly called in to help fix or tout restaurants in a more strategic way, we figured we’d have some interesting points to offer restaurateurs as well as some surprising insights for patrons who love dining out. Bruce will be joining me every 3-4 weeks on my Monday radio/podcast show.
https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcca692c8-ca3a-45ec-b7c3-d3612ba55f1e_3000x3000.jpeg
Key Moments in the Interview
1:55 Bruce’s 22-year connection to Laguna Beach and the “highly historical” retail building he turned into a restaurant here.
3:53 What got Bruce into restaurant design in the first place. (It started with a hamburger joint that he helped construct as a teenager.)
5:57 What was decided for Bruce when he was in the womb.
6:58 Bruce’s total restaurant concepts all over the U.S. and here in California (and 14 on deck through 2026!).
8:38 The biggest challenges with Bruce’s buildout of the Laguna restaurant (first “Taverna”) and the demands for the historical architectural refurbishment of the apartment up above.
12:35 The reason why Bruce completes restaurant builds so quickly, and why hospitals and restaurants are surprisingly similar in nature.
14:58 Why restaurant development is ALL about the Opening Day
15:56 The primary restaurant concepts:
Fast Casual ($10-20 check average, like Papa’s Tacos or Lost Pier Café) …
Chef-Driven Fast Casual ($25-$40 check average, like Finney’s or Coyote Grill),
Fine Dining ($85+ check average like Oliver’s Osteria with “traditional” wait staff), Upscale Fine Dining ($150+ check average like The Drake Laguna Beach),
Upscale Prix Fixe Dining ($200-$350 check average, like Rebel Omakase)
19:05 Why “Fast Casual” is on the rise nationally.
22:00 Why staffing of restaurants is so difficult in a town like Laguna Beach.
22:41 The concepts Bruce prefers to build and why 3,500-square-feet is a benchmark for restaurant operation and the “profit void” that occurs.
24:18 Why the loyalty of the local Laguna Beach people is paramount in order to survive as a restaurant in Laguna Beach.
24:47 How a larger restaurant in Laguna Beach can more efficiently create multiple concepts in the same space. (And how NOT to end up “in the weeds” when private dining (PDR) happens with 50 tickets at once, OR how to create kitchens and menus that can accommodate multiple concepts, including places like The Rooftop).
27:28 Bruce talks about the two gigantic pickleball facility concepts he’s designed, using the example of 3 bars and 2 kitchens to accommodate an additional 150-person restaurant at the top. He explains how the two kitchens differ for greatest efficiency, even when dealing with those occasions when a 2,500-person tournament occurs.
29:34 Bruce' explains the strategy behind 2 cook lines and 2 prep/expo lines in the same kitchen (when you can’t shoehorn a second kitchen into your existing space).
31:17 Understanding the battles, challenges, needs and pitfalls of restaurants, which are actually “manufacturing plants.”
32:43 How you design a kitchen for slow days and busy days, and when kitchen staff works in a 4-foot x 8-foot square vs. a 4-foot x 4-foot square.“Most restaurants are not designed to make money.” - Bruce Russo
35:20 The biggest reasons why restaurants don’t make money in the kitchen, and why large kitchen demands are different than small kitchen demands.
38:02 The biggest mistake Bruce made in a restaurant’s development.
40:26 How you store and display your wine bottles for two different audiences in your restaurant.
43:08 As a restaurant owner in Laguna Beach, here’s your highest priority.
46:10 Why restaurant owners choose Bruce and his team over others.
50:08 Bruce tells the story of famed Restaurateur Norm Brinker who, on his opening day, asked Bruce to wait 90 days to pay Bruce for his development work … and Bruce agreed. Here’s what happened from there.
53:29 Why it’s so important for patrons to understand just how complex a restaurant operation really is, and what to do on the first days when a restaurant is newly opened.https://bestoflagunabeach.substack.com/p/listen-award-winning-restaurant-designer?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoyMTAzMTc5MTIsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE1MDI4ODM3MiwiaWF0IjoxNzI5MTMwNTI5LCJleHAiOjE3MzE3MjI1MjksImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yNDM5MDQ3Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.J5qEoFBN3DX26tF72rPZaqSfRovCDEPSzeTn05r4lHM
Show Notes
Bruce Russo will join me again next month at KXFM 104.7, Laguna’s only community radio. You can stream in from anywhere in the world (see details below). Contact Bruce Russo for restaurant development and consulting:https://www.brussodesigns.com/
Contact me (Diane Armitage) for restaurant concept consulting and strategic marketing:https://armitageinc.com/contact
From 25-year Laguna Beach Resident Diane Armitage enjoy fun, engaging interviews of our international chefs and the town's most creative people + my recommendations for THE best places to dine,...
show more
From 25-year Laguna Beach Resident Diane Armitage enjoy fun, engaging interviews of our international chefs and the town's most creative people + my recommendations for THE best places to dine, drink and play in our famous SoCal seaside town.
Also enjoy the monthly series, "Revenue Recipes: Cooking Up Profits for Restaurants" with me and my special guest, award-winning Restaurant Developer Bruce Russo.
The Best of Laguna Beach™ podcasts are uploaded on Wednesdays every week by 12 p.m. PST/3 p.m. EST
show less
Also enjoy the monthly series, "Revenue Recipes: Cooking Up Profits for Restaurants" with me and my special guest, award-winning Restaurant Developer Bruce Russo.
The Best of Laguna Beach™ podcasts are uploaded on Wednesdays every week by 12 p.m. PST/3 p.m. EST
Information
| Author | KX FM |
| Organization | KX FM |
| Categories | Food , Places & Travel , Entrepreneurship |
| Website | - |
| diane@kxfmradio.org |
Copyright 2024 - Spreaker Inc. an iHeartMedia Company
