Pinafini Opens Monday + Piatti Plans for Spring
Back in September 2023, I reported that a “coming soon” banner had appeared at the former Javier’s/Asada/Tortilla Republic/Fishbone building at 480 S. Coast Highway.
Vasken Haitayan was the new owner of both the building (sold by longtime landlords the Fongs) and the new restaurant operation. He told me he planned to open the Pinafini Restaurant & Bar just two months later.
The two month dream, however, became a 17 month trudge. But finally, the completely revamped space opens this coming Monday, Feb. 10th, at 4 p.m. Reservations have been flying in for Monday and the week ahead, so be sure to call, 949-313-7670 or book at Open Table here:
About the Pinafini menu
Pinafini’s Mediterranean menu is packed with options, from Hummus and Babaganoush to Taboule and Spanakopita. Five offerings each show up for flatbreads, crisp salads and pasta dishes. Grilled kebabs proffer Filet Mignon, Chicken and Lule (yummy traditional ground beef strips). And, beyond the hefty pasta and risotto dishes, additional entreés include New Zealand Lab Chops, Cioppino, Branzino and more.
When I asked Vasken to tell me his most favorite item on the menu, he quickly clicked off about 10, but particularly exclaimed over the Grilled Calamari appetizer (a best seller in the Pasadena restaurant he was involved in, Café Santorini), the Red Curry Seafood Risotto, the Cioppino (packed with shrimp, mussels, clams and baby scallops) and the Filet Mignon Beef Brochette. There! That should be enough to get you started.
The restaurant offers a full bar and plenty of great wines. Vasken is introducing at least 180 wines to the menu and will be offering 16 by the glass.
Sleek and contemporary upgrades
After Fishbone departed (Covid reasons), Vasken told me that he chose to keep the banquette-style booths but changed everything else in the restaurant, including the table tops at said booths. While the bar is in the same location, it’s been completely redone in new granite with 16 new bar seats.
Sleek tables and chairs stand ready near the bar and in the back portion of the restaurant that Vasken calls the “Lounge area.” He’s added a second service bar there for faster service to the north side of the restaurant, which includes the booths in the front, the raised lounge area and the private dining room at the back of the restaurant. (Smart thinking!)
Vasken also added a retractable roof to the north section, which should prove quite lovely in our summer months.
Pinafini’s is currently the largest restaurant in what I call “Restaurant Row” (the east side of Coast Highway from Forest to Legion) with capacity for 112. (The next largest restaurant, South of Nick’s, sits almost directly above Pinafini.)
Familiar faces in the wait crew
Don’t be surprised to find some of your favorite faces in the wait staff and bar crew. Vasken hired nearly 50 employees, some of which came from the recently closed Skyloft/Bodega operations. He managed to scoop up both George and Drake, the popular Skyloft rooftop bartenders, so be sure to stop in.
And remember - no matter how great a restaurant is, it takes a bit of time to get its legs under it on opening weeks. Go easy on the crew in these opening days especially, and let’s offer a warm welcome to Laguna Beach.
Piatti Update: Opening Late Spring!
In late October last year, I announced that Palisades Hospitality Group was moving its most popular concept, Piatti, into the empty restaurant space at 222 Ocean Avenue next to the Marine Room.
In a chat I had with them yesterday, they have plans to open in “late spring” this year. We’re both hoping that will be prior to the Memorial holiday. (Worker wanna bes, I’ll let you know when they’re calling for applications.)
Piatti is a bustling, neighborhood-friendly Italian cuisine concept. Along with daily made fresh pasta, Piatti offers both in-house dining and plenty of “grab and go” freshly made dinners.
This space first became a restaurant when Taverna created its concept there in a former retail space that had started as a bank. Then, our great Chef Craig Strong moved into the space with his concept, Ocean at Main. After his departure, the space became a Peruvian restaurant, Suenos, and then Cabana, which closed in May last year.
I’m honestly stoked for Piatti here in Laguna Beach. Its parent company, Palisades Hospitality Group, is a longtime pro with the Piatti concept already in play and their Mosaic Hotel Collection. These folks know what they’re doing. And, I’ve had the pleasure of dining at their Piatti-based La Jolla location - it’s an energetic and charming trattoria with super-fresh, bright food.
Stay tuned for more updates in my social media (@BestofLagunaBeach) and the date of my radio interview with our Piatti reps on my show, Best of Laguna Beach on Monday afternoons at the mighty KXFM Radio, 104.7.
In the meantime, you can always check out past replays of my radio interviews here at BestofLagunaBeach.com or at my podcast here: