This week’s Best of Laguna Beach radio show covered the gamut! So much to cover! The full audio replay is above ☝️ with a more detailed descriptive of these quick notes I’ve posted below. 👇
Next week on my radio show for Cinco de Mayo, May 5th!
Archie and Gretchen McConnell, Co-owners of resident favorite, Starfish Laguna Beach, are joining me in the studio. The three of us have been friends for years over Starfish’s evolution, so this will be great fun! Tune in at 2 pm PT at KXFM 104.7 or stream from anywhere in the world, KXFMRadio.org.
VOTE NOW for your favorite Laguna Beach Margarita!
I’ll be revealing the top 5 winners on Monday’s radio show.
Newest episode from our podcast, Mastering Restaurant Revenue
My biz partner, Bruce Russo, was just in town for a single-day visit for meetings. The dude is SUCH a G.O.A.T. of restaurant design/build. We just dropped our 9th podcast episode, “How to 2X Your Revenue with Your Patio,” and last week’s episode, “The Bartender’s Battlefield” was a hoot, too.
Whether you’re a restaurant operator, chef or foodie fanatic, check into our podcasts and learn all the background, behind-the-curtain world of restaurant operations (and please subscribe) here:
Big Event Updates
Tickets are moving fassst!
Newport Beach Wooden Boat Festival - June 13-14
I mentioned this one first because tickets are moving really, really fast. It’s a very cool immersive for everyone in your family.
Balboa Yacht Club annually hosts this event and it is always open to the public. This year, it’s a Hollywood theme – Stories of the Sea: Wooden Boats in Film & Fiction – with classic wooden yachts and boats arriving from all points of the country that have been owned by Hollywood celebrities or have starred in movies, books and more. This “fest” is mammoth!
Close to selling out 👇
Friday Night, June 13th’s - VIP Premier party with limited tickets available, $95/person. Red carpet walk and VIP previews of the visiting boats with champagne pouring, high-end food stations, 3 wineries pouring their best, live music, dancing, live auctions and more.
Saturday, June 14th All Day Pass, $15/person. Kids under 12 are free.
Multiple sea and land events for kids and adults, alike. Check out plein air painters from Laguna Beach. Cruise on John Wayne’s boat. Hang out on Judy Garland’s famous boat. Check out the marine biology research lab on the famous Western Flyer from John Steinbeck’s famous novel (and movie). Plus . . . 30+ other Hollywood storied yachts and classic crafts, live bands, a big ol BBQ, movies and more. Free parking. Discounted lodging at Hyatt Regency. It’s all here:
Fri, May 2nd - Laguna Beach’s history in the movies
Rivian South Coast Theater May 2nd, Doors open at 6:30 pm
The Heritage Committee is celebrating Laguna’s cinematic history with an original 1925 film from the city’s founding, along with archival clips and photographs showcasing Laguna Beach’s early – and ongoing – role in film history. Reservations: https://events.rivian.com/lagunabeachheritagemonth
Fri, May 2nd - The great Francois Dean & Celebrity Musician Band
Ivan’z House at Mozambique. Solid advice: Buy tickets in advance at Mozambique website. This will be a sold-out show.
Francois Dean is one phenom musician, having most recently toured with Janet Jackson. If you’ve seen him at Mozambique or seen his band of celebrity musicians at the former Skyloft, you know that Francois delivers a show to end all shows.
Sat, May 3rd - Laguna Beach Annual Gate & Garden Tour
Meet at downtown Water District building for VIP busses, 10 am - 4 pm.
Laguna Beach Garden Club’s longtime major fundraiser for educational school gardens, local scholarships and community projects, this is an annual peek into magnificent private gardens and backyards that you can’t even believe exist in this town. Artisanal margaritas, Mexican fare and baked goods for sale … join the raffle and contests … and gain new inspiration and ideas from multiple gardens.
Sun, May 4th - Tomato Plant Fest
At the South Laguna Community Garden, pick up fantastic, homegrown tomato starter plants between 10 a.m and noon. (If I were you, I’d arrive early.) $5 per plant or 5 for $20.
Sat & Sun All Weekend - Virtual Summit for Re-Motivation Check In
Not restaurant news – just me, sharing my secret weapon from my marketing and momentum world - I get invited to speak a lot, and this one’s a freebie to hear. If you’re feeling stuck or in need of a few good options for biz, new biz and new income streams, I’m sharing bold fixes and fresh income strategies (I’m not selling anything; I’m talking strategy) in this recorded Summit interview. You can access it free over the weekend, PLUS, pick and choose from 20 other super smart interviews from biz leaders across North America. If you’re feeling ready for a next chapter, this Summit certainly has new directions for you.
Big Restaurant Catch Up …
FIRST! Did you vote for your favorite margarita yet?
Then, I mention my favorite most recent eats at:
The Drake’s Tasting Menu at the Chef’s Bar (this is a coming soon separate article)
The Lumberyard’s always'-evolving menu of fresh tastes + tinned fish! I can’t stop ordering the Green Goddess Shrimp Bowl with grilled shrimp and farro or the yummy grilled mushroom yakitori.
Wild Strawberry’s super-fresh sandwich and salad combo
Recent fabulous tries from Evan’s Gourmet spring menus (OMG, Steak Frites to die for)
GG’s Bistro’s as-always incomparable Sangria
Coyote Grill’s new battered shrimp street tacos (served on happy hour, too!)
And, again as always, 2 stellar experiences at Sapphire with lunch + evening pop-in drinks-and-apps
Updates on the Coming Soons in this town of ours :
Piatti (222 Ocean ave. next to Marine Room) - They’ve had to push back their opening to mid June. Bummer.
Board and Brew - (former Wild Taco on Ocean and Coast Highway) - Still working on opening day hopes with Mike DeSantis, the new owner.
Truly Pizza – They’ve submitted plans for review for the old “3” space (former former Madison Square) … so that’s definitely in the works. And their commissary kitchen/bakery in South Laguna’s former Ti Amo location is also trundling right along. Plans are still for mid- to late June for Solag.
Q Terrace - (former Red Dragon) – They’ve also submitted plans and tell me they’re opening in May . . . uhmmm, it may not be May, folks. They’re still in the plan review cycle with the City.
Evidence of new sushi place going into former Laguna Sushi - I’ll get scoop on that for you shortly. They’re hoping to open mid-June with minor refurb currently under way.
And last but certainly not least . . . our infamous Seahorse Tavern
Seahorse Tavern - I popped in to talk with father and son of Seahorse - Garry Ledesma and Garry Jr. Garry, Sr. brought in two other investors to help with bringing the dream alive again - they call themselves “The Seahorse Crew.” Now, father and son have lived decades here in Laguna Beach and Garry, Jr., graduated in the LBHS class of 2016 with our new Mayor, Alex Rounaghi.
And - for the record - they have NO relation to the former owner/operator, so stop askin’! 😖
In my radio show replay, above, I go into a great amount of detail about the delays they’ve been experiencing and what their hopes are for a faster opening process moving forward. As of now, they’ve just opened the Pearl Street General Store section with great vintage clothing, grab-and-go beach needs, Seahorse-branded coolnesses - soaps, candles, teas, etc.
Their hopes are to revive the popular Pearl St Coffee next. For the tavern segment of the Seahorse … plans are to start with beer and wine, bring in chef-crafted food (there’s no hood for cooking here), and serve up the vinyl spins and live music that the Seahorse has previously been known for. They’re also looking to turn what has previously served as a kitchen into a billiards room. And, eventually, they want to add a “speakeasy” type lounge as a sleek replacement to the back office.
For NOW … the Seahorse General Store is open. They would love to open everything else in minutes, not months … so we shall see what the City requires. In the meantime, let’s support these guys as they’ve stepped in with fresh ownership and are committed to making the Seahorse bob along once again.
That’s it for this week’s full-packed show! Tune in and turn on weekly at KXFM 104.7 (in town) or stream from anywhere else at KXFMRadio.org. “See” you next week with my Starfish Owners!
Don’t forget - Vote now for your favorite margarita in Laguna Beach!
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