Yesterday, Evan and I celebrated our first anniversary. Since we went to Hawaii in May, we didn't do anything extravagant. However, we did treat ourselves to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II in IMAX 3D, which was beyond epic, along with an amazingly delicious dinner at the Laguna Cafe.
Prior to our experience last night, we had been to Laguna Cafe a few times, always with friends. Upon our first visit, I admittedly was not expecting much, since the reviews generally stated that the food was overpriced for what you get.
They were wrong.
The prices (I think) are quite reasonable, especially for a locally owned and operated venue that uses local, fresh ingredients. They are very comparable to other dinner restaurants. And of course, they serve up some delightful dishes, many of which are gluten free. Their burgers are divine, and their seafood is top notch. Their steaks are infinitely hard to forget.
Last night, we began with a light seafood crustini, a creamy mix of crab, shrimp and white fish (3rd picture). Normally, it is served on a crisp crustini, which is a type of cracker, but we requested some gluten free dippers. We were pleasantly surprised when we were served with a plate of tortilla chips, along with cold, fresh red bell peppers, avocado and cucumber. The vegetables paired wonderfully with the seafood mixture, and it was the perfect way to open our meal.
Next, we were served our entrees. Both of our meals were preceded by a light spinach salad. Still, with weak resolve, I ordered the portobello mushroom ravioli with sweet red pepper alfredo. Obviously, nothing about this dish was gluten free, except the aged parmesean cheese that topped it. Evan's entree, however, was obviously gluten free and is probably of much more interest to you as a reader.
Evan ordered the coho salmon, which was served with a fresh mango salsa, Laguna's signature rosemary potatoes and fresh vegetables (2nd picture). The salmon was seasoned and cooked to perfection, while the salsa added a summery touch. Also, I normally think of potatoes as "filler" when they are included with a meal. However, the roasted rosemary potatoes served by Laguna Cafe are a wonderful compliment to any entree. Evan drank a glass of Old Vine Zinfandel (recommended by our waiter) which enhanced the flavors of his meal.
Finally, we arrived at dessert (3rd picture). Now, one of Laguna's downfalls is that they do not have many gluten free dessert options. However, the one they do have is to die for. It is an apple pie sundae, composed of apples prepared as they would be for a pie, top notch vanilla ice cream, warm Ghirardelli caramel and whipped cream. Upon a simple description of this dessert, we knew we had to order one. We could not have been more satisfied with this choice. The sumptuous flavor of this dessert enveloped our tongues from the very first bite. Our waiter also provided us with a tasting glass of a sweet madiera wine which rounded out this delectable treat.
Laguna Cafe is a wonderful stop for anyone looking for a relaxed, upscale yet affordable dinner with a friendly waitstaff and great atmosphere. The restaurant does not have a website, however you can purchase gift certificates on Restaurant.com to make your dining experience even more budget friendly.
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