The Local Dish Magazine

Go ahead and grab your keys-you can read the rest of this in the car. Mark’s Restaurant, a long-time Laguna Beach favorite, has reopened after a five year hiatus. In a new location, just steps away from the Sawdust Festival on Laguna Canyon Road, Mark’s is spot-on perfection from soup to nuts.

To be fair, Mark’s had me at the butter. As we were seated, the most glorious bread and butter were delivered to our table. That night’s creation was warm jalapeño cheese bread accompanied by a beautiful hunk of fresh, sweet, unsalted butter sprinkled with crystals of red and black Hawaiian salt.

After the bread and butter ecstasy, we moved on to the buffalo mozzarella caprese salad – perfect snow white balls of fresh mozzarella, halved tear drop tomatoes and baby greens drizzled with a balsamic glaze. Every ingredient was at its peak and the addition of kalamata olives provided a perfect flavor balance.

The soup offering was French onion – a lovely, golden, sage-laced onion broth, caramelized onions and a toasted crouton topped with a slice of brie.

Our entrées were equally incredible. We started with sautéed shrimp perched atop cilantro and garlic risotto, surrounded by a puddle of smoky chipotle and tomatillo cream sauce. This dish was intensely flavorful and satisfying on every level. Our grilled filet mignon was cooked to perfection and served with garlic mashed potatoes and a gossamer béarnaise sauce.

My favorite house-made desserts were the Apple Tarte Tatin and the Mexican Chocolate Torte. Made with Abuelita’s Mexican chocolate, the torte is an unbelievably good chocolate cookie crust topped with a mixture of chocolate cream, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. The apples of the Tarte Tatin were indescribably smooth in texture, bathed in a caramel pan sauce and inverted atop a puff pastry crust.

Not to be overlooked is the value. At Mark’s, the portions and prices are sized for the real world making it worthy of many return visits. Are you there yet?