The changing of the guard continues at high-profile restaurant properties in Orange County.
The latest landmark exiting after a long run is The Beach House, a Laguna Beach institution with sweeping ocean views. Founded in 1968 by Gale Pike inside a 1920s home, the family-run restaurant closed earlier this month. The owners could not be reached for comment. A recorded message on the restaurant’s phone informs diners that The Beach House’s lease “had ended” and referred customers to its Cardiff by the Sea location. The new restaurant taking over the space is called Driftwood.
Sundried Tomato American Bistro in downtown Laguna Beach is also closing after 12 years. Its last day is Oct. 27. It’s unclear what will replace the restaurant, which will continue to operate its locations in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, managing partner Rob Quest said.
“We have decided not to renew (the lease) because the location no longer fits into our model,” Quest said, adding that the company is expanding its catering division.
At Driftwood, the menu will feature steaks, seafood and hand-shucked oysters. Executive chef Rainer Schwarz, who led the culinary makeover at the nearby The Deck restaurant, will oversee Driftwood’s kitchen. Dishes will take advantage of the abundance of seasonal and year-round ingredients available in California, the owners said.
“We call it mountain-to-sea cuisine,” said Colby Durnin, a spokesman for property owner Westport Capital Partners.
Westport and The PRES have owned the Pacific Edge Hotel (formerly Vacation Village), The Deck and The Beach House since 2006.
As part of the extensive rehabilitation of The Beach House, Westport is building an ocean-view lounge dubbed the Stateroom Bar. Like other trend-setting restaurants, Driftwood’s bar will serve hand-shaken cocktails with an emphasis on artisan drinks made with bourbons and whiskeys.
“Everyone is making their own bitters and fresh juices,” local restaurant consultant Randy Hiatt said of the “back to classics” bar trend.
The Beach House and Sundried Tomato join a list of old-school restaurants and chains that are disappearing from prime locations in the post-recession dining world.
As leases expire, commercial property owners have gone from survival mode to planning for a more promising future, said Hiatt, president of restaurant consulting firm Fessel International in Costa Mesa.
“As they look at the next 20 years, they aspire for more,” Hiatt said of landlords and developers. “Everyone wants something that is sexier.”
Other institutional restaurants that have closed over the past 18 months in Laguna Beach include French 75, Royal Hawaiian (in operation since 1947) and The Cottage, which closed last year after a 48-year-run in the city. Up the coast in Newport Beach, old-school concepts such as Villa Nova and The Chart House have also shut their doors.
Villa Nova and French 75 are being replaced by chef-driven brands. The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar, a contemporary fine-dining restaurant in Tustin, is renovating the old Villa Nova space to take advantage of its breathtaking views of Newport Harbor. The Winery’s critically acclaimed executive chef Yvon Goetz will move to the Newport Beach location when it opens later this year.
Anaheim Ducks star Teemu Selanne and his business partner Kevin Pratt have taken over the old French 75 space. Selanne Steak Tavern, slated to open Nov. 8, will house a traditional steakhouse on the top floor and a less formal tavern on the ground floor. The steakhouse will feature classic cuts: filet, bone-in filet, New York Strip, Porterhouse and a special menu item dubbed Hockey Stick Ribeye or Tomahawk steak. Joshua Severson, formerly of St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, is the executive chef.
The wave of avante guard food concepts isn’t limited to independent land sites. Some of Orange County’s most popular malls are replacing chains with boutique farm-to-table restaurants and trendy gastropubs.
Coco’s, El Torito Grill and Daily Grill have closed at Fashion Island to make room for Fig & Olive, Red O by Rick Bayless, Lark Creek Newport Beach and Cucina Enoteca. Hiatt said he wouldn’t be surprised if more veteran food brands fade away, especially those in prime locations such as Las Brisas in Laguna Beach.
“That landlord is probably going to aspire for more (when) the lease comes up,” he said.
Contact the writer: nluna@ocregister.com
