Seabutter is melt-in-your-mouth fresh sushi

By Diane Armitage

Last week, the popular Seabutter Beverly Hills sushi restaurant welcomed the arrival of its little sister, Seabutter Laguna Beach. 

Owners George and Angie Fratkin opted for a week of soft opening evenings but, as the Laguna Beach local coconut telegraph goes, it turned out to be a fairly busy week. 

“We’ve had such a great few days with all the charming locals,” George told me. “We’re in love already.”

Consider that love mutual, George. After trying eight different sushi dishes on Tuesday night, I’m happy to report that this is one of the most unique and lush sushi events I’ve yet experienced.

A bold Beverly Hills start-up

Three years ago, George and Angie hadn’t even thought of owning a restaurant. “We were happy in our careers but we both had this opportunity to make some changes,” said George. “So, we decided to try something really out of our comfort zone – opening a restaurant.”

Although they had no operational experience, they knew they had to fulfill one primary goal: Create a sushi experience for sushi afficionados just like them.

“We wanted the highest-grade chefs and the highest-grade sushi and fish on the market…and that was about it. It was a pretty short checklist,” said George.

The couple opened Seabutter in Beverly Hills in November 2018, and in a matter of weeks, the place was rocking.

Although the couple wasn’t necessarily thinking of expansion, George admits to saying that if they ever opened a second restaurant, he would want it on or within walking distance of a beach.

“We somehow made it through the worst of COVID, and just when we were thinking we could take a breather this spring, maybe take a vacation somewhere, one of my friends sent me the listing for the Laguna Beach sushi restaurant,” he said. 

“We hadn’t even been thinking of Laguna Beach, but I had great memories visiting there as a kid, and we thought we’d just drive down and take a look. As soon as we walked in the place, I knew we had found our second restaurant location,” said George. 

They made a fast decision at the end of May and began putting all the pieces in place for a 45-day opening calendar. They quietly opened here on Friday, July 16th.

Unique & rare flavors

Seabutter specializes in thinking outside the box.

“People may love yellowtail or yellowtail belly, but they don’t know about how mild and awesome amberjack is,” said George. 

“Or they may have tried albacore but haven’t had the pleasure of trying albacore belly. And, if they like uni, we’re one of the few places that will carry two or three or four types of uni from different parts of the world, so you can try them all in a tasting in a single evening,” he added.

I love sushi, but I wouldn’t consider myself an afficionado. So, on Tuesday I gathered my sushi pros – Greg and Terri Smith – and brought them along for dinner.

The Seabutter team may still be dialing in a bit of artwork and finishing touches, but the most important pieces are firmly in play – fantastic and friendly sushi chefs and an extensive menu of fabulous options. 

The lead Sushi Chef Peter Moon greeted us, and we told him we were going to rely on his recommendations. 

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Photo by Diane Armitage

Seabutter (Laguna Beach) Head Sushi Chef Peter Moon, left, and Co-Owner George Fratkin

On a side note, a couple weeks ago, one of my dearest friends popped into town and dialed me up to meet for coffee. He’s an avid fisherman with a home in La Ventana on the Sea of Cortez, so when I asked him what fish he prefers eating these days, he promptly replied “amberjack.”

Although amberjack is often mistakenly marketed as part of the tuna or yellowtail families, amberjack kanpachi comes from the Seriola line. It’s a lean, flaky fish with a mild, sweet, and buttery taste. I’ve never tried it, so when Chef Peter mentioned it, I made that our first Seabutter foray. 

What an introduction! The lightest of lime juice drizzles complimented this beauty. I would have been happy eating multiple servings of this dish – it was spectacular.

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Photo by Diane Armitage

Fabulous Amberjack Kanpachi

It only got better from there. 

In a matter of minutes, we were on to Crunchy Onion Albacore which featured Albacore Shiro Maguro, essentially albacore loin, another rich and mild offering. A haystack of freshly fried onion slivers served as the bedrock, and the mix of tang and buttery sweet was perfection. 

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Photo by Diane Armitage

Lean and flavorful albacore on an onion haystack

Next it was a beautifully colorful dish of the freshest ahi tuna topped with a jumble of enoki mushrooms sauteed in a truffle mushroom sauce. As it turns out, my fellow sushi buddies are not truffle oil fans, so I polished the entire plate off myself without apology. 

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Photo by Diane Armitage

Ahi tuna plays host to enoki mushrooms in a rich truffle sauce

We moved on to beautifully presented dishes of Tuna & Toro, Yellowtail Belly, and then Albacore Belly (for comparison purposes). All three dishes were fresh and colorful presentations with a focus on the fish above the usual filler rice. 

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Photo by Diane Armitage

Light and refreshing Albacore Belly sushi

At that point, my fellow spicy food fans were over the moon with Chef Peter’s fantastic roll, the YTJ, a combination of Yellowtail, Tuna Sashimi, and Jalapeno Tempura with Yuzu sauce. Where jalapeno can become quickly overpowering with fresh sushi, the tempura kicked the temperature down to a companionable, tiny kick. 

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Photo by Diane Armitage

Fried jalapeno kicks this fabulous YTJ roll into overdrive

With seven dishes shared between us at this point, there wasn’t much room left. Greg, however, wanted to try a token hand roll, so we asked Chef to provide a “light” one. 

He complied, serving us three seaweed paper rolls stuffed with blue crab, a smattering of white rice, and crunchy cucumber. We each finished every bite.

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Photo by Diane Armitage

A seaweed paper hand roll stuffed with the freshest blue crab

Of course, George wouldn’t let us depart without trying their homemade Mochi Ice Cream Balls. This time, we insisted on receiving a shared platter and in moments, we were digging through three just-right servings of fresh peach, strawberry, and rich chocolate options. It was the perfect ending to an absolutely perfect evening at Seabutter. 

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Photo by Diane Armitage

Homemade mochi finishes a perfect evening. On this evening, the restaurant was featuring peach, strawberry, and chocolate.

Call for reservations at (949) 942-6042 or go online to reserve. The restaurant is closed Mondays, but opens every other day of the week at 5 p.m.   

Note: As of this writing, Seabutter Laguna Beach still hasn’t received its liquor license, even though it’s a rather simple transfer that’s been in process for several weeks. While the owners expect this to come through any day, don’t let this deter you from trying this gem before the rest of the world swims into Seabutter. 

The best-selling author and blogger on The Best of Laguna Beach™, Diane Armitage is on an endless quest for the most imaginative adventures in Laguna’s restaurants, events, and lifestyle. Check out chef interviews, retail and restaurant news, and favorite events at https://thebestoflagunabeach.com/ and follow on Instagram @BestofLagunaBeach (look for Diane’s smiling face).

Latin fusion restaurant planned for 222 Ocean Ave space in downtown

By SARA HALL

A restaurant focused on Latin fusion cuisine with live entertainment and private dining events is on the path to open in the fall at 222 Ocean Ave following Planning Commission permit approval this week.

Commissioners on Wednesday (July 21) unanimously approved a Conditional Use Permit to re-open an existing vacant restaurant space (previously Ocean at Main) in the downtown neighborhood. 

Suenos is proposed as a full-service dine-in restaurant, operating daily serving lunch and dinner. They hope to offer a weekend brunch soon after launching in late August or early September. The restaurant will include a full cocktail bar, live entertainment and amplified music, and up to three private dining events a week. 

No changes are proposed to the existing 126-seat restaurant layout and the hours of operation are proposed to remain from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m., seven days a week.

Co-owner Kay Ayazi is excited about opening the restaurant in downtown Laguna Beach.

“It’s a beautiful property,” Ayazi said during the meeting. The hope is “to come in and hopefully surpass your expectations of what we’d like to have over there.”

She and her husband Jose Gutierrez also own Peruvian-inspired Costa Contemporary Kitchen in Costa Mesa. They previously operated Eqeko Cocina Latina in Santa Ana, another Peruvian restaurant, which closed in 2017.

Suenos will be a food and chef-driven establishment, Ayazi said. It’s not another bar or tavern, she added, it’s a full-service restaurant where the food is the priority.

They included the possible three events per week in an effort to be transparent, Ayazi said. It will only be one event at a time. There will not be two events booking both the patio and inside space at the same time, she confirmed.

The parklet would not be part of any reserved event, she added, it would be for the walk-in clientele dining at the restaurant.

“We’re looking for a great ambience and atmosphere to bring to the local community members,” she said. 

There were no other public comments on the item.

Several commissioners commented on Ayazi’s enthusiasm and thought her team and concept would work well.

It’s a nice fit for the space, said Commissioner Ken Sadler. 

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

The current vacant space at 222 Ocean Ave will soon be home to a Latin fusion restaurant

“This building went through a really fantastic renovation and it will be great to see it occupied again,” he said. 

Other commissioners echoed his comments, noting that Suenos will liven up the street.

“I’m really excited about getting a good operator into this space, it’s a fantastic space, this street needs to be activated,” said Commissioner Steven Kellenberg. “Welcome to Laguna Beach.”

Suenos will feature a menu of homemade items that will include fresh ingredients and dishes from a wide variety of Latin American countries. The sample menu includes selections such as esquites, tacos, and Aztec-inspired dishes. 

The price range for most plates will be between $12 to $25 and a few main entrees could go up to $30 to $35, Ayazi said. 

Most of Wednesday’s discussion revolved around the private dining events. Up to three times a week, the restaurant would be closed to the public and available for rental for private dining and dancing events.

During these events, either the patio area, the indoor area, or the entire restaurant may be rented for use. No more than one event in either area is proposed at a time. This will allow the restaurant to be available for birthday parties, engagement parties, and other similar special events. 

Currently, the indoor seating area is limited to 85 seats and the outdoor seating area is limited to 41 seats. The applicant proposes to limit the event attendance to no more than 85 people, or no more than 41 people for an event held exclusively on the patio. Because the events are limited to the current restaurant’s allowable capacity, staff believes that the proposed events do not result in an intensification of use.

Diners not attending an event in either the interior space or the patio can still access the restaurant tables for service, confirmed Senior Planner Martina Caron. They can be sectioned off into individual spaces, she noted. 

The permit also allows Ayazi to remove some of the table and chairs to allow for a dance floor area as needed for these events. The dance floors will not be provided during normal business hours.

Municipal code further stipulates that a minimum dance floor size of 400 square feet is required if the restaurant seating capacity exceeds 75 persons, and a minimum size of 200 square feet where the seating capacity is not more than 50 persons.

The submitted floor plan indicates that the musicians are proposed to be stationed either outside on the patio area or inside the restaurant. Only one musician or group is proposed to perform at a time.

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Rendering courtesy of City of Laguna Beach

Floor plans for Suenos restaurant proposed for 222 Ocean Ave

Live entertainment is permitted during normal business hours to provide ambient music to the patrons. The performers may consist of solo singers, instrumentalists, trios/quartets, mariachis, and DJs and shall be limited to the performance areas as depicted on the submitted floor plans.

Staff heard concerns from the property manager of the upstairs apartments regarding noise on the outdoor patio, Caron said. In response to those concerns, staff recommended amending condition 31 to limit outdoor patio music to 10 p.m., which the applicant agreed with, Caron added.

Condition 32 states that music levels shall remain below 70 decibels at all times.

Commissioner Jorg Dubin, as a member of a quartet himself, raised concerns about the space allotted both inside and outside for musicians. The permit allows solo singers, instrumentalists, trios/quartets, mariachis, and DJs. The space is basically just removing one small table, he noted. 

“That, I can tell you right now, is not enough room for a quartet,” Dubin said. “They can maybe get a duet in there and that’s about it.”

The applicant submitted the floor plan indicating that it was sufficient, Caron noted. 

They will comply with whatever the space allows, Ayazi said. Her husband drew the plan up, she noted, so it may not be perfectly to scale. They took measurements of the designated area to determine how much space they have to work with for musicians.

“If a quartet doesn’t fit, then a quartet won’t be in there,” Ayazi said. 

They have to ensure that the dance floor is in compliance in the space and whatever fits in the musician area will be the max of what they allow. They can revisit the space with the contractor to see what can be done and how they can adjust, she added.

The musician space shouldn’t be an issue, Sadler added; the requirement is on the minimum size for the dance floor and if they want to take up more space for the musicians, they will lose some dining space. 

“Beyond that I don’t think it will be a problem,” Sadler said. 

A few commissioners questioned the need for a CUP amendment, considering what the prior permit approvals allowed and that a number of restaurants take large party reservations.

If they were just reserving a section of tables for standard restaurant service that likely wouldn’t require a CUP amendment, Caron said, but possibly having the entire interior space or entire patio used with live music and dancing is a different use than just a large party reserving tables at a restaurant.

On April 23, 2013, Council approved permits to establish and operate a “casual family-style pizzeria restaurant” with the service of beer and wine in conjunction with the rehabilitation and restoration of an historic structure, including a 70.45 percent parking incentive for historic preservation.

The rehabilitation project included the restoration of the building to its original 1952 appearance and restoration of the original patio including the decorative fountain and associated murals.

Since the 2013 approval, the restaurant has been amended several times. Amendments have been approved to allow the full service of alcoholic beverage; to allow a new trash enclosure (at the adjacent site at 226 Ocean Ave); and to modify the hours of operation to 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. daily. 

In August of 2018, the previous tenant (Ocean at Main) obtained a business license to operate the restaurant pursuant to the previously approved CUPs. In September of 2018, the Planning Commission approved a new Conditional Use Permit (amending the previous CUPs) to change the menu to allow a “family-style coastal California” restaurant. Ocean at Main closed in February 2020 and the property has been vacant since.

The new restaurant isn’t exceeding capacity and it’s compliant with previous CUPs, noted Commission Chair Steve Goldman. 

“It’s a non-event as far as this Commission is concerned,” he said.

The concern would be that this becomes a banquet or dining hall, Goldman said.

Ayazi confirmed that she understood and agreed to all the conditions, including the children’s menu and noise limitations.

Sadler emphasized the importance of agreeing to the conditions.

“We’re trying very hard to make sure that if they agree to conditions of approval that they follow through on them and it sounds like this applicant is willing to do that,” Sadler said.

Selanne Steak Tavern receives “Best of Award of Excellence” from Wine Spectator magazine

For the fifth consecutive year, Selanne Steak Tavern’s 425-selection wine list has been awarded a coveted Best of Award of Excellence distinction from prestigious industry publication Wine Spectator magazine. 

The 2021 Best of Award of Excellence is the second highest level of its annual recognition program and was given to a total of 1,141 restaurants from a field of 2,900 that earned awards in one of three categories – with winners represented in all 50 states and 72 countries and territories. 

“It is an award only garnered by restaurants that typically offer 350 or more selections and are destinations for serious wine lovers – places that have a deep commitment to wine, both in the cellar and through their service team,” according to Wine Spectator magazine. Full listings can be found at www.winespectator.com/restaurants.

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Submitted photo

Selanne Steak Tavern recognized for 5th year from Wine Spectator magazine

The upscale American steak house has once again been recognized for its wine list of both vintage depth and regional breadth, earning this honor with recognized strengths in wines from California and France and with a total wine inventory of over 3,000 selections also including choices from Washington, Oregon, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, Argentina, Germany, Austria, South Africa, Portugal, Canada, and Australia. 

It is heavily focused on California cult wines with many highly allocated, low production, big scoring selections and is designed to appeal to all wine lovers – their palates, pairing preferences, and spending desires.

“It’s been a difficult year for our industry, and we are happy to report we are fully open again and pushing forward,” said Selanne Steak Tavern owners Teemu Selanne and Kevin Pratt. “We are highly honored to receive the Best of Award of Excellence 2021 from Wine Spectator. Once again, we salute Certified Advanced Sommelier Vito Pasquale and his team and thank our guests for their continued support and appreciation of our hospitality.”

Selanne Steak Tavern’s wine list is especially designed to pair with the award-winning contemporary American steakhouse fare created by Chef Vincent Terusa. Since the restaurant’s inception, it has received recognition and honors for its food and wine and spirits programs, as well as its exemplary service, including multiple Golden Foodie Awards for “Best Wine Program,” “Best Service,” “Best Steak,” and “Best New Restaurant.”

Selanne Steak Tavern, located at 1464 S Coast Hwy in Laguna Beach, opened in November 2013 and is owned by Hockey Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne and local Orange County businessman Kevin Pratt. Housed in a reimagined 1934 historic home along the Pacific Coast, it’s an upscale contemporary steak house with an upstairs dining room, downstairs tavern and bar area, a wine room for more intimate dining, and two patios for alfresco dining.

The restaurant supports local farms and fisheries that practice sustainability and humane practices. Menus feature the finest of steaks and seafood served with a variety of accompaniments enhanced by herbs from the restaurant’s herb garden. 

Along with its carefully selected California-focused wine list, craft signature cocktails are created from quality farmers’ market produce, homemade mixers, and top-notch shelf spirits. Selanne Steak Tavern is open for dinner nightly starting at 5 p.m. For reservations and more information, call (949) 715-9881 or visit www.selannesteaktavern.com.

The Ranch announces removal of all single-use plastic amenity bottles

As the stewards of an incredible natural landscape, The Ranch at Laguna Beach continues to pioneer sustainability efforts by introducing new environmentally friendly guest room amenities. 

The resort has added a variety of sustainable bathroom care products, completing its mission of removing all single-use plastic amenity bottles and eliminating 23,184 bottles from the landfill each year. 

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Submitted photo

Creekside One Bedroom/Bathroom

The new guest room additions include:

 --MALIN+GOETZ, a natural skincare line specializing in sustainable packaging featuring recyclable high-density polyethylene plastic. Guest rooms provide refillable bottles of haircare, body wash, hand soap, and lotion. All products are sustainably formulated and cruelty-free. The partnership comes from La Bottega, a Forbes Travel Guide approved supplier for bath and body collections. 

--Biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests. The brushes are finished in a vegan-friendly wax and feature high quality dental-grade bristles, free of harmful dyes and no plastic.

--Huppy toothpaste tablets, an oral care company providing all-natural, plastic-free toothpaste designed to better the planet. The product includes zero waste packaging, non-toxic ingredients sourced from nature, and subscription refill pouches.

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View from The Ranch guestrooms 

Sustainability sets the foundation for this boutique coastal ranch, as it leverages a variety of innovative and practical measures to reduce its carbon footprint and create a positive environmental impact. 

In addition to sustainable bathroom care products, the property recycles glass bottles into sand for its golf course bunkers, swapped plastic key cards for biodegradable bamboo room keys, operates a half-acre biodynamic farm and compost program, and irrigates with reclaimed water – saving 20 million gallons annually. 

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By removing all single-use plastic amenity bottles The Ranch has eliminated 23,184 bottles from the landfill each year

As of last year, the resort has positioned itself as a founding member of Beyond Green, a global portfolio of hotels, resorts, and lodges exemplifying sustainable leadership.

For more information on sustainability efforts at The Ranch at Laguna Beach, visit www.theranchlb.com/ranch/sustainability.

For more information or to inquire about a booking, contact (949) 499-2271 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Restaurants and hotels struggle to find staffing, patience from community requested

By DIANNE RUSSELL

Although COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, Laguna’s hospitality industry faces a new challenge – staff shortages – and just when the Festival of Arts, Sawdust Festival, and Art-A-Fair are set to open.

It’s no secret that restaurants are struggling with staffing. There are just not enough servers, bartenders, and cooks to fill all of the open positions in town (or anywhere in the U.S. for that matter). 

To add to the already desperate situation, reports say that hospitality workers are leaving the industry due to hostility from customers regarding long waits and what they consider less than adequate service.

When will staffing levels return to normal?

According to qsrmagazine.com, among restaurant operators, 28 percent said they think it will be seven to 12 months before staffing returns to normal. Twenty percent believe it will take more than a year, while 10 percent say staffing levels will never bounce back to where they were.

When do our local restaurants and hotels anticipate staffing might return to normal? 

“It’s going to take some time for businesses to be fully staffed as they are struggling to find employees, and I’m not sure we’ll get back to normal staffing levels any time soon,” says Ashley Johnson, president and CEO of Visit Laguna Beach. “It appears that many of the employees who were laid off or furloughed when COVID hit, have either found other industries to work in, or are waiting for their unemployment benefits to run out. We are seeing many open positions across all departments, in the hospitality industry, specifically. Many operators, locally, are offering hiring bonuses, increased rates of pay, employee lunches, bonuses, and other incentives. Unfortunately, the guest experience is suffering (i.e., limited/no turn downs, later check-in times, restaurant reservations only) due to the lack of staffing and many employees are working overtime to cover additional shifts.”

“Possibly by the end of the year,” says The Ranch General Manager Kurt Bjorkman. “We lost about 20 percent of our staff.” 

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Courtesy of The Ranch

Harvest Restaurant at The Ranch

To that end, Bjorkman adds, “We’ll need to communicate that we have an amazing workplace, inclusive and supportive – fun and engaging. We have to separate ourselves from companies that are just looking for positions to fill and not people to join a close-knit organization.”

Lindsay Smith, owner and chef of Nirvana Grille, says, “I think it’s going to take longer than that.”

They lost almost all their staff. “The second shutdown hurt us more than the others. We closed four months, and the staff had to move on.”

Smith spends more time now out on the floor (although it’s part of her new model to be out on the floor to stay connected with patrons), and she also pitches in wherever help is needed. “I was at the restaurant until 12:30 a.m. over the weekend washing dishes and always stay until midnight.”

Lack of kitchen help 

Evidently, kitchen help is the most difficult to find. “We’ve gone through three dishwashers in a few months. I have a full-time person looking for employees and scheduling interviews.”

What makes it even more unfortunate is the competition.

“We are all competing for the same people!” Bjorkman says. “It’s becoming incredibly difficult – as our guests are back with enthusiasm (thank goodness).” 

Smith has closed Nirvana’s full sit-down bar because of the lack of a bartender, and she won’t increase the 50 percent seating capacity due to the staff shortage. The same applies to the patio, which seats 40 and may not open.

“Then it happens that someone has car trouble or some emergency, and we’re short-staffed even further due to that,” she says. “I try to communicate to patrons right in the beginning that it might be a longer than normal wait – that’s key.”

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

Nirvana Grille lost most of its staff during the pandemic

“I’m paying the kitchen and other staff more all around which keeps revenue down – that’s just one of the challenges at the moment.”

Even though customers are noticing restaurants are straining to serve them, it’s not affecting business. 

“We are very busy and thankful for that!” says Bjorkman. “Once we were allowed to open our doors, we had a lot of happy and eager guests ready to return – we cannot be more grateful for that. I don’t think that is preventing them from going out – we are seeing record numbers (please keep coming)! The challenge is trying to serve our guests with fewer resources. It’s not just staffing, supplies are harder and more expensive to get, and lead times on certain items are really long.”

How to replace those who are leaving

If many do leave the hospitality industry as is being reported, it may open the door to a new career for others.

“It can be frustrating – but if we (the industry) do our jobs correctly, we can introduce a lot of new people into what is an incredibly rewarding career,” says Bjorkman. “Serving others is not for everyone – but for those for whom it inspires, it is an incredibly enriching career. Not just for management positions – the happiest and most amazing people in the hotel industry are found on the line level – that amazing concierge who has been at the same property for 20 years, they have an incredible life! The groundskeeper who has been taking care of the golf course for 40 years and sent three kids to college…The list goes on, every good hotel has a collection of amazing career-minded people who love to serve others! We need more of them.”

Kindness, please!

If ever there was a need for even tempers and tolerance, it is now.

“As businesses work to reopen effectively and return to normal staffing levels, I would like to encourage customers to be patient, as these businesses are doing all they can to ensure you have a memorable stay,” says Johnson. “Please keep in mind that many of these employees have stuck around throughout COVID-19, so I hope patrons will show their appreciation by tipping the hardworking employees who have chosen to be here.”

Bjorkman emphasizes that they are there to be of service. “I would ask that you have patience with those of us in the restaurant and hotel industries – we are ready to SERVE you (emphasis on the capital letters), but we just don’t have the same resources we did in 2019. We will get there – in the meantime, we will continue to do everything we can (from the local coffee shops to the luxury resorts) to make your experience exceptional, warm, and authentically Laguna Beach!”

“We want diners at Nirvana Grille to have a wonderful dining experience, enjoy themselves, and be comfortable. Most of those who come in say how nice it is to get out,” adds Smith.

So please give a little leeway to the restaurants in town as they get through this, and they will – if you can’t get a reservation or you see open tables but they won’t seat you – this is why.

Both Smith and Bjorkman agree, “We need our locals to understand we are doing our best.”