After a five-year hiatus, Montage Laguna Beach’s signature restaurant re-emerges with a new look and an exciting menu that celebrates coastal cuisine.
While I enjoy good food and love dining out, I am no culinary expert—I’m not a chef or a food historian. So, although a bit embarrassed, I’m not ashamed to say that I didn’t know authentic Greek salad has no lettuce. Nor did I know of its proper name—horiatiki. These little nibbles of knowledge came to me by way of Montage Laguna Beach’s reimagined restaurant, Studio Mediterranean, and its new executive chef, Dennis Efthymiou.
He’s a fine toque to take on the task of leading the kitchen at Studio, which closed during the pandemic and remained shuttered until its rebirth. (It opened exclusively to Montage guests in June and, as of this month, welcomes guests from the larger community to the table.) Efthymiou was influenced early on by his family’s authentic home cooking. Born and raised in Greece, he studied culinary arts in Athens, then went on to work in a number of Michelin-starred restaurants in places like Peru, the U.K., New York, and San Francisco.
At Studio, he’s created a lineup of California-inspired dishes that wink at the flavors, ingredients, and techniques of Mediterranean cooking. Efthymiou says it’s a personal expression of his Greek heritage, “enhanced by California’s seasonal bounty.” “We’ve created a menu that honors the traditional flavors and coastal lifestyle of the Mediterranean while embracing a fresh, modern sensibility,” he says. “Every dish tells a story.”
That means guests can expect to see a cornucopia of offerings from the sea—an indulgent tower of chilled shellfish (think lobster and king crab, oysters and kampachi crudo, prawns, and octopus cocktail).
I attended a media dinner shortly after the restaurant opened to Montage guests, and everything that was served surpassed my expectations and delivered on freshness, flavor, originality, and expert execution. The interior got a freshening up as well— the dark, sultry interior of the original has been replaced by white walls, light-colored furnishings, and decor that gives a nod to the coast. The unbeatable ocean view, however, is just as spectacular as before.
Some ingredients and offerings will change with the seasons, but the concept is a constant. Take, for example, a section of the menu categorized as “Whole Daily Catch.” It features line-caught branzino and dorado from Greece, and Dover sole from Spain, as well as red trout and Main lobster from U.S. waters. Guests can always choose from a number of preparations: grilled with clean, simple ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, lemon, and sea salt to allow the flavors of the catch to shine through, or more elaborate preparations, like a whole branzino coated and cooked in a crust made of coffee and salt, imparting a rich well-seasoned flavor.
For those desiring a smaller portion, a Dover Sole Filet Ala Polita presents diners with green chickpeas, shaved artichoke, and fresh seaweed accompanying the cut of fish, which is sauteed in white wine and black olive oil. A Grilled Lobster Hilopites teams tender lobster claws and tails with traditional Greek noodles bathed in a complex sauce of tomato and harissa, with a splash of ouzo, the anise-flavored spirit so common throughout the Hellenic region.
From the land, there’s half and whole roasted chicken prepared with preserved lemon, fresh herbs, and roasted garlic, and a large and luscious Iowa Prime Black Angus 24-ounce bone-in rib eye with an Aleppo pepper and harissa sauce to share. The debut summer menu also featured grilled Colorado lamb chops with a pistachio-mint salsa verde and a 7-ounce grilled hanger steak with pickled Nardello peppers and a Mediterranean brown butter jus. Sides are of guests’ choosing—lemonroasted potatoes, lima beans with spinach and dill, charred broccoli with lemon and pecan tahini, and a rice medley with crispy garlic, dried fruit, and sunflower seeds.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the starters—deliciously fun and impeccably on-theme. The spreads trio is a must-try: edamame hummus with basil oil; garlic tahini with roasted allium oil (allium is sometimes referred to as onion’s pretty cousin); and roasted chilled tomatoes with yogurt, lemon oil, oregano, and sumac. The trifecta is served with raw vegetables for scooping and house-made yogurt pita for spreading. If you like deviled eggs, you’ve got to try Studio’s spanakopita iteration. On the heartier side: Greek-style meatballs (on the menu as keftedes) made of beef and pork and served with smoked tzatziki. And the charred octopus is a savory scene-stealer, bathed in a bright red sauce and drizzled with spinach and parsley cream—as pretty on the plate as it is tasty on the tongue.
As for that Greek salad, it boasts a delightful mix of halved and wedge-cut, tri-colored heirloom tomatoes, lengths of Persian cucumber, sliced red onion, bell peppers, and olives, with feta cheese, oregano, and capers. And at Studio Mediterranean, it’s prepared tableside. So fresh.
Montage Laguna Beach 30801 Coast Highway montage.com
Wednesday through Sunday, 5 to 10 p.m.
PRICE RANGE Raw and Chilled, $28 to $290 Meze, $16 to $190 Salads, $26 to $54 Whole Daily Catch, $54 to $185 From the Sea, $62 to $98 Meat and Poultry, $48 to $162 Sides, $18 Dessert, $18 to $24
