SPECIAL SECTION
EAT & DRINK
SPECIAL SECTION
EXPANDING EATERIES
Local restaurants and chefs have developed their recipe for success in Laguna before branching out to open other locations across the region and beyond .
By SHARON STELLO
Erik De Marchi , chef-owner of Oliver ’ s Osteria , the charming Italian restaurant in Laguna Canyon that has been lauded on Michelin Guide ’ s Bib Gourmand list for the past two years , is poised to open a second , more laidback restaurant in Irvine this fall . Featuring lighter , brighter decor , Oliver ’ s Trattoria will offer handmade pizza and lean heavily on pasta dishes rather than meat or seafood entrees , but will retain the authentic flavors of De Marchi ’ s hometown in Emilia- Romagna , Italy , which his devoted customers have come to know and love .
De Marchi is following in the footsteps of several chefs and restaurateurs who have established themselves in Laguna and expanded from here . Consider the vegetarian-friendly Zinc Cafe , which opened its Laguna flagship in 1988 , followed by locations in Corona del Mar , LA and West Hollywood with another coming soon to Orange . Or zpizza , which has roots in Laguna and eventually franchised . Nick ’ s began in Laguna before locations sprouted up from Pasadena down to Del Mar — not to mention the South of Nick ’ s spin-off with a menu of Mexican-inspired fare . Starfish Laguna also started locally , opening its second location in nearby Newport Beach earlier this year . And “ Top Chef ” favorite Amar Santana ’ s eponymous Broadway by
Amar Santana in Laguna was followed by Vaca in Costa Mesa , which will make the leap to downtown LA for a second location in late 2024 .
There ’ s just something about Laguna ’ s culinary landscape , its influx of travelers and loyal locals who appreciate fine cuisine , that provides a perfect setting for those starting out in the industry to learn and grow . So , when it came time for De Marchi to launch his first restaurant in 2018 , Laguna quickly caught his eye .
“ I had been working toward … opening my own restaurant for years and , when it was finally time , I knew I wanted to go outside of Los Angeles ,” De Marchi recalls . “ I wanted to bring my authentic cuisine somewhere really special . … Laguna Beach is one of the most beautiful cities in Orange County . It is such an artist community and is breathtaking . It truly has many similarities to Italy in so many ways , with its coastline and mountains and I always felt it was a great place for Oliver ’ s Osteria .”
Now , five years later , De Marchi knew it was time to expand . “ We have had great success in Laguna Beach and I wanted to bring a slightly different concept to another great location in Orange County . This opportunity came up in Irvine , so the timing worked out perfectly ,” he says , adding that many of his customers come from the
Irvine area so he wanted to offer a place closer to them .
“ This is not an easy business and takes hard work and attention to detail ,” he says . “ I have learned so much over these last few years at Oliver ’ s Osteria , so I feel like I know the formula . I am very blessed and have an amazing team . … It takes a village , that is for sure .”
LOYAL LOCALS That village refers to both the workers and the customers who support a restaurant . It ’ s a notion that rings true for Marc Cohen , chef-owner of 230 Forest Avenue , who cut his culinary teeth on the East Coast , working in some of the finest dining establishments in the Washington , D . C ., area before an opportunity lured him to Laguna . In the early 1990s , he was helming the kitchen of a restaurant in Old Town Alexandria , Virginia , which had just received numerous accolades when one of the company ’ s leaders had some friends come in for dinner .
They were from a small coastal community in California and had been talking about opening a cafe . After meeting Cohen and falling in love with the restaurant and what he had accomplished in Alexandria , they asked if he would be interested in coming and taking a look at Laguna . And the rest , as they say , is history . So what was it caption
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