Luigi Avalos crafts his specialty margarita, the Marerita, at Mare Culinary Lounge.
BROADWAY BY
AMAR SANTANA
While it’s the food at Broadway by
Amar Santana that usually steals
the show, the restaurant’s craft
cocktail creators are also some of
the best in Laguna.
Broadway bartender AnnAlise
Ventre says the freedom involved
in mixing drinks is what keeps her
behind the bar. “I love bartending
because we get to be so creative,”
she remarks. “I love being able to
mix different flavors and ingredients and try new things.”
At Broadway, the attention
paid to all of the components of a
craft cocktail extends to even the
slightest details. “Any juice, any
syrup is made here by hand by the
bartenders,” AnnAlise says. The
restaurant’s Moscow mule, served
in the traditional copper cup, is
a crowd favorite, and Broadway
prides itself on making its ginger
beer in-house (it’s also served
on tap).
The harmony between the bar
and the kitchen creates a cohesive dining experience. “Every
night the kitchen will ask the
bartenders what produce we need
to order for tomorrow. Because
we shop with local produce
companies, nothing is shipped,”
AnnAlise says. “We make sure to
use the most seasonal, local and
sustainable produce.”
MARE
CULINARY LOUNGE
A few blocks south of Broadway
by Amar Santana sits Mare
Culinary Lounge on Pacific Coast
Highway, a restaurant that’s
become famous for a special craft
blend of its own.
Tucked beneath the Holiday
Inn, the eatery is home to one of
the most colorful and entertaining
bartenders in town. Luigi Avalos,
whose titles include manager,
head server and bartender, dotes
on his most prized creation,
the Marerita, the restaurant’s
trademark margarita. The drink is
blended with locally sourced fresh
fruits and herbs grown on the
property, and Mare’s bartenders
even make their own agave nec
tar, which is unbelievably clear,
pure and delicious, and eliminates
the need for an artificial sweet V