TOP LEFT : COURTESY OF MOZAMBIQUE ; TOP RIGHT : MARY HURLBUT

Morocco and more ,” says Santana , noting that one of his favorite menu items is the herb-roasted Mediterranean branzino . Simple and flavorful , it has been on Broadway ’ s menu the longest .

“ Originally , upon opening , I wanted to do a 5-pound , whole catfish on the menu . Everyone told me I was crazy and sourcing quality catfish consistently was a little more difficult than expected ,” he says . “ We did a whole branzino instead and we sell so many of that dish [ that ] I ’ ve lost count .”

Broadway ’ s pan-roasted , boneless Mediterranean branzino is stuffed with herbs and the tail is retained . Served with cauliflower puree , truffle sauce , pickled clamshell mushrooms , fresh celery truffle oil and roasted green cauliflower , the entire dish is topped with shaved purple cauliflower for a pop of color that makes a beautiful garnish .

Lin recommends the Contramar on the “ For Two ” section of Las Brisas ’ menu as a great entree to share .

“ Depending on the season , we use a Thai snapper or a local red snapper . It is grilled and presented butterflied with red sauce and green sauce on each side of the filet . It is accompanied at the table with freshpressed corn tortillas , rice and beans ,” Lin says . “ Our green and red sauces that cover either side of the snapper makes for [ a ] great symphony of flavors .

This is a traditional dish created by chef Gabriela

Cámara for her Mexico City restaurant . “ We pay tribute to her and her idea of bringing people together ,” Lin says . “ This dish was designed to bring people together because , whether guests prefer green sauce or red sauce , it is a crowd-pleaser at the table .”

CULTURAL CUISINE Moving across the globe to another continent for inspiration , Starfish Laguna Beach offers patrons an Asian perspective on fish preparation in several of its dishes , including the wild Thai halibut , which is prepared with Thai herbs and spices , steamed in banana leaf and served with coconut rice , macadamia nuts , creamy chile-basil sauce and flour tortillas . A grilled option , Starfish also serves white miso black cod with misoyaki sauce , roasted sweet yam , green and yellow squash and sauteed enoki mushrooms .

For some African flavor , Mozambique presents one of its staple menu items : the Chilean sea bass . The 10-ounce filet is seasoned with Moroccan spices , served with an assortment of artichokes , fennel , tomatoes and asparagus , as well as pesto mashed potatoes and a beurre blanc saffron sauce .

And for a taste of Italy , head to Oliver ’ s Osteria in Laguna Canyon , which wows taste buds with salmone alla puttanesca — grilled salmon coupled with black olives , capers and tomato sauce .

The options are seemingly endless : From

LINDSAY SMITH ,

CHEF AND OWNER OF NIRVANA GRILLE

“ I would say of any it would be the lobster-macadamia and Saigon rolls , both at Starfish [ Laguna Beach ]. I crave them for a light lunch and we always get [ them ] if we go in as a family . … [ They are ] a nice twist on some Asian favorites .”

Saigon Summer Roll with poached prawns at Starfish Laguna Beach

LAGUNA BEACH MAGAZINE 45