Greer's OC

Laguna Beach has been making a strong bid to become the new foodie capitol of Orange County with a trifecta of restaurant openings in recent months: Katsuya, Broadway by Amar Santana and just last Friday, Three Seventy Common Kitchen+Drink.

Three Seventy Common is the creation of chef/owner Ryan Adam who took over the former Sorrento Grille location (with a new urban and rustic interior with re-purposed elements—love the romantic lit tables upstairs) and is serving contemporary American cuisine with international influences.

Chef Ryan is sourcing foods from local farmer’s markets and other purveyors for an ever-changing seasonal menu that starts with a twist on traditional bread and butter baskets: a snack of delicious bacon maple popcorn, then on to small, medium and large plate choices – ideal for sharing or not. Small plates include little gem lettuce with smoky fig, goat cheese, balsamic and red onion $10; and broccolini with fried egg, asiago, prosciutto and bread crumbs $8.50. Medium plates include wild mushroom bruschetta with bitter greens, $12; frito misto, a mix of calamari, shrimp,  whitefish and peppers with tomato chutney, $12; or meats and cheese seasonal jams, mustards, and pickles, $14 to $24.

Large plates include shepherd’s pie, $22; or game hen, carrot, spud, roasted garlic, charred lemon, and lime broth, $20; risotto with whatever’s good from the farm $14; and butcher steak, bone marrow, bordelaise, and fries, $27.50; or  scallops with brussels sprout gratin and spicy maple vinaigrette, $24.

Save room for sweets. Chef Adams has retro desserts such as Grandma B’s chocolate cake served with vanilla ice cream and the Presley, cinnamon toast with banana, peanut butter ice cream and honey. Take note of the weekly specials: The first Sunday night social kicks off Sunday, Oct. 23 with family-style meals – a changing list of old-fashioned supper classics with seasonal sides, $25 per person (half-price for kids 12 and under).

On Tuesdays, it’s brown bag night that includes a bottle of red or white for $15 with dinner.

Wino Wednesdays feature a three-course dinner menu with a wine pairing for just $30 (in addition to the a la carte menu).

Open for dinner from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; or 5 to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Three Seventy Common Kitchen+Drink is at 370 Glenneyre in Laguna Beach. 949.494.8686.

Celebrate Olives!

In celebration of the hundreds of olive trees that are ready for harvesting at Pelican Hill at Newport Coast, the Resort has planned Festa Dell’Autunno, a second annual olive harvest festival from 2 to 7 p.m. Saturday.

The event is exclusive for guests who book one of three fall packages (starting from $525, including breakfast and Festa attendance) and features traditional Italian foods, wine tasting, live music, street painting artists, Motori Italiani automobile exhibitions, an espresso lounge and an olive oil pressing demonstration.

And for the olive harvest season, the Spa at Pelican Hill is featuring olive-inspired treatments through November including a restorative and renewing grape seed and olive oil scrub; a fig body gelato that include fresh figs and pure botanicals for a scrub and moisturizing wrap, completed with a fig gelato treat; and our favorite olive oil body polish that uses fine ground olive skins with organic raw sugar for gentle exfoliation, followed by hydrating olive oil shea butter enriched with Vitamin E. This treatment will make your skin feel hydrated and wonderful, plus you’ll feel pampered and rejuvenated.

When you book a spa treatment, you can also take advantage of activities and amenities that include fitness classes, a state of the art fitness center; sauna and steam rooms; locker with spa robe and slippers, personal grooming products and more. (Ask about weekday values and Sunday specials.) For appointments call 800.820.6800.

Image Courtesy of Pelican Hill

Pelican Hill is at 22701 Pelican Hill Road South in Newport Coast. To book a Festa dell'Autunno Weekend Package, call 800.820.6800, or visit pelicanhill.com/#/oliveharvest.