On Saturday, Laguna Beach said goodbye to a landmark restaurant. In business for 65 years, the Royal Hawaiian served pupu platters and pina coladas since 1947.
Chef James Harris, previously a sous chef at French 75, took the helm in February of last year.
]
A Cordon Bleu graduate, Harris launched a weekend brunch and Taco
Tuesday that summer to drum up additional business to the establishment. Yet it wasn't enough to maintain the high cost of rent along Pacific
Coast Highway. His most recent claim to fame was as defending champion of the Sunday Night Chef Fights. We recommend chef showing off his skills in a few pop-up dinners (we hear Nieuport 17 has space) before landing his next gig.
A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.