A Memorable Day in Laguna Beach

One morning at Pelican Hill, a chilly marine layer with attendant fog effectively scuttled our best-laid plans to loaf by the pool all day, so we went with our fallback option, a day trip to the charming town of Laguna Beach. The town is just a short coastal drive south from the resort, and we thoroughly enjoyed our foray.

With a population of about 25,000, Laguna Beach is a seaside community that owns a reputation for being particularly congenial to the arts, with festivals in the summer and a string of galleries in town. It is also home to the highly regarded Laguna Playhouse and the Laguna Art Museum, which focuses on the works of artists in the surrounding area. Another well-known attraction is the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, dedicated to the rehabilitation of stranded seals and sea lions.

With no agenda, we headed for Forest Avenue, the main drag, which offers ample opportunities for casual browsing and the odd dose of retail therapy. The sea-themed goods at Tuvalu (295 Forest Avenue) immediately caught my eye. For anyone with a beach house, it’s hard to imagine a better source for housewares: napkin rings in the shapes of seahorses, sand dollars, turtles and sea stars; decoupaged wooden trays depicting all manner of sea life; and vases shaped like fish and sea urchins. There is also a delightful selection of sea-themed art, including handsomely framed natural history prints and original works from local artists.

Proceeding farther up Forest Avenue, we also stopped in at the Laguna Colony Company (384 Forest Avenue), which offers a fascinating mix of tableware, jewelry, stationery and furniture, all carefully curated. I particularly liked the range of Vietri serving ware and the Thymes line of candles and fragrances (we were happy to stumble on the end-of-season sale of the Frasier Fir scent, which we enjoyed over the holidays).

If you love Mediterranean ceramics, you will want to visit Fiori (214 South Coast Highway), which has a wide range of beautiful handpainted majolica. The wide selection includes the unusual (holy-water fonts), the delightful (a selection of biscotti jars), the practical (dinner plates adorned with depictions of fruits and flowers) and the whimsical — most notably the lovely little boxes that would be ideal for small pieces of jewelry.

We found two appealing restaurants. For a casual but very good lunch, I recommend Nick’s Laguna Beach (440 South Coast Highway, 949-376-8595), a sleek spot with wood-trimmed booths, handblown glass lamps and a big rectangular bar. We split the excellent, cleanly fried calamari with a roasted-tomato aioli, and I went for the far-better-than-usual tuna sandwich on crusty fresh bread, made with house-roasted tuna, herbed mayonnaise, avocado, tomato and Swiss cheese. Showing great character, I passed on the fries in favor of the tangy Thai peanut coleslaw.

For more substantial fare, 230 Forest Avenue (230 Forest Avenue, 949-494-2545) came highly recommended by the concierge at Pelican Hill. A lively, open space with displays of art, and live piano music, the restaurant has a menu under the direction of chef Marc Cohen that features food that I would call “American bistro.” There are starters like the crab cakes with sweet corn relish on the side, pastas such as the appealing ravioli stuffed with minced short ribs, and main courses like the hazelnut-crusted Alaska halibut with papaya relish and taro chips. The rich New York sirloin with a mushroom Bordelaise comes with a killer Gorgonzola mac ’n’ cheese on the side.

If time allows, it is well worth stopping by Crystal Cove State Park. Encompassing three miles of pristine coast, it features a gorgeous beach (used by guests at Pelican Hill) and a wonderful series of tidal pools.