Chef Peter O’Keefe, who won the 2007 Select Registry Silver Award while working at Casa Laguna, received the most points for creativity and menu appropriateness with his “Eggs Benedict Belly Up” – a beautiful dish featuring pork belly “tater tots”, served with a sunny side up egg perched atop brioche and finished with hollandaise sauce and corn foam.

Our current culinary master, Chef Joshua Roberts, grabbed top points for overall taste with his signature “South Laguna Benedict” – comprised of fluffy poached eggs sitting atop a whole wheat ravioli stuffed with Portobello and shallot filling, served with brown butter hollandaise and roasted asparagus wrapped in pancetta.  But it was Chef Falk, with his Asparagus Flan and Herb Comfit Potatoes topped with Poached Eggs and Crispy Asparagus, who squeaked out the overall win by just one point!  The culinary challenge kicked off Casa Laguna’s 10-year anniversary, with our founder/owner Francois Leclair acting as master of ceremonies, and former co-owner Paul Blank servings as one of the judges. The rest of the judging panel included Fifi Chao, Food Reviewer for the Orange County Business Journal,; Laguna Beach Mayor Elizabeth Pearson; President of the Laguna Beach Visitors and Convention Bureau, Karyn Phillipsen; and special guest judges long-time regular Casa Laguna guests, Shauna and Dave Weiner, who got married at the inn four years ago.  Watch for Chef Falk’s winning recipe on the cover of our upcoming cook book; and, on our menu this summer. We thank all of our chefs for helping make Casa Laguna a “foodie” destination.