More than just cocktails and dining

DINING OUT

Locals who frequently peruse Downtown Laguna Beach are likely to

have sampled the delicious little pizza bites sometimes offered by

perky waitresses outside the Laguna Beach Brewing Company. But there

is so much more to this amazing two-story restaurant/night club than

those wood-fired, brick-oven-baked pizzas lavished with cheese and

the hand-crafted ales and lagers brewed on site.

Enter by the side door on Laguna Avenue and discover a lineup of

steel brewing tanks behind the sizable bar and nearby pool table. The

tanks loom awesomely, rising through the ceiling into an upstairs

cocktail lounge where disco rhythms invite weekend dancing.

From the Coast Highway entrance, wander up a flight of stairs and

find a central display kitchen flanked on the right behind a third

bar where guests may play pool and Golden Tee video games. At left of

the glass-enclosed kitchen is a spacious dining area, and steps

beyond on the same level is a cozy, smoker-friendly ocean view patio.

What comes as another big surprise is the menu, so comprehensive

it misses nothing. There are appetizers, soups and salads, from New

Zealand mussels sauteed in white wine and herbs to buffalo wings and

beer-battered onion rings, these priced from $4.95 to $10.95. Beyond

traditional pizzas, Thai, Hawaiian and vegetarian versions are all

less than $11.

Laguna Beach Brewing Company takes understandable pride in its

imaginative pasta selection, an octave of perfectly al dente

linguini, fettuccine and spaghetti entrees at $9.95 to $14.95. Among

tasty toppings are savory scampi style shrimp in lemon butter sauce;

broiled fresh salmon delectably laced with piquant pesto, fresh

mushrooms and toasted almonds; generous slabs of grilled chicken

tangy with artichoke hearts, fresh mushrooms, tomatoes and a sauce of

creamy parmesan. Each is presented with a crown of that delicious

cheese pizza.

Brewery “favorites,” most served with curly fries, are fish and

chips, burgers, sandwiches and fish tacos at $7.95 and $8.95.

Sizzling from the grill come such hefty courses as barbecue baby back

ribs, New Zealand lamb chops and a 12-ounce New York steak, all

served with fresh vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes. These are

$13.95 to $19.95.

This is very family oriented, unpretentious dining, with butcher

paper on every table. It’s fun to watch a small fry grasp the crayons

supplied and color the entertaining placemat menus, which offer a

quintet of choices for a modest $4 and $4.50 -- not to mention the

delight of grown folk expressing their own personal creativity as

they doodle on the paper-covered tables.

* GLORI FICKLING is a longtime Laguna Beach resident who has

written restaurant news and views columns since 1966. She may be reached at 494-4710 or by e-mail at [email protected].