Laguna

A guest post from Suzanne Stavert of Adventures of Empty Nesters! A dream come true, a foodie walking tour in Laguna Beach!

The view from the deck of the Wyland Gallery, downtown Laguna Beach, CA.

Our fun group of foodie travel bloggers standing in front of an amazing Wyland tile painting.

While attending the Women in Travel Summit, we were invited by Savor Laguna to experience one of their super-fun, guided walking food tours in downtown Laguna Beach. The Women in Travel Summit is the first and only travel blogging event by and for women, organized by Wanderful.

The iconic Hotel Laguna was the first hotel in Laguna and the first substantial business building.

We began the tour at the historic Hotel Laguna and finished about 3 hours later smiling ear to ear with happy memories of the delectable local food we had just tasted! It began with pizza on the beach and ended with divine gelato… with a sassy margarita and authentic Mexican food in the middle. We managed to enjoy a fabulous sampling of some of the tastiest foodie finds of Laguna Beach. Thank goodness we were walking, it did help us digest a bit before the next stop!

Here is Jeanne, sharing all of her great stories. She is so friendly and knowledgable and makes the tour extra enjoyable!

It was so enjoyable and easy to let Jeanne take us through the idyllic downtown streets, pointing out important landmarks, exquisite views, unique shops and some innovative bites of food! So yummy!

No trip is complete without a local Laguna Beach t-shirt or sweatshirt!

Our first stop was the Pizza Lounge where we sat just a block from the beach enjoying a slice of fresh pizza made especially for us! For all of their customers they are happy to deliver right to the sand! Just imagine chillin’ on your beach chair waiting for your delicious Pizza Lounge pie to arrive! Love it!

There was a lot of ground to cover so we quickly moved on the to next stop on our tour, the beautiful Wyland Gallery where we were captivated by Wyland’s extraordinary vision and talent. Since 1978, Wyland Galleries has been the art community’s preeminent showcase for the finest in marine life paintings, sculpture and photography. We also had a chance to walk by the famous Main Beach of Laguna with picturesque views and the charming lifeguard tower. A perfect stop for a group photo!

Have you ever heard of Clam Chowder Fries with Bacon?? Oh my goodness! “SLAPFISH brings you real American seafood, redefined with simple flavors and a healthy slap of FRESH. No white tablecloths or fancy silverware, just a boatload of deliciousness in a fast-casual setting.”

SLAPFISH offers a new perspective on “boat to plate” dining by serving the freshest fish and shellfish sourced from well-managed, responsible suppliers of sustainable seafood. This type of careful attention to the ocean and sea life is quite admirable and I am happy to support restaurants like this!

Clam Chowder Fries with Bacon from Slapfish – So innovative and delicious!

The “Lumberyard” contains some of the oldest buildings in Laguna Beach. Check out the artistic brick patterns.

If you are not familiar with the artist and sculptor, Richard MacDonald, a visit to the Dawson Cole Gallery and sculpture garden will take your breath away. His genius and masterful techniques are unparalleled. How lucky were we to be able to spend time enjoying the sculptures as well as the paintings and sculptures inside the gallery as well. This is a wonderful addition to the food tour. Savor Laguna captures the essence of Laguna Beach and offers rich history and access to art that tourists may not be aware.

This piece is a smaller version of one he created for the Olympics in Atlanta. The detail is unbelievable.

Authentic, warm pita bread and three kinds of hummus from GG Cafe And Bistro – So Good!

Time for a libation… at Tortilla Republic!

Authentic Mexican food and a fine margarita!

Tortilla Republic sets the bar very high by serving bold, fresh flavors of updated and modern Mexican cantina fare. The House Made Margaritas are made with freshly squeezed juices – Cheers!

Sweets for the sweet! It was nearly impossible to choose from these flavors of Italian Gelato from Gelato Paradiso. These were only HALF of the options in the case!

I opted for my two favorites: Double Chocolate and Stracciatella (Chocolate chip with vanilla)

Although I was quite full from tasting the menus of these fantastic local restaurants, there is always room for gelato!

Savor Laguna offers great tours that will please the locals from Orange County and tourists from around the world. Check out their schedule and register early, summer is coming and Laguna Beach is the happening spot.

Thank you to Jeanne Lange and Savor Laguna for your generosity. I had a blast learning more about a city I have visited for years and tasting some great food! It is such a fun and delicious way to spend an afternoon.

The next time you are in Orange County I recommend you take in Laguna Beach! Your tummy will thank you!