Laguna shows off for the tourist industry

Barbara Diamond

Laguna Beach put on a show Tuesday night for some of the most

influential people in the tourist industry.

About 160 Southern California concierges -- the people hotel’s

employ to keep tourists happy -- attended Laguna Beach Concierge

Night, sponsored by “Where Magazine” and the Laguna Beach Visitors

and Conference Bureau and held at [seven-degrees].

“We have twice the number of concierges that came to the first

show in 2003,” said Kathleen Spaglione, bureau executive director.

“The first one was so good people talked about it all year and

couldn’t wait for this one.”

The concierges were treated to tasty tidbits from restaurants, a

fashion show featuring styles from Laguna stores, and displays by

specialty shops, art galleries and art organizations; a downtown

gallery and retail tour and dessert and opportunity drawings at Hush,

which replaced Mark’s Restaurant on South Coast Highway.

Transportation was provided by city trolley.

“Every one of our members had an opportunity to participate,”

Spaglione said.

It was a treat.

A dozen restaurants offered house favorites or specially concocted

samples to whet the appetites of the concierges.

Sundried Tomato’s prepared a salmon salad, which has been off the

menu of a year but is being brought back by popular demand, starting

Tuesday.

Anton Johnson of Taste Buds, which is open for lunches only in the

Festival Center, spooned up servings of spinach spaghettini. The

Beach House table featured salmon and lobster cakes and lobster with

fresh walnut vinaigrette, garnished with orchids and endive. Canyon

Lodge served its signature tomato soup and glazed brownies.

Mosun offered the widest variety: a choice of filet-wrapped

asparagus, shrimp ceviche in cucumber cups, ahi Napoleon, lobster and

mango spring rolls and California rolls.

Savoury’s ran the gamut from cheese and crackers to dark chocolate

truffles. What looked like guacamole on toasted rounds of bread

prepared by the Surf & Sand’s Splashes chefs was actually garbanzo

bean crostini.

“Fresh garbanzos are green,” said Christopher Blobaum, Splashes

executive chef.

Who knew?

Hotel Laguna’s Claes restaurant, which is noted for its fish

dishes, offered house-smoked trout and rock shrimp cakes.

Concierges also sampled tasty cheeses from Laguna Culinary Arts

and examples from the menus of French 75 Bistro and Champagne Bar,

Sorrento Grille and Martini Bar and Tabu, which opened recently on

South Coast Highway where Dexter’s used to be.

Between bites, the concierges eyed retail displays by Areo, Dutch

Door, Fawn Memories, La Vida Laguna, On Consignment, the shops in

Peppertree Lane and Barnaby Rudge Booksellers, all unique to Laguna.

“The Visitors Bureau is the best form of advertising you can

have,” said bookseller Ed Postal. “It is inexpensive to join and

every piece of literature they publish has your name in it.”

Sutton Place, Emporio-Optic and Satisfy My Soul, the latter two

included on the retail tour, provided the fashions modeled by

concierges to a thundering rock ‘n’ roll beat, a popular part of the

activities at [seven degrees], which has become an event center.

Art organizations were invited to participate because they bring

tourists to Laguna Beach and many of them benefit from the Business

Improvement District fund voluntarily established by the hospitality

industry.

“We wouldn’t exist without the BID money and the support of Claes

Andersen,” said Lucinda Prewitt, founder Laguna Beach Live!, a

sponsor of the Laguna Beach Chamber Music Festival, set for April

18-25.

Representatives of the Sawdust Festival, Laguna Outreach Community

Arts, the Laguna Beach Craft Guild, First Thursday, the Laguna Art

Museum and the Laguna Beach Arts Alliance -- a consortium of 42 arts

organizations in town participated.

“Our customers are the tourists,” said Vicki Sommer, LOCA

president. “We wanted to be part of this meeting with the

concierges.”

Pure Color, which represents photographer Mike Kelly, handed out

his “Mother and Cub” posters to guests at the event. Sherwood Gallery

presented little crystal “kisses” in tiny black velvet sacks to

guests. Laguna Canyon Artists, which offers group tours of studios,

and open studios on the first weekends of May and December, also had

a display.

City trolleys transported the concierges downtown to tour Areo and

Fiori , near the corner of Ocean Avenue and South Coast Highway; and

Fingerhut Gallery and Wyland Gallery on Forest Avenue.

Fiori owner Bonnie Wolin and Tiffany Reinhold chaired the event.

Wolin represents galleries on the visitors and conference bureau’s

board of directors.

Dessert at Hush’s and drawings for visits and dinners at Montage

Resort and Spa and Surf and Sand concluded the activities.

“We are thrilled with the success of the event,” said Karyn

Philippsen, president of the bureau board.

The event was so successful, reservations had to be closed,

according to Ben Epstein of co-sponsor, “Where,” a magazine geared

for visitors.

“We are already looking forward to Concierge Night III,”

Philippsen said.