Surfing Soapbox: The hunt is on for the perfect meal in Laguna

It’s funny but my parents have become the new Ebert and Roeper in regards to the best restaurants in Laguna. It’s classic, how they discuss their new favorite restaurants and what they enjoy ordering.

They know the menus like the back of their hands, which restaurants have the best value for your money, and most importantly, perhaps, which nights offer half-price wine. One of their long-time favorite restaurants here in town was the Beach House — not only did they enjoy the food but they loved going for the early bird special.

This month they have been raving about Mozambique’s new $10 menu and the steak and lobster dinner it offers. I love watching how excited they get in telling me about it and how I have to go and try it. I’m serious. I think Mom and Dad should have their own reality TV show about dining in Laguna.

With that said, I know given the recent downturn in our economy a lot of restaurants are offering great $10 menu items and happy hours. It’s important we continue supporting our local restaurants and retail, so on the advice of my parents I’m going to go and try that (as my parents would say “fabulous”) lobster and steak dinner, along with trying some of the other local restaurants’ “value” menus and happy hours.

The goal: to see which local restaurants have the best food along with the best value menus. So over the course of the next couple of weeks I will be dropping in on these restaurants and writing about my value menu experiences here in this column.

It should be fun, and I can’t think about a better way to kick off summer than setting out and finding out which Laguna restaurant has this summer’s best value menu.

Good luck and see you soon.

Peace.

JAMES PRIBRAM is a Laguna Beach native, professional surfer and John Kelly Environmental Award winner. His websites include AlohaSchoolofSurfing and ECOWarrior Surf.com. He can be reached at Jamo@Aloha SchoolofSurfing.com