Brunch at Sapphire, Laguna Beach, CA

I was in Orange County this past weekend for a dear friend's wedding. There were several hours to kill before the ceremony so my husband and I decided to do a little exploring. No worries, we had Maggie (Hertz Magellan) and although my husband has a lustful love affair with her I've found a way to move past it. I'm a little embarrassed to type this, but I was drawn to type Laguna beach into Maggie. I know there are some of you out there who know the little reality show I am referencing. It's ok. Realizing you have a problem is the first step to addiction, and I am fine with that. We were off, not knowing what lay in wait for us. I figured the worse thing that could happen would be a sub par brunch where I could indulge in a mimosa or two.

Well I have to report that was not the case. I was taken aback by the beauty of this artists' village nestled next to a pristine beach with little to no kitschiness. We pulled into the center of town and found one of the most picturesque farmers markets I have ever seen. There were flowers, fresh local vegetables, homemade tamales, salsas, artisan breads and CHEESES! Slurp! It was amazing. It looked like the kind of farmers market you'd see Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan walking through, wearing clogs and clutching fresh daises.

When we walked out of fantasy farmer's market land; we cruised the town and poked our heads into a few of the little shops and galleries. They were all wonderful and charming but I knew I was out of my league when I saw a red Ferrari parked outside a coffee shop. That was one of three Ferrari's I saw in this town- I'm not kidding.

We hopped in our rental car and headed south on the PCH ( Pacific Coast Highway ) towards San Clemente . Our stomachs didn't make it very far. The edge of town I think. :) We decided nourishment was indeed necessary and pulled over near Brooks Ave. for the best brunch of my life at Sapphire.

It was one of those places you walk up to and immediately feel good about. I noticed a cute little culinary boutique attached and I knew immediately I was in my kind of place! Please for the love of god look at this brunch menu. To enjoy a menu of this caliber, one must match it with the perfect aperitif. For my husband that is most definitely always a bloody mary, and I decided to go with a nice and refreshing Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc. Once those arrived it was time to sink into some delightful dishes. We started with the Pan-seared Barramundi, "truffle frites", which engulfed the olfactory senses with forest-forward caramel goodness. The odiferous delight drifted towards our neighbors who eyed our frites with the utmost envy.

Since we had spent some time in sin-city with our frites we decided to move on to some healthier options. Well, at least I did with my Crazy Cobb salad featuring lobster, chicken, scallops smoked pork, and the most delightfully plump and juicy shrimp I had ever tasted, all bathed in a light and creamy tarragon dressing. I'm drooling in my keyboard while typing this. Everything was perfect from the freshness of the seafood to the crisp herbed greens. I ate the entire salad! David on the other hand thought he was being good, but I rolled my eyes as I watched him polish off the Southern-fried chicken salad with baby greens, pecans, roast corn, dried cranberries drizzled in a homemade buttermilk-ranch dressing. The breeze coming off the ocean paired with the wonderful company and fabulous cuisine made this a brunch to remember.

I would recommend that when you visit, and you have to experience this, that you walk to the gourmet shop adjacent to and owned by the Sapphire and meet the lovely lady known to me as Cheese Monger (a.k.a Starr Cornwall). The Sapphire Pantry has a stock of goods that would impress even the snootiest connoisseur .