230 Forest Avenue

230 Forest Avenue Restaurant Review:

Located in the heart of downtown Laguna, 230 Forest Avenue is chef Marc Cohen’s flagship restaurant in OC. And while he’s gone on to open other venues under his less interesting Opah concept, Cohen’s talents still shine mostly brightly here, even though his fusion cuisine does at times seem rather outdated. First off, this chic spot with its minimalist and artsy décor is usually abuzz with a crowd of locals who come to hang out at the tiny wine bar. For those who arrive to dine, there's a lively outdoor patio and the main dining room, which has some New York City sophistication with brick walls and ever-changing modern artwork. For starters, try the spinach and ricotta croquettes with tomato and béchamel sauce or the kung pao style calamari with sweet peppers, soy and peanuts. Choose from salads (candied salmon with a mango vegetable slaw), lots of seafood dishes (Scottish salmon with smoked paprika and cauliflower couscous, day boat scallops), steaks, chops and pastas like gnocchi with chicken, spinach, bacon, walnuts and Gorgonzola cream. The specialty martinis are seriously potent, so be careful when ordering up a second round. The wine list hits some good notes, mostly from well-chosen California producers.