Sapphire Laguna, 1200 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA, (949) 715-9888. sapphirellc.com

Laguna Beach, California--Sapphire Laguna offers an elegantly casual Southern California setting with unique lighting, comfortable seating, and a great bar area that's often buzzing.

Desserts are exactly what you would expect from an award-winning chef! Don't skip them because they are worth every calorie!

Shown is a favorite that has been on the menu probably as long as the restaurant opened. It could be off the menu when you arrive, so be sure to call if you are counting on it. The restaurant will tell you if it is available. \

White Peach Melba Crème Brulee Raspberry Sorbet is an amazing blend of fruits that play off each other in what wouldn't actually work so well without the the Peach Melba. Containing double the richness of color as a many brulee dishes we've sampled, the peach melba lifts an ordinary vanilla, eggs, and cream dish right up and makes it an integral part of the raspberry sorbet. The sorbet is colorful, light and full of raspberry flavor and could easily be a stand alone--by why should it? When someone is clever enough to create a brulee that highlights sorbet, the results are not your normal dessert "goodbye", but more of memory or grand finale any good screen writer will create to get the audience applaud and cheerfully look forward to their next encounter with that creator.

A nice touch on the dessert menu in addition to Banana Fosters Bread Pudding, and Lemon Cheesecake is a plate of 4 artisanal cheeses selected from the pantry offerings sold next door. The chef is such a cheese connoisseur that he created an annual cheese award. And for that alone, we love him. We haven't checked out the adjoining cheese shop offerings but look forward to discovering if is compares to Beverly Hills Cheese Shop, one of the best in California!

Lunch is served between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and dessert is available during lunch menu.

Intermezzo is an afternoon 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. menu allowing guests to drop by and eat on their own schedule. It is ideal for those who work late and don't get up till 10 - 11 a.m. each day. It is a global cuisine menu with approx. 5 items, including the hearty Kobe burger.

Dinner is served at 5:30 nightly and offers several fish items, ribs, lamb, and chicken, plus special plates.

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