230 Forest

LAGUNA BEACH. Suave and sophisticated, this California-style seafood restaurant attracts Orange County's elite, all clamoring to be part of the scene, whether in the sleek martini bar or at one of the handsomely dressed tables in the main dining room. The menu is known for being as contemporary as the decor. Indeed, starter plates may include anything from ahi tuna tartare with whole-grain mustard to butternut squash soup with clover honey crème fraiche. From there, the true feast begins, and chef Marc Cohen's exceptional entrées are headlined by macadamia nut-crusted mahi-mahi with mango slaw, blue and black seared peppercorn Hawaiian ahi, and blackened swordfish with carrot ginger syrup.