Four Great Places to Eat in the O.C. 

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel

At just
27 years old, chef Marissa Gerlach has taken the Ritz’s Raya restaurant into
creative “comfort food” territory, serving an assortment of tacos (like smoked
swordfish with pickled chilies and mango salsa, and pork belly with habanero
coleslaw and kabayaki). Chefs partner with local purveyors and fisherman on
menu selections, and following the farm-to-table trend, the outdoor kitchen
garden just past the pool provides produce and herbs to punctuate the menu.
While the garden is too small to serve the 109-seat restaurant, that lemongrass
in your cocktail was likely grown out back.  (www.ritzcarlton.com)