Farm to Table California Cuisine Shines at the Montage Laguna Beach

Chef Craig Strong breathes new life into hotel dining.

Five-star hotel property Montage Laguna Beach is beloved for its spacious hotel rooms, sprawling views, and unbeatable service. While those attributes often lend themselves to impeccable food service, it might not always translate into the most creative of cuisines. But Executive Chef Craig Strong of the property’s five-star Studio Restaurant is changing that misconception and reinventing the definition of California cuisine.

Strong has been at the helm of Studio since 2009, with a deep background in French and Spanish cuisines, having worked as the Sous Chef for The Newport Room at the Hotel Arts in Barcelona. Since that unforgettable experience, Strong became passionate about Mediterranean cuisine, he told The Daily Meal. His food philosophy now continues to have a heavy emphasis on cooking with ingredients like olive oil, fresh seafood and fragrant herbs which he grows on the restaurant’s own herb garden. Continue