The Gossiping Gourmet:

Drop-dead gorgeous! There’s just no other way to say it. Sitting in front of a huge picture window at sunset just after a rain, looking out at the ocean with the waves crashing — every attempt at description becomes a cliche.

The Studio at the Montage sits atop a cliff above the ocean in a spectacular spot with views up and down the coast. This Craftsman-style cottage with its high ceilings, beautiful woodwork, enormous windows and splendid floral displays is as beautiful as any restaurant in the world, while the food is exceptional and cutting-edge.

The reason for our visit was not an anniversary or a birthday but to sample the cuisine of the new chef, Craig Strong, who replaced James Boyce in June. Strong came to Laguna from the Langham in Pasadena, where from among his many culinary kudos, he received a star from Michelin and three stars from the Los Angeles Times.

Although there are no bad seats here, we had the perfect table right next to the window, facing Catalina, which instantly induced a mood of voluptuous contentment. A series of delicious amuse bouches reinforced this feeling of well-being and being well-fed.

A little mound of exquisitely fresh, Spanish mackerel tartare was positioned next to some finely cut rounds of Persian cucumbers. The tartare was delicate and creamy, sharpened with bright notes of lemon and zest. The crunchiness and saltiness of the cucumber provided a perfect foil for the fish.

These days, every high-end restaurant is serving mini cornets stuffed with tuna, but Strong has done them all one better — and then some. His brilliantly inventive mini-cone was made from oven-dried pineapple! The result was a sweet fruity crunchiness with overtones of caramel. Inside, for contrast was a dollop of very clean-tasting crab salad. The combination was superb and unique.

The third little appetite awakener was a bit of a disappointment: a blini with creme fraiche, chive and a bit of caviar. There was the merest hint of flavor from the caviar, and the blini was cold and soggy.

All this, and we hadn’t even begun our meal. We’ve made our position clear on foie gras in previous columns: We simply cannot pass it up.