The Gossiping Gourmet:

Reaching ever closer to a state of bliss, Nirvana Grille keeps refining and expanding its menu in pursuit of perfection. Executive Chef Lindsay Rosales watches over her two restaurants, one here in Laguna and the other in Mission Viejo, with a careful eye. Her partner and husband, Luis, creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere as soon as you walk in the door. In fact the entire wait staff is friendly and accommodating, making for a very pleasant dining experience. Exemplifying that geniality was our waitress, Danielle, who happens to be a family member, namely Lindsay’s sister.

The food is contemporary American cuisine with an emphasis on organic ingredients. They also feature an ample selection of vegetarian dishes.

Good bread (hot and crusty) always puts us in a happy mood, and Nirvana’s rolls fit the bill. Our mood was elevated a bit more when we discovered that on Tuesday nights, there is a 20% discount for locals. They also have a nightly happy hour with 50% off the dinner menu served in the communal and bar areas. Orders must be in the kitchen by 5:59 p.m. On Thursday, they feature two pre-fixe dinners, with three courses for $30 or $40.

We began with the seafood trio appetizer: a crab cake with corn salad, two scallops atop a butternut squash risotto cake and a large shrimp on warm lentils. Their crab cakes are slightly spicy and very well seasoned with a creamy interior and a super crisp, thin crust. The sprinkling of fresh corn kernels provided a nice textural contrast. The shrimp was sweet and tender, while the lentils were extremely flavorful and very rich. We could not have eaten more of them, but we savored every bite. Least interesting were the scallops.

A vegetarian trio includes a portabello mushroom stuffed with goat cheese, a creamy gratin of parsnip turnip, Yukon gold potatoes and leeks and a butternut squash risotto cake.

There’s also a carnivorous trio with lamb, filet and chicken.

The grilled romaine salad had just a hint of smokiness. Caramelized onions, chopped tomatoes, creamy goat cheese and a few pine nuts drizzled with olive oil topped the leaves. A very nice balsamic vinaigrette was served on the side. We felt the olive oil drizzle made the salad too greasy and prevented the tasty dressing from coating the ingredients.