The new neighborhood eatery Lana has opened on Highway 101 in Solana Beach, serving up fresh California cuisine in an upscale yet laid-back setting using a name that pays tribute to its beachside home. Owners and industry veterans Travis LeGrand and Mark Wheadon partnered up on the new venture in the Beachwalk shopping center, replacing the longtime California Pizza Kitchen.
David McIntyre, an acclaimed chef and culinary consultant, is serving as the consulting executive chef, doing his first project in the United States after spending over 14 years in London. According to a press release, he was excited to craft a menu that takes advantage of the best of Southern California’s produce and seafood. Standout dishes include local halibut ceviche, wild mushroom tagliatelle, prime beef steak tartare, and baked Mt. Tam cheese appetizer from Cowgirl Creamery, an homage to McIntyre’s favorite baked Camembert from London.
The interiors of the longtime restaurant were completely reimagined by Workind Studio, featuring a main dining area with cherry and walnut wood finishes and upholstered booths, set around a central bar. The bar’s lounge area connects to an outdoor patio.
While the restaurant got an extensive remodel, they kept the CPK’s wood-fired pizza oven to play around with. The menu includes fire-roasted jumbo Baja prawns, organic half chicken and flatbreads like fennel sausage flatbread with scamorza, pickled chili, scallions and oregano.
Brunch service will launch July 12 with plates such as huevos rancheros, grilled flat iron steak and eggs, and tres leches brioche French toast.
Lana’s California-centric wine list draws on Wheadon’s expertise in the wine industry, spotlighting small, sustainable producers from the Central Coast, Napa, and Sonoma, focusing on grapes that are farmed regeneratively and organically whenever possible, according to the news release. Bar Manager Brandon Curry has developed a beverage program with classics like the Lana espresso martini and inventive combinations with fun names such as the Piper No!, a mix of vodka, kumquat, mango and lemon.
Lana will be open Wednesday through Sunday for dinner from 4-10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday for brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Happy Hour runs Wednesday through Friday from 4-5:30 p.m. (dining room opens at 5 p.m), and a Moonlight Happy Hour will be launching soon. Lana is located at 437 South Highway 101, Solana Beach. Check out the menu at lanasb.com/menu
