Café In Paradise: New Urth Location Opens in Laguna Beach
by Isabella Shary
Southern California is the Mecca of diverse and delicious foods, so it’s no surprise that the celebrity-frequented (Kendall Jenner, Justin Bieber, and Emma Roberts!) hotspot Urth Caffé has expanded its Los Angeles County-based chain of restaurants to Laguna Beach with its newest addition: Urth Caffé at the Cottage.
“We fell in love with Laguna and we had been looking to go there for a long time,” said owner Shallom Berkman. “We just kept looking and we were fortunate to get the best spot.” In fact, the spot the Berkmans picked happens to be more than just beautiful — it’s the oldest building in Laguna Beach. What started off as a home to a real estate developer in 1917 became Laguna Vista Café before finally becoming The Cottage in the 1960s, which it has operated as until the Berkmans bought it. As tribute to the historical landmark, the restaurant will be coined Urth Caffé at the Cottage.
On September 20, owners Shallom and Jilla Berkman welcomed longtime supporters and guests with a private event at the new location before opening it up to the general public. As the red ribbon was cut, it became the sixth addition to the list of Urth Caffés in SoCal and the first one based in Orange County.
Upon entering the event, guests had the opportunity to explore the renovated spot. The outside patio housed tables and chairs for guests to people-watch and try a selection of samples including Bavarian fruit tarts, Portobello paninis, and Spanish Lattes. The inside, while cleared of tables to accommodate the large number of visitors, was on full display with its décor consisting of stained glass windows, hardwood flooring, a wooden cabinet to house the diverse selection of teas offered, and a turquoise-tiled fireplace.
To give it a true nostalgic aesthetic, the design of the restaurant has been restored to how it looked in 1917; the front porch and stairs outside were reconfigured so that the original wooden designs were exposed and the interior design houses the original wood fixtures. The team even hired project historian Jan Ostashay to find original, historic aerial photographs and plans of the location from 1917 and 1920 to make it look as authentic as possible. Berkman added, “[Ostashay] knew where we would find a lot of the actual ornaments and pieces…it was like a treasure hunt”.
After guests mingled, husband and wife Shallom and Jilla Berkman gave speeches, along with members of the design team, Laguna Beach mayor Bob Whalen, and the owners’ eldest daughter Golda Berkman, who commended her parents’ hard work and praised her mother, saying she “takes the old things and she makes them new”. Her father, Shallom, echoed this by stating “[Jilla]’s the visionary and I am the nagger”. Promptly after, people in Chinese dragon costumes filed into the patio as the drums roared on; as Urth Caffé was financed by the Chinese business East West Bank, it was a sign of good luck for the venture. Guests were even encouraged to place red envelopes filled with money into the dragons’ mouths. After these festivities, daughter Golda Berkman performed a few operatic pieces as the Dream Orchestra played along.
And if the appeal of a fine day in Laguna is not enough, this location will also be the only one with an on-site chef serving an exclusive selection of American breakfast items (another tribute to The Cottage), such as French toast crusted with organic corn flake, gluten-free organic white corn pancakes, and potato latkes which can be served with poached eggs, salmon, or pot roast.
So the next time you’re down in Laguna Beach exploring 1000 Steps Beach or visiting the Sawdust Festival, head into the cozy Urth Caffé at the Cottage and grab yourself a Spanish Latte and the delicious double chocolate and pistachio croissant.
Urth Caffé at the Cottage can be found at 308 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach.
Reach Contributor Isabella Shary here.
