A New Steakhouse and a Unique Yoga Studio Coming

Steaks and yoga are on the menu in this week's L.N. Biz Briefs.

New Steakhouse at The Ritz

enoSTEAK is the newest addition to ’s culinary line-up under the direction of Executive Chef Andres Jimenez.

enoSTEAK is an intimate steakhouse featuring prime and grass-fed, pasture-raised beef, accompanied by organic produce that is locally grown and harvested at the peak of the season. enoSTEAK also highlights artisanal cheeses, charcuterie and a large selection of fine wines. enoSTEAK is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m.

“I am excited to announce the opening of enoSTEAK which increases the great offerings we have at the resort and provides a new dining experience to the local area,” said Bruce Brainerd, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. “We are fortunate to be in a rich growing region and are thrilled to be able to support our local farmers and offer sustainability-focused cuisine.”

enoSTEAK is all about fresh ingredients of the highest quality. Everything is sourced from farms within 150 miles from the resort. The majority of the herbs are gathered from the resort’s organic garden. The prime beef is from Niman Ranch, the chicken is Jidori, which means “chicken of the earth.” All of the fish is sustainable and either farm raised or pole/troll caught.

Yoga/Art Gallery Under One Roof 

Husband and wife duo, Denise and Eric Antonini, are launching a new yoga studio and art gallery concept in Laguna Niguel called You and the Mat. It will open its doors at the Laguna Design Center on June 25 for regular classes and will offer other events throughout the year.  

They chose Laguna Niguel because they wanted to create a studio that was accessible to the community at large which meant more space and more parking.  

"A friend told us about the new  and suggested we look for a location close by. It was by chance that we ended up at the Laguna Design Center, " said Eric. "We were driving by one night and I saw these great open spaces at the LDC, exactly what we would be needing."

Construction of the former 2,700-square-foot furniture showroom is almost complete.  

"We left the 15-foot ceilings exposed and built walls to divide the space into a main yoga studio gallery which looks out at a courtyard, a more intimate yoga room for private practice, meditation, and an inviting community reception area for guests to enjoy a cup of tea or conviviality," he said. "We are able to accomodate 50 people comfortably and more than 100 at capacity in our main room for classes."

He said they designed the space to instill a feeling of calm as you enter the door. Neutral, earth-tones and elements create a clean look and relaxing feel.

"We built the space with the environment in mind and used a contemporary grey bamboo flooring. The material comes from well managed, rapidly renewable forests, independently certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council," he said. "It's a floating floor without any glues over a 1/4-inch underlayment of recycled rubber to make it easier on the joints.  We used an art gallery white, NO VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paint throughout the space."

Just about all of the furniture was made using reclaimed wood or eco-friendly materials including reclaimed Douglas Fir from an old barn in North Carolina, Kirei (derived from the stalks of the sorghum plant), and coconut palm.    

"We are introducing a brand new yoga and art experience," he said. "This is a passion project for us both and we wanted to incorporate our personal loves into our new business venture, and highlight the crossover between the arts.  

"A well thought out yoga class can really demonstrate the art of movement and it seemed natural to feature artists in our studio gallery that create yoga-inspired art, including photography, sculpture, paintings, drawings and music," he said. "It is a great way to celebrate beauty in the world and inspire people."  

It was also important for them to create a space ideal for workshops so that master teachers that typically travel to L.A. or N.Y. could come to Orange County.

"We are looking to create access to yoga, for instructors in the area, those who practice yoga, and those who have yet to discover yoga. We want to pass on the tradition of yoga because everyone can benefit," he said.

In addition, instructors have been hand-picked for their expertise and ability to connect with their students to offer a personalized experience for everyone who walks into class. On average, they have practiced yoga for 12 years and have been teaching for 7 years, he said.