Amar Santana was executive chef at Charlie Palmer in South Coast Plaza before taking over Laguna Beach’s former Five Feet space to open Broadway by Amar Santana, a pricey New American serving the likes of housemade charcuterie, roasted bone marrow with marinated anchovies and crisp seared duck breast with caramelized salsify; it’s set in a storefront made elegant with lots of marble, stainless steel and a very busy open kitchen, in which Santana holds court for diners who sit at the bar to watch the flames rise.
