Sorrento Grille to Close Next Month; Will Become The Common Table

Going against the tide of recent restaurant openings (or restaurants soon-to-open), the Sorrento Grille, a regular on Laguna Beach's foodie scene for the past 23 years, will be closing next month, August 31.

No reason was given for the shuttering, according to the Register's Nancy Luna, but the space on the corner of Glenneyre and Mermaid won't be vacant for long—it's scheduled to reopen in September as The Common Table, reported to be aiming for a younger demographic.

For a spell in the '90s, Sorrento was owned by the onetime Golden Boy of Orange County restaurants, David Wihelm, at least until his company, Culinary Adventures, filed for bankruptcy three years ago. Wilhelm's ex-wife Nancy has had success in Laguna with and the recently-opened Starfish.

If you want the real scoop about Wilhelm, you might want to check out the reader comments after clicking to the Register story—they're a hoot! Feel free to add yours to our story below on Patch.