Thursday, July 25, 7:00 P.M.
Members $95, guests $120

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel is what dreams are made of. The resort, which sits on a 150-foot bluff with panoramic white-water views of the Pacific, offers every amenity imaginable, and is imbued with a quiet, comfortably elegant air that makes guests feel utterly pampered and completely at ease all at once. To say anything more would be cruel and heartless: Laguna Niguel is 3,000 miles away, and not getting closer anytime soon. But we will go into great detail about the food served there—food that Cigar Monthly called "world class Mediterranean cuisine, sublime"—because the Laguna Niguel chefs are coming to cook for us, and that's a dream come true.

Yvon Goetz will be leading the Laguna Niguel team. Born and raised in Strasbourg, France, Goetz attended the city's Hotel and Culinary School before going on to work at some of the world's best restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Dorchester Hotel in London under Anton Mosimann. After spending five years abroad, Goetz returned to Strasbourg to train with Emile Jung at the famed Michelin three-star Le Crocodile. In 1991, he joined The Ritz-Carlton, Boston, then moved on to open the company's Aspen outpost. Since 1995, he's been at the Laguna Niguel property, where his hard work and talent have earned the restaurant AAA Five-Diamond status, as well as a Wine Spectator award and Top Table recognition by Gourmet. Dishes such as his lamb medallions with cannellini beans, roasted eggplant, and red pepper essence reflect the simplicity of his cuisine, and a sure, steady hand in the kitchen. The locals couldn't be more pleased. According to the Los Angeles Times, "Yvon Goetz, whose cooking is self-assured and faultlessly accomplished, is Alsace's gift to Orange County."

Laguna Niguel's executive sous-chef, Robert Wilson, will also be on hand at the Beard House. The California native learned to flip an egg when he was just five years old and has been enamored with cooking ever since. As a teenager, he worked at the Chart House in Dana Point, then was tapped by management to open a sister restaurant in Colorado. After graduating from the CIA, Wilson signed on with the Surf and Sand Hotel in Laguna Beach before heading up his own place, Cervino's. In 1997 he made the move to Laguna Niguel, where he has been a fundamental part of a stellar kitchen team, one that includes, of course, pastry chef Jean-François Lehuede. The French-born Lehuede completed his apprenticeship and received his Master Certificate in Pastry while still in his teens. He went on to work at Le Pré Catalan in Paris before signing on with Mandarin Oriental Hotels in Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. He stayed for five years, then joined the Laguna Niguel staff early in 2001.

Together, Goetz, Wilson, and Lehuede will be pulling out all the stops for a positively divine culinary extravaganza, which showcases California's favorite fruit—the avocado. Go ahead, pinch yourself…you're not dreaming.

This event will take place at the Beard House, 167 West 12th Street. For reservations, call (212) 627-2308.