We first went to Maro Wood Grill last year around this time, and we loved the restaurant’s fresh, straightforward, delicious Argentinian food. We returned last night, and two things happened. First, the food was still delicious. We had, and recommend, the roasted, salty, gingery edamame, the empanada sampler, the roast chicken, the skirt steak, the mint ice cream brownie, and the bread pudding. Note that you can order a roast chicken picnic to take out, and I think you should. The beach is only a block away.

Second, we walked into the restaurant and realized that they’ve expanded its footprint by enclosing a bit of the area in front in a sturdy, clear tent. It’s completely weatherproof, and can be cooled/heated as needed, but it counts as a patio — and the couple at the next table was accompanied by their two Cocker Spaniels. Kicking myself for not bringing Chloe along, I asked if I could take a picture, and the couple kindly agreed. Sadly, I took three of the worst pictures anyone has ever taken with an iPhone. Here’s the best of the bunch, and it’s wretched:

You’ll have to take my word for it that Molly and Buddy are beautiful Cocker Spaniels — Molly’s eyes caught the flash in a dreadful way, so all I’m letting you see are her lovely nose and paws.

The only saving grace is that you can see most of Buddy, the bowl of water the restaurant brought for them, and their mom’s adorable shoes, which I totally didn’t notice at the time. Molly and Buddy’s people travel extensively with them, and alternate between homes in Wisconsin and Laguna Beach. I so appreciate their patience with me, and with this horrible photo!

Actually, a third thing happened too: We were positively cosseted by the servers. Perhaps it’s because we were with locals (who assure us that we also need to try the mahi-mahi, and the gnocchi that are served on the 29th of every month), but I think it’s just because the servers there are utter sweethearts. Here’s a picture of the patio from our table, looking (what was my problem?!) nowhere near as inviting as it does in real life:

And here’s the restaurant’s interior, from the patio:

Maro Wood Grill
1915 South Coast Highway
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
T: 949-793-4044
Serving lunch & dinner Tues-Sun