Good things are happening in Santa Monica.
But, let us be honest, only one thing really has your attention: Chef Vittorio Lucariello’s inspired new menu at Coast.
Actually, two things. See: the equally new wine list.
The latest food concept from Chef Vittorio highlights fresh, innovative flavors alongside returning classics like tortilla soup – a Coast favorite laden with avocado, chicken, and smooth jack cheese, complemented perfectly by sweeping vistas of Santa Monica Beach.
You will also find adventurous offerings like the Wild Isles salmon crudo with horseradish crème fraiche, orange, and dill – the most creative item on the menu, according to the chef, and “a raw form that truly allows the salmon’s flavors to shine.”
The influence behind the menu is one that longtime guests may already be familiar with. “Like Shutters,” says Chef Vittorio, “Coast is inspired by vacation towns up and down the Eastern seaboard – reminding us of summers traveling with our families, whiling away an afternoon on the shore, and enjoying the casual luxury of a lobster roll or a bowl of steamed mussels.”
That casual luxury is evident throughout the menu. But with so many choices, we know that deciding between the avocado toast and the ceviche is no easy task, which is why we asked Chef Vittorio for his personal recommendations complete with wine pairings. (The new wine list showcases exceptional, hard-to-find wines from brawny reds to crisp whites to rosé.)
Here are the chef’s top choices for your next outing in Santa Monica:
Grilled octopus with cannellini beans – Terlan Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige, Italy ’14
Spaghetti alle vongole – Antinori “Cervaro della Sala” Chardonnay/Grechetto, Umbria ’13
Crab Louie salad – Round Pond Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley ’15
As for his favorite dessert to tie it all together… you will just have to come by and see.
