One of the most innovative chefs in Los Angeles, Keith Roberts reins over the kitchen at Ocean and Vine, inside the famous Loews Hotel overlooking Santa Monica Beach. You dine facing one of the most beautiful views on the West Coast and on some spectacular dishes found no where else.
Chef Roberts creates contemporary California coastal cuisine from the freshest Farmers' Market fruits and vegetables, artisan cheeses and locally-caught seafood.
I was there with several other food writers to taste through his new winter menu.
And what an array. Kale chips dehydrated with sesame seeds and homemade hot sauce transforming the flavor and texture, lobster with shredded persimmon salad, an amazing match, maple seared Sonoma duck breast with acorn squash custard, wheat berry pilaf and pudwill farms black current glaze, pizza with smoked jalapenos, ranchero cheese, choriso sausage and pepperoni, warm beet sandwiches with goat cheese filling, mache lettuce, pear vinegar gastrique and walnut oil, steamed pacific blue mussels in Gewurztraminer garlic herb butter, Santa Monica chili made with seafood, cioppino lasagna, innovative sushi, swizzle stick appetizers that taste of fried wanton wrappers and ground chicken, acorn squash creme brulee, s'mores with fresh made marshmellow, home made breads including a cheese lavash and soft tomato bread servd with a delicious Hungarian red pepper pesto...who is this man?
Trained in rigorous French kitchens including the three star La Rive Gauche in Palos Verdes, he has taken his cuisine to new levels and cross cultural offerings that are as spectacular as they are tasty.
Chef Roberts is very personable and makes a point of coming to the dining room to greet the guests and chat at each table. When not in the restaurant you'll find him riding the waves. An avid surfer, he's traveled the world seeking the perfect wave. Hence the metaphor on his new winter menu (following).
Open Monday through Saturday for breakfast, lunch and dinner, 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Champagne and beer brunch buffet on the Sunday ($49), 1700 Ocean Avenue on the ocean side of Loews Hotel with sushi bar and patio dining with an unmatched view of Santa Monica Bay and the wide Pacific Ocean, 310-576-3180.
WINTER MENU:
FIRST WAVE
Calamari 15
Buttermilk Crust, Tamari Citrus Soy
Coastal Organics Vegetable and Burrata Salad 15
Roast Squash and Eggplant, Heirloom Tomato, Basil Oil
Carpaccio of Vintage® Prime Beef 15
California Raised Beef, Dijon, Parmesan Crisps
Santa Barbara Cauliflower N Cheese Soup 12
Grilled Truffle Cheese Crouton, Fried Onion Straws
Roast Tomato “Pizza” Soup 11
Pepperoni, Oven Browned Mozzarella Gratinee
COASTAL APPETIZERS
Steamed Pacific Blue Mussels 14
Gewürztraminer Garlic Herb Butter
Santa Monica Chili 17
Laughing Bird Shrimp, Baja Scallops, Lump Crab, Roast Garlic, Fava Beans
Charbroiled Carlsbad Aqua Farms Oysters 18
Green Chili Roast Pepper Butter, Cocktail Salsa
Seared Mano De Leon Scallops 18
Caramelized Pear, Pomegranate Molasses, Maggie Farms’ Tatsio, Wild Rice Popcorn
Malibu Platter 25
Pacific Luna Oysters, Shrimp Cocktail, King Crab Leg, Tuna Avocado Poke, Scotch Bonnet Cocktail Sauce
CALIFORNIA SALADS
Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Greens 13
Grilled Butternut Squash, Cranberry Vinaigrette, Maple Toasted Pecans, Camembert Fritter
Grilled Chicken Caesar 16
Roast Roma Tomato, Focaccia Croutons, Kalamata Olives, Shaved Parmesan
Warm Beet and Goat Cheese 16
Mache Lettuce, Pear Vinegar Reduction, Nogalera Ranch Walnut Oil
Pacific Lobster Persimmon Salad 19
Chilled Lobster, Tangy Spiced Persimmon Slaw
BRICK OVEN
House Smoked Salmon Flatbread 15
Boursin Cheese, Crispy Capers, Red Onions, Fennel Pollen, Energy Bee Honey Drizzle
Wild Mushroom Focaccia Toast 14
Caramelized Onion, Aged Monterey, Bacon Aioli
Thin Crust Pepperoni and Chorizo Pizza 13
House Smoked Jalapeños, Ranchero Cheese
Ocean and Vine Patio Herb Pizza 14
Asparagus Alfredo, Fresh Herbs from Chef’s Patio, Market Tomato, Hazelnuts, Bufalo Mozzarella
Beef Short Rib and Brie Pizza 16
Caramelized Onion, Pinot Noir, San Luis Obisbo Mushrooms
ENTREES
Vegan Tomato Fettuccine Parsnip Alfredo 26
Artichokes, Asparagus, Mushrooms, Sun Dried Tomato Ragout, Roast Garlic Parsnip Sauce
Tehachapi Roast Beet and Butternut Raviolis 26
Coastal Organics Winter Harvest, Sour Cream Aioli, Browned Butter, Parmesan
Chicken and Braised Kohlrabi 27
Weiser Family Farms Heirloom Potatoes and Carrots, Creamy Horseradish Broth
Chicken N Vine 29
Maple Peppered Bacon Braised Chicken Breast, Bordeaux Glaze, Clearwater Farms Mushrooms, Potatoes Anna
Sonoma Duck Breast 34
Maple Seared, Acorn Squash Custard, Wheat Berry Pilaf, Pudwill Farms Black Current Glaze
Winter Harvest Day Boat Scallops 36
Roast Pepper and Spinach Mashed Potatoes, Patio Herb and Tomato Ragout, Provencal Slaw
Tarragon Tiger Shrimp, Lobster Risotto 39
Sweet Imperial Valley Corn, Garden Peas, Fennel Pollen
Cioppino Lasagna 34
Silky Pasta Sheets, Pacific Ocean’s Catch, Shellfish, Crème Fraiche Gratin, Garlic Bread
California Vineyard Smoked Beef Tenderloin 39
Patio Herb Marinade, Sun Dried Tomato Risotto, Zucchini Chips, Garlic Glaze
SIMPLY GRILLED
Smoked Santa Monica Bay Red Snapper 26 Steelhead Salmon 27 California Local Sea Bass 29 12 oz. Prime Pork Chop 37 14 oz. Vintage® Prime New York Steak 49 Select the Sauce and Side Dish of your choice
SIDE DISHES
Pacific Lobster Mashed Yukon Potatoes 12 Grilled Asparagus, Chives, Almond Yogurt 9 Asparagus and Leek Risotto 9 Weiser Family Fingerling Potatoes, Caramelized Onion 8 Fairview Gardens’ Cauliflower White Cheddar Casserole 8 Finley Farms Butternut Squash, Candied Walnuts 7 Creamed Garlic Spinach 7 Sweet Potato Fries 7
SAUCES
Patio Herb Chardonnay Butter Persimmon Ginger Nage
Mello Farms Mushroom Dijon Ragout Carpenteria Yellow Tomato Wasabi BBQ Pomegranate Port Reduction
Green Peppercorn Cognac
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