Restaurants

Ah, Malibu! It’s one of the most upscale, yet completely mellow and casual beach towns in Southern California. One restaurant that perfectly encapsulates the dual nature of Malibu is Geoffrey’s, right off Pacific Coast Highway. A meal here is accompanied by some of the best views a restaurant can have.

Pull into the driveway and parking lot of Geoffrey’s Malibu, and you know you’re getting a special meal. A valet will quickly take care of you, parking your car carefully amid a sea of shining BMWs, Mercedes, Audis and even a Bentley or two. These mega-deluxe autos belie what awaits inside: Jeans, t-shirts, and California casual attire along with a relaxed, happy atmosphere. Geoffrey’s reflects Malibu in other ways, as well. Subtle mirrors panel the rear wall, bringing the ocean views from the front to everyone (reflects Malibu, get it? Well, I like it anyway). There isn’t a “bad table” in the restaurant. Read More »

Much of the time, choosing a restaurant is a simple mathematical formula for me: I had Mexican Saturday, a hamburger on Sunday, and so it’s time for Italian on Monday. My destination this evening is Johnson Street and Hollywood’s Broadwalk — add the two and you find yourself checking out the menu posted at Florio’s of Little Italy. (Apparently it’s the former Angelo’s Corner now under new ownership, but tourists rarely catch on to nuances like this.)

Delicious gnocchi on the beach

To be honest, I never actually read that menu. My eyes hadn’t adjusted to my glasses yet when Cassidy, a red-headed waiter looking as un-Italian as you can, aggressively invited me to have a seat and he’d provide top-notch service. Well, the rule about formula dinners is not to waste too much energy on the decision, so I sat down in the plastic chair at an outdoor table where I could see the ocean and the families passing by on the Broadwalk.

True to his word, Cassidy acted more like I was dining in a candlelit corner and paying prices twice as high. (Shhh, don’t tell my husband, but you could also call the banter between us flirting. <grin>) I knew I would have left overs but I ordered the bowl of pasta fagioli along with a serving of gnocchi because I was on a business trip and you tend to get more careless about dollars under these circumstances. Besides, I had plenty to entertain between watching kids play in Charnow Park and ride their rented bicycles up and down the sidewalk. And always, there’s that ocean in motion to add ambiance.

The Broadwalk view

So I truly wasn’t expecting great food, just something edible. Which is probably how that first spoonful of pasta fagioli blew my socks off. I thought nothing could top Olive Garden when it comes to my favorite soup, but Florio’s sure schooled me in what a stupid assumption that was. And the gnocchi — homemade, covered in cream sauce and spiced with pine nuts and basil. It was the far more flavorful (and fancy) than I was expecting from a shorts and tank top kind of place.

If this is what simple math gets you, I really should have knuckled down to conquer algebra.

Florio’s of Little Italy

200 Garfield St.

Hollywood, FL

954-925-0004

Photography: Julie Sturgeon

I love easy Sunday mornings, especially Sunday mornings at the beach.

A walk on the beach and the smell of the ocean stir up some great hunger pangs and I found a perfect place to go in Encinitas to sate those pangs, Le Papagayo.

The outside looks a little like a surf shack with a small patio, which was full when we walked up. Inside, the hostess sat our party of 8  with ease and started us off with coffee and bloody Marys and warned the kiddies that the OJ is super pulpy, they chose milk.

There were so many plates on the breakfast menu that looked good, it was difficult to choose. I went with the breakfast burrito while my husband had the chilaquiles, another friend ordered the eggs Benedict and everything looked fantastic. The Armando’s special was a big hit with the kids, the pancake was super yummy and the amount of food was perfect for my two boys to split.

The breakfast burrito was delicious with the perfect balance of ingredients. The eggs were perfectly scrambled and the cheese perfectly melted. An additional plus in the burrito, the potatoes were soft and warm. They reminded me of the perfect hash brown potato, boiled the night before and then chilled in the refrigerator. Perfect fluffy softness the next day, however you choose to use it.

My burrito was excellent, but I was a little jealous of my husbands chilaquiles. If you’ve never had them, Le Papagayo is the perfect place to try them out. Eggs, corn tortillas, cheddar cheese and ranchero sauce perfectly mixed with a side of black beans and salsa.

YUM!

The rest of the menu looks excellent as well and I can’t wait to go back and try something new plus, the great service was an excellent accompaniment to a delicious meal.

Le Papagayo
www.lepapagayoleucadia.com
1002 North Coast HWY 101
Encinitas, CA 92024

Photo Credit – Le Papagayo