Ivy at the Shore

The Ivy at the Shore will now always be remembered as the place where I ate my last meal wearing my "college student" title. My family invited the Nakagiri's to join us here in celebrating my graduation, which took place the next morning.

The Ivy at the Shore is for the most part similar to its Robertson counterpart sans the celebrity sightings and paparazzi mayhem out by the valet. This more quiet branch has a fabulous location across the Santa Monica boardwalk with the Pacific Ocean view that comes free of charge for hungry diners who are willing to pay Ivy prices. (We didn't mind :P) The covered front patio is outdoor friendly if you want to eat in the midst of the ocean breeze or alongside the Ocean Avenue pedestrians. This upscale beach hang-out if you will is dressed in floral decor, pink, green and yellow hues, tropical inspired tableware and wicker chairs; homey Hawaiian resort style? Kind of.

The Ivy serves big plates - big servings - for big appetites! Although the restaurant is very sophisticated, the food is comfort-driven done extremely well. Yes, sophisticated comfort food :) The caprese and the crab cakes were popular appetizers that were good enough to share while still leaving room for an entree. Lobster was well-liked making its debut in two forms on the table: ravioli & risotto. Halibut, swordfish - in the tacos - and grilled shrimp - on the salad - also made its way onto the plates. The only "on land", as opposed to underwater, meal was the steak frites plus mash... Gosh that's a lot to eat on one plate. I take that back, dessert was not from the underwater category; everyone got the much raved about berry cobbler that my dad was prefacing during dinner. If paradise could scooped from a bowl, I think I got myself a little taste of it already. Ok enough about the food, everything I talked about is pictured below. Bon apetit!