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Saturday, May 28, 2011

On Santa Monica Beach and Blue Plate Oysterette

View from the Shangri la
Photo by myself at Arizona Street and Ocean Avenue, in Santa Monica, California.

The view from our hotel in Santa Monica is pretty incredible.

This was taken around 6 am today. The strip of green is a public park that overlooks the beach. The stately palm trees are typical of this area.

It's hard to tell from this viewpoint, but there is a huge drop between Ocean Avenue, the street directly below, and the beach. The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) runs along the beach, out of sight. There are beachfront properties that can just barely be seen.

To get between the beach and the main part of Santa Monica, there are a series of pedestrian bridges that span the PCH. Ascending the sheer cliffs are ramps or steps. I prefer the ramps, ha.

Walkway, Santa Monica
One of the sculptural walkways between the beach and the main portion of Santa Monica. Note the sheer cliffs in the background.

BP Oysterette
The bar at Blue Plate Oysterette looks into the open kitchen. The day's specials are written on chalkboards.

BP Oysterette
There is outdoor seating at BP Oysterette. The place seems to always be hopping.

My fiance Mark is in LA on business and I'm here for the long weekend. My parents also live out here, so it's been a nice, relaxing time. We are staying at a super cool hotel (more on that in a later post).

Mark and I had dinner on Thursday at Blue Plate Oysterette, a nicely decorated restaurant along Ocean Avenue. They have a great selection of raw oysters and seafood dishes.

Mark had the lobster roll, which was top notch. I had the bouillbaisse, which was divine. The soup part seemed thin at first but was utterly transformed after adding slices of buttered, crusty bread.

I just loved the interiors, which had the right balance of rustic and refined. The Blue Plate Oysterette is a smaller version of Blue Plate, another restaurant in Santa Monica.

Their website is as well-presented as the restaurant. To see it, click here.

Related posts: The Sunset View, from Malibu, Greetings from Santa Monica and California Dreamin'.

9 comments:

Luis Gomez said...

I have been to Santa Monica a couple of times. It is such a great place to eat, relax and people watching. Enjoy!

Wayne said...

I could use some CA sunshine about now.

I know Ocean Ave. well enough to guess that you might be staying at the Shangri-La. That's were I'd stay in Santa Monica if I could afford it.

Have you been to Hennessy + Ingalls yet?

Kitty said...

Ah, Luis, you know exactly what I mean!

Yes, relaxing is the key word. It feels like heaven (which makes me a little nervous, ha).

Hi Wayne and welcome!
Exactly. We are at the Shangri La. It's super-deluxe. I absolutely love the Art Deco vibe.

I was lounging at Hennessy + Ingalls for an hour yesterday trying to figure out what to buy! Then I left, feeling terrible about it but I will be back before our trip is out.

I absolutely love that store and would sleep there if I could. It is an art and architecture lover's nirvana.

Wayne said...

I had a feeling you'd be spending time at H+!. :-)

It's one of my favourite bookstores.

Lou said...

Well that was weird. I came here expecting more New York but found something unexpected. Though sometimes, I like surprises. Great pictures. :)

dianasfaria.com said...

Wow! Gorgeous view Kitty-only I am so envious, I want to be there! So, I am taking notes to plan a trip.
Really, this sounds wonderful, I hope you enjoy every minute.

RedPat said...

Love these shots - have never been to CA so it is great to see the seaside pics.

nycstylelittlecannoli said...

looks wonderful but the menu at the restaurant is great! I love seafood so I would be in total heaven! Hope you have a great holiday weekend!!

Banjo52 said...

Cool people take ramps.