Valentine's by the beach

    “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air...”

                                                                                         - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Anyone who knows me can tell you how much I love getting dressed up. I'm the type of person to mandate a dress code (actually requiring dresses be worn) at my wine & cheese parties just to find an excuse to wear one of the many dresses in my repertoire. But sometimes, casual is the way to go.



Valentine's Day can be pretty hectic. Going out for dinner is great and all but dealing with the long waits and the crowds is just not my idea of a good time. Plus, I get hangry, which is not fun for anyone involved. So, my boyfriend, knowing me as well as he does, opted to take me out for a casual seafood lunch by the beach. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

If you live near Malibu, I'm sure you've been to Malibu Seafood before. Just off PCH, it's the perfect hangout and the food is awesome (although, mostly fried) and there's even a fresh fish market attached to the restaurant.

menu (duh)

We got there RIGHT before the huge line formed.

Clam chowder bread bowl

Here's our feast in order from favorite to not:

• Clam chowder - The clam flavor is prominent but not overpowering in the least. The balance of flavors and ingredients was awesome - equal parts potato and clam chunks, perfectly creamy consistency, and perfect seasoning. 

Fish & Chips

• Fish & Chips - The fish was HUGE. They came in 2 or 3 to an order and we mistakenly opted for 3... It was too much for us. The pieces were about 1x1.5 inches thick and 5 inches long. The crust was crispy and not too thick. It was definitely way more fish than coating and towards the end I just took the coating off and ate the fish itself. The tartar sauce was great too. I just wish we had lemon wedges...

Scallop Ceviche

• Scallop Ceviche - I guess I'm a little biased when it comes to ceviche. I was expecting shrimp and fish, not really scallops. I'm not the biggest scallop fan. Plus, I prefer ceviches that are citrusy. This was tomato-based and kind of... sweet. Not my favorite, but I enjoyed it once I got over the fact that it wasn't what I was expecting.

View of the patio area (we sat in the upper portion)

Our entire meal

• Fried Oysters - Another thing that ended up differently than expected. I was hoping they'd be fresh oysters. Fried are not my favorite. The coating slightly overpowered the oyster taste, although the oyster flavor was still noticeable. I just wanted more! But, again, if you're looking for and expecting fried oysters, these are keepers!

view from our table

We followed up lunch with a nap on the sand. It was honestly everything I wanted and the perfect dose of home I needed to get over my Polar Vortex-induced depression.

Now the countdown to March 7th, when I get to go back to California, begins...

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