No Cali trip is complete without a trip to the coastal beach city of Malibu in the Santa Monica Mountain region of Los Angeles County. Whether beachy, chic, or casual, whatever you crave, one can find it in Malibu. If your heart craves a Mediterranean climate with a laid-back feel, look no further. Head to Malibu! Make your first stop, Malibu Farm Restaurant, on the pier.
Malibu Farm Restaurant is a superb farm-to-table restaurant, which sits at the entrance of the Malibu Pier. Every visit is a delightful treat! My son ordered the colorful spotlight tacos trio during this early January lunch, consisting of three colorful flour tortillas, topped with sizzling skirt steak, butternut squash, and grilled chicken. The sizzling skirt steak taco contained radishes, pickled onion, cabbage, corn, black beans, cheese, and salsa Rojo. The butternut squash taco was filled with a combination of butternut and spaghetti squash, along with spicy habanero salsa, scrumptious. The chicken taco had a weird but oh so delicious combination of grilled chicken, shredded brussel sprouts, corn, cheese, black beans, with salsa verde on a colorful red tortilla. I ordered the Build your Own Fish Taco, and it was divine. Warning, the Build Your Own Fish Taco is a big plate. The plate arrives with a big, beautifully seared branzino fillet, shredded cabbage, cucumber tomato pico, pepper jack cheese, cilantro crema, and a grilled melody of carrots, broccoli, grilled fresh corn, and cauliflower served with three colorful fresh warm tortillas. Every morsel was scrumptious! To quench your thirst, try the fresh Mint Lemonade.
By the way, if you desire to sit above the waves directly on the ocean, head straight to the end of the pier and dine at the Malibu Farm Cafe. Both the restaurant and cafe are owned by founder/chef Helene Henderson, who farms some of the lovely beautiful, delicious vegetables that don the tables of both entities.
The atmosphere for both locations is casually relaxed, with a hint of upscale chic in the restaurant. The cafe is counter service and serves beer and wine with no reservations. The restaurant offers table service with full-service alcohol and accepts dinner reservations. Visit Malibu Farm at 23000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California.
