Mark S. Mednansky, CEO of Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group, is opening Del Frisco’s Grille (1551 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica; 310.395.7333) in Santa Monica tomorrow. Del Frisco’s Grille Santa Monica is a new resto that is a combo of an American bar & grill atmosphere with upscale entrees, a large wine list & hand-crafted cocktails, and service that blew my mind. The Santa Monica location is the first for the company in Cali and the seventh location in the country.
Executive Chef Daniel Tiger will feature local ingredients and bold flavors alongside Del Frisco’s classic dishes. Some shareable offerings include: Wood Oven-Baked Flatbreads, Cheesesteak Egg Rolls and Ahi Tacos. I was lucky enough to sample these last night and they were fresh and delicious. The menu also has a selection of prime steaks (which I tried slider style…mouth watering), hearty salads, sandwiches as well as locally inspired dishes like the Blistered Shishito Peppers, Grilled Artichoke, West Coast Fish Tacos, and Steamed Brown Bag Fish with Santa Monica Farmers Market vegetables. Brunch at the Grille includes a Red Velvet Belgian Waffle as well as Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs with Chorizo Gravy.
The energetic bar at Del Frisco’s features craft cocktails with local ingredients. The wine list presents more than 300 wines carefully selected by Del Frisco’s Wine Director David O’Day and Sommelier, Adem Sash for the Santa Monica location available by the glass, carafe and bottle. You can enjoy a constantly evolving list of California wines like Caymus, Robert Foley, Checkerboard, Merry Edwards, Sandhi, Corra and Joseph Phelps, as well as wines from around the world. Local craft beers on draft and by the bottle are also available and reflect local breweries like Stone IPA, Long Coast Downtown Brown and Black Market Hefeweisen.
Del Frisco’s worked with SF Jones Architects to create a unique dining environment that has a sprawling patio overlooking Ocean Avenue with communal tables and an exhibition kitchen where guests can view the energy and excitement of the culinary staff.
Open Monday – Saturday, 11 am-11 pm and Sunday, 11 am-10 pm.
