Michelin chef Josiah Citrin on Santa Monica’s best restaurants
Heading to Santa Monica? This Michelin-starred chef has some top tips about his home town.
The “rock star” description amply fits two-star Michelin chef Josiah Citrin, a 25-year veteran of the Santa Monica dining scene. His cuisine marries his early formal training with a boho playfulness forged in Santa Monica’s skate and surf culture. “French cuisine is my foundation, mixed with the badass artiness of my hometown,” he says.
Citrin grew up immersed in the surfing culture of 1970s and 80s but also exposed to his mother’s top-notch culinary skills.
“My mum had a great palate and taught Hollywood producers’ wives how to cook. Her legendary tabouli had just the right amount of acidity and herbs. I grew up exposed to delicious roasted hams and her legendary honey baked chicken. I liked to help out, but my early passion was surfing; I was a typical latchkey kid out on the streets.”
He recalls the burgeoning chef scene of the 1980s in the Californian city, when the likes of Wolfgang Puck opened Chinois on Main.
“Back then, continental French cuisine defined fine dining and I have French heritage, so my first years of chef training led me to Paris. That obsessive focus on technique and perfecting sauces is the bedrock of what I do.”
Citrin’s skills and irreverence are both on show at his astonishing Chef’s Table at 14-seat dining room Melisse. Music by The Rolling Stones and The Doors conjure a hedonistic dinner-party atmosphere, as the handsome maitre d’ – who looks like a cast member of Hair with a Reservoir Dogs wardrobe – delivers dishes on china embossed with classic vinyl LPs.
Citrin’s culinary mission is “amazing technique, attention to detail, quality produce”, with exquisite plating to match. Droplets of kaluga caviar glitter like jewels on an aji tart of yuzu kosho. Orange tomato soup is poured at table on to strawberry sorbet, enveloping its cool sweetness in creamy savouriness. Strips of spiny lobster, served with golden Osetra caviar and lobster bisque froth, are paired with the gingerbread toastiness of Krug’s Brut Grand Cuvee champagne.
Citrin radiates intensity in a floor-length white apron and layers of glittering beads, as the voice of Joe Cocker rasps on the speakers. It’s LA luxury with a rock ’n’roll twist.
My wishlist
I enjoy nice hotels. I use Amex Platinum Card points to book from Amex’s Fine Hotels and Resorts selection. They are more expensive, but you get early check-in, upgrades, breakfast, and $US100 ($154) credit. The last one I stayed in added a free ride to the airport and 4pm check-out, which is fantastically relaxing the next day. I have surfed in Hawaii since I was a kid, and go back every year to attend the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival. I like to combine the natural beauty of Maui with a couple of days at Waikiki Beach, which has great luxury shopping with no 8 per cent US sales tax. On my bucket list next is trying the classical Normandy cuisine at Plenitude in the Cheval Blanc hotel in Paris.
Cheers to Augie
My son Augie passed away, so I wear his stone necklaces and guitar pick in tribute. He was so stylish ... I have a tree frog tattoo to honour him, because he loved them, with the words “cheers to that”, something he always said. Some people have a shorter time in the world, but remain because you always think about them. I named (chicken restaurant) Augie’s On Main after my son. I wanted to serve wonderful casual food, and his portrait overlooks everything. You’ll find a delicious burger, my panko-crusted “dirty” Jidori chicken, and the best fried chicken sandwich in Santa Monica.
Where to shop
Walking the stalls of the Santa Monica farmers market each Wednesday is my therapy. It was one of the first farmers markets in America. The produce is fresh, seasonal, and grown well – everything Californian cuisine is prized for. The tomatoes, green beans, zucchini and squash are world class. One week a particular farmer will have the first picking of a crop and the taste is mind blowing; two weeks later I’ll find the season’s pick at another stall. I hunt for the best possible ingredients so we can cook the best food. It has fantastic prepared food stalls.
Best place to stay
One of my favourite hotels here is The Proper Hotel, which has an awesome coastal design, a cool vibe and great cocktails on the rooftop pool deck, so you can see the Pacific sunset. It’s a perfect base. You can cruise along the buzzy shops of Main Street, hang out on the beach, and hike in Santa Monica Canyon. The Chestnut Club nearby has an excellent bourbon and tequila collection in a low-lit venue. You can try our Midnight margaritas at all my venues, made with charcoal tequila.
Where to dine
Melisse is designed to be a one-of-a-kind yet unstuffy fine dining experience; my larger sister venue Citrin is chic, fun, everyday dining. Our beef is California ribeye; lobster bolognese and egg caviar are signature dishes. Since the mid-80s’ California cuisine boom, Santa Monica has evolved into a high-end beach community and culinary destination. I love lunch at Lunetta, my good friend Raphael Lunetta’s place. It serves rustic Cali cuisine and locally roasted coffee. Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois is still on Main Street and Chez Jay is a local institution. They have a swordfish alla Josiah there (named after another chef called Josiah). Mexican street food dominates — there are good tacos everywhere.
How I pack
I like fashion so I pack a lot. I usually buy a new suitcase en route because I shop as well. It’s novel for me to travel to the East Coast because I get to wear layers and shoes in cooler weather. I dress comfortably but not down — you’ll never catch me in sweatpants outdoors. Even with lie-flat seats on a flight, I dress well and hang my jacket. I always take Brunello Cucinelli cashmere sweaters in black; they are light, easy to put on, and perfect when the plane gets chilly.
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