Restaurant: Mon Ami
Location: 1541 Ocean Ave Suite 150, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (424) 645-5550
Date: July 29, 2023
Cuisine: 2020s American? Some Levantine influences?
Rating: Tasty, nice courtyard
I’ve eaten in this space as several restaurants — it appears to be cursed due to its hidden courtyard location.
From the website:
Mon Ami is the true Mediterranean experience, with an emphasis of a variety of culinary dishes and spices and inspired spirits with an enhanced flair attached to it from several countries located on or by the Mediterranean Sea such as Spain, Greece, Italy, France, Morocco, & many more with a lot of their food curated and selected from the local Santa Monica Farmers Market. Mon Ami also offers the music and ambiance of the Mediterranean to really make you feel like you’ve escaped away while at our venue.
This is a weird space, hard to see from Ocean Ave, but very clubby. The courtyard is cute.
We had a booth inside here. The space was 41 Ocean long ago. I’ve eaten here as several different things.
The menu.
Mezze Platter. Baba Ghanoush (Roasted Eggplant Puree). Nas-o-Musir (Homemade Yogurt topped with Shallots, Avocado, Tomato and Onion). Whipped Feta (Feta Cheese whipped with Crème Fraiche). Potato Zeppole (Crispy Savory Potato Donuts served with a Spicy Tomato Dip). Good. The whipping made the texture of some of the items lighter than in Turkey.
Calabrian Chili Prawns. Grilled Whole Prawns in a Calabrian Chili Compound Butter. Dry.
Mon Ami Caesar. Romaine Lettuce, Asiago Cheese, Tomato, Shaved Radish, Crispy Garlic with our Mon Ami Caesar Dressing.
Fregola Salad. Couscous Pearls, Avocado, Tomato, Olives, Onion, Lemon Juice.
Mediterranean Branzino. 8 oz. Pan-Seared Mediterranean Seabass with Castelvetrano Olives Tapenade.
Chicken Tagine. Moroccan Spiced Jidori Chicken Thighs, Potatoes and Carrots served in a traditional Tagine Pot. More a sweet chicken stew.
7 Spice Chicken. 7-Spiced Grilled Jidori Chicken served with Fresh Greens. Lots of intense flavor from that sauce and very tender chicken.
Dessert menu.
Loukoumades. Greek Donuts with a Honey Drizzle served with a Cardamon Chantilly cream.
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Space is very pretty — food is solid.