The Joys of Crab Cakes, Etc. At The Chart House

Above, in The Chart House bar.

It had been what seemed like ages since I last dined at The Chart House in Marina del Rey. But once Asya and I stepped in, it all seemed familiar to me again.

After I found that Gladstone's 4 Fish was closed due to a wedding, and that other restaurants in Malibu had no tables available until after 9:00, I decided to check with The Chart House. I thought about going to The Odyssey, but I was determined to go somewhere near the ocean. Luckily, they had tables available for 8:00, so I reserved one. I wasn't disappointed. We had a nice window table overlooking the marina.

We had an enjoyable time there. Although we had reservations, we weren't seated until about 30 minutes later. But, the time was put to good use as we went to the bar and reviewed the proposal for the portrait unveiling party from The Odyssey Restaurant.

Above, Asya's first mai tai. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We reviewed each of the hors d' oeuvres offered with the package that I am considering. We marked the ones that seemed most tasty and appropriate for the occasion (I'm going to get another opinion tonight).

Before we began our review, we ordered mai tais. Asya never tried a mai tai cocktail before. She originally was going to have a pina colada, but curiosity got the better of her and she ordered a mai tai. She liked it!

Before we arrived at The Chart House, she was texting with her family in St. Petersburg, Russia. We got the idea to take some pictures at the restaurant to send to them. So we did. Some are posted here.

Once our table was ready, I suggested that she try a crab cake for an appetizer. She never had one before. I thought the crab cakes at Gladstone's 4 Fish in Pacific Palisades were the best, but The Chart House ones topped those. Asya thought the crab cakes were "heaven".

For dinner, she ordered a grilled King Salmon and I ordered the shrimp scampi. Thanks to yours truly, she learned the difference between wild Pacific (or Alaskan) King Salmon and farm-bred Atlantic salmon. She thoroughly enjoyed the King Salmon.

Above, the best of the bunch of selfies
 we took. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Asya had a great time and would recommend The Chart House, especially the crab cakes, to anyone. Ditto that from here!