3.16.2010

your eyes could steal a sailor from the sea

I'm heading back to Los Angeles today for the first time since I moved home to Boston three years ago. A good friend is running in the LA marathon and I'm using it as an excuse to make the trip out to catch up with other friends who live there, one of whom now has two small children. I'm really looking forward to eating some delicious, fresh food, breathing in the Santa Monica air, and visiting some of my favorite haunts.

When I moved, my brother drove down from San Francisco to help me pack up my apartment (a fond memory for him, I am sure!) and before he left I took him to one of my favorite restaurants, The Galley. For a place with sawdust on the floor, dusty lights and cramped booths, they have a lot of nerve to charge $20 for shrimp scampi, but the atmosphere is really something else, and it's totally worth it. From the outside it literally looks like the exterior of an old ship, complete with porthole windows, ropes and anchors criss-crossing the wood shingles. After drinking a few too many IPAs with my brother, I smuggled about 30 of these cocktail napkins into my bag.


The image and caption really illustrate the vibe of The Galley, and when a special occasion calls for me to use one of my stockpiled napkins, I can't help but think of this song...

"Brandy" - Looking Glass (1972)


If you're ever in Santa Monica, stop by and enjoy a drink on their back patio.

The Galley Restaurant
2442 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405

And wherever you spend this weekend, I hope you are happy and in good company!

No comments: