I recently dined at Ocean Ave. Seafood with some friends from out of town. It was recommended by a concierge at the hotel my guests stayed at and I couldn't be more grateful. Ocean Ave. Seafood is in a perfect venue that has a patio that overlooks the ocean. I was greeted by friendly hostesses and did not have to wait for my reservation. We sat on the patio and after a few minutes, a manager came by with a small complimentary appetizer sent by the concierge! Wow! It was a bite size (heck, it was free) tuna tartar on small coins of cucumber with seasoning and sauce. The manager explained that this item is not on our menu, but they work together with the concierge to present something special and unique to out of town customers. I thought that was pretty cool. Anyway, the menu is mostly seafood, of course, and a massive winelist is on the back of the paper menu. The winelist is extremely extensive and I got the impression that quality took precedence over name brands due to the absence of bigger wineries. Most of the stuff I did not recognize, but what I did recognize, I knew to be smaller artesianal wineries that packed much more value for your buck. Even the beer selections reflected this - I love that stuff.\r
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We started out with oysters (along with the wine sampler) after the complimentary offering and they were delicious. The freshest oysters I've ever tasted. Then we ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir (called 'Kynsi"" which was absolutely incredible! ) with dinner. I had the Halibut and my guests had the Surf & Turf and the Salmon. All were cooked perfectly and had good sized portions. After finishing, we did not have room for dessert although it was explained that they offered many home made creations.\r
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Overall, the experience was memorable and delicious. The service was impeccable and I could not have asked for anything more. I can't wait to go back.
Pros: Great food, fantastic wine, and perfect service
Cons: Traffic on the 405
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