Restaurant Review: Santa Monica's The Galley

The Galley:
2442 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 452-1934
www.thegalleyrestaurant.net

Where is the best place to go on Christmas Eve? If you drop in to the Galley, you’ll be greeted with Christmas lights every day of the year, but that doesn’t make this place any less festive during the last few days of December. Specializing in steaks and seafood, the Galley serves up plenty to lift your spirits. Although not my favorite Santa Monica stop, I would definitely recommend it to any visitor interested in surf and turf cuisine.

Firstly, you have to be prepared for the décor in this place. Even though I went there for dinner on Christmas Eve, the tentacled strands of multi-colored Christmas lights that snake through the entire place are officially full sail all year long. Tables and booths resemble the interior of an old fashioned sailing ship, complete with overhead lights made out of blowfish and porthole “windows” by the tables. Some might think that the dining atmosphere is a slightly cheesy, but if you are prepared for more of a dining adventure than a simple dinner, forage ahead.

The Galley is supposedly Santa Monica’s oldest restaurant, which automatically gives it a little bit of charm and intrigue. I like the story about how Captain Ron ended up buying the place, supposedly due in large part to the fact that he wanted to get the secret salad dressing recipe. I also like the fact that Captain Ron shows up on a nightly basis to entertain. He was there when I went, but he didn’t make it over to my corner to try to impress me with one of his comedy acts. It supposed to be a real crowd pleaser if you are around according to other regulars.

Food: The food for a sit down meal is expensive. Entrees are their specialty, so even though you can get pasta or chicken for around 20 bucks, you should really get the steak or the seafood if you want to try what they are known for. For an appetizer, I ordered the tasty fried calamari. The breading was even and crunchy, and the calamari itself wasn’t rubbery as I expected: instead it was chewy and thick, but not too much of a challenge as to make it annoying. For an entrée I ordered the five fried fantail jumbo shrimp with their signature cocktail sauce. Juicy and plump, these shrimp left me satisfied. My date ordered the $59 Alaskan lobster tail and rib eye steak. The sides of the steak retained a little too much fat for my taste, but you will not leave the table hungry if you order this dish. Side dishes were a hit and miss: the garlic mashed potatoes were surprisingly good, although they lacked any accompanying gravy or butter. The sautéed spinach was a different story: this dish cooled down shortly after arriving at the table and all of the leaves stuck together in a big glob.

Now that I’ve tried their entrees, the next time I visit I’ll sit at the bar and try the more reasonably priced sandwich menu, which isn’t available at the tables. Sitting at the bar would be the smart choice for someone looking to check out this Santa Monica landmark without spending a fortune on dinner.

Who Should Go: Even though a surf and turf dining experience here will greatly lift your wallet, don’t mistake this place with an expensive atmosphere. This is not romantic, but it can be fun. If you go with a group of friends or want to try an adventurous dinner date this place hits the spot. My suggestion if you are unsure about committing to an expensive dinner is to check out the bar menu during the evening and ask fellow diners how they enjoyed their fare.