Santa Monica Seafood Update: New Chef, Debut Date

It's been awhile since we checked in with the new Santa Monica Seafood cafe and retail store that's been in the works for most of this year. The newest update is that the Cigliano family hired Scott Leibfried as exec chef to oversee the menu (seafood, natch, with Italian influences). Leibfried worked Napa Valley Grille, plus hosted various Food Network Challenge shows, and more notably, he was one of Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen sous chefs for seasons 1-4. SM Seafood took over a former Carl's Jr. on Wilshire and turned it into an interim cafe last year, but it's been closed for renovations since earlier this summer. Come January, it will emerge with a larger fish selection than the original location, better refrigerated cases to showcase the goods, an oyster bar, sushi, breads, cheeses, and beer and wine service, a 40-seat cafe, and in-store cooking demos by local chefs.
· Plywood Update: Santa Monica Seafood's New Locale [~ELA~]