Two and a Half Stars For Simple Seasonal Fare at Savory

Despite earning three and a half stars for his cooking at Bastide, today SIV doles out two and a half stars for Paul Shoemaker's first solo gig, Savory in Malibu. The menu is “small and seasonal, with prices relatively inexpensive for the quality,” Sher describes Shoemaker as a “sensitive and confident cook" and his food as "fresh and uncontried.” She continues on to say she doesn't think there is a single "dud" on the menu, and some of her top eats fall to the Bloomsdale spinach and ravioli stuffed with goat cheese. However, “for the money, Shoemaker’s fish dishes are the most outstanding” perhaps a skill he learned working with Michael Cimarusti at Water Grill and Providence. As far as atmosphere, it's "sleek and modernist, but not at all chilly. Big picture windows let in the light. There's no view of Point Dume, if that's what you're thinking. But soon he'll have a glassed-in patio area. Inside, the wood and leather surfaces are warm to the touch. It's simple, but elegant without being stuffy...Although its location might make Savory almost a purely local spot in any other chef's hands, with Shoemaker at the helm it's definitely worth driving out to Malibu." [LAT]

The Elsewhere: The Find hits Dat Thanh in Westminster, The Minty comments on Chicks with Knives at the Test Kitchen, Exile Kiss enjoys Park’s BBQ, Food She Thought dines at Bottega Louie, Eat: LA visits Alibi Room, and Yutjangsah chooses XIV.