Mélisse’s Josiah Citrin Goes Fast Casual at New Santa Monica Chicken Shop

Chef Josiah Citrin is at it again. The Westside legend known for his long-running fine dining restaurant Mélisse is back with a brand new (and much more casual) project, Augie’s on Main, which takes one of his most renowned dishes and marries to the fast-casual moment.

Augie’s on Main, which opened Wednesday, August 10 at 2428 Main Street in Santa Monica, showcases Citrin’s panko-crusted “dirty” Jidori chicken, a crisp, garlicky, and lemony dish that he has been perfecting for years. The chicken is sold in halves for $20, or as part of a combo plate with a pair of sides for $28, a kind of new-retro take on LA’s many fried chicken takeout joints. The menu, shown below, also offers a fried chicken sandwich, both veggie and beef burgers, a roasted chicken sandwich, and a variety of sides ranging from rice pilaf to roasted potatoes.

First announced a year ago, the new Augie’s is now up and running, with room for 32 seats out on the patio and lots of pickup orders inside. It’s a small setup but impactful nonetheless, giving Citrin another outlet beyond Mélisse, his namesake restaurant Citrin, Charcoal in Venice, and Dear John’s in Culver City. The restaurant is also well-positioned along what is quickly becoming a murderer’s row of restaurants on Main Street, not far from places like Cobi’s, Pasjoli, and Crudo e Nudo. To start, Augie’s on Main will sell Wednesday through Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.