A Tale of Two Restaurants

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of dining at an oldie (but goodie), mostly-locals, Malibu restaurant: Guido's. Right off of Cross Creek, in the same lot as the Malibu cinema, tucked right next to the lagoon, you will find the closest you can get to old-school, home-style Italian food...as they only know how in the 'bu.

If you visit at the right time (and with the right local) you may be lucky enough to sit through your meal, sip vodka through the night (with a splash of soda water and two limes, please), while falling witness to Guido's transition pre-Malibu Midnight through to post-Malibu Midnight.

So often, restaurants are judged by the food and service they provide during its most bustling hours. Last Thursday at 10pm (Malibu Midnight), after the stuffy Malibu crowd and owner took off for the night, I witnessed the opening of a second restaurant whose ambience, demeanor, and guests completely knocked the socks off the first restaurant.

Picture the bar- once populated by a motley assortment of Hollywood industry washouts and old retirees returning from golf. This long oak bar, after closing, became home to the cooks from the kitchen. Though my friend and I did our best to continue conversing as nothing had changed- I couldn't help but notice how surprisingly upbeat all these men were after putting in some very long hours behind the stove. Here they were, laughing and soaking up these few moments of liberation from life's daily grind. Bourdain always gives the most street cred to the Mexicans and Salvadorians who really keep America's best kitchens running. I couldn't agree more.

The quote of the night was from the bartender (obvi became my best friend by the end of the night) who said: "When the boss is away the Tequila comes out to play"....Salud!