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Seeing Stars: Where the Stars Dine..

23725
W. Malibu Road,
Malibu, CA. / (310) 456-0488
Alas, Granita closed
its doors for good in September of 2005.
I will leave this
page up for anyone who is interested in reading about the restaurant, but
keep in mind that the article below was written when Granita was open and
doing business.
Wolfgang Puck's other
two L.A. restaurants, Spago and Chinois,
remain open.
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Celebrity
chef Wolfgang Puck
started as chef at Ma Maison, then opened the world-famous Spago
restaurant in West Hollywood. He
followed that smash success with his Chinois
on Main in Santa Monica, featuring a clever blend of French &
Chinese elements, which has proved equally popular. For his latest in-spot,
Puck has moved closer to where his clientele lives, opening a third restaurant
right next door to the movie stars' homes in the Malibu
Colony.
It's
called Granita (named for a kind of frozen dessert), and while the
restaurant lacks an ocean view, it features a surreal, whimsical, "Under
the Sea" decor (designed by Puck's wife, Barbara Lazaroff), complete
with coral aquariums. Some critics have remarked that the interior looks
like it was inspired by Disney's "The Little Mermaid."
(small).JPG) Still,
everyone agrees that the food is good, and as expected, the Malibu celebrities
are flocking to Puck's new place in their own back yard, for his Spago-style
pizza and pasta, plus
lots of new seafood dishes. And as you might expect, it's attracting lots
of local Malibu residents such as former Tonight Show host Johnny
Carson, Lois & Clark's
Dean Cain
and actor Tony Curtis.
(In fact, Johnny is an investor in the restaurant.) Jane
Seymour ("Dr. Quinn")
hosted a charity auction here. Arnold Schwarzenegger
& Maria Shriver
paid a visit here after he became Governor. If you can't spot a star here,
you're just not looking hard enough! .JPG)
In February of 1999,
Charles Bronson
threw a huge wedding party at Granita with over 250 guests, including Sean
Penn, Carroll
O'Connor, Dick
Van Dyke and "Titanic"
director James Cameron.
Granita is housed
in a large, aqua-blue building with ivy-covered columns and an eccentric
patio swirling with brightly-colored color tile. But it's a somewhat surprising
location for a major restaurant - located right across from the Bank of
America in Malibu Colony Plaza,
an outdoor shopping center in Malibu. You may have to stop at that bank's
ATM first to pick up a little cash - the menu prices can be high, and as
Puck points out in his Visa commercials: "we don't take American
Express.".JPG)
I'm told it also appeared in "Beverly Hills 90210", as
a restaurant where Kelly, Donna and their mothers met for brunch.
Granita is open on
weekdays from 6 PM to 10 PM, and on weekends from 5:30 PM to 10 PM.
With entrees priced around $25, you can expect to spend around $80 for
dinner for two. Dress is casual-chic.
Getting
there:
The tile-roofed Malibu Colony Plaza
is at the southwest corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Webb Way (about
a mile west of the Malibu Pier), just a few blocks away from the main gate
of the Colony. Take the Santa Monica (10) Freeway west to its end, where
it opens into Pacific Coast Highway, then take PCH north (then west) about
12 miles, to Webb Way. Turn left at Webb Way, and the center will be on
your left (south) side.
[You can
access Puck's official website at: http://www.wolfgangpuck.com.]
[You
can view Granita's menu online at: http://www.kerrymenu.com/Granita.htm.]
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for something in particular? Search the Seeing-Stars website!
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