City Muse

19 May, 2006

Daily Grill

D. and I were feeling a bit run down, so we were looking forward to a nice, quiet Sunday dinner, just the two of us. Since we wanted something good but not too fancy, he suggested the Daily Grill.

It seemed the right call. With its dark wood paneling and black leather booths, the Daily Grill is the kind of classy but casual place where diners can unwind and enjoy their meal with a nice glass of wine.

The menu featured a good selection of dishes to choose from. The prices were also quite reasonable: main entrées ranged from $15 to $30. I finally settled on the steak and scampi special while D. went with his favorite ahi tuna.

The only sour note was the noise level. The bar area isn't walled in; the dining room, with its low ceiling and uncarpeted marble floors, amplified it even more. Two women with three children in tow were seated a good three booths down from us, but I heard every shriek, whine and squeal like we were all seated at the same table. On top of that, it was a busy night and our server juggled several tables which added to the wait.

To her credit, the hostess sent us a complimentary appetizer of spinach dip with toast rounds to make the delay bearable. The dip was good, hot and gooey with lots of cheese. I could've had more than a few bites but I was saving room for dinner.

My entrée didn't disappoint. The steak was juicy and slightly charred, just the way I like it, with a savory mushroom wine sauce. The shrimp were large and plump, the baked potato creamy and fluffy and the broccoli was steamed just right. For $21.95, the generous meal was a bargain.

For $19.95, D.'s ahi tuna with ponzu sauce, jasmine rice, crispy noodles and sauteed spinach with garlic was a good buy too, except the tuna wasn't seared as much as he would like and the noodles had lost some of its crunch.

Thankfully, the two women with the kids were gone by the time our dinner arrived. Some peace and quiet at last, or so we thought. A couple sat behind us not long after they left, and the gentleman's deep loud baritone reverberated through the low partitioned booth to accompany our meal. So much for a quiet Sunday dinner.

Daily Grill
2501 Colorado Ave., Ste. B90
Santa Monica, Ca 90404

posted at 11:44 AM by City Muse