Restaurant Review- Giovanni Malibu

Leaving the gravitational pull of the Palisades is not always easy, but the twinkling lights of Giovanni Restaurant in Malibu lured my wife and me into its festive lair this past weekend. Initially I felt embarrassingly overdressed in my Gap pants and Teflon shirt, but after several generous sips of the generic pinot of dubious origin, I was transported into a state of near catatonic bliss.

We sat on the pleasant outside covered section of the restaurant facing Pacific Coast Highway mesmerized by the beckoning thunder of passing phalanxes of speeding motorcycles. Nevertheless, most of dinner was quiet and peaceful, and the Malibu air was crisp and early autumn scented.

Giovanni’s menu offerings are extensive and diverse. We started with the powerful garlic bread, which whetted my appetite and roused my reflux. The vegetable ravioli was delicious; the fish, although presented with little attention to the artistic- fish on the right, rounded, rolling carrots on the left- was of passing grade, but the veal was as tough as a SEAL commando.  The waiter was attentive and the tab reasonable.

Still, one can take only so much Malibu; it was time to return home.