THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED The Hungry Cat

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED The Hungry Cat Restaurant Review:

For the summer The Hungry Cat in Santa Monica has turned itself into “El Gato en la Playa.” With that “summer-long pop-up” name, it’s muy fácil (easy) to understand that the menu created by chef/owner David Lentz and executive chef Kris Longley has been inspired by south-of-the-border cuisine. The proximity of the ocean calls for lots of seafood dishes: bay scallops ceviche, crab and shrimp cocktail, uni shooter, albacore tuna tostada, Baja-style fish tacos or a grilled whole fish. Meat eaters are not forgotten: you can choose a guajillo braised beef taco, duck carnitas or marinated hanger steak. Expect all the dishes to be very colorful and flavorful, as fresno chiles, finger lime, chili salt, roasted green chiles, chorizo, cumin, aji amarillo, chimichurri and pickled red onions are some of the ingredients chef Longley uses. Do not miss the guacamole and the crispy and addictive homemade tortilla chips. The raw bar remains with oysters and clams. Finish with a crème caramel (just know it is a very thick one) or a Mexican chocolate custard. A drink menu has been created to pair the food with specialty cocktails (we like the spicy margarita), beers, tequilas (including flights) and mezcals. The dishes are quite tasty, but will they remain after the summer is over? We hope so. And, if you think The Hungry Cat is far away on Pacific Coast Highway, it’s actually not.