Ivan Torres and Adolfo Garcia are jumping from one beach community to another, giving their Malibu taqueria a Santa Monica sibling restaurant next week. But while the restaurateurs’ Cliffdiver is the kind of laid-back and palm-dotted spot serving kale nachos and plenty of margaritas, at the new Surfer Rose, the vibes are similar but the focus is all on pizza.
Starting next Wednesday, you can find thin-crust pies with farmers’ market toppings just off Douglas Park, plus tiki-inspired cocktails, California craft beers, sparkling wine and apps like fried local mozzarella.
Those “pizza pub”-style pies will come in more familiar varieties (pepperoni, cheese, margherita, mushroom), as well as “gourmet” combinations: There’s the K-town, made with bulgogi and kimchi; a BBQ chicken number; meatballs with feta and pickled jalapeños; a namesake pie, made with kale and pesto; and a burrata-topped white pie, among others, all available in 14 or 18 inches.
Photograph: Courtesy Surfer Rose/Klose Up Photography
But Torres and Garcia won’t leave the tacos in Malibu; they’ve got shrimp tacos on the menu for Surfer Rose, plus a lobster roll, a burger, salads and cauliflower wings.
Perhaps most notable of all are Surfer Rose’s hours, which begin at 4pm daily and run til 2am, giving that stretch of Santa Monica a new late-night option in a neighborhood that almost entirely closes up shop before midnight.
Photograph: Courtesy Surfer Rose/Klose Up Photography
Photograph: Courtesy Surfer Rose/Klose Up Photography
Surfer Rose opens on Wednesday, February 19, at 2460 Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica with hours of 4pm to 2am daily.