New Moonshadows Rising on Malibu Shore

At the beach, gray skies that hung on for what seemed months haven’t made it an ideal summer. A Santa Monica friend laments her tomatoes are way behind schedule this year. I don’t get to the beach often enough to have really noticed the drawbacks of this particular summer. But recently, I finally made it to Malibu, to see what new owners and a new executive chef have done with that 30-year-old Malibu institution, Moonshadows.

On a beautiful, balmy night, the narrow strip of parking lot looked like an SUV dealer’s outdoor showroom, but inside, I found only a handful of people enjoying a quiet dinner at tables by the window. In the aquarium that divides the host’s station from the bar, gaily striped fish swim laps around living coral.

“Inside or out?” asks the sultry hostess. I turned to the friend I’d brought along, a familiar of Moonshadows in the old days--well, more like the old old days--when he lived four doors down from the restaurant and bar.

Definitely, outside, he indicates. A long narrow deck set just above the crashing waves has been refurbished and extended to create what’s now called the Blue Lounge. White wooden booths that seat four, or even six, march along one side. But the primo seats are on the new rolling “chaises” perched at the very edge of the deck. Carved wood, they look vaguely Southeast Asian and are outfitted with floppy navy cushions, the better to sprawl as you watch the waves come rolling in. Settle in for drinks, or even dinner, though the coffee tables seem awfully small for dining.

To start, order up a dozen hama hamas on the half shell, or a bowl of the incongruous, but delicious New England clam chowder laced with tender clams or a puree of corn soup. There’s a skillful chilled lobster salad with fresh English peas and asparagus in a lemon vinaigrette or a skewer of grilled jumbo cilantro shrimp with a salty-hot Thai chili sauce.

The smart, beachside menu comes from Moonshadows’ new chef, Deidra Henry, who worked at Gramercy Tavern in Manhattan. Her main courses include seared Florida snapper in shallot caper sauce, roasted organic free-range chicken in herb butter and several decent steaks.

The old Moonshadows this is not. Lulled by the waves and the dark, I could have easily fallen asleep on one of those blue chaises (which are really more like sofa beds), but it was time to get back.

Just before 10, more people were arriving, sliding into one of those booths for drinks and a snack or even a late-night dinner. (On the weekends there’s a DJ.)

I asked Tyrone, “You really used to live four doors down?” Yeah, he did.

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Moonshadows, 20356 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu; (310) 456-3010; fax (310) 456-7718. Appetizers $5.75 to $12.50; main courses $17.95 to $38 (for a Maine lobster tail). Open daily for dinner; kitchen closes at 10:30 p.m. weekdays; 11 on the weekends. Valet parking.