California dining along the Pacific Coast Highway at Malibu

When people visit me in LA, I like to bring them out for a day in Malibu. The scenic ocean drive along the Pacific Coast with some old school LA hiphop blasting on the radio melts away traffic and parking woes. Pulling into a public parking between a pair of Bentley's - classic convertible vs. SUV is almost humbling. But actually, I really just came here for the hike.

Malibu Farms is my favorite pre / post hike stop along Highway 1. It's also the perfect place to bring visitors to show off the sunny beach and Californian food. Think: kale, juices, avocado, grass fed, vegetarian friendly, organic, local. Not gonna like, I've been here three times already. Using fresh ingredients really does make such a difference. The crab cake bites were grossly overpriced for the three bites they offer, but at least it was 99% crab and absolutely delectable. I enjoyed the breaded mustard chicken sandwich (I'm a sucker for sandwiches, especially anything that resembles a fried chicken sandwich) and there was a hefty chunk of salmon on the kale salad. Love the assortment of fruit smoothies and vegetable juice assortments; must needed to keep hydrated. And though cauliflower pizza will never really be a thing, it was delicious (probably because of the melted cheese) nonetheless.

Another great place to stop along the Pacific Coast Highway is Malibu Seafood. They have the most amazing thick cut fried cod sticks that are making my mouth water as I type this up. Though most people go for the fried fish, they also have an actual seafood market. The line was so crazy long last time, I unfortunately didn't get to pick up some salmon tartar to go. Definitely will next time.

Nobu: I brought my mom after my first day at work. They fit us in at 3pm on a Monday. We were seated outside on the couches, overlooking the ocean. What a laid back lunch scene! We also got the perfect view of all the ladies dressed in way too tight dresses and way too high heels for a Monday afternoon. We started with the roasted shoshito peppers, my favorite and always a gamble for mild vs. burning spiciness. Other highlights included the lemon meyer albacore with truffle oil, crispy shallots and the classic spicy tuna on crispy rice. I also had king crab tempura for the first time in my life - worth it. I definitely appreciated the bold flavor combinations and modern California approach to Japanese cuisine. Everything here is so Entourage, like most bougie things I do in LA.