Summer House Santa Monica Review

By Heidi Prahl

Located in Chicago’s trendy, popular, ever-astir Lincoln Park neighborhood, Summer House Santa Monica is like a breath of misty, fresh, ocean air. Just a few short blocks from the Brown Line, tucked back a little from the sidewalk sits the entrance to not just another restaurant, but almost another climate–a coastal town. When you walk in the door you are greeted with the feeling that you just stepped into that cool, crisp, California element; always a welcome change in the midwest (and probably just about anywhere).

We had previously made reservations but arrived early, choosing to duck out of the rain and soak up some atmosphere. Summer House Santa Monica shares a building with Stella Barre, a pizza restaurant, with a crisp, clean, white bakery and coffee counter separating them. Comfortable, casual beach style sofas, plants and plenty of light provided the perfect place to sit back and take it all in.

It’s a busy place, to be sure. The bakery counter, containing items like homemade English Muffins, the most beautiful blueberry muffins I’ve ever seen along with a variety of coffee drinks, maintains a steady flow of customers. We thoroughly enjoyed people watching and browsing through the menu as we waited.

We received a text message when our table was ready. There was patio seating, but we were seated indoors, which we preferred. The interior of the restaurant is bright, cheery, crisp, and slightly invigorating with just a healthy buzz of activity. The seating is comfortable, casual, and cozy and the open kitchen and wood fire grill face the seating area. There’s a “Countdown to Summer” sign that I’m looking forward to coming back to see this winter. A glass tiled roof and sparkling string lights strung across the ceiling are perfect during the day, but I’m betting they are even more magical in the evening. (The ambiance alone could warrant a second trip.)

Our server was a delight. He was upbeat and genuine, going over the menu and pointing out his favorites. We started off trying a new to us item–the Burrata, fresh mozzarella “skin” filled with mozzarella, cream, olive oil and sea salt. We had never tried this before, so we asked a few questions. Our server pointed out that their burrata is fresh, homemade daily and a very special menu item. Served with crusty toasted bread slices on a bed of tomato jam, it did not disappoint. We cracked open the outer cheese “shell” and dug in. I added some freshly cracked black pepper to mine. It’s creamy, light, fresh, and the tomatoes add a hint of sweetness. The smooth, creamy cheese mixture combines perfectly with the crisp crunch of the bread, while the hint of lightly sweet cheese paired with the sea salt is outstanding.

As for beverages, the list of coffee drinks we viewed at the bakery counter while waiting for our table won us over. We both decided on the Havana Latte, an espresso beverage made with sweetened condensed milk. Yes, please!! The coffee was dark and rich and bold with a smooth and slightly sweet finish. Perfection! No added sweetener or whipped cream was needed.

We decided to share the Ancho Marinated Amish Chicken Taco Platter along with a plate of fresh berries. Sharing was a smart choice, since we had already decided that dessert was going to happen. Without having to ask, our meal was served on separate plates, dividing up the meal portion between us–an unexpected surprise! Many of the menu items are wood fire grilled, and our chicken was one of these. It was tender, juicy, literally falling apart, and perfectly seasoned with just a touch of heat, but not too spicy, exactly as our server promised. We each received a packet of fresh, warm, corn tortillas, and we went to work piling on cumin scented rice, slow cooked black beans, tender chicken, beautiful guacamole, and fresh charred tomato salsa to create the perfect taco. There was plenty of each filling to create several tacos each.

The menu is inspired by California cuisine. It consists of a nice selection of hand crafted burgers, sandwiches, unique sides/starters such as Roasted Cauliflower with a Jalapeno Pesto and Parmesan, which our server informed us was one of the most popular items. The Prime Rib French Dip also appeared to be a very popular item. There are several unique cocktails to choose from, all made with fresh squeezed juices and hand crafted syrups, a good sized wine list, craft beers, and there is even a list of zero proof cocktails, boasting “all the flavor without the 3pm hangover.”

We rounded off our meal with a warm, soft Chocolate Chip Cookie, fresh from the bakery, topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. The cookie was the perfect temperature–not too hot to eat, just gooey enough to cause the ice cream to melt down in vanilla ribbons, mixing with the slightly melted chocolate chips. I was definitely full from our meal, but that’s no reason to stop eating when something this delectable is in front of you. The vanilla bean ice cream was creamy and rich.

We enjoyed our visit so much, we couldn’t leave without a trip thru the bakery line, grabbing a Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookie, Chocolate Chip Brown Butter Rice Krispie Cookie and a half pound of the Summer House Blend coffee to enjoy later. Our meal was a very memorable experience–the kind you want to take with you, hold on to. It’s the kind of place that you walk away from feeling content, satisfied, and full, but also like you have a little secret because you know your visit was about so much more than just the delightful food.