For years we drove by a seedy little bar-restaurant, Chez Jay, on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. It looked like a trailer. It was right behind Rand Corporation and the Civic Center, and one block away from the ocean.
This area of Santa Monica has developed a lot recently and we have, for instance, the Waverly complex that's facing the new Tongva Park, with one-bedroom units going for $1,250,000.
After a visit to the Tongva Park recently, we looked at Chez Jay and remembered that this was a famous place that used to be frequented by Hollywood personalities. The names of the luminaries who used to patronize Chez Jay is impressive: Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Michael Caine, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Hugh Hefner, Robert Mitchum, Steve McQueen, Natalie Wood, Mick Jagger, Tony Bennett, Joan Baez, Lee Marvin, Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, and even Henry Kissinger. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon reportedly wrote parts of "Good Will Hunting" in this restaurant.. (information from The Los Angeles Times)
This area of Santa Monica has developed a lot recently and we have, for instance, the Waverly complex that's facing the new Tongva Park, with one-bedroom units going for $1,250,000.
After a visit to the Tongva Park recently, we looked at Chez Jay and remembered that this was a famous place that used to be frequented by Hollywood personalities. The names of the luminaries who used to patronize Chez Jay is impressive: Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Michael Caine, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Hugh Hefner, Robert Mitchum, Steve McQueen, Natalie Wood, Mick Jagger, Tony Bennett, Joan Baez, Lee Marvin, Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, and even Henry Kissinger. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon reportedly wrote parts of "Good Will Hunting" in this restaurant.. (information from The Los Angeles Times)
We finally checked out Chez Jay and had lunch there. Our expectations were low; we were in there more for the historic factor. To our surprise the food wasn't bad at all. Lauren had a nice hamburger and I had linguine with clams, with clams in the shell and a light white sauce. They also serve the fish catch of the day, and so on; prices are reasonable. It's not an extensive menu, nor is it a fancy place, but it's an interesting historic site.
The area around Chez Jay is developing rapidly, so visit the restaurant soon before it transforms into some other chic Santa Monica restaurant. Chez Jay is located on 1657 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica City.
Read also
Los Angeles: The Fairfax District and Canter's Deli
Santa Monica City's New Tongva Park
Visiting Cambria (and Surroundings) in the Central Coast of California
Pictures of Beautiful Women from Around the World
Cooking with Cecilia: Linguine with Clams
tags: restaurant, food, Santa Monica, California, bar, drink, entertainment, historic, seaside, Frank Sinatra
This is all for now,
Cecilia
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