Yabu, Il Fornaio and Musha are my favorite restaurants. They have great food and they're
comfortable and affordable. I'd go to them every week if I could.
Having said that, without realizing it, I'd fallen into a rut. It took
my wife, Michelle, to shake things up and get me to try two new
restaurants.
R+D Kitchen is part of the Hillstone restaurant group that includes
Bandera, Gulfstream, and Houston's among others. Recently opened at
1323 Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, R+D took over an address that was
something of a black hole. Montana Lounge and Yu Restaurant had failed.
Even a successful entrenpeneur like Wolfgang Puck couldn't make the
space work for him. With the Aero theater directly across the street,
this should be a good location.
Good design makes such a difference. The previous tenants had sealed off the space, creating dark interiors. Walking into the restaurant, it's easy to see that R+D came up with a fresh approach. With a minimalist design, a skylight in the middle of the dining room, an L-shaped bar to one side, and windows that open out onto Montana, R+D is inviting both inside and out.
The blue door, shuttered for more than a year and a half, is open once again, and the stage is set for Act 3. Step in, and you're welcomed with the offer of an aperitif in the enchanting garden where a pair of gnarly olive trees cast lacy shadows on the wall, water falls into a basin, and the air is scented with lavender.