I had perused their new menu on-line, and when I noticed that they now serve several foods I can eat on my new-ish healthful diet, I was thrilled.\u00a0 And, as a long time fan of this eatery, I knew that vegetarian Jeanine would also have tons of choice.\u00a0 She was actually overwhelmed by just how many there were for her, and had a difficult time deciding among them.<\/p>\n A view of the interior, looking out onto the beach. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Before I get to the food, let me tell you of the atmosphere, just in case you\u2019re one of the very few Angelenos who\u2019ve never been to this cafe, which is adjacent to the Annenberg Beach House on Pacific Coast Highway.\u00a0 It\u2019s very pleasant inside, with the windows open on a summer day, but since Mark was longing for the beach, we sat at an umbrella-ed table, right in the sand.\u00a0 I wore flip-flops on purpose, to be able to dig my toes right in, and get a feel of summer, which is rare for me nowadays. This was such a pleasure for someone like me, who sits in air-conditioning at a computer all day, and isn\u2019t out in the daytime elements very often.\u00a0 (But please don\u2019t feel bad for me\u2014that\u2019s totally my choice.\u00a0 But this<\/em> experience was a supreme joy.)<\/p>\n The beverages, in pretty purple glasses. Mark’s hand is clutching his lemonade n the left, and Jeanine’s iced tea is on the right. Everything in the middle is mine! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n The culinary fun began right from the start, when they tasted their beverages. Jeanine knew with one sip that her iced tea was the brand she considers the best, and was elated, (especially because they all came in purple<\/em> glasses, her favorite color!) Lemonade connoisseur Mark deemed his lemonade to be superior, which somehow I<\/em> took pride in! (I did choose the place, after all.)<\/p>\n We could not have ordered three more different main dishes, and were all equally pleased with them. Since it was brunch, Mark went with a shredded kale salad, which our amiable waiter Dave accommodated him by adding poached salmon to. It was so big that even a tall man like him could not finish it. (Especially when he had consumed the uber-generous glass of that lemonade!) He said it was delicious.<\/p>\n The most incredible potatoes ever! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Jeanine went with a vegetarian breakfast quesadilla, which came with a side of the most incredible breakfast potatoes I\u2019ve ever had! (\u201cBreakfast\u201d is the restaurant’s designation for them, but I could eat them any<\/em> time of any<\/em> day. And still crave more!) Jeanine loved her quesadilla so much, and also the side of fries that we ordered, that she was kind enough to let me<\/em> eat the majority of her potatoes! What a win-win for us!!!<\/p>\n I was beside myself with happiness when I noticed the whole wheat quinoa pancakes on the menu! I always want pancakes at a brunch, but, since I\u2019m not supposed to eat white flour anymore, I always have to, sadly, go without. And these quinoa ones were still flavorful and tasted like their less-healthful cousins. And there are choices of add-ins, if one is so inclined, so choosing chocolate chips, (which I\u2019m allowed to have,) and topping them with my also-allowed whipped cream made me not even miss Back on the Beach\u2019s incredible bananutella French toast, which is what I used to live for there.<\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n We were honored that the cafe\u2019s popular owner, Fred Deni, sat with us for a bit, which was special.\u00a0 Before we left, he invited us back for dessert and a private fireworks show on the beach that night.\u00a0 The Michiganites were busy elsewhere, but Mr. X was more than happy to fill in for them.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t say this exactly, but I gleaned that he was ecstatic that I<\/em> had to sit out the sugar, (and honestly, I was still full from brunch\u2014all I had for the rest of the day and night was a slice of watermelon\u2014no lie!,) because he then got to eat the entire yummy round chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream with a chocolate drizzle all by his lonesome.\u00a0 I had thought of trying a bite, but before I could decide, he had finished it all!!! And it was not a small portion, at all!<\/p>\n Now all four of us can’t wait to eat there again soon. Mark will just have to fly out here again to do so!<\/p>\n 445 Pacific Coast Hwy. \u00a0Santa Monica \u00a0310-393-8282 \u00a0www.backonthebeachcafe.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BACK ON THE BEACH CAFE SUMMER REFRESHER When my friend Jeanine\u2019s brother Mark was recently visiting from Michigan, I came up with the perfect place to take him to\u2014Back on the Beach Cafe in Santa Monica.\u00a0 All three of us loved it so much that we decided we had to let you know about our<\/p>\n![\"FullSizeRender_1\"](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/FullSizeRender_1.jpg\")
<\/a>I very rarely repeat restaurant visits, because my dream is to eat at every single one in the world, (which of course no one will ever<\/em> do, because as soon as you eat at one, another opens, and then the attempt becomes like Lucy and the chocolates on the conveyor belt,) but Back on the Beach is the only one I\u2019m happy to go to whenever I have the time.\u00a0 Since it\u2019s summer now, they serve dinner, as well as breakfast and lunch, but week-end brunch seems to be the main attraction. And since Mark really<\/em> wanted to hang-out at the ocean a bit, that\u2019s what we did last Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>