Generally speaking we avoid openings of new restaurants since they are generally crowded and noisy and the timing is poor for either evaluation or review. However there are always exceptions to any rule so when we heard that Michael Jordan had opened a restaurant called The Beachcomber as general manager at the foot of the Malibu Pier we readily accepted the invitation and were happy that we did. For Michael Jordan is certainly one of the premier restaurateurs in Southern California as well as being a Master Sommelier.

We immediately liked what we saw at The Beachcomber which includes an inside bar and lounge as well as a expansive deck and patio which can be open or closed depending on the season. And few steps away a dining room with large picture windows which frame the whole sweep of Santa Monica bay. Here too a second outdoor patio where one has the choice of admiring the view or people watching those strolling the Pier.

On arrival we were greeted warmly by Michael Jordan and settled in comfortable sofa chairs on the lounge patio with a mix of musicians, artists, writers and a sprinkling of celebrities. In turn the musicians performed both at the lounge and inside the dining room. For the opening Michael Jordan had assembled a number of upscale California wineries for a tasting that offered an exciting collection of vintages that ranged the entire California coast from the Malibu appellation, a stone's throw away, to those up the Central and North coast.

While tasting these exceptional wines, mostly from boutique wineries, there was the music as well as appetizers served by a friendly knowledgeable staff, a hallmark of any restaurant that Michael Jordan has ever been associated with.

The appetizers included an array of seafoods like oysters on the half shell, crab cakes, cocktail shrimp with a tasty sauce as well as jumbo prawns served BBQ style. Then there were mini tacos, and small sandwiches of barbecued pork and beef brisket.

Those present showed a marked degree of decorum while tasting and enjoying a perfect late Spring evening. Just to the north on Malibu point surfers were riding small but well formed waves.

The Beachcomber Cafe is located at 23000 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

As for The Beachcomber we have it marked for a proper review at a later date. As we departed there was a colorful sunset and as we thanked Michael Jordan for a memorable evening we told him in the famed words of our Governor, "I'll be back."

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Last Update:6/1/10