restaurant review: forma in santa monica

A new restaurant recently opened in Santa Monica and a business colleague Mr. Sazy Rock met at a conference a while back invited us to check it out. I was very pleased with the invitation and to have eaten at Forma. Forma has received some press when it opened. But, it seems like it really should have received more as I will explain below.

The Scene

Located on Santa Monica's fancy shopping street - Montana Avenue - the restaurant was very busy on a Friday evening. Okay, it was packed. Inevitably, it was very buzzy. Diners were dressed nicely but jeans were completely acceptable. If you can, try and get a table close to the back of the restaurant. That's where staff finish the pasta and risotto in cheese wheels. I would have loved to just watch (and eat that) all day. 

Finishing a pasta order.

The cheese wheels.

The Food

If I haven't said it already, I was very pleased with our meal. We either had shared plates or had individual plates for the same dishes so we got to taste everything... except when my stomach could not take anymore because we had so much food.

• Roasted Vegetables with Harbison Cheese - I have never had Vermont's Jasper Hill cheeses and having the Harbison Cheese was such a great introduction. It was creamy, earthy, and great with the roasted vegetables or just with toasted bread. I could have eaten that entire plate. Too bad I had to share.

Harbison Cheese with Roasted Vegetables and Bread.

• Mussels - I am not a fan of mussels but I ate my whole plate. The soup was spicy with a taste of sausage in the soup. 

Mussels.

• Grilled Spanish Octopus with Lentils - The dish may not look pretty but the octopus was completely tender -- neither mushy nor rubbery -- and tasty. I thought it was cooked sous vide but the Chef said it was just boiled. The lentils had a nice bite and was savory. 

Octopus.

• Filet Mignon Tartare and Pizza Dough Sandwich - The quality of the beef, cheese and avocado in the tartare dish was high. Similarly, the mozarella (or was that burrata?) and portobello mushrooms in the sandwich were also of high quality. But, out of all the dishes we had, I'd say that these were probably the most nondescript dishes. Not to say they were bad; only that the other dishes shined brighter.  

Filet Mignon Tartare and Doughnut Sandwich.

• Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe with Pecorino Romano - This very simple dish - really just pasta, pepper and cheese - was well executed. The pasta was al dente, and the cheese, which was carved from the Pecorino cheese wheel in the back of the room, was sharp, salty and somewhat sweet. I loved it.

Spaghetti.

• Pesto with Potatoes - This pesto dish was similarly simple and tasty although the added diced potatoes threw me off a bit as an extra carb I really should not have eaten.

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• Sole with Crisp Artichokes - By this time, I was really full. So, I just had a taste. The artichokes were crunchy and the fish was crisp on the outside and soft and flaky inside. I wish I had more room in my stomach.

Sole.

• New York Steak with Broccolini - I really did not get to taste this dish because I was full. But, Mr. SR had a few bites and he thought it was cooked perfectly medium rare.

Steak.

• Bread Pudding - I wish I could write a more detailed description of the next few desserts but I really could not eat anymore despite wishing really hard that I could scarf it all down. But, my companions enjoyed the taste they had of the pudding.

Bread Pudding.

• Panna Cotta - Again, sorry but I was too full and cannot describe this dish. It looked good though.

Panna Cotta.

• Chocolate and Hazelnuts Tart - I really regret being a pig and eating too much earlier on because I love chocolates and I love hazelnuts. It looked so good I wanted to cry when I couldn't brave another bite. But, my companions assured me that it was tasty. Curse me and my greed!

Chocolate.

The Service

As a caveat, Mr. SR's colleague and our new best friends knew the proprietor and chef at Forma. So, it might seem easy to write off the staff's excellent service to that fact. To be fair, however, based on my observations of the staff's interactions with other diners, it seemed to me that they were attentive and friendly to everyone. 

The Price

Our new friends kindly and generously foot the bill. But, the prices are on the menus pictured below.

Cheese Menu.

Menu.

The Verdict

If it is not obvious yet, I really enjoyed my meal at Forma and cannot wait to return. I definitely recommend a visit to Forma.

What is your favorite Italian restaurant?