Malibu Adobe, Where Stars Come Out

One way to have a successful restaurant in Los Angeles is to have a star-studded clientele. And one sure way to lure the stars into your establishment is to have them as backers. Hire a star as the designer too and . . . the sky’s the limit.

That must have been at least part of the story behind the Malibu Adobe Restaurant (23410 Civic Center Way, Malibu, (213) 456-2021), which opened with a gala reception last week. Ali MacGraw gets the credit for the pared down design, which is more or less your usual southwestern number with cacti, white walls, hammered tin accents, a carved coyote howling over the oven. Many stars are said to be investors, and they certainly are in evidence, sipping wine and chomping chips and guacamole on the patio in front. There is even a star chef as consultant--Jonathan Waxman of New York’s Jams.

The menu is pretty much what you’d expect, given the southwestern theme. There are some nice things, like soft tacos of marinated beef strips, and some silly things like quesadillas made of whole wheat tortillas stuffed with shiitake mushrooms and Sonoma goat cheese or grilled fish with various fruit salsas.

As of last weekend the service was still sort of frenzied. But then what can you expect with a restaurant that’s been SRO since day one?