Union Hoping for a Long Run in Santa Monica

Yet another newcomer debuts in the soigne Santa Monica space where Bikini, then Abiquiu, then Rix all had shorter-than-hoped-for runs. This freshly minted restaurant is called Union and it’s owned by Geoffrey’s (of Malibu) proprietor Jeff Peterson.

While the action at Rix seemed to focus on the bar and the upstairs roof garden (much to the neighborhood’s annoyance), Union is concentrating on the sleek downstairs dining room. Commodious booths and lights turned down low set the scene for cocktails and cooing. And the food? It’s classy supper club fare with a California contemporary flourish. The chef is James Grey, who cooked at Les Deux Cafes.

To start, he proposes a lovely roasted corn chowder which tastes of corn and Yukon gold potatoes and the occasional littleneck clam. There’s also “a simple salad of butter lettuce, tarragon and shallots” which has every virtue. Or a bowl of Santa Barbara mussels steamed with white wine, herbs and shallots swirled with cream.

Could this be an unlikely trend? First G. Garvin’s and now Union are offering ribs as an appetizer. In Union’s case, it’s quite a spread of very tender baby back ribs cloaked in subtly hot and smoky sauce. I wouldn’t mind a plate as a main course.

Lighter appetites head straight to the pan-fried Idaho trout, dusted in cornmeal and drizzled with a brown hazelnut butter. Crisp and golden, it comes with a delicious succotash-inspired ragout of romano beans, sweet corn and potatoes. Rack of lamb is set off with lavender honey jus, a creamy parsnip puree and a serving of moist potato-onion tart. Braised short ribs may be the most popular meat dish going right now. These are butter tender and extremely rich. Martini drinkers can, of course, find a classic T-bone and mashed potatoes on the one-page menu.

Union could get by with the usual desserts: creme brulee, flourless chocolate cake and that ilk. But they’ve got a pastry chef, Natasha MacAller, with ambition and ideas.

With an oddly textured Scharffenberger chocolate pudding and an ice cream sandwich made with pound cake instead of cookies is a splendid brown butter plum tart made with green gage plums that made everyone at my table sit up and pay attention.

Who knows? Maybe Union will have a civilizing influence on the place. If my first meal is anything to go by, Union is more than just a pretty place for a cocktail. The food is good enough to merit a visit on its own.

Union Restaurant and Bar, 1413 5th St., Santa Monica, (310) 656-9688. Appetizers, $6 to $11; main courses, $14 to $24. Open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner. Valet parking.