365 Places to Eat

Maybe not the best reason to go to the Getty Villa, but certainly a nice bonus is the Cafe. The Cafe at the Getty Villa is perched above the outdoor amphitheater. On a gorgeous day like the one we spent there, it is the perfect place to rest your feet and fill your tummy.

The Cafe “serves casual Mediterranean fare” which is reasonably priced and made up of seasonal ingredients. Browsing through the menu, we had trouble narrowing down the choices. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the biggest appetite and wanted something light. If not for that, I would have tried the Caprese Burger ($9.50) — a beef patty with pine nuts, peppercorns and fish sauce topped with local tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil leaves and herb aioli, served with roasted red pepper ketchup, wow!

Instead, I opted for the Villa Salad ($8.25) which is a mix of chopped romaine and radicchio, artichokes, chick peas, feta cheese, pistacios, topped with a creamy lemon yogurt dressing. For a warm day after walking the Villa, it was a refreshing salad.

My wife also opted for a salad. She had the Prosciutto and Stone Fruit Salad ($9.25) — Baby greens, prosciutto, peaches and nectarines, pecorino romano, toasted walnuts and a basil vinaigrette dressing. The salad was a hit, although the plate it was served on proved a bit difficult to wrangle.

Since the lunch was rather light and we spent much of the day walking the Villa, we ordered a dessert, the Lemon Panna Cotta ($5.50). I’m not generally a fan of Panna Cotta, so I’m not the best judge. I did like the fresh blueberries and the citrus lace wafer on top.

Because of the Getty’s limited entry policy, it takes planning to make a visit. For weekends, it can take two weeks or more to get a reservation. Plan ahead and enjoy a great meal.

Of course, there is more to see than just the food. A few pictures from the Villa:

I have been up to the Skirball Center twice. Once with my dad to see the Einstein Exhibit and once with my mom to see the Noah’s Ark installation. Both times, I timed the visit so that we could eat at the Zeidler’s Cafe.

I’m a sucker for museum cafes in general. Maybe they just feel a little more civilized because they are surrounded by culture. I think there is more to it than that though, most of the museum cafes in Los Angeles really do serve good food.

Zeidler’s Cafe is a relatively small space, set up in almost a triangular floor plan. Two of the walls are windows to the outside and one back towards the museum. It’s almost like outdoor dining indoors.

The menu has basic lunch sections, but each one of them is stocked with simple, delightful choices. When I first saw the menu, I immediately locked on to the Salmon Pastrami Club. In fact, both times I have eaten at Zeidler’s I had this sandwich.

Last time I went, my mom and I split the sandwich. It is huge, more like two full sized sandwiches stacked on top of each other. Even the two of us had a hard time finishing it. From the menu, the details are: Pepper Cured Salmon Pastrami, Sliced Red Onion, Tomato, Avocado and Dill Dressing on Toasted Rye Bread ($10.95).

The ingredients in the Salmon Pastrami Club play together perfectly. Fresh, soft rye bread, lightly peppered salmon sliced thin and piled just high enough, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocados, subtle red onions and when your mouth is already having a party, a touch of dill dressing to brighten all of the flavors.

As my mom commented, it’s worth stopping by the cafe just for this sandwich, even if you’re not going to the museum.

To balance the sandwich, we also split a Chopped Salad. Field Greens, Tomato, Cucumber, Roasted Peppers, Mozzarella, Green Beans and Artichoke Hearts Topped with Avocado. Served with Balsamic Vinaigrette on the Side ($9.50). It’s hard to tell from the picture above, but there is a lot of stuff packed in and around the greens. The green beans are a nice touch, blanched and chopped along with the other goodies, adding crunch and flavor. Who doesn’t love crunch and flavor? I don’t want to know.

If you already are planning on visiting the Skirball, make sure to take time to visit the cafe. If you’re driving up the 405 over the hill to the valley, take time to visit the cafe, there is free parking and you don’t need to pay museum admission to eat there. If you have kids, take them to the Noah’s Ark exhibit. You and they will have a great time. It’s a big, creative art piece that you can crawl all over and explore with all of your senses. I do recommend making reservations since there is a timed entry (and exit) to keep the crowds down.

Zeidler’s Cafe (at the Skirball)
2701 North Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 440-4515