By Laurie Miller
Originally named after a local historian and waterman named, Arte Verge, I had been to Art’s Table many years ago, however, was not familiar with Surfrider Foundation at the time. Located at the corner of Montana and 10th street in Santa Monica, my memories of the restaurant were that the food was amazing and the atmosphere, as well as the staff, were eclectic and fun, without losing any of the warmth.
I recently visited the restaurant again, and it was just as I had remembered it. There’s a wide selection of market fresh food choices, including vegan and vegetarian dishes. And for those gluten-free folks like myself, not to worry because there are plenty of options. My favorite dish is the Greek Corn Salad. You can check out their menu here.
Earlier this year, I got involved with Surfrider Foundation’s Ocean Friendly Restaurants (OFR) Program to understand more about the impact plastic is having on our oceans and marine wildlife. I was fascinated to learn that the organization recruits local restaurants to become certified as being “Ocean Friendly,” which means the restaurant adheres to certain criteria, in an effort to eliminate the amount of plastic that gets dumped into our oceans, ultimately killing ocean wildlife. Some of the criteria include, “no expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam is used” and “paper straws are provided only upon request.” What I noticed during the evening was that Art’s Table does not use plastic utensils of any kind, I was provided a paper straw IF I wanted one, and not once during the evening did I see, or was I offered plastic or Styrofoam products. My take-out container was a paper box. It felt good to enjoy a delicious meal knowing that I was also protecting our oceans and marine wildlife. Should you choose to dine at Art’s Table in the future, check out the OFR stamp of approval in the window to the left of the entrance and be sure to tell the staff how much you appreciate them being a part of such a terrific program.
