la.foodblogging

Did you know that you can check for available tickets to the Getty Villa on the day you might want to visit? Between approximately 9.30am-10.30am they often release their free daily passes that you can download and print from your home computer. (Tickets are scanned upon entrance.) Parking costs $7.00.

It was with this inside knowledge that on a sunny Easter Monday, I snaffled some tix to the fabulous Getty Villa for a glorious day of art, antiquities and luncheon.

Now the first thing to bear in mind is that, even with its close proximity to azure Malibu beach fronts, the newly restored and reopened Getty Villa is nowhere near as architecturally imposing – nor are its collections as impressive – as the Getty Classic. Okay - wait. This place is the Getty Classic… I mean the Getty on the Hill. Anyway, everything here is on a much smaller scale; there are fewer exhibits (largely Greek antiquities etc), smaller gardens and grounds and only one eating venue.

Above the 450-seat amphitheater and overlooking the entrance of the main gallery, as you walk up from the parking building, is the Getty Villa Café.

Here is a café that has been planned for maximum efficiency. As you queue up to be seated, you are handed a menu. It turns out that this licensed café is more of a cafeteria, with everyone deciding what they want in advance and purchasing their lunch. You are seated and the sparse staff soon brings you your food. This system has its pros and cons. The reasonably priced menu is tailored for this kind of pre-preparation. For example, two of our party ordered the seared tuna on a bed of greens. I forget if any grilled veggies or anything like that came on the side but I do remember Ash thinking it seemed like a very small portion, yet was filling enough once he’d devoured it. “It wasn’t bad,� was his recollection. But here’s the thing; it was pre-cooked and came out cold, with an odd, crusty (hard) surface to it that our other companion found a bit off-putting. I ordered a grilled vegetable panini panino (sandwich) that I really enjoyed. I think it even came out slightly warm. It, too, came with a bed of greens and a decent balsamic vinaigrette.

One slight annoyance – what if I had felt like a second glass of pinot grigio?I believe I would have had to join the queue again. Same (I think) if we’d decided we wanted tea or coffee after our lunch… But all that is a minor inconvenience when you balance it against the efficiency and the fair prices of the café. They probably think diners won’t want to linger when there is plenty to see.

Indeed there was.

Cafe at the Getty serves casual Mediterranean fare and has indoor and outdoor seating. The menu choices include salads, soups, panini, pizzas, pastas, vegetables and desserts.
Open 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Drinks and light fare are also available from the Espresso Cart which offers hot and cold sandwiches, homemade soup, to-go salads and a selection of baked goods and desserts as well as espresso drinks and bottled beverages. Available 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

17985 Pacific Coast Highway (at Surfview Drive), Malibu.
It’s 1 mile north of Sunset Boulevard; cars must approach from the south.
Parking $7 per car, cash only; no neighborhood parking.
Bus information: (800) 266-6883

Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday through Monday.

Free, but timed tickets required in advance; call (310) 440-7300 or check out the site

http://www.getty.edu/visit/

Photos taken on the day and graciously provided by Michael Sena.

By MaxMillion (see more of her posts). Max Million is the nom de 'net of Pauline Adamek. Born in Sydney, Australia, Pauline has lived in Los Angeles for the past ten years and finds it agrees with her. She has been reviewing films and filing celebrity-based interview articles since 1991, and has filed stories from various international film festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance. She is completing a family cookbook and also writes novels for 8-12 year olds.