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Born in Bari, Italy and raised in the restaurant business with a passion for seafood, The Sunset in Malibu is the perfect home away from home for owner Franco Simplicio.
Simplicio moved to California as a teenager, studied at UCLA as an undergraduate, and went on to get his doctorate degree from USC.
He says his destiny was the restaurant business and he went on to open many successful restaurants in the Los Angeles area, including Padri, Allegria, Tanino, Ca Del Sole, Il Pastaio, Frascati, Moonshadows, and the latest – The Sunset.
“My passion is seafood with a Mediterranean influence,” Simplicio says. “I love making people feel welcome in my restaurants and will always have a great bar environment where people can be casual and gather with their friends or make new friends while they enjoy exceptional food and service.”
The Sunset restaurant started out in the 1970s as a very hip restaurant/bar called “Splash.”
It was a celebrity hub with the likes of Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davies, Johnny Carson, Dean Martin, Sonny & Cher, Warren Beatty, Dick Clark, Dick Van Dyke, and many others.
It then became “Monroe’s” – named after Marilyn Monroe who was a frequent patron.
After that, it was named “The Grey Whale” as grey whales migrate right in front of the restaurant twice a year, in the fall and in the spring.
Simplicio remembers when he took over the restaurant in 2003 and as he was remodeling, he would watch the amazing sunsets everyday.
He says that’s how he decided to call it The Sunset.
“What I love the most about this restaurant is that a lot of the times it’s full of local celebrities and other locals and at times it transforms into this eclectic crowd of beach dwellers and foreign tourists,” Simplicio says. “It makes coming to work fun, especially listening to people tell me how breathtaking the views are and how they did not expect the food to be so good.”
At the helm of the kitchen is Italian chef Enrico Glaudo, who is from Piemonte, Italy.
His last position was at Cipriani in Beverly Hills and before that in Italy at a Michelin star restaurant.
The menu is seafood inspired (there is a Seafood Bar), but the restaurant also features Italian specialties as well as several non-seafood dishes.
Highlights of the seafood menu include the Sunset Seafood Stew (with a lobster-tomato broth, clams, mussels, and prawns), Mussels & Frites (sautéed in white wine, fennel, tomato, garlic, shallots, and basil), and Jumbo Diver Scallops (pan-seared with porcini mushrooms, English peas, and Arborio).
When asked what he loves most about The Sunset, Simplicio says it’s the fact everybody can just walk to the beach across the road.
“Zuma Beach (where the restaurant is located) and Malibu have become more popular over the years and especially in the past two years,” he says. “We are seeing record number of visitors.”
He says his motto is “come for the views and stay for the food.”
The Sunset
Lunch: Monday-Friday 12-4 pm
Dinner: Monday-Saturday 4-10 pm
Dinner: Sunday 4-9 pm
Brunch: Saturday-Sunday 11 am-4 pm
6800 Westward Beach Road
Malibu, CA 90265
310.589.1007
www.thesunsetrestaurant.com
