Jiraffe Restaurant

One of my new favorite restaurants in Santa Monica is Jiraffe. I'd wanted to try it for the longest time, so my boyfriend took me there for my birthday.. awww. The atmosphere is up-scale and romantic and the service we encountered was super warm, friendly, and helpful. What I think is interesting about the place is that while the food is amazing it isn't one of those places that serve tiny portions.. the entree was so big I had to take half of it home.

I had the glazed pork chop with wild rice and Autumn vegetables (picture above.. and I am pretty sure it's the dish pictured on the restaurant's menu page on their website). It was delicious and such a huge portion that I got to enjoy it the next night all over again! For an appetizer we shared the purple gnocchi (picture below). I LOVE gnocchi and this recipe was so great, I wish I could make it at home. It was made with purple potatoes and served with purple onions and shrimp. They also served our desserts (cookie ice cream sandwich and warm chocolate cake) with a Happy Birthday note and a candle! This is a great restaurant for special occasion or to turn any night into a special one.

Jiraffe
502 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-917-6671
http://www.jirafferestaurant.com/