We made a stop at his easily accessible Santa Monica Blvd. hot spot to try what a co-worker of mine says is the best seafood in West LA. We started with oysters (which are always fresh from the west coast) and the wonderful and simple smoked salmon. I find in this city many chefs will attempt to overproduce certain dishes in an attempt to impress. Gulfstream is a delightful departure from this fad. The quality and freshness of their seafood, organic rotisserie chicken, and prime cuts of both fillet and rib eye can be paired with an estate bottled and well priced wine. The spaghetti squash tossed in a light herb butter with shiitake mushrooms and golden raisins highlights a selection of side dishes ranging from fully loaded baked potatoes to wild rice salad to brussels sprouts. I had a mesquite grilled seabass topped with a crab lemon butter and my wife went for the jumbo lump crab cakes. Both winners! Do not--and I repeat--do not pass on the Scharfenberger hot fudge sundae. We were most impressed by the food and wine knowledge of our server who was unobtrusively delightful throughout our visit.
Pros: Service, quality of ingredients, quickly seated.
Cons: Nobody playing the beautiful piano by the bar, tough to get in with parties over 6.
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