Scampi with tagliolini is a standout dish at Dear Jane’s in Marina del Rey.
April 06, 2024
The L.A. area has been blessed with a wave of new seafood restaurants—Loreto, Queen Street, El Muelle 8, Saltie Girl, the Lonely Oyster, and Isla—that join favorites such as Holbox, Con’iSeafood, Connie & Ted’s, Fishing With Dynamite, and Dudley Market.
It makes sense that Dear Jane’s is the most charmingly retro of the bunch, since owners Josiah Citrin and Hans and Patti Röckenwagner are the team that revived vintage steakhouse Dear John’s.
A nautical theme makes sense at Dear Jane’s, given its harborside location and emphasis on seafood.
They’ve done something similar here. Located in the marina at the water’s edge, Dear Jane’s is a time warp in the best possible way. The walls are lined with a mishmash of thrift store paintings, the tables are adequately spaced, and the menu features gently modernized versions of the most popular dishes from the deep, circa 1960 to 1990, but with top-notch ingredients.
With a group? Splurge on a seafood tower that includes stone crab claws, oysters, clams, scallops, shrimp, and lobster.
For a splurge, the seafood tower features some of the best stone crab claws around, along with oysters, clams, scallops, shrimp, and lobster. Dive into an order of clams casino, in which chorizo replaces bacon and piquillo peppers bring zing. A small boule of Hans’ fantastic sourdough bread comes with a fish-shaped pat of butter. It’s a must, especially alongside a bowl of creamy New England clam chowder.
Dear Jane’s turns a shrimp Louie salad (intended for 2 people but enough to feed 4) into art. Perfectly poached shrimp are joined by jammy eggs, cherry tomatoes, and avocado tossed with a tangier cousin of Thousand Island dressing.
Light and crisp fish-and-chips (pictured) are note-perfect, as is the scampi with tagliolini.
For a classic entrée, choose the trout amandine or sand dabs Grenobloise, which both play on the same theme—fish cooked in butter and topped with almonds or capers and lemon, respectively.
Just for fun, call the restaurant when it’s closed to hear the outgoing message recorded by Jamie Lee Curtis as her character from A Fish Called Wanda. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Shrimp Louie salad, clams casino, seafood tower, scampi, sand dabs Grenobloise
Starters, $14–$29; entrées, $30–$65; desserts, $15
13950 Panay Way, Marina del Rey
