Neptune's Net

The nostalgic exterior of this eatery,
successfully draws travelers in, but
it's no nonsense accommodations
will quickly deflate high
expectations. This place is only here
to fill your stomach. Don't expect
anything and you're sure to be
pleased. There are two parts to this
restaurant, one with cold cases,
indoor tables and a menu offering
mostly deep fried foods such as crab
cakes, clam strips, fish & chips,
shrimp, mozzarella sticks and such,
as well as burgers which seemed to
be popular. The other building had
tubs pumping in fresh water for live
seafood. There were some clams
and king crab legs on ice, but only
Dungeness Crab in the tanks that
day, so we picked out one, weighing
in at two pounds for $32. With an
estimated 18 minutes prep time we
went to the other building to buy
something to drink. We settled on a
1998 bottle of "Mirassou" Monterey
Riesling which "balances ripe pear
and apricot flavors with food friendly
acidity in a refreshing, off-dry style.
A consistent gold medal winner." I
was thrilled with this wine. Sitting at
a worn wooden picnic table amongst
unkept surroundings seemed almost
primitive. With the sun on my back
and a fresh ocean breeze across my
face, I felt a little giddy. A wonderful
bottle of white poured into plastic
cups and a fresh Dungeness Crab
were just waiting to take center
stage. They break the crab apart as
much as they can, but it was still a
meal you have to work hard for.
They even made a sort of "soup"
with the brains, and served it in the
body of the unfortunate crustacean.
This I didn't care much for, but the
clarified butter mixed with Red Robin
Hot Sauce was so awesome
together, I don't imagine I'll ever eat
steamed crab any other way. There
was so much still to try here, but I
give this place a thumbs up, for
providing a most memorable lunch.

Located at 42505 Pacific Coast Hwy
in Malibu.

Telephone (310) 457-3095