Dining Review – Plate: Savory flavors at a homegrown eatery

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The mango crab appetizer, made with chunks of fresh crab and topped with slices of ripe avocado, diced tomatoes and thick chunks of mango.

Plate restaurant has been in Malibu several years now, and has become the go-to spot for fresh, healthy organic dining. It is known for providing an eclectic selection of healthy dishes made with organic ingredients from local vendors.

When you walk into the restaurant, which is located on Pacific Coast Highway near the pier, a serene ambience of chocolaty earth tones and various shades of green greets you, providing an overall feeling of healthfulness.

Owners Shiela Elardo and Chef Victor Rosales are offering several new dishes for summer, each with a unique twist on California cuisine.

Starters on the summer menu include a peach caprese salad, which is made with thick-sliced ripe peaches that are crisp and refreshing, enhancing the flavor of a creamy, yet firm buratta cheese that is drizzled with an aged vinaigrette and olive oil dressing.

Other options include a fresh kale salad that is mixed with cranberries, small apple chunks, walnuts and a citrus vinaigrette dressing that is slightly salty, offering contrasting flavors that blend deliciously together.

For the seafood lover, a mango crab appetizer made with chunks of fresh crab is topped with slices of ripe avocado, diced tomatoes and thick chunks of mango, offering a hint of sweetness.

Also in the fish family are lobster egg rolls, which are infused with Asian flavors. Comprised of steamed vegetables and lobster, the hand wrapped, crisp egg rolls come with an unique teriyaki mayonnaise sauce that brings out the full flavor of the lobster, and will have you unwilling to share.

The menu also features its traditional staples, such as a 10-oz. center cut grilled fillet mignon that is charbroiled and served with organic broccoli and cauliflower on a port wine reduction, and coconut-poached Alaskan halibut, which is served with organic green beans, brown rice, reduced in ginger and garlic reduction, and garnished with toasted coconut.

A full wine list is offered, and, for the novice wine drinker, is grouped into categories from sweet to dry, light intensity to full intensity.

Prosecco cocktails are also offered, made with Mionetto that is mixed with organic mango, raspberry and white peach puree, which serve as a sweet treat ideal for complementing a light starter or dessert.

For those seeking a nonalcoholic beverage, Plate offers 100 percent organic fruit juices in addition to a diverse selection of tea served over ice that is brewed then flashed-chilled and made to order.

An enticing dessert menu offers a variety of treats, if you’ve saved room, such as a light flourless chocolate cake with rich chocolate that is topped with a crème anglaise or, for a lighter option, try a heaping serving of raspberry sorbet that is both fat free and dairy free, topped with a generous portion of ripe berries.

Plate Restaurant is open for breakfast Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch is served daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and dinner starts at 5 p.m. daily and runs until 9 p.m.

Plate: 22601 Pacific Coast Hwy.; 310.317.6800. More information can be obtained online at www.platemalibu.com