You can never go wrong with nostalgia, with the feelings of warmth we get from thinking back to our happiest and safest times. And coming in the wake of the COVID lockdown, where we were often isolated and uncertain, the sentiment of nostalgia, whose definition according to Oxford Language is, "A sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations," is the perfect theme for a restaurant/bar.
That was the thinking of Chris Sayegh, who most people know as The Herbal Chef. Renowned for his cannabis-infused meals done around the globe, Sayegh has opened his first brick and mortar location in Santa Monica, California.
It is likely not the food and themes people would expect from Sayegh, and his team, but it is every bit as spectacular as the gourmet meals he has become known for in both food and cannabis circles.
Teaming with Chef Jared Ventura on the food menu and Brad Fry, Chris Serrano, and Walker Marsch on the bar menu, Sayegh has made the creature comforts of our childhood fresh, new and magnificent.
On the food side the dishes range from such standards as fish and chips, Lobster Roll and a cheeseburger to veggies and dip and fries with an array of dipping sauces.
Among the standout dishes include "Oysters Two Ways," described on the menu as "fire and ice." The two distinct oysters side by side, one smoked and with pineapple Habanero, contrast beautifully. The Kampachi Crudo, which feels as light and airy as a sashimi dish, and the tempura fried cauliflower also excel. But the dish most likely to get people talking is the superb and unique Kobe Toast, which is sourdough toast topped with Kobe beef. Trust me, it is amazing.
On the dessert side, there are Nostalgic Push Pops and the PB&J, a chocolate cake with chocolate ganache, peanut mousse, raspberry sorbet and candied peanuts.
The drinks lean even more heavily into childhood memories. The centerpiece of the drink menu is the Enchanted Tiki Whip, inspired by the Dole Whip from Disneyland. Other variations of childhood drinks include Woo-Hoo, derived from the Chocolate Yoo-hoo drink; The End Of The Otter Pop, whose name is self explanatory; the After School Snack, and more.
I spoke with Sayegh about the menu and the inspiration and more behind your new old favorite hangout, Nostalgia. We also spoke about his dream artists to play the restaurant,
Steve Baltin: What was the inspiration and ideas you were going for with the menu as well as the games?
Chris Sayegh: Essentially we wanted Nostalgia to become everybody's favorite part of their memories. The times where we got to play board games with our friends and family, share delicious food together, and have a few drinks. Those are the memories we are trying to make with Nostalgia. The bar menu has several adult versions of our favorite childhood beverages. The food menu has some classic bites that pretty much everyone knows, but done with the very best ingredients. The whole place is an ode to some of the best parts of how we grew up in the U.S.
Baltin: What are your favorite items on the menu, food and drink?
Sayegh: Some of my favorite food items are the Kobe Toast, the Lobster Roll, the Fish and Chips, the Duo of Oysters, the Push Up Pop, and Bruce Bogtrotters Comeback. Some of my favorite beverages are End of the Otter Pop, How many Licks, The Woohoo, Sign From Above, and Where in the World.
Baltin: What made this the right time to open a location?
Sayegh: I think that people really want connection, and camaraderie more than ever after the last two years. People are ready to get together again, and have some good times.
Baltin: How will the menu change over time?
Sayegh: Coming up in April we will have the spring menu ready, and the menu will seasonally change while we keep some of the neighborhood favorites as a constant.
Baltin: How will having a storefront interact with the Herbal Chef dinners?
Sayegh: For the first time people who want to try some of our food for a lower price point will be able to indulge, but beyond that we are really excited because we can have our members only events at Nostalgia when we are closed. That means we will be creating unique experiences through The Herbal Chef using Nostalgia as the venue, and naturally we are very cannabis friendly.
Baltin: You mentioned wanting to have music at the location. Who are the ideal artists to perform at Nostalgia?
Sayegh: We have a state of the art sound system, and it would be a shame not to have talented artists playing in there. We would love to have everyone from Carlos Santana to Too Many Zooz, The Shins, Flume, AJR, Zhu, Justice, Gwen Stefani, Miramasa, Cage the Elephant, Trio Mocoto, Glass Animals, Adele, Wiz Khalifa, J Cole, St. John, Logic, Snoop Dogg, Yann Tiersen just to name a few. We are really just looking for good music from jazz/ brass bands, to rap, to rock to alternative.
Baltin: What do you want people to take from a night at Nostalgia?
Sayegh: We want them to have that warm fuzzy feeling when they reminisce about special memories from their past while enjoying flavors from the future. My favorite is seeing someone's face light up while playing board games snacking with drinks in their hand when someone hits the buzzer in Operation, or the complete devastation as they watch the Jenga tower fall.
