Malibu and Pacific Palisades Restaurants Face Uncertain Future Amid 2025 LA Wildfires | Eater LA
"The Montecito steakhouse that opened in Malibu in 2020 inside the Malibu Country Mart has been closed since the Palisades Fire because a break in the main gas line south of the development left the team unable to operate. Director of operations Larry Nobles says, "We can’t operate, and the utilities told us it could be seven to 10 days from last Friday for the gas to come back on. We’re just holding tight and playing it day by day." Power has been intermittent but lights were on in the building at the time of reporting. To feed the community and first responders while utilities are down, the team has been renting flattops and grills to make burgers and sandwiches, accepting donations rather than trying to make money. "We specialize in feeding people; we’re trying to get some normalcy. It’s so awful and devastating; so many people have lost everything," Nobles says. Acknowledging past wildfire and mudslide recovery in Montecito, he adds, "We know it’s going to be a long struggle. We want to keep our employees working; our goal is to just keep moving, and don’t stop moving." - Rebecca Roland
