"When you book a table at Le Great Outdoor in Santa Monica, you’re basically signing up for a backyard barbecue. The kitchen at this entirely outdoor spot in Bergamot Station's parking lot has nothing more than a couple of grills, and the dining room is just a hub of picnic tables. Friends drink nebbiolo and talk about flying to Amsterdam on Delta points, dogs and babies run free, and families pass around giant platters of goat cheese-topped tartines and blistered lamb chops. There may even come a point towards the end of dinner when you forget you’re still at a restaurant and not a friend’s garden party." - brant cox, arden shore, sylvio martins, cathy park