Photograph by Jessica Boone

Elegant understatement is the rule here, from the Craftsman touches in the room to the high-end film people cosseted in cashmere zip cardigans at the bar. Chef Paul Shoemaker has created a Malibu restaurant whose food is actually worth the extra time in the car. Duck breast is cut into thick, juicy slabs and draped over tender red cabbage. The woodsy notes of a chanterelle risotto amplify the crisp, deep-roasted splendor of a jidori chicken. But it is in the fish dishes that you best sense the years Shoemaker spent as understudy to Michael Cimarusti at Providence. Seared king salmon, thinly sliced and bolstered by a jumble of chestnuts and bacon, still carries the purity of the waters in which it swam. » Point Dume Village // 29169 Heathercliff Road // Malibu 310-589-8997 or savorymalibu.com