The Yard Santa Monica - Late Night Menu

West of the 405 there are not a lot of late night food options besides the 24 hour diners, which leave something to be desired in ambition and execution.  To help rectify this situation, Santa Monica's The Yard, led by Chef CJ Jacobson, launched a late night menu available from 10 pm - 1 am on Thursday - Saturday nights, perfect to get some quality food after a night out.

Chef Jacobson (above) launched his late night menu last night with some $3 specials. Although the menu will cost a bit more than that, it is still a good value, especially considering the quality. The arancini (below) were one of the highlights of the food I sampled last night. They were crispy on the exterior and had a good crunch to them while still having a light center.

The Grilled Cheese (below) was the highlight of the evening.  It includes Gruyere, Mozzarella, Asiago & Roaring Forties Blue and sprinkled Parmesan cheese on the top.  The blue cheese gives it an extra kick and the bread was thick.  The blend of cheeses made this dish a cut above your standard grilled cheese.

I did not sample the poutine (pictured below) due to the pork in the gravy, but it was enjoyed by my tablemates, although not as enthusiastically as the veal meatballs (not pictured) which were delicious.

The arancini, meatballs and grilled cheese sandwich were the highlights of the food menu.  The Blackberry Bramble, available for $5 as the cocktail of the week, was light and refreshing.  I enjoyed it so much I drank it before I could remember to photograph it.

The full late night menu is:

Food
Paprika spiced calamari, roasted marinara, fried lemon $10
Mini pulled pork sloppy joes, yard bbq sauce, crispy onions, pickled carrots, fries $12
The yard house-ground burger, carr valley cheddar, grilled onions, 1000 Island dressing, tomato, fries $14
Arancini, crispy risotto balls, spicy romesco sauce $8
Classic grilled cheese: Gruyere, Mozzarella, Asiago & Roaring Forties Blue $9
Grilled vegetable plate with shallot vinagrette $8
Poutine, skinny fries, brown gravy, cheese curds $8
Coffee Pot d'creme with espresso grounds and sea salt, chocolate/hazelnut biscotti $8

Drinks
Pabst Blue Ribbon $3
Xante Sangria Blanca $5
Specialty Cocktail of the Week (Blackberry Bramble this week) $5
Microbrewery Darft of the Week (Craftsman 1903 this week) $4

The Yard: 119 Broadway, Santa Monica (right between Ocean and the 3rd Street Promenade). Phone: (310) 395-6037  Website: theyardsm.com