It sounds like La Spiaggia Ristorante has a fan for life in Cal O’Brien. With reviews like his, it’s clear the restaurant will add more loyal customers like him.
“My wife and I agree this is the best Italian food we’ve had outside of Italy,” O’Brien said. “It’s on par with anything we ate in Venice.”
O’Brien, a longtime Harborite, has been to La Spiaggia many times so far in the restaurant’s short existence. He’ll be back soon. O’Brien loves “everything” that Doug Cox, executive chef and co-owner, makes at La Spiaggia — 729 Point Brown Ave. NW, in Ocean Shores.
“I’ve tried something different every time just because I want to try new things,” O’Brien said. “I don’t have a single bad word to say. Everything we’ve had is spot on.”
Home cooking
Cox, who owns the restaurant with his wife Rhonda, offers authentic Italian — a rarity in Grays Harbor County. Rhonda spoke about what inspired Doug.
“Doug started cooking at a young age with his grandmother,” Rhonda said. “She would send him to the garden to pick fresh ingredients and then they would prepare a whole meal together. He was always fascinated with cooking.”
Rhonda detailed what convinced the couple to open a restaurant. Perhaps it’s one of the only positive results of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When Covid was going on, we were both unemployed from the restaurants we were working in,” Rhonda said. “We would host these 20 course parties with all ingredients made from scratch. This included things like Limoncello, cured meats and cheeses.”
One of the themes for their parties was Italian.
“Doug prepared this amazing rolled lasagna with fresh ricotta and everyone loved it,” Rhonda said. “It was probably that dinner that really was the driving force of what we wanted our restaurant concept to be. A version of that is what we serve in-house. It has ricotta cheese, sauteed spinach, garlic, parmesan, mozzarella, salt and pepper. It is then rolled in a lasagna noodle and baked with his four-hour bolognese sauce. It’s delicious.”
Why choose Ocean Shores?
“We both loved the idea of moving to a beach community to raise our two children,” Rhonda said. “We also felt like every time we visited, it was calling to us. Lots of people escape to the beach to get away from all the hustle and bustle of the city life. Why not make it our home? We were told by locals that there was a need for more restaurants with great cuisine.”
Customer service
And with great food, you must have great service. La Spiaggia has both qualities in spades.
O’Brien was impressed with La Spiaggia and how it rectified an error during a past visit. He had received the wrong menu item. When he quietly notified the staff, and said he was fine with eating the item they originally brought him, they insisted he keep that order and they’d get his ordered meal out right away.
O’Brien ended up eating both meals — one as leftovers — and said he thought both were “phenomenal.”
Hard work
In mid-August, Rhonda called the couple’s work-life balance “non-existent.”
“We are working seven days a week, sometimes 16-hour days,” Rhonda said. “But winters are very slow out here, January especially. You need to bring in as much revenue from the summer to carry you through the winter.”
Unfortunately, staffing is an issue for La Spiaggia. Many other businesses across the Harbor face it, too.
“Finding great people that believe in what you are doing and want to do the best job for you can be hard to find,” Rhonda said. “Also, keeping those great people happy when your sales fluctuate so much from summer to winter (is a challenge, too). We need double the staff for summer. Where do you find that when those jobs are lessened for summer? Our team feels like family. You take care of family.”
Before the restaurant opened, it took a lot of work to make it happen. Rhonda said they have someone to thank for helping their dream come true.
“My friend Terri Bullert, whom I have known for 11 years and have worked with at other restaurants, moved from Seattle to help us open the restaurant,” Rhonda said. “We spent a whole month painting and cleaning the space before we opened. She helped train all the new staff and guide them for what our vision was.”
According to Rhonda, all guests love Bullert.
“She is really great about getting names and creating a space where the regulars are like family,” Rhonda said. “My children call her Auntie Terri for a reason.”
Another stellar review
A real positive for the restaurant is it staffs people like Adelina, who impressed Bryce Romero. Romero and his girlfriend had gone to La Spiaggia with a friend.
“I thought the service and the food was fabulous,” Romero said.
When you pair the quality of staffing with the food and drink the Cox couple provides, it’s not hard to hit the mark with customers.
“The appetizers were good and so was the red wine sangria,” Romero said. “I would definitely go back to try some of their house specials.”
In addition to the sangria, La Spiaggia has a full bar with specialty cocktails and a beer list.
Appreciation for their guests
“We absolutely love our guests,” Rhonda said. “We have a ton of regulars, some that live here year-round and some who visit when they are in town. We want to be that place where we can welcome you by name.”
They might have that in Calvin and the people he brings there because he added more positivity in his review of the restaurant.
“It’s a real meal,” said O’Brien, who can’t stand finding out the $100 steak he just ordered is too small a portion for its price. “The prices are definitely on-par for the quality and the amount of food that you get.”
The fantastic reviews are of no surprise since when you walk in, you smell the welcome scents of garlic, pepper, fresh cheese and sauces as they are meticulously prepared and served. The wafting scents can convert a picky person into someone who wants to try just about everything.
The chicken parmigiana, which looks a little like one of those tall hills drivers navigate on the way west to Ocean Shores, piles high with the pasta on the side. The chicken cutlets are the top star with this dish. The sizable portion leaves people full and satisfied. And to top it off, the staff pulls out a chunk of fresh cheese and grates it right there if you need extra cheese.
And then sometimes, even people who have declared they’re full, the thought of dessert from such a talented chef convinces their stomachs to make a little more room.
La Spiaggia does that well with its tiramisu, its chocolate mousse — yes, actual chocolate mousse, in Western Washington. The sweet and deliciously creamy dish, made with homemade whipped cream, exists here. At about $10, it’s worth the price. It’s not a big offering, but the quality is what makes it stand out.
Rhonda’s advice for other restaurateurs
“Be prepared to work a lot,” Rhonda exclaimed. “Some people think you make a ton of money when opening a restaurant. That is not true. Payroll, rent, utilities, food costs, broken equipment, it all adds up.”
Listen to other bar and restaurant owners on the Harbor, they’ll tell you the same thing. It takes time to make any money since most of what restaurants and bars make early on goes right back into bills.
“You better really enjoy what the restaurant can do for you,” Rhonda said. “Ours is the happiness of seeing a guest truly enjoy all the food, service and overall experience. (There is) no better compliment than ‘this is the best food I have ever had.’”
Fortunately for the couple, La Spiaggia isn’t just something to make money. It’s something where they can create both a world full of delicious meals and the feeling of Italy without leaving North Beach.
Listen to the chef
Doug’s favorite dish, according to Rhonda, is his recent special — a scallop linguine with burnt lemon cream sauce. For a person whose goal is clearly to share his love of Italian food with his customers, the recommendation is a golden one. So listen to him.
“I love cooking,” Doug said. “I love being able to create something delicious.”
Hours of operation
While the summer provided seven days of what Nonna used to make, the winter hours aren’t as plentiful. So maybe plan ahead in order to get a table to eat Doug’s homemade meals and desserts, La Spiaggia’s full bar with craft cocktails, a variety of “outstanding” wine and beer, and “a positive and attentive team to ensure” the guests have an amazing experience.
In addition to heading there for a delicious meal with friends and family, you can also have a party there. Call ahead for a party that will serve all. For more information, check out laspiaggiaristorante.com.
“Chef Doug is happy to curate a menu for your event with his regular and specialty meals,” La Spiaggia’s website states. “La Spiaggia Ristorante’s menu has dedicated gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and paleo options to accommodate most dietary needs.”
Thanksgiving Hours
Three seatings at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Dinner hours
Monday and Tuesday — Closed
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday — 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday — 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday — 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Contact
729 Point Brown Ave NW, Ocean Shores
360-289-2328
amolaspiaggia@gmail.com
La Spiaggia Ristorante Doug Cox, a chef who co-owns La Spiaggia Ristorante with his wife Rhonda, has been cooking since he was a child. His grandmother showed him the ropes and he’s been in love with culinary arts ever since.
Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World Chocolate mousse, not chocolate mousse cake, or pie, but actual chocolate mousse can be found at La Spiaggia Ristorante. The sweet delicacy is the perfect size after a hearty meal from Doug Cox’s kitchen.
La Spiaggia Ristorante Some people, like Cal O’Brien, have made a conscious effort to try most if not everything at La Spiaggia Ristorante, the authentic Italian restaurant in Ocean Shores. And for people like O’Brien, they haven’t been disappointed. Instead, they’ve left impressed by what Chef Doug Cox can do in the kitchen.
La Spiaggia Ristorante La Spiaggia Ristorante is a diamond in Ocean Shores and Doug Cox and Rhonda Cox — who work 80-hour weeks — are the miners. The restaurant serves authentic Italian the way Doug’s grandmother used to make, which leaves the customers who dine there full and satisfied.
