Peruvian eats on the beach in Montara

A beach house is a great place to clear one's head and remember the important things in life, like nature, friends, family, and that sharks are everywhere. Oh, and that Peruvian food is really good, and you want some, from La Costanera

Well worth the scenic trip down the 1 to Montara, LC's a mod, beachfront estate that chef Carlos Altamirano (of Mochica and Piqueos fame) has transformed into a behemoth "Peruvian fusion" grubbery with sweeping views of one of the Bay's most picturesque beaches and the Pacific beyond, and beyond that...SPACE. The three-story joint feels lived in -- awash in rusted metals, worn wood, sea shells, and rope -- and features a main dining room n' patio perched above the beach, a comfy beach-side lounge directly beneath, and an intimate loft space adorned with floor-to-ceiling windows and, oddly, an opulent, polished stone shower that's yours to use if you rent out the loft -- because sometimes, you need to actually make it rain on them ho's. The grub ranges from eight varieties of cebiche, to pork shoulder in adobo/banana leaf sauce w/ sweet mashed potatoes, to scallops in shrimp broth with veggies and queso fresco, to shellfish/fish/corn/rice in a cilantro-beer base, dubbed Hangover Soup, but they're only open for dinner, and who's hungover at, um, nevermind

The Pisco-centric cocktail menu's got some heavy hitters, including the raspberry puree/lemon/ginger ale Pisco Buck, and the diabolical jalapeno/hibiscus/reposado tequila "La Montara" -- though not quite as diabolical as the feared El Terrifying Shark Lurking Right Beneath You!