Lost at Sea Restaurant Reportedly Will Close This Week

An Old Pasadena seafood restaurant which made quite a splash when it opened just over two years ago is sinking and apparently will shut its doors forever on Friday, Eater LA said Monday.

The report did not mention a reason for Lost at Sea closing, but it did say the Holly Street restaurant “seemed at times to struggle to find a consistent local audience.”

Lost at Sea opened in 2016 with locals Chef Tim Carey and Wine Director Santos Uy at the helm. The restaurant features cuisine with a heavy Southern California influence in ingredients and culture, and a keen focus on French technique. Aside from wines naturally produced by artisans from all over the globe, Lost at Sea also carry a selection of local craft beers.

Carey currently lives in Arcadia but grew up in Pasadena, and Uy is from La Canada; both are Loyola High School alumni.

After graduating from Loyola High in 1999, Carey relocated to San Diego, and in 2003, became a fishmonger at Point Loma Seafoods. He was there for a year before moving back up to the LA area to attend the California School of Culinary Arts, working part-time at a fish market in San Marino.

Upon completing his degree in 2005, Carey started working at Sbicca in Del Mar, and in 2006 transitioned to San Diego’s Island Prime. He returned to Los Angeles three years later and secured a position under Tony Esnault at Patina, leaving in 2011 to become Executive Chef at Uy’s Papilles in Hollywood. Carey moved out of that post in June 2016 to focus on Lost at Sea.

Uy went to USC, where he received a B.S. in Italian Studies in 2005. Soon after, he became the first employee at Silver Lake Wine, and in October 2006, took on a part-time sommelier position at AOC to get some experience on the floor. Uy left both jobs in April 2008, when he opened his first business.

In 2010, Uy opened Mignon, a wine and cheese bar in Downtown LA, and in December of 2011 he debuted Papilles with Carey. Uy remains owner and wine director of Mignon and Papilles.