Worst Restaurant End in South Bay History?… Chez Soi opened four and a half months ago as an edgy modern bistro. Over the course of its brief life it became more French, then went farm-to-table Californian, tried a family-friendly concept, offered design-it-yourself salads, opened for brunch, and offered all-you-can-eat fried chicken with all-you-can-drink beer. It was a textbook case of a phenomenon described in Anthony Bourdain’s book Kitchen Confidential” – a place desperately trying everything because they know they’re doomed.
The end has come, with a bill for $65,778 in overdue rent attached to the front door, and the situation was handled in the worst way possible. A wedding party that scheduled a reception there found that the restaurant was closed only when they showed up; luckily the staff at Petros was able to accommodate them. There is no excuse for this, since the management had their contact information and one phone call could have saved them much distress.
Amid reports of bounced checks and furious unpaid suppliers, the principals of the restaurant have issued dueling statements blaming each other for the mess. Thierry Perez stated that chef Mark Gold was to blame because he was inconsistent and “never understood and learned how to cook for our local guests,” while Gold blamed Perez’s management style and questioned his business practices. The sad thing is that in the final month before closing they were actually managing to turn out consistently good food without long delays.If they had started that way the business might have had a happier ending.
Rumor is that the investor who was behind Chez Soi has staying power and will try a new concept. The location is good and the neighboring eateries are doing well, but it is a large space with high rent which means that any modestly priced place will need a high turnover. My suggestion to anyone considering this space: Look at the plaza right outside the front door of this space at any time of day and notice who is there: parents with kids. Now look at the nearby restaurants and ask what clientele they serve, and see if it’s the same…
And Another Closing… Pinkie’s BBQ ended a five year run last week, but unlike Chez Soi they were consistently good and had a loyal clientele. Pinkie’s sold out their beer and barbecue dinners, which they staged infrequently at a modest price, and I think they could have charged a bit more and produced them more often. The closing of Pinkie’s is a loss for the South Bay – they were favorites in our reader’s poll for best barbecue in the area every year, and they served many a fine rack of ribs. Farewell Pinkie Pig, we’ll miss you….
And Another (Often Predicted) Demise, With A New Beginning… Shoop’s 131 in El Segundo seems to have closed for good, after a period in which they were apparently open whenever they felt like it. This was bizarre at times – one evening I went in and found the place unlocked but without staff or customers. Shoop’s 131 never caught on – customer service was erratic, the owner aloof and sometimes surly, and the prices were unreasonably high. The place has been acquired by Petros Benekos of Petros Restaurant, who will reopen it as a casual Greek restaurant and bakery…
But We Can Celebrate An Opening… There is good news on another front – the Ragin Cajun’s return. It may take some time for the service to get up to speed, especially since the place has been slammed since their grand opening, but the food is as good as ever. If you have been missing the gumbolaya, po-boys, and other favorites, get yourself over to Aviation to grab some real Louisiana eats. I visited the day after I returned from a food conference in New Orleans with the authentic flavors fresh in my mind, and they passed with flying colors. Some things need to change, like the pop cover bands that blast at arena sound levels even early in the evening. This has caused more than one family to make the snap decision to dine elsewhere. Go for lunch, or call to find when they’re not going to try to pop your eardrums, and you can enjoy a great meal…
And Another On The Way… When I heard that Side Door was changing hands, I wondered how they were going to manage food service; they previously had things brought downstairs from the private 900 Club on the upper level. I reached new owner Nick Klutka and found that they’re going to continue offering food service even though they don’t have a kitchen, courtesy of Rice restaurant across the street. Martinis and sushi, anyone? They open on Friday so you can try the combination for yourself this weekend…
And The Winner Is… Several different concepts were proposed for the former Café Boogaloo, all of which envisioned the place as a restaurant rather than a nightclub that happens to serve food. The winning concept was by Jed Sanford of Abigaile and Little Sister and his brother Allen Sanford of Saint Rocke and Rockefeller. They will have to adhere to the restricted hours that were imposed on the former establishment. The concept hasn’t been announced yet, but I have confirmed that Chef Tin will create the menu. And speaking of Chef Tin, I have visited Little Sister and can confirm that the experience is excellent and likely to lure adventurous diners. The flavors here are intense and an education in contrasts – even if you have never tried okra before, you may like their pan-fried version with fresh cherry tomatoes and cilantro. Asian fusion is the South Bay is usually by-the-book and safe – this is daring and fun…
And More Newcomers in Hermosa… The new restaurant at 425 Pier that used to be the banquet room for Buona Vita will be called the Hook & Plow. They plan to specialize in farm-to-table California cuisine and be open from breakfast through dinner. The owners have negotiated with the city council to open up the space for patio dining, and renovations will start soon… Up the hill at the corner of PCH, The Counter will be replaced by a seafood restaurant with the tentative name Hermosa Beach Fish Company. They have requested permission to add outdoor dining space but have run into opposition from neighbors across the highway who have noise complaints. Elsewhere in Hermosa, Michael Santomieri, a veteran manager at Sangria, has bought Zeppy’s and reportedly will be taking the place upscale, adding patio dining, and expanding the menu… Down the hill, the new Spanish Tapas restaurant next door to Club Sushi will be called be called Belly and the Bull – remodeling is in full swing, but it looks like at least another month before any meals get served. And around the corner at Spiaggia, remodeling is theoretically in progress, but invisible to the naked eye…
And A Few More Openings… … In Redondo, the space that used to be Dolce Vita will reopen soon as a high-end Neapolitan pizzeria and Italian market called Locale 90. A more surprising transformation is due at the former Delzano’s Restaurant, which will become the R10 Social House. The surprise about this opening is that the whole area is subject to major construction if the proposed waterfront development comes to pass – the new owners seem to be betting that the project will be canceled… El Segundo’s openings are more prosaic – the former Stick& Stein will be a TGI Fridays, while the Sizzler will become an In-n-Out Burger.
And A Few Events… Jackson’s Food & Drink in Hermosa will be celebrating a year in business with a Stone Brewing pairing dinner in September. Stone is famous for Arrogant Bastard, which does not describe any of the employees at Jackson’s I have met, especially their new chef. Matt Strong came from Spago about a month ago and has started adding his own Cal-Asian touches to the already eclectic menu. A helpful hint: if the lamb chops with Moroccan spices over couscous are offered, get them – they are delectable… And in Manhattan Beach, Barsha on PCH will be celebrating a year with food catered by Made By Meg and other luminaries. Barsha’s tasting room has become a local hangout for those who appreciate food, wine, and nibbles – they offer high-end charcuterie, cheeses, and other snacks to complement their wine samples and pours of craft beers. It’s a comfortable and sociable environment presided over by the charming Adnen and Lenora, and it has become a regular after-work unwinding stop for locals who depart with a bottle of wine, some gourmet nibbles, and a lot less stress…
And Miscellaneous News…Thomas Ortega of Ortega 120 will be opening a new gourmet taqueria in Cerritos, which is a long haul for South Bay locals, so he is cooking some of those menu items in his Redondo restaurant. Want to try Kobe beef sopes, or Mole Tots? They will be served for a limited time as a preview of the new place… And on the hill, Lunada BayHouse is expanding their menu and will be having a wine dinner on September 25th – more news as we have it… And finally, there will be a craft beer fest at Rock n Brews in El Segundo on September 15th from noon to 5 PM which is being arranged as a family event – the kids can enjoy carnival style games while adults sample craft brews.
You know summer is over when the Oktoberfest events show up in this column, so you may as well get as much use out of your swimsuit as possible before the beerfests begin…
Any more events I should know about, any new openings? I’m at Richard@richardfoss.com…
