A La Carte: Hermosa burger block, a Mexican metamorphosis, classic closed, dining events
by Richard Foss
Burger Rebirth: In a previous column, I mused that Hermosa Beach might have reached peak burger, since so many pulverized protein palaces had opened there. I may have to eat crow (made into a crowburger, of course), because eateries with that specialty continue to open. Proudly Serving, which began flipping ground cow inside the Project Barley brewpub on the Boardwalk, has moved to the former Spot location. They have expanded their footprint, but not yet their menu of burgers, fries, and a cookie. More options are on the way, but they’re easing into the upgrades (110 2nd St, HB)… This burger joint is 430 feet from another hallowed burger place that is experiencing a renaissance. The much-loved dive bar ironically named The Hermosa Beach Yacht Club closed in 2020 after the death of the owner, but will reopen soon with his daughter running the show. Leanna Handley will be back at the grill as soon as some minor remodeling is complete. No word yet on whether they’ll expand their minimalist menu, but burgers will certainly be the center of attention (66 Hermosa Avenue)…
Redondo News: Speaking of burgers, a celebrated and controversial chef is taking the place inside Project Barley that was vacated by Proudly Serving. The new operation is called ZaZa’s Burgers, a name it shares with an eatery in suburban Rotherham, England. The one on the Redondo Boardwalk will be run by Sean Chaney, who used to dish up wildly inventive sliders and tacos at Hot’s Kitchen in Hermosa. No word yet on whether Chaney will get as wild with his burgers here as he did at Hot’s, but we can hope… Another Redondo opening is more conventional — the long-awaited branch of Café Bonaparte opened on Avenue I. The menu and style are similar to the original on the Hermosa Pier Plaza, and the pastry case is just as full of sweet and savory delights (219 Avenue I, RB)… Other news from Redondo is not as good, with several closings to report. Holy Cow BBQ closed in August, apparently because the family that owns it found running three places too stressful rather than for lack of customers. Their Culver City and Santa Monica locations remain open… Table Manners, aka Perfect Storm, closed recently too. They had some fine ideas but were inconsistent, and never really caught on. No word yet on who or what will move in… And Ortega 120 closed sometime in the recent past. It’s hard to tell when, because like several other places that shuttered recently, their website is still up and the online reservation system kept accepting reservations after the place went dark. The sign on the door says the closure is temporary. It’s a sad end for a place that was once groundbreaking, but lost focus when the original owner and chef moved on…
Meanwhile in Hermosa: Agave Azul changed ownership and became Agave Azul Cantina for about a month before changing names again. They decided they needed a clearer break with the previous establishment, which was indelibly associated with a party atmosphere rather than the calmer family-friendly style they’re aiming at. The new name is Marena, which means “tide” in Spanish, and that’s slightly odd because their current menu is not seafood-centric. I visited and found the food to be very good, though they’re still navigating challenges in getting everything to the table in a timely manner… Hermosa also had two closures of establishments that were both novelties, the Soo Good snack bar and the combination convenience store, pizzeria, and beer garden Street Corner Market. The menu at the Soo Good was a dietician’s horror, all sweets and deep-fried starches, which might attract a teenage summer audience but didn’t catch on with locals. As for Street Corner Market (which wasn’t actually on a corner), it’s a fair bet that most people had no idea the beer garden existed, since they did nothing to promote it. A small grocery and sundries shop seemed like it might be a good idea, since nothing like that is in the neighborhood, but you have to sell a lot of tubes of sunscreen and cans of soda to make rent on a beachfront location…
Doings Elsewhere: Manhattan Beach has been quiet, and there wasn’t much news from El Segundo. Jetta Thai closed, and I’ve heard rumors about a new occupant in the space on Richmond briefly occupied by Mama D’s, but nothing is confirmed. The only other news in town is a change in concept at Tapizon, the restaurant at the north end of downtown on Main Street. They’re switching from a small plates format to larger entrees and emphasizing Brazilian-Japanese fusion. That isn’t as odd as it sounds, because there are about a quarter of a million people of Japanese descent in Brazil. It’s more of an expansion of concept than a complete shift, because many of the California-Brazil fusion items are still there… There is an interesting mystery at the other end of our coverage area in Rolling Hills Estates. A sign announces the imminent opening of Daisy Buchanan’s Pizza, but I haven’t found any information about such a business. There was a long-closed Boston dive bar by that name, and a character in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” but it’s hard to imagine how either is relevant to this location. Does anybody know? My email address is at the bottom of this column…
Event Alerts: There are a huge number of wine events, and I’m going to abandon chronological order to mention the two non-grape related items first. If you are nostalgic for the ‘90s, neon shirts, baggy jeans, and grunge metal included, you should go to Ryla in Hermosa for a ‘90s brunch this Saturday. They’ll play the hits and serve items from the food fads of that era, which in case you don’t remember, include homemade pop tarts, sesame crusted tuna, and pesto on everything. We don’t know if Ryla is going to serve all of those, but they mentioned pop tarts so they’re definitely in the mix. Reservations recommended, because this goofy idea is likely to be popular, and you should dress the part if your crop tops and grunge flannels still fit… Downtown Hermosa will have a Germanic feel this weekend with the Locale 90254 Oktoberfest taking over Pier Plaza. The beer tents will be pouring a river of barley beverages, and if your lederhosen have been gathering dust, this is the time to get them out of the closet. The Ryla brunch will be going on at the same time, so if you have a grunge dirndl, this is the time to rock it.
And now to wine: The five-course dinner at Baleen on Sunday, October 1st will be a quieter affair than either of the two we just mentioned, and probably less sartorially spectacular, but probably more in tune with a modern palate. Chef Hung Quan will prepare five courses including two pairings with each course, a rarity at these events. The price is $95 plus tax & tip, and the full menu and reservation link are on Baleen’s Resy site…. Radici will host a wine dinner on October 8 serving Italian favorites like squash ravioli and veal scallopini “bella vista,” paired with Italian wines, naturally. Price is $95 plus tax & tip – reservation link is on their Open Table page… Paul Martin’s will host a dinner with Cakebread Cellars on October 17, five courses with wine pairings for $135 plus and plus again… Ryla isn’t the only one asking people to dress for a different decade, as Fleming’s is hosting a Roaring ‘20s themed wine dinner on October 20. Five courses with four wines from Jackson Family Vineyards will set you back $135 plus tax & tip – reservation link is on their website… Finally, Uncorked will celebrate their 12th anniversary on October 22 with an afternoon bash featuring 60 wines, live music, and free flowing food – it’s $75 per person. More details and reservations are on their website…
Dine Everywhere: It would be irresponsible to end this column without noting that DineLA will be occurring from October 6 to 20. As much as I am a booster for dining in the South Bay, I encourage you to look at options both here and beyond, because it’s a great chance to discover the diversity of our region’s dining scene.
In Closing: If you know a restaurant opening I might’ve missed, a culinary event that should be covered, or just about anything related to food that I should know about, please send the information my way. I’m at richard@richardfoss.com. And as long as you’re on the internet, check out past restaurant reviews on our website at easyreadernews.com/restaurants. ER