Allstar collaboration in Hermosa, world’s shortest menu on Redondo Boardwalk, return of the wine dinner

Cocktails at the newly opened Ryla in downtown Hermosa Beach include Grandma’s cigarettes, Herb Y Hancock, and Sichuan Opera. Photo by Kevin Cody

A La Carte column for 24 February 2022

Eclectic Asian Opening: Ryla, the new restaurant that just opened in the former Laurel Tavern space on Hermosa Avenue, has a formidable team behind it. Mike Simms and David Lefevre of Fishing With Dynamite and the Arthur J are supporting chef Ray Hayashi, who has been part of their team for a while, and Cynthia Hetlinger, who worked at Providence in Los Angeles. The creative duo bring their Japanese and Taiwanese heritage to the project, focusing on how they interact rather than offering a pan-Asian blend. The interior is elegant, and bedecked with plants, the menu short, but interesting. They’re open for dinner only, and you can see the menu at eatryla.com (1220 Hermosa Avenue, HB)…

Decisions, Decisions: If you have trouble figuring out what to order at

You can have your burger from Proudly Serving on their dining deck over the International Boardwalk in King Harbor. Photo by Kevin Cody

places with big menus, a new restaurant on the Redondo Boardwalk is the answer to your prayers. Deciding at Proudly Serving is simple, since they only serve three things: a cheeseburger, fried potatoes, and a salty chocolate chip cookie. True, you do need to decide whether you want the potatoes as fries or tots, but we presume you can figure that out without much anguish. They’re co-located with Barley Project brewery’s tasting room, so figuring out what to drink may not be as easy (136 N. International Boardwalk, RB)…

The Caffeine Corner: It seems every time I write one of these columns, there’s a new coffee shop to report. Today there is another, plus a tea destination. When I first saw the name Mesh Space Coffee, I thought it might be a typo, but that’s a description of where they are and what they do. Mesh Space is a co-working and community space in South Redondo that has a coffee shop attached. I couldn’t tell much about them because they were still setting the place up, but it’s an intriguing idea (1918 S. PCH, RB)… Just a block away is a tea shop with an unusual focus. Mellow Tea Studio specializes in fruity boba tea, but with added ingredients like pudding and sago. Trying to imagine some of these is a challenge – what could blended banana tea with matcha cheese foam taste like? Only way to find out is to visit (1808 S. PCH, RB)…

Coming Attractions… The Cultured Slice, a cheese shop on PCH run by enthusiasts, will be opening a sandwich shop on Lower Pier in Hermosa. I don’t have details, but I suspect that if you want a cheese sandwich you will have many options… Hook and Plow is expanding too, with a new Manhattan Beach location on the way that will redress an imbalance. There are six restaurants on the west side of Manhattan Avenue between Manhattan Beach Boulevard and ninth Street, but only one eatery on the east side of the street. That will change when Hook and Plow opens their third location across from Manhattan Grocery. One of the owners said the menu will be similar to the other two locations, though there will be slight differences because the chefs at each location are free to innovate… And an existing restaurant has rebranded and is changing up their menu a bit. The Manhattan Beach location of The Source will now be known as Nine24 Kitchen. Chef-partner Amber Caudle is still in charge, so her emphasis on healthy, pure ingredients will guide the direction forward.

Closures, temporary and permanent: The Salt Creek Grille was one of the first tenants when Plaza El Segundo opened in 2007, and had a fair run, but closed in early January. I had thought this might be temporary, but the location has been scrubbed from the company’s website. They were pretty good for a chain steakhouse and had decent live music, and will be missed… I was concerned when nobody answered the phone at Oriental Breeze, the surprisingly good Japanese restaurant on the Redondo Pier, so I stopped by to check on them. The place is being remodeled and will reopen in March, so those who enjoy ocean view sushi may relax…

Two other closures are also temporary. Crafty Minds has been closed for months and has a sign announcing a reopening in spring, but the sharp-eyed may have noticed that there is still activity around the side door. They’re operating as a ghost kitchen, creating food under various brand names for delivery only, and using just about every menu but their own. A staff member said they expect to reopen in a month or two with a slightly simplified menu… There is no similar activity to be seen at Slider Stop/Blazin’ Hens on Artesia, and their website only says that a reopening date is “TBD.” Even a short closure can have long term consequences, since experienced staff move to other jobs and diners find other places to satisfy their cravings, so I hope they reopen soon. I like their fried chicken, and there aren’t that many places in the South Bay that do it right…

Event Alerts: In a sure sign that people are going out again, winemaker dinners and other events are popping up like mushrooms after rain. Uncorked has been hosting a winemaker series where experts show up at their store for pours and conversation. The next one is this Friday the 25th, when Sandra Gomes Rochas of Diniz Cellars will be there to show off their portfolio of Portuguese wines. Cost is $20 for wine and snacks – reserve by calling (424) 247-7117… Next up is a Long Shadows wine dinner with their master Allan Shoup at Pacific Standard Prime on 16 March. Four courses with five wines will set you back $195 – check the website at pspsteak.com for details… Just a few days later, on March 22, Gabi James will host Michael Larner of Larner Vineyards for a dinner whose details haven’t been announced yet. Watch their website for details…

Trade Secret: Speaking of Gabi James, they’re presenting an adventurous collaboration as part of the “RE:HER” festival honoring female restaurateurs and chefs. They call it a “flavor trade” – they’ll add Thai flavors in collaboration with the brilliant chefs at Westchester’s Ayara, and Ayara will add Spanish flavors to their menus. This is a brilliant idea, and I must visit both places to see how it works. The dates are March 4 through 13. To learn more about “RE:HER” and see other participating restaurants, go to regardingherfood.com

In closing: Have you seen a new culinary business that I haven’t heard about, a local event either live or virtual? Do you know anyplace else with great fried chicken? You can reach me at richard@richardfoss.com…ER

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