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Sophistication Street: Hermosa Avenue has gradually morphed from a continuous party to a haven for creative chefs, and the trend accelerates with a new opening. Vinfolk is now serving in the former Chef Melba’s, and though the decor has been freshened, the softly lit elegance is the same. The cuisine by chefs Kevin de los […]
I have never been to music festivals at Coachella or Woodstock but have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the atmosphere – crowds, heat, very loud music, and a freewheeling party atmosphere that starts early and goes late. I’ve been to events called “the Woodstock of tech conferences,” and though the hyperbole […]
Brews Hauls: After three years in business, the Brews Hall on the Hermosa Pier Plaza has shuttered. The one in Torrance is still open and apparently successful, but the concept didn’t fly in this area, probably because so many well established places all around them serve the same items. The previous restaurant in this space, […]
Ecology determines the evolution of every cuisine, and places with mild weather and clusters of microclimates have an advantage. This is why as a general thing, places that are dry, cold, and flat don’t loom large in the culinary world. They’re unlikely to be agriculturally productive or have much to offer in terms of vegetables […]
One of the delights in life is to stumble across something wonderful by accident. The long-sought item found in a thrift store, the captivating tune when you turn on the radio, the roadside café visited on a whim that dishes out a great meal – all bring a particular joy. The word for this situation, […]
I was reading about the difficulty of introducing new cuisines to America and came across the term “food neophobia.” On an evolutionary level this makes sense – a plant you’ve never eaten before might be poisonous, so it makes sense to stick with things you know. The downside is you might ignore a food source […]
Sliced Out Of Hermosa: After seven years in business, The Cultured Slice cheese shop has closed, another specialty food store gone just a month after Grow in Manhattan Beach closed their doors. The Cultured Slice offered top quality products and made beautiful cheese and charcuterie boards, but was torpedoed by increasing food, staff, and insurance […]
In an era when most restaurants seem to have been designed by focus groups, some stand out for quirky ideas and eccentric execution. They’re someone’s peculiar vision, their passion project, recreating an arcane place or time, or a visionary chef’s fusion of two cuisines that nobody has put together before. Sometimes they’re a commercial success, […]
Casual restaurants in the South Bay tend to have a visual signature that is bright and cheerful – think of Good Stuff, Scotty’s, or the Ocean Diner as examples. Even the places that aren’t explicitly beach-themed look like a place you’d go on the way to or from the sand, colorful and welcoming. Compare this […]
When I heard that the former Riviera Mexican Grill owners had taken over the former Samba Restaurant just north of the Redondo Pier, my first thought was that it was about time someone did something there. The Brazilian restaurant that occupied that space had been rudderless for years, making a prime waterfront location a low-energy […]
I sometimes hear from former residents of Manhattan Beach who return after years away to find long-loved restaurants have closed. “Café Pierre is gone? And Darren’s and W’s China Grill? What is left that I’ll still recognize?” When they drive past Ercole’s, Shellback, The Kettle, and Hennessey’s, they breathe a sigh of relief. The prices […]
Found In Translation: Zoku, a new izakaya, opened in Riviera Village, and if you headed for a translator program to find out what the name means, you may be puzzled. Zoku means “genus,” a scientific term but an odd restaurant name. There’s a story to it, though — the restaurant’s real name is Torikizoku, which […]