Posts by Richard Foss

I am often confused by acronyms because the same letters can mean so many things. When a chef mentioned he used to work for the CIA I thought he was a spy until I realized that he meant the Culinary Institute of America. That said, the people who named the former Charlie’s “Pizza Coast Hiway”…

Food Truck In Reverse: It’s not unusual for food truck operators to transition their business to a brick-and-mortar location, but somewhat less common for the opposite to happen. That process has occurred at Manhattan House, which closed a few weeks ago. Former chef-owner Juan Torres has taken his act on the road with a food…

I have occasionally poked fun at the cult status of In-N-Out and the mystery that a place that serves only rather small burgers can inspire such adoration. Viewing this in a historical context, it isn’t unusual. The tradition started with the world’s first burger chain, White Castle, which began selling strange little sliders in Kansas…

When I heard a new Asian fusion restaurant was coming to Hermosa Beach, I was a little disappointed. The Beach Cities have lots of fusion places, and if another came with the standard mingling of Japanese, Chinese, and Thai flavors, it might be enjoyable, but wouldn’t bring anything unique to the neighborhood. I was more…

I have heard some interesting arguments about vegetarianism and the vegan diet. Some point out that humans evolved as omnivores, with a natural craving for protein rich meat and dairy items. Those on the other side point out that the success strategies that worked on the savannas of Africa aren’t necessarily relevant to the planet…

A football executive named Robert Gallagher added a quip to the lexicon when he said, “Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.” The saying has lasted because humor and pessimism help us cope when something we loved in its original form gets a makeover. The restaurant industry has some examples that seem to go…

by Richard Foss “You’ve been reviewing a lot of Asian food lately,” remarked a regular reader. She was correct. I have been eating it because you have, and new restaurants have been opening to serve it to you. Existing restaurants have been upping their game in response, and it’s an exciting time for people who…

by Richard Foss I have only known one person who disliked pasta in all of its forms – my father. During World War II he was a crewman on a destroyer escort where a vast amount of the stuff had been loaded by mistake. To hear him tell it, everyone suffered through meals of over-boiled…