Back to his roots, personally and professionally
When I saw the sign for Fête Bistro by Slay, my immediate thought was that this is going to be the most mispronounced restaurant in the history of the South Bay. For those who haven’t run across it before, that thing over the E is called a circumflex, and it changes the pronunciation of the […]
True to tradition
I have fond memories of visiting Captain Kidd’s when my children were little. It was their favorite restaurant, where they could enjoy staring into tanks of crabs, looking at pictures of fishermen from past decades, studying taxonomy charts of fish species on the outside patio, and then eating more fried items than I would ever […]
Hermosa holdout
The Beach Cities are noteworthy for their lack of fast food chain restaurants in our downtowns – there are plenty on PCH, but not a single one west of the highway. There used to be one exception, a Taco Bell south of the pier in downtown Hermosa. They served mediocre Americanized tacos and burritos to […]
Breakfast in America, exemplified
Every time you sit down to a breakfast of bacon and eggs or pancakes, you participate in a ritual that is unlike the way most of the world eats. While some other cultures have traditional foods to start the day, America probably has the most varied selection of items eaten only at breakfast of anywhere […]
Greenspot turns French, new seafood palace coming to Redondo, Coffee in downtown MB, wine events, and other dining news
French Transition & Crustacean Central: Greenspot had good food but an identity problem. The name made people expect a vegan restaurant, and there was nothing on the menu that fit that category. The place is now the Bonaparte Bistro, serving some favorites from the old menu and a mix of classic Parisian items. The atmosphere […]
Practice makes perfect
Sometimes I hear from someone who mentions a place that just opened and asks why I haven’t reviewed it yet. Do I want to let some other publication beat me to the story? They’re often surprised when I respond that I’m not concerned about this possibility. Any restaurant is likely to have problems when they […]
A tasty plate of history
I used to be an avid historical reenactor, demonstrating skills like woodfire cooking, baking, and traditional brewing. My closet contains costumes from various eras, some with stains and scorch marks from feasts of decades ago, and my kitchen cabinet has cookware that I crafted on a potter’s wheel and pewter forge. It can be thrilling […]
A little South American, a lot Brazilian, on the Hermosa Pier Plaza
A well-established brand is a cherished thing in any industry, something usually tinkered with only when someone else files a claim that they had it first, or when bad publicity makes it no longer an asset. There are exceptions, and they’re usually when a company changes some aspect of their business so that the old […]
South Bay goes French, Sunrise over Redondo, dining events, and restaurant news
New Name, Management, & Ideas: For a brief time two decades ago, Splash restaurant at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Redondo was one of the hotspots of the South Bay. After a change in chef and management, things got dull, but they have livened up since the hotel was bought by Sonesta Resorts. The new […]
A delight, but not ready for prime time
Thai cuisine was once regarded as unlikely to succeed in America because it was too spicy, too sour, too strange to American tastes. The breakthrough came because a rock band promoter named Tommy Tang opened a restaurant that not only softened the more assertive flavors, but had a menu that carefully described the unfamiliar items. […]
Two slices of bread with ideas between them
History books say that the idea of putting meat between slices of bread was invented by an inveterate gambler sometime in the 1770s. John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich (and yes, there is a town in England called Sandwich) was a talented civil servant, patron of music and sports, and also a member of the notoriously […]
New MB market, pies & deli in RB, construction delays explained, and other dining news
The Market Report: Hermosa Beach acquired its first stand-alone butcher shop in living memory this week, and you can read more about that elsewhere in this edition. In Manhattan, Nick & Sons Market & Deli is open in the former Moon’s Market on Highland, and there could hardly be a greater contrast with the previous […]
Variations on a culinary theme
I was in a restaurant where the menu lists signature dishes, and it caused me to think about what my actual signature looks like. This is a distinctive scrawl that inspired my wife to remark that it always looks like I happened to have a pen in my hand during an earthquake. On the bright […]
The future is now for California Japanese
It has been 40 years since the movie Blade Runner and the cyberpunk movement in literature depicted a future world in which Asian, particularly Japanese, culture blended with a future high-tech California. It was a chaotic, visually fascinating place where billboards writhed and morphed, strange electronic music pulsated, and food was elegantly presented but almost […]
New Life at old Giuliano’s, Mediterranean replaces Korean, requiem for The Spot, new dining events
Renaissance On Aviation: The former Giuliano’s on Aviation has been closed for almost three years, but a tenant is on the way, and it’s a familiar one to those who have been visiting the Hermosa Farmers Market. Tommy and Atticus Bread, Coffee, & Pastry isn’t named after the owner, baker Garrett McPerry, but after the […]
All the ingredients for greatness
As far back as the 1930s, dining in California was noted for a casual blending of indoor and outdoor spaces. The emphasis is on the casual – movie stars showed up in fancy dress at restaurants on the Sunset Strip, but their home entertaining was more likely to be a barbecue on a covered patio, […]