Posts by Richard Foss
Greek meets Texan in So Cal wine country
Manhattan Beach’s Petros opens a new restaurant at Fess Parker Inn A faded Texas flag flies over the Fess Parker Inn in Los Olivos, a wine lovers destination east of Santa Barbara. Parker was born in Texas and considered this place to be a Texas embassy. But they might also consider flying a Greek flag…
Read MoreBashi: uncompromising Asian cuisine, with a Catalina view
“I can get traditional Vietnamese food with a view of a parking lot, or this with a view straight to Catalina,” I mused just after our drinks and starters arrived at Bashi. Strictly speaking that wasn’t true, because Catalina was hidden behind the June haze, but the view of rugged peninsula cliffs to the south…
Read MoreRedondo Wine Bistro is a gem in Riviera Village
I don’t often quote Confucius even in reviews of Chinese restaurants, but the old fellow had a gift for putting timeless thoughts into few words. When the sage said, “The beginning of wisdom is to call a thing by its proper name,” he had no idea that his words would be relevant to restaurant…
Read MoreCirca is right on time: new Manhattan Beach restaurant joins burgeoning culinary scene
America is the country of hyperbole in advertising – every product claims to be best, every pop singer the hottest, every idea the most brilliant. The trend extends to civic and state pride – look at the mottoes and the slogans on license plates – and it is especially prevalent in restaurant advertising. There…
Read MoreShoop’s 131 opens doors on El Segundo’s Grand Avenue
The big building on Grand Avenue has a pastry case full of fresh baked goods, and the counter is doing a brisk trade in sandwiches and breakfast plates. It’s a new restaurant called Shoop’s 131 that has taken the place formerly occupied by Schat’s Bakery. Shoop’s is a collaboration between restaurant owner Matt Schuppel, noted…
Read MoreSouth Bay food scene: FWD, India’s Tandoor, Project Taco open, Hamptons, Dolce Vita close
First Look At FWD… I’m going to avoid explosive puns in my reporting of the opening of Fishing With Dynamite, as tempting as it is. The small space has been intelligently designed to fit as many people as possible without feeling cramped, and it’s visually interesting – the live oysters are on ice in a…
Read MoreA bit of Africa, Italy, Lebanon, and Portugal…and Brazil at Natureba
Most Americans associate Brazilian food with steak, lots of steak – and yes, there is other stuff on those churrascaria buffets that you graze from between chunks of steak, but the meat is the signature dish. This isn’t the way most Brazilians eat every day, but a special occasion meal for a night out, something…
Read MoreThe Ragin Cajun changes plans, will reopen at Suzy’s in Hermosa Beach
The big news this week is of a plan that fell through – the yellow sign that signifies a license transfer was already in the window announcing the return of the Ragin Cajun to Pier Avenue, but it’s not going to happen. Instead Stephen Domingue will partner with the existing management of Suzy’s on Aviation…
Read MoreBoardwalk brings famous fries to Hermosa Beach [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
We’re soon going to find out whether the fast food of other parts of America will catch on in the South Bay thanks to a pair of regional transplants. Rita’s Frozen Custard recently opened in Redondo, serving Philadelphia’s version of Italian ices, and Boardwalk has established a presence in Hermosa Beach selling burgers and fries…
Read MoreMarine Street Grill: eclectic meals in a room with a view in Manhattan Beach
I find it odd when I’m in a restaurant where the basement has an ocean view, but in a neighborhood as steep as North Manhattan Beach it is possible. Specifically, at the Marine Street Café diners may sit by the window with a view up to the undercarriages of cars at entering the gas…
Read MoreEl Segundo’s California Fish Grill: simple healthy food, simply done well
One of the paths to success in the restaurant business is simplicity – find a recipe you can execute flawlessly and stick with a narrow set of variations on that idea. The cooks are allowed to focus on perfecting a narrow range of techniques and so can get very good at their job – but…
Read MoreChef freezes the competition at Manhattan Beach’s Circa
A TV show called “Chef Wanted” changed Chef Bryon Freeze’s life. He was the contestant whose winning performance propelled him to his current position as Executive Chef at Circa (formerly Mucho Ultima in downtown Manhattan Beach), but don’t ask him about the production values of the show, or his opinion of the way the program…
Read MoreStreet-style tacos at Alfredo Garcia’s [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
I don’t generally have high expectations for Mexican restaurants in the South Bay – most do the standard dishes competently, but that’s all. Spend some time in Mexico, or in East LA neighborhoods where an affluent community that knows this cuisine demands authenticity, and you will be discouraged by our local offerings. There are a…
Read MoreSharp flavors at Mashawi Grill in Redondo Beach [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
Big portions served at the ‘Grill Grill’ in North Redondo.
Read MoreHermosa Beach icon Ragin Cajun to reopen
Fans of the Ragin Cajun Restaurant, the Hermosa landmark that closed two years ago, have been waiting for the day that the place would reopen. That day has not yet arrived, but it won’t be long – founder Stephen Domingue has leased the space that used to be the west half of Buona Vita restaurant.…
Read MoreBest Vegeterian: Green Temple
The entrance to Green Temple is one of visual delights of the South Bay. You enter from either a nondescript courtyard on Avenue I or a side alley off Catalina, neither of which looks particularly impressive. Pass that door and you are in another world, a secluded courtyard next to a comfortable dining room, both…
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