Posts by Richard Foss
Castle Rock Winery Partners – A remote peninsula winery
There are a few people who can truly say that they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Founder Jimmy Wales of Wikipedia once publicly hoped that his creation might have thousands of entries – it now has millions. To Wales and the entrepreneurs like him, add Greg Popovich of Castle Rock Wines. When Peninsula People’s…
Read MoreChain reaction: surprises are in store at Sammy’s Woodfire Pizza & Grill [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
I rarely review chain restaurants because they rarely do anything interesting. I do make exceptions when I notice that a corporate chain is doing something ambitious, which is why Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza is getting a turn in the spotlight this week. I had seen their sign as I drove by Plaza El Segundo, and each…
Read MoreCozy Cafe: an unpretentious place [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
When I mentioned to friends that I planned to review the Cozy Cafe, most said they had always wondered about it, but never eaten there. Some asked if an optical illusion is involved; it has to be bigger than it looks, doesn’t it?
Read MoreStrand House: a meal to remember [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
“The Strand House is an extraordinary experience in every way – food, service, and setting,” writes food critic Richard Foss.
Read MoreRock & Brews reopening soon with partner Gene Simmons of Kiss
A Kiss for El Segundo… And yes, it is just a coincidence that I have lots of El Segundo news in this column, but lots is happening there. I’ve noted in previous columns that Rock & Brews is reopening soon, but hadn’t mentioned the name of one of the partners – a fellow named Gene…
Read MoreA La Carte
Apologies and Congratulations… I misspelled Chef Greg Hozinsky’s name in an article a few weeks ago, and it was completely my fault – in the photo that I shot for the story, he was wearing a chef’s jacket with his name on it. Lots of people have been learning to spell Hozinsky lately, since Chris…
Read MoreCego’s, Rolling Hills Estates [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
German food has always been popular in the USA, but never had quite the cachet of French cuisine. French restaurateurs cultivated their reputations for complex and elegant dishes, while German food resembled home cooking – and the resemblance wasn’t an accident. German immigrants shaped American cuisine, most obviously in the Pennsylvania and in Midwest where…
Read MoreScottish Fiddlers [CONCERT REVIEW]
When it comes to Scottish culture, the bagpipe is as overwhelming culturally as it is musically – people think of that instrument before anything else. And indeed, a piper did open and close the concert at the Hermosa, but in between those stirring pieces a large and talented ensemble of fiddlers, singers, cellists, guitarists, and…
Read MoreSophie’s Place: a bounty of beautiful beer and a kitchen hitting its stride in Redondo Beach [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
The big chalkboard at Sophie’s Place dominates the room, and almost everybody who enters gives it a long, careful look. It’s a list of beers, most of them arcane brews from small producers, and if you have heard of as many as half of these you are in a rarefied circle of connoisseurs. I first…
Read MoreThai Top: a quiet restaurant oasis on Hermosa Beach’s upper Pier
The Beach Cities have never been much of a destination when it comes to authentic Asian food. The landmark Chinese restaurant in the 1960s was Manhattan Beach’s Tai Song, which was more famous for ornate architecture than the taste of their tomato beef, and the food at Redondo’s Polynesian was assisted considerably by the several…
Read MoreA La Carte: Uncle Stavros, Shade wine, Strand House chef, Hudson House’s b-day, Ortega 120 flamenco, and more…
Antici….pation… If you’ve driven down Hermosa Avenue in the last few months you must have noticed the construction at the former Sushi Duke location. I mentioned months ago that the new tenant would actually be a long-absent friend – Uncle Stavros Café, an institution from 1969 to the late 90’s, will be reopening after over…
Read MoreHostaria Piave delicately and deliciously brings the flavors of Venice to Redondo Beach [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
The South Bay’s newest Venetian-style restaurant is Hostaria Piave, named after a river that once served as a route for fresh produce to reach the city.
Read MoreStandard Station in El Segundo [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
El Segundo’s Standard Station serves noteworthy sides and tavern standards Car culture in America has spawned some symbols that are inexplicable to people who regard vehicles unsentimentally. None is more confusing than the roadhouse or restaurant that is decorated like an old garage, complete with tools and parts. Garages are dirty, noisy workplaces – why…
Read MoreFonz’s, Manhattan Beach [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
Escape from the foodies: Fonz’s offers fine food without the hype of the neighboring downtown dining scene.
Read MoreA La Carte: the Phelan Good Café, Dickey’s BBQ, Chinese Friends, fried chicken and Abigaile
Puns With Your Lunch… I enjoy wordplay, so I had to smile when I saw the Phelan Good Café, a tiny establishment located by the corner of Phelan and Robinson in North Redondo. This used to be the North Beach Café, but the new owner has renamed it, and I approve of the change. I…
Read MoreMediterraneo [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
If you take only a cursory look at menus around Los Angeles, you might think that traditional Spanish food is one of our most popular cuisines. It has to be, since so many restaurants feature tapas, the traditional specialty of Madrid. Look closer and you’ll see that most of these have nothing to do with…
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