Oblique name, approachable food – Savoria Mélange Bistro brings a global cuisine to a quiet corner in San Pedro
by Richard Foss When I saw the name Savoria Mélange Bistro on a restaurant sign, I was bemused by the first word. How could it be that I never knew that there was a term for a place where you go to savor things? Was it French, Italian, or from somewhere else? When I checked […]
A la Carte: Bakeries in transition, secret menus, dining events, and more
A La Carte – 24 April 2025 by Richard Foss Stamps Not Sold Here: Native English speakers are often flummoxed by languages in which a male or female ending on a word changes its meaning. A new eatery in Riviera Village is a case in point – one might expect Il Posto to be themed […]
El Segundo’s Jame has expanded both in size and ambition
From small things, great things grow by Richard Foss I get nervous when a restaurant I like makes a drastic expansion, because some concepts scale up well, some don’t. Doubling the seating may require doubling the kitchen size or not, and probably demands a staff expansion – but by how much? Restaurateurs who get those […]
Best of the Beach Dining & Entertainment 2025 WINNERS
by Richard Foss American BBQ Willingham’s Local barbecue fans got a scare when Willingham’s was closed for months because owner Phil Bae had been in a car accident. His skill at smoke-roasting meat is unimpaired because he won this category for the third year in a row. This is the place where each step of […]
Normandie on Crenshaw: Delices du Chef brings French regional cuisine to the South Bay
by Richard Foss The real estate mantra location, location, location is attributed to British property tycoon Harold Samuel (1912–1987), but is probably much older. It appeared in the Chicago Tribune in 1926, when he was just fourteen years old. The glamour of a famous street still has an allure, as does a nice view, but […]
A la Carte: AttaGirl opens, vegan star closes, wine dinners
by Richard Foss Another Hermosa Avenue Star: AttaGirl has opened in the former Dia de Campo space, and the difference in the space is phenomenal. The former rustic tropical vibe has been replaced by a sleek modern look enhanced by upbeat music at moderate levels. The menu uses Middle Eastern ideas as a springboard for […]
Old coyote with a few new tricks
Novelty isn’t the main attraction at Redondo’s Coyote Cantina, but newer items are pleasing by Richard Foss I try to balance my restaurant reviews between new establishments and classic, local spots, but have to admit I don’t always get that right. Sometimes a reader contacts me about a favorite hangout and my first thought is […]
Ocean View Café, California with a side of Lebanese
by Richard Foss In the mid ‘70s I started hanging out at a little vegetarian café in Manhattan Beach called Sunny Skys. It was on a walk street around the corner from Uncle Bill’s Pancake House, and the tiny interior space was flanked by a patio with a great view of the beach. Sunny Skys […]
A La Carte: Restaurants on the move, bread lines in Redondo, wine dinners, and more
A La Carte column for 20 Feb. 2025 by Richard Foss Pier Plaza Blues: Just a few months after the Brews Hall served its last pint, another Pier Plaza restaurant is closing. Watermans lasted 15 years, but recently sent a gracious message thanking fans for their patronage. At least one other restaurant on that block […]
Best South Bay Restaurants of 2024
Something better than the best Our intrepid restaurant critic presents his list of the finest restaurants to open in 2024 by Richard Foss The ancient Greeks spent a great deal of time arguing about concepts that had never particularly bothered anybody else. Among other things that exercised their passions was a concept they called arete, […]
Yu-Me, A Good Dream in a Manhattan Beach side street
Yu-Me is a revitalized version of a local favorite by Richard Foss As grand commercial thoroughfares go, Morningside Drive in Manhattan Beach does not stand out. Many readers who just saw that sentence will be scratching their head and looking for the street on a map. I’ll help you – it extends three short blocks […]
Mexican Evolution: El Goloso Cantina, a popular taqueria’s upscale restaurant, has a certain charm
by Richard Foss Culinary history is full of fast-food joints that evolved into high-style restaurant empires. A shining example was a Jewish immigrant named Al Levy, who came to Los Angeles in 1886 with one asset – a bright red pushcart from which he sold oyster cocktails to downtown theater patrons. This delicacy was so […]
A La Carte: Manhattan restaurants tank, more coffee places, Indian breakfast
by Richard Foss One Carnivore Up, One Down: The beach cities have seen a flurry of butcher shops opening, a surprising development in a neighborhood with several upscale supermarkets with expansive meat departments. One of the odder of these, Wagyu Meatsmith in Hermosa, closed at the end of the year. If you’re wondering where that […]
Flavors of a Different China and Tasty China
Tasty China reveals a different side of one of the world’s great cuisines by Richard Foss I have been fascinated with Chinese food since childhood, because it was the only exotic dining experience in the South Bay. On special occasions we’d visit Tai Song, a cavernous restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway in Manhattan Beach that […]
Kin-D: eat well, cheap, and spicy
Kin-D Thai has a small menu and executes it well by Richard Foss During the heart of the cold war, American sailors in Hong Kong frequented a harborside cafe where the food was good and cheap, and the servers greeted everyone with a smile. Those patrons were unaware of an inside joke — the Chinese […]
Ten thoughts about dining in 2024
Lil’ Redondo restaurant named #1 Vegan in U.S. Top Honors: Gourmets all over the world now know about ‘lil Vegerie, the tiny takeout-only cafe located in a Redondo strip mall on PCH. That’s because they were declared the #1 vegan restaurant in America in the October 24 issue of Food & Wine Magazine. The honor […]