Beers, bourbons, Romanian revelry and Rebel Republic opens on Pier Plaza

Back for an Encore… When restaurants close there is usually no second act – the staff moves on, and the old menus end up as keepsakes for nostalgic diners who remember celebratory meals. Fans of Café Pierre in Manhattan Beach will be able to enjoy a rare exception to this rule on June 5 when Love & Salt will serve a menu of the French-with-flair specialties that made that restaurant a cherished, local institution. Café Pierre proprietor Guy Gabriele will be there to preside over the evening, of course. $85 plus tax & tip, and you should reserve rapidement, because this is sure to sell out. Call (310) 545-5252 and enjoy the return of a classic…

New Homie On The Block… Homie opened in the space that used to be Nikau Kai next door to the Kettle. The space has been remodeled and upscaled and looks nice, and the menu looks promising but is apparently still being tinkered with. They will eventually have beer and wine, but it’s soft drinks for now. They face a lot of competition in the casual café/sandwich shop niche, but seem to be doing well – on a recent evening almost all tables were full. (1140 Highland, MB).

Hermosa’s Hopping… Several restaurateurs are pushing to get places open for the summer rush, and a few have managed remarkably quick turnarounds. Slater’s 50/50 is already serving their half beef, half bacon burgers in the old Mermaid space, which has been brightened and improved by a well-executed remodeling. Their schtick is improbable and whimsical burgers and other simple items, and the one I had was quite good. They’re currently running an incredible Tuesday special that gets you a burger and fries for a mere five bucks. I don’t know how long this will continue, but it’s an amazing deal that is sure to bring in the curious and thrifty. (11 Pier Ave., HB)…

A few doors up, Rebel Republic is open in the former Mediterraneo, serving the same menu that has been popular at their Riviera Village location. That tactic seems to be broadly successful when well executed, and the Hennessey group has that part down, so their outlook is bright. (73 Pier Avenue, HB)… Their plaza neighbor Waterman’s is closed at the moment for remodeling and will debut a new menu when they reopen, which could happen as soon as this weekend…

Redondo is relatively quiet, though the long awaited Sister’s Barn hopes to open by the end of the month. The only debut is Pursue Coffee on the Aviation curve, an independent shop specializing in small-batch coffees carefully brewed. Life is hard for indie coffee places, but this one will appeal to the fanatics – the owners know their beans and love to talk about what they do (1503 Aviation, RB) No word yet on when the neighboring sandwich shop will open their doors…

A Mysterious Message… De Luca Trattoria is temporarily closed in El Segundo, and their website has a mysterious message that implies a change in style. It also says they’ll be back in June, and I’ll be interested to see what they do with the place. It has been a solid if unspectacular casual Italian joint, and I hope they keep the best elements of the place intact…

Event Alerts… The Be Romanian for a Day festival is this weekend, and the name raises the obvious question – who wouldn’t want to be Romanian for a day? You get to wear gorgeous embroidered clothes, dance to some of the liveliest music in Eastern Europe, enjoy excellent beers, and eat lamb pastrami, stuffed cabbage, and amazing pastries both sweet and savory. The downside is that you have to explain to people that Transylvania is a real place and Dracula was a real person, and both weren’t just made up for horror movies, but that’s a small price to pay. Come out and experience Romanian culture at Ernie Howlett Park in Rolling Hills, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. both days, $10 admission…

Meanwhile, if you like blues music and barbecue, you can enjoy both two days in a row. And no, this isn’t a traveling show, it’s just that two restaurants accidentally had the idea and scheduled them on successive days./ Shade Redondo starts on June 2 — $55 gets you live music, a barbecue feast, and one cocktail or beer. It’s from 2 to 7 p.m., reserve on Eventbrite… One June 3, The Depot in Torrance has their “Triple B Romp and Stomp” that offers tastes of 14 bourbons, an open bar of wine and microbrews, and all-you-can-eat barbecue and sides, all for $82. Reserve by calling (310) 787-7501…

The beer theme continues on June 4 with a “Dinner With the Brewmaster” of Golden Road brewing at Chez Melange. Five courses will be paired with appropriate beers, $55 plus the usual. Call 310-540-1222 for reservations…

The Carnivore’s Delight… Torrance’s Yamaya Wagyu and Grill ran a “meat sampler” dinner event last month that was quite successful, and they’re doing it again on June 6 at 7 PM. It’s a rare chance to sample meat from different kinds of cattle and learn the textures and flavors, with commentary by an expert. The price for the full dinner is only $50, which is a great deal – reserve soon at Eventbrite to get in on this one…

Do You Like Surprises?… There’s a certain thrill to attending a “trust the chef” dinner – you know they’re going to do something that they think is wonderful that they’d like to try out on an audience, but you have no idea what. You can experience the tension and reveal of each course at Chez Melange on June 11th when Chef Robert Bell hosts a multi-course meal (and no, he didn’t say how many, so that is a mystery too). They did consent to tall us when it starts, so at least you get to know that – be there at 5:30. Obviously if you have food allergies this is the wrong place to be, but for the open-minded adventurer, get ready to spend only $39 per person and call 310-540-1222…

A Sad Departure… George Godinho brought eclectic Indian food to El Segundo’s Mandovi, and was noted for coming out of the kitchen to talk to diners and give suggestions. He has moved back to his native Goa, though the restaurant remains open with a different chef. He was a delightful host and will be missed by all who enjoyed his insights and hospitality…

Any new openings you know of, any events, anywhere I can get lamb pastrami the other 364 days a year? I’m at Richard@richardfoss.com.

ER

Comments:

comments so far. Comments posted to EasyReaderNews.com may be reprinted in the Easy Reader print edition, which is published each Thursday.