Best American Contemporary: MB Post
MB Post chef David LeFevre. Photo
This is a modern restaurant, but with a sense of history and some values from an earlier age; there are items served here that mine all sorts of American traditions. The famous bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits start every meal with a taste of home cooking, and there always seem to be pot pies and other traditional items. But this is American contemporary, including Americans whose heritage spans Italy, Vietnam, North Africa, and other regions. MB Post blends the prosaic and exotic with unrivalled flair, defining American food for a new century.
1142 Manhattan Ave, MB (310) 545-5405, eatmbpost.com
Runner up: Tin Roof Bistro, 3500 N Sepulveda Blvd. #100, Manhattan Beach, (310) 939-0900, www.tinroofbistro.com