The concept of a salad with nuts, blue cheese, and some kind of fruit is not particularly novel. Every restaurant I’ve reviewed this year has had some variant on the idea, so it’s all about the details. Most places have been using cranberries or apples for the fruity flavor. Fonz’s found some excellent pears somewhere, sweet but crisp, and it was an excellent combination.
We paired our starters with glasses of Qupe Marsanne and Honig Sauvignon Blanc from the well-chosen list. I had ordered the Marsanne on a whim, and it turned out to be a bad pairing for the food we had. It was a good wine that would go very well with food that didn’t have the sweetness and tang of the shellfish and salad, but it didn’t fit with the Asian accents of these dishes. The Honig was a much better choice with the starters.
Where the Marsanne came into its own was with my entrée, a daily special of cod crusted with panko and shallots served over a risotto with artichoke hearts and green beans. The fish was perfect, and the flavor of seafood and shallots was a great contrast with the almost citrusy artichoke hearts. My wife thought there were a few too many artichoke hearts in the risotto, and though I am hesitant to suggest that there could be too many artichoke hearts in anything, I do agree that the green beans were a minor player in the flavors. Those flavors played well together with the Marsanne and with the Lockwood Block 7 Pinot Noir that I had selected to go with this dish.
My wife decided on the pork chop braised with shallots, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar, served with green beans and sharp cheddar scalloped potatoes. The huge double chop that arrived looked like it had spent some time on the grill rather than being cooked entirely by braising. There was an agreeable char and caramelization of the marinade on the exterior. The meat had been perfectly cooked, but I found the sauce a bit too sweet – it overpowered the flavor of the pork. Taking bites of the very good potatoes in between helped, as did tastes of the green beans that had been cooked just to doneness. The Honig Merlot didn’t stand up to the brown sugar either – our server Julie, who obviously has an interest in wine, said she would recommend a Cabernet in the future.
Once again the wine pairing was better with the dish we hadn’t planned it for — a house-made apple pie that was fragrant with cinnamon. Apple pie and Merlot are a happy combination, and both the pie and the wine were of high quality.
When we finished, we relaxed over the last sips in the glass. Our meal had not been rushed, and the convivial surroundings invited a cup of coffee or a nightcap. The music was soft, though there was a buzz of conversation from the bar in the next room.
Fonz’s is probably the most comfortable place in downtown Manhattan. There are steaks and some intriguing pastas to try, and the skill in the kitchen is impressive enough that even when things were not perfect, they provided food for thought as well as for the stomach.
Fonz’s is at 1017 Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan Beach. Open for dinner only, street parking or valet on weekends, beer and wine served. Wheelchair access good. (310) 376-1536 or site at fonzs.com.
