Waiting Hopefully… Ramen N.A.O. opened on the Redondo Boardwalk on September 24 and got great reviews, but shuttered only two weeks later. They cited unexpected problems with the building and expressed hope that the closure would be brief. It hasn’t been, and after a month there is no firm reopening date. Previous tenants had problems with ventilation and plumbing, and given the pending redevelopment the landlords have been reluctant to spend money on repairs. I hope that the problems will be overcome soon, because I heard great things about the food…
Insert Cheese Joke Here… The Beach Cities haven’t had an independent cheese store for over a decade, but that will change when The Cultured Slice opens on PCH in Hermosa. And why go to a specialty store? They know their products and stock hard-to-find offerings from small boutique producers. Supermarkets often have many labels but few choices, so this will be a step up for caseophiles…
I Love Coffee, I Love Tea… Despite rumors that it would become a wine bar, the former El Indio on Artesia is apparently going to become a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. There will be extensive remodeling as they plan a drive-through window. In another victory for caffeine, the Chado Tea Room will open soon on El Prado in Old Torrance, the latest sign of life in this area. With all the new restaurants and food stores in the mall, other areas of town need to develop and promote their unique attractions, and this might be special enough to be a destination…
Hidden Change…I stopped in at the King Kebab at the corner at 190th and Yukon and saw a chef removing tandoori chicken from the charcoal oven. Tandoori at a kebab place? It turned out that the restaurant has changed hands and will morph into South Bay India Cuisine and Grocery, but for the foreseeable future they’ll be serving both Middle Eastern and Indian food. I tried the chicken along with a biryani and samosas, and had a fine dinner. The sign will stay the same for some time, but there’s more here than meets the eye (3566 Redondo Beach Blvd, Torr)…
The Next Peruvian Sensation?… Quinoa went from weird Andean specialty to fad food at lightning speed, and the next item to go mainstream may be the olluquito. This high-protein vegetable has been on the specials menu at El Pollo Inka in Hermosa, which also just remodeled to increase the seating capacity. This restaurant is one of the great local places for an inexpensive and healthy meal, and now the line to be seated will be shorter (1100 PCH, HB)…
Sicily Comes To Primo Italia… Primo Italia has some extraordinary wines on their list, and on November 30th you can join sommelier Grace Giovannetti and her guest Master Sommelier Peter Neptune for an exploration of one of the less known regions. The volcanic mountains of Sicily produce superb fruit and has a winemaking tradition going back to the days when togas were fashionable, but until recently some of the best were not widely available. Five courses plus paired wines will run $90 plus T&T – send an email to grace@eatprimo.com for reservations. And a mea culpa – in the review that appeared in Beach Magazine this week I misspelled Lou and Grace’s last names – it’s Giovannetti, with two n’s. Mie scuse (24590 Hawthorne Blvd, Torr) …
A Closure And More Openings… After a long and successful run, Cozymel’s on Rosecrans has closed. The building will be demolished and several smaller restaurants will occupy the space – watch for openings in late spring. Elsewhere in the Beach Cities, work has been slow at Rabano, the healthy fast food concept at the corner of PCH and Artesia. Things are under way now at this South American-inspired restaurant by the Chong Brothers, and they hope to open in two to three weeks… The new restaurant and bar at Shade Redondo is called Sea Level, and they’ve been serving a limited menu since the beginning of the month but expect to expand their options by this weekend. It’s a pretty modern setting with a great view of the boats in the marina, and it will be interesting to see how similar it is to the menu at Shade in Manhattan Beach (655 North Harbor Drive, RB)…
A Grand Collaboration… If you’re a serious beer fan you have heard of The Bruery, producer of superb Belgian and experimental ales in Orange County. They approached Anne Conness of El Segundo’s Sausal Restaurant for ideas about adding Mexican mole flavors to an imperial stout, and you can taste the result at a four-course dinner on November 16th. Four courses with four exotic ales will set you back $45 plus T&T – call 310-322-2721 for info and reservations (219 Main Street, ES) …
Not Yet Open, But Pouring… The Trellis House Wine Club isn’t open yet but is hosting events, the next of which is a wine dinner this Saturday to benefit Walk With Sally. Former Spago chefs Richard Lauter and Erez Levy will create a four course menu paired with Ave wines at an undisclosed location – cost is $200 per person. Check the walkwithsally.org website for details… For a more modest event on November 12th, Hostaria Piave is offering an afternoon wine tasting with Famille Hugel winery between 3 and 5 PM. These wines from Alsace will be poured alongside traditional Venetian appetizers. Call Hostaria Piave at 310-374-1000 for details…
Kogi Comes To El Segundo… Chef Roy Choi invented Korean BBQ tacos, for which he deserves fame, fortune, and possibly a special Congressional medal. He has two of the three, and though he’s not likely to get the medal this year he does have a new outlet in El Segundo. The latest Kogi Taco just started serving inside the Whole Foods, and will serve the same menu as the famous Kogi taco truck. People stand in long lines in all weather to get them from the wheeled kitchens, and now you can enjoy them from the comfort of a gourmet market (760 S Sepulveda Blvd. ES)…
Happy anniversary… Zazou turns twenty on December Fourth, and this month they’re offering twenty dollar specials. This sophisticated, stylish, and very French restaurant has been one of the anchors of Riviera Village, and congratulations are in order (1810 S Catalina Ave, RB)…
Any new restaurants I should know about, any food events? I’m at Richard@richardfoss.com…
