Lil’ Gem at the Pointe

Some followers of this column have noticed my attraction to exotic foods and wondered whether I ever eat the stuff most Americans enjoy. Am I immune to the charms of a good burger, a grilled cheese sandwich that does not include a rare Sardinian variety, or a fast food taco?

I do enjoy all three, but often decide to highlight places serving more distinctive fare because it’s more likely that readers won’t already know about them.

One of the South Bay’s most popular burger spots is Simmzy’s, an early project of the group that later opened The Arthur J, Attagirl, MB Post, Fishing with Dynamite, Tin Roof Bistro, and Ryla. Unlike the eateries that followed, Simmzy’s had a very simple idea – a craft beer pub a few blocks from the beach offering burgers, tacos, and mildly innovative bar food made with fresh ingredients. That was a novel idea back in 2009, and it’s a measure of how well that went over that there are now four Simmzy’s locations, two in the Beach Cities and one in Huntington Beach.

Three of them overlook or are adjacent to a beach, but I always go to the fourth one. It has a view of the plaza at The Pointe in El Segundo rather than endless vistas of sand and water, but as a local resident I can get that view by walking half a block from my house and looking downhill. What the El Segundo location has that the others don’t is relative quiet and plenty of free parking.

It’s called Lil’ Simmzy’s on the Deck, and that’s truth in advertising because both the menu and the physical location are smaller than the others, and it is on a slightly elevated wooden deck. Diners have a view of other restaurants and boutique shops, plus a central astroturf play area that attracts frolicking children. There are some tables right at the edge of that area, and those attract adults who munch their burgers and sip a beer while watching their kids. Those are my favorite tables too, because the space has the feel of a picnic area in an unusually tasteful park.

You order at the counter, pay, and take a number to display on your table so the food runner can find you. The counter where you order is the loudest place in the restaurant due to a speaker blaring music. I had to repeat my order on one visit. The staff said that they have brought this up with management, but nobody has fixed it yet.

We visited twice, and since we knew the portions are generous, we only tried one starter on each visit. The chicken, apple, walnut, and goat cheese salad was an appealing mix of greens, and reminded me how well celery, Fuji tart green apples, and fruit go together. There’s nothing remarkable about this salad except that they had the sense to let all the natural flavors alone. We got it for a starter, but there’s enough variety here for a very good meal.

The other starter we tried was the fried cauliflower, which was served with both a tamarind and citrus sauce and what was described as a spicy buttermilk sauce. “Spicy” is an exaggeration – there was a faint pepperiness, but this was not hot by modern California standards. I wish fried cauliflower was available at more places – it’s a healthier and tastier alternative to french fries. Extra points for it being obviously fresh veggie – some places make this from frozen, and those are awful.

We tried five mains – a Korean chicken sandwich, bacon blue cheese burger, blackened salmon sandwich, turkey Dijon burger, and a selection of three tacos. The quesabirria taco had tender meat and a nice slow-simmered chile sauce but was a bit underseasoned for my tastes. I’m glad that quesabirria is going mainstream, and maybe some people who try these will experiment the with the more zesty traditional version. The pulled pork taco with a mix of pickled and fresh vegetables was more interesting, though it was so juicy that it quickly soaked through the tortilla. The oak-grilled shrimp with crisped tomatillo, cabbage slaw, and jalapeno vinaigrette was simple and successful, with a nice balance of smoke, heat, and gentle tartness.

Burgers are one of the pillars of Simmzy’s success, and both the turkey and beef version were flawless. The turkey had cranberry relish as one of the toppings but didn’t overdo it – it was one of several flavors along with the Dijon mustard, tomato, cheese, and arugula, so it wasn’t like a Thanksgiving meal out of season. The beef burger with blue cheese, candied bacon, lettuce, and tomato was enlivened by frizzled fried shallots that added both flavor and vegetable crunch. I asked for it with light garlic aioli, and I recommend that you do too unless you like a very moist sandwich – it was a tasty mess. Both burgers were so packed with layers of food that you practically had to unhinge your jaw like a python to eat them. They come with salad, skinny fries, or sweet potato fries, and I recommend the sweet potato version – they make them very well here and don’t over-fry them.

We were told that the “Korean” chicken was very spicy and the blackened salmon milder, but our experience was the opposite. They did fry thigh meat for the Korean chicken, which most Koreans prefer to breast meat, but the very light coating of gochujang and soy made it pleasantly tangy rather than fiery. On the other hand, the blackened salmon had a coating of seasoning that was moderated but not quenched by the housemade tartar sauce. As it happened the person who ordered the Korean chicken liked the salmon more and vice-versa, so a trade was arranged and all were happy.

Lil’ Simmzy’s has a full liquor license, but an oddly unbalanced beer list with several IPA’s but no darks or ambers. We tried a sangria that was served ice cold, which makes it refreshing but dulls the flavor. It was better after we fished out the ice cubes and let it sit so we could taste more than just the fruit. A house cider is offered that has a nice hint of tartness, and I’d recommend that over the sangria. The mai tai was average and used a rum that was too mild to make an impression, but the “Special Purpose” cocktail was very good. This mix of pinot barrel aged rye with jerk bitters and orange had the right balance of fruity, bitter, and alcohol forward flavors, and was the best drink of either visit.

The only desserts offered are Italian ices, or there is a Van Leeuwen’s ice cream stand next door. On both visits we were too full to seriously consider either.

A meal at Lil’ Simmzy’s is not cheap – two burgers, two drinks, and the cauliflower appetizer ran $80. It’s upscale fast food in a place with high rent, and you are paying accordingly. The overall quality of the food and convenience of the location make it a useful hideaway – it’s great if you’re meeting someone for lunch who doesn’t want to deal with the parking downtown, but wants their taste of the beach cities lifestyle. And besides, it’s fun to watch the kids play.

 

L’l Simmzy’s on the Deck is at 850 S. PCH in El Segundo. Open Mo-Fr 11 a.m.- 9 p.m., Sa 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Su 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., parking lot, wheelchair access via ramp. Alcohol served, kid’s menu, some vegetarian items. Phone 424-277-0283, menu at simmzy’s.com. ER