A closer south of the border: It was hard to tell exactly when Samba closed, because the once-popular churrascaria had become a shell of its former self. The restaurant scene at the north end of the Boardwalk will get a big injection of energy when the Riviera Mexican Cantina replaces it. It’s an offshoot of the ever-popular Riviera Mexican Grill in South Redondo, led by Chris Bredesen and partners. The new restaurant will offer a similar experience to the original by the highway, which makes sense – when you’ve been packing a place for decades, why change? There will be two improvements over the original, in the form of ample parking and an ocean view…
Elsewhere in Redondo: The Craftsman Brews & Bites is open in a former liquor store in Riviera Village, and they’ve followed the pattern of most other restaurants in the area. It’s a bright, buzzy place offering burgers, sandwiches, flatbreads, salads, and appetizers. They do offer conventional grill items like steaks and lamb with accompaniments, but only as platters portioned for two people. As I visited solo, I could only look longingly at these and had a burger instead. Another quirky thing here is they kept the off-sale license from the former business, so if you like the wine you had with your meal, you can take a bottle home (1817 S. Catalina, RB)… BobaHi opened next to Whole Foods on PCH, the second outpost of Torrance cafe. They offer bubble tea, smoothies, and coffee in a mind-boggling variety of permutations. Avocado smoothie, anyone, or perhaps you would prefer a milk tea with taro root blended with Oreo cookies? They have an adorable logo of a puppy and a kitten sharing a drink together. If drinking boba advances peace in the world, I’ll have one (403 B. PCH #101, RB)… I peered through the window at the upcoming seafood restaurant Salt & Pearl on Catalina in Riviera Village, and an opening there looks imminent. One long awaited project was canceled, Local Kitchens on PCH. Management has stated they’re focusing on their Northern California locations, so this will probably go back on the market… I have fewer details about the former Brixton at the Redondo Pier, which is scheduled to become the Mermaid Tavern. I presume it’s mainly a showroom and drinking establishment because the logistics of a kitchen in the underground space are challenging, but maybe someone has figured out how to do it. If anyone knows what is happening with that project, please drop me a line. …
Speaking Of Mysteries… Something called Drive South Bay is about to open in a space on Hermosa Avenue that was formerly a dry cleaners, and according to the license application in the window, they intend to serve beer. The name of the company is Formula One Partners, and the very idea of a F1 rally down Pier Avenue is terrifying. I’m fairly sure that drinking and driving is not recommended at any speed, and am very curious about what this business is. It’s city permit mentions race car simulators. Elsewhere in Hermosa, there doesn’t seem to be much activity at the Hermosa Beach Yacht Club, despite an announcement in September that the dive bar would reopen after minor remodeling… Things went much faster for Creamy Boys, the New Zealand-style ice cream parlor, which was briefly open in the Goat Hill development before that was razed. They’re serving their signature ice cream laced with crushed fruit at 1136 Hermosa Avenue, and seem to have a fair number of customers. Those who really enjoy ice cream will eat it no matter what the temperature is outside…
Mama Terano Evolves: Mama Terano has been serving Robert Bell’s idiosyncratic style of New York Italian cuisine for 13 years, with occasional wine dinners and special events. Bell has always enjoyed curating and explaining his food, and he’s going to be doing a lot more of that now. The restaurant will shift from a standard service model and become an event, special occasion, and catering space. Robert promises cooking classes, winemaker dinners, and culinary theme evenings, and sounds energized about the possibilities. The last day of regular service is Christmas eve, so if you want one of their famously good thin crust pizzas or a stuffed quail, you have only a few days…
Hawaiian in Manhattan: When I saw the sign for the Ali’I Hawaiian Grill on PCH, I wondered if they were related to the similarly named Ali’I Fish Company in El Segundo. It’s the same company, and is serving the same specialties of poke and simple grilled seafood, with a few beef and pork items for those who have an aversion to creatures of the deep. They plan to expand their menu soon, and may offer more items here than at their other two locations (924 N. Sepulveda, MB)…
Another much awaited restaurant just opened, and Hook & Plow is now serving on Manhattan Avenue. Some hardy customers were sitting on the outside patio despite the rain, and I salute their determination to be one of the first diners (1112 Manhattan Ave, MB)… Elsewhere in town, there’s another delay to report. Saint and Second was scheduled to open in the Manhattan Mall this year, but they now say they hope to be serving by July of ’24…
What’s in a name?… Last week I tried looking up the menu for a new place called Toast Café in El Segundo, and Google helpfully displayed the menu for every restaurant in town that has toast on the menu. This week the restaurant is at the top of the search feed, so I’m guessing that their indexing has caught up. It’s probably no surprise that the place has a lot of items that involve heated bread, including Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches. I’m a sucker for those, so will be visiting soon (243 Main Street, ES)…
Event Alerts: Early January is unusually quiet, but there are two events of note later in the month. Pacific Standard Prime will host a dinner featuring Napa wines from Gamble Family Vineyards on January 24, and Fishbar will offer one with Matanzas Creek on January 29. I don’t have a menu or price for either yet, but those who enjoy the pairing experience should save the dates…
Odds And Ends: Seafood Port, the popular Chinese restaurant on Hawthorne Boulevard in Torrance, closed recently. It was a destination for many from the Beach Cities, and will be missed for their vast platters of inexpensive and decent Hong Kong style food. Their sister restaurant Seafood Town is still open, and serves similar cuisine in slightly more upscale surroundings…
A reader wrote to ask me to give more coverage to non-alcoholic beverage options, and I will do that. Many people are drinking less, and that is spurring bar managers to create more interesting zero-proof mixed drinks. I always invite suggestions about how to improve my coverage, and thank Jimie from Redondo for the email.
In Closing: If you know a restaurant opening I might’ve missed, a culinary event that should be covered, or just about anything related to food that I should know about, please send the information my way. I’m at richard@richardfoss.com. And as long as you’re on the internet, check out past restaurant reviews on our website at EasyReadernews.com/restaurants. ER
