By Richard Foss
Note: Written 2003 – now open for dinner – see additional review dated 2008
“How many perfect restaurant meals have you had this year?” asked a friend who appreciates good food nearly as much as I do. I thought a while and started making a list, and after a moment she did too. It was an interesting task, to hold each establishment not to impossibly high standards, but to doing perfectly what they were trying to do. Some classic places didn’t make the cut because at every meal I could remember I would have changed something, but at least one really daring place passed with flying colors. When my friend and I compared notes we found that we had listed many of the same establishments. We had both agreed on which restaurant was the perfect bargain – Manhattan Beach’s North End, where it’s easy to have a great meal for less than ten dollars.
North End doesn’t look particularly impressive from the outside unless you are a connoisseur of clashing shades – the avocado and lime greens are almost precisely wrong as a color combination. As people in Warsaw used to say about a certain Stalin-era hotel, it has the best view in town because from inside it you can’t see it. The interior is better, functional with a few stylish touches, but once you open the menu you will forget all else, because this is one fun list of foods. The people who own this place obviously love to play in the kitchen, and they make the most interesting breakfasts in the South Bay.
Like for example? How about the Sonoma toast, grilled bread stuffed with brie, berry jam, and pecans and served with scrambled eggs. At $8.85 this delicious starter is the most expensive item on the menu, and it’s worth it. I am not generally much of a fan of sweet items in the morning, but the balance of sweet, cheese, and crunch here is just too much fun. I’ve also tried the Roman toast, which is stuffed with ham, mushrooms, caponata, and mozzarella cheese. It’s another winner, savory and light but with a real Italian flavor.
North End does have some traditional items on the menu, though as far as I can tell you can’t get eggs, bacon, and potatoes in any conventional manner. The closest is probably turkey hash with eggs, which isn’t quite a traditional hash because the potatoes are in large neat cubes but is nevertheless good.
As fine as the breakfasts are, I tend to focus on the lunch menu. The specialty of the house seems to be panini, the toasted sandwiches that are an Italian staple. Plenty of places around the South Bay are featuring panini these days, but rarely with this variety. So far my favorite is the Jimmy, which contains fried chicken, cheddar cheese, corn, pickles, tomato, and creole mayonnaise. On the other hand, the Armando’s combination of Black Forest ham, goat cheese, mozzarella, caramelized onion, and rosemary mayo was pretty wonderful too. Given that there are over twenty kinds, including several vegetarian versions, you’re likely to find your own favorite soon.
Whichever kind you get, you’ll face a difficult choice. Should you follow the path of virtue and enjoy the green salad that is included, or spend the extra $1.50 to get a small order of Belgian-style fries. Although the salad is quite delectable, I have to suggest the fries. These are baked before being fried, which lends them an extraordinary lightness and crispness. No less than eight dipping sauces are offered, but there is no ketchup. You can, however get ranch or blue cheese dressing, barbecue sauce, “English pub” sauce, or mayonnaise flavored with chipotle, wasabi, creole seasonings, or horseradish. Based on our server’s recommendation we picked the wasabi mayo and blue cheese dressing, and found both to be excellent with the fries.
I could keep going here, describing the variety of salads, the excellent homemade soups that I’ve tried, the array of coffees and special drinks, but I think you get the picture. This little breakfast and lunch joint serves food that is far above the usual standard, and at much lower prices than they could get away with. To put it simply, if you’re looking for the perfect place for a memorably good breakfast or lunch, North End is it.
North End is located at 3241 Highland Avenue in Manhattan Beach. Open daily except Monday, 7 AM until 5 PM. No alcohol served. Handicap access good, but street parking only. Children welcome, excellent children’s menu. Call 546-GRUB for information and take-out.
