Obituary for a goat, battling chickens, wine dinners, and other dining news
A La Carte column for 23 September 2022
The Goat Is Dead: The Goat Hill mall on PCH had a long and storied career, beginning when it was actually a goat farm owned by an irascible Scottish lady named Mrs. Auchmoody. She won LA County Fair awards in the 1920’s but was notoriously bad-tempered and prone to suing her neighbors. The Goat Hill shops were built on her former pasture in the early 1970’s, and the first restaurant of note there was the Great American Egg Company. Owner Juan Valencia had an operatic voice and sang to his customers, and the place was popular for years.
A survey of all the eateries at Goat Hill would be a jolly trip down memory lane, but too long for this column. The last two were the original location of Two Guns Coffee and a short-lived pop-up ice cream place called Creamy Boys. Two Guns spawned five locations that are still open, and the Creamy Boys are selling their New Zealand-style fruit ice cream at farmers markets while searching for a new location. Goat Hill is being redeveloped into a senior living home, which will presumably serve some kind of food but not be open to the public. It occurred to me as I wrote this article that of restaurants that occupied this space for fifty years, I can’t remember a single one that had goat meat on the menu. Perhaps they would have felt haunted by the spirits of billies and nannies long passed…
Chicken Duel On PCH: Hermosa Kentucky Korean fried chicken has opened in the former Southern Spice location at the corner of 5th and PCH. They’re specialists – though there is a fish sandwich and a few simple snacks, wings, crispy chicken sandwiches and either boneless or bone-in fried chicken are what they do. Though the location is cursed by insufficient parking, it’s a good niche to be in. They won’t have the market to themselves for long, since a location of the Starbird fried chicken chain is under construction just across the street. For now they can develop a clientele before the battle of the birds begins (450 E. PCH, Hermosa)…
Cool New Business Model… The former Slider Stop on Artesia is now Straw & Spoon, an establishment that is notable not only because everything is served cold, but because you need no teeth to eat anything served there. They offer smoothies, acai and fruit bowls, and a variety of milk drinks. On the day that I write this, when the temperature is heading into the high 70’s, the array of cool refreshing drinks looks alluring. Since global warming is making the hot season longer and more intense, they may have a brilliant business model. (2315 Artesia #1, Redondo)…
Barbecue And Axes… It’s almost miraculous when a place that announced an opening well in advance actually makes the date, and that’s happening at Sauced Barbecue in Plaza El Segundo They’re in soft opening mode now and will be open for regular business on September 28th, featuring smoked meat, cocktails, and axe throwing (not actually in the dining room, but a separate area). I’m sure lots of axe throwing enthusiasts have been practicing in their back yards all month, and look forward to critiquing their form (2015 Park Place, ES).
Goodbye W’s: The South Bay’s first upscale Chinese fusion restaurant closed it’s doors last weekend. W’s China Bistro brought Chinese-Peruvian fusion to Redondo Beach in 2006, and it astonished locals with the sleek decor, crafted cocktails, and unusual and original culinary combinations. Of late the selection became smaller, the interior a bit shabby, but they were still capable of turning out good food and topping our Best Ofs reader’s poll. Thanks are due to the Chong family for the years of fine dining – your many fans will miss the place…
First Look at Banana Leaf: In last month’s column I wrote about the opening of Banana Leaf, the South Indian restaurant co-located inside Zayna’s Flaming Grill. The food at their Culver City location was excellent, and I recently stopped in to see if the local version matches up. The current menu is small and slightly unbalanced, with lots of chicken and vegetarian dishes and only two seafood or meat items, but they’re planning to expand their offerings soon. We had eggplant curry and Chicken 65 biryani, both of which were boldly flavored and exceptionally good, and a beef kebab from the Zayna’s menu just because we could. Having Lebanese and Indian food in the same meal was delightful, and if you enjoy mixing and matching flavors, I suggest that you do the same. (1310 S. PCH, Redondo)…
Event Alerts!: And there are some fine ones coming up in October. Those who enjoy the sparkling stuff will want to be at the Champagne dinner at Pacific Standard Prime on October 5th. The bubbly is from Duval-LeRoy, who have been making the stuff since 1859, but the food is the contemporary American fare that his kitchen does so well. The cost is $195 inclusive, and reservations and information are available at pspsteak.com. If you enjoy the food there and want to learn about cooking from Chef Christine Brown, she’s teaching a “Fall Favorites” cooking class on October 8th. No pumpkin spice is involved, but a rosemary and thyme braised osso bucco is. It’s $100 inclusive, reservations available on Open Table… If you like a wine event with Brazilian flair, you should consider the Orin Swift dinner at Fogo de Chao on October 20th. While the market table will be available, this isn’t the usual churrascaria experience – the meal will be served in courses. The menu hasn’t been published except a note that it will include wagyu steak, so it will be a surprise to everyone but the people who make it. Price is $109 plus tax & tip – reservations are at fogodechao.com/orinswiftdinner… And if those offerings aren’t enough luxurious dining for the month, Primo Italia offers a black truffle dinner on the 26th. Truffle experts Fabio and Giada will explain the history, culture, and health benefits of truffles while you enjoy a five course meal with wines from Marchesi do Barolo from Piemonte. Price is $175 plus the usual T&T – reserve on the “Events” tab at eatprimo.com.
Restaurants aren’t the only place to go for events, and two local wine shops have been offering excellent tastings on a regular basis. I’ve been covering Uncorked’s prolific series for a while, and they have some fine events coming up, starting with the whimsical wine & bingo night on September 28th. Participants will enjoy a flight of wines and be issued a bingo card, with prizes awarded at the end of the evening. Given the venue, I would venture to guess that the prizes will be something you can drink later. They’ll be offering an Italian wine night with Italian wine expert Jeff Morgenthal and Uncorked owner Jeff Morgenthal on October 5th, and a wine and cheese pairing session on October 12th. All these events are a mere $20, and reservations are not required. Uncorked has been running great events at a modest price, democratizing the fun of tasting wine with fellow enthusiasts, and are to be commended… The Pavilions Market in Rolling Hills Estates has an even more generous plan – their afternoon beverage tastings are free. They’re offering samples of French wines on October 1st, Conundrum and Bonanzareds on the 6th, American whiskies on the 13th, and Peju wines on the 14th. Other tastings during the month include wines from Peju, Burnham, Wild Horse, Justin, and Louis Martini, plus Skrewball whiskey. I thought their peanut butter-infused whiskey sounded awful, but I tried it in cocktails and am a convert. They don’t have these events on their website yet and I don’t have room for all of the ones they’re holding in the second half of the month, so if you want to know the rest of the dates, stop by and see the posted list. You might even do some shopping when you’re there, since I have been told they have groceries too. Tastings are generally from 3 to 6 PM, and are conducted by brand representatives or knowledgeable store employees. (#7 Peninuula Center, RPV)…
Odds And Ends… In a recent column I speculated that the Local Kitchens Micro Food Hall in the former Mama D’s Redondo was an offshoot of an identically named chain in the San Francisco bay area. That is true, and the company has confirmed that most of their offerings will be the same eclectic multicultural fare. The location is scheduled to open in mid-November. Some readers wondered why there might be a question whether they were related, given the identical names. Two other operations in town give the answer to that. The Craftsman that will open in Redondo later this year has an identical name but no relationship, and the Hudson House in Redondo is not affiliated with a new operation in West Hollywood. Sometimes a perfectly reasonable assumption turns out to be wrong so I have to check everything that I can… In news from the Hill, Terranea has a new Executive for the whole resort, Andrew Vaughan, and a new chef at flagship restaurant Mar-Sel, Fabio Ugoletti. Vaughan was formerly chef at Mar’Sel and favored items based in Southern American heritage, but since arriving there Ugoletti has leavened the menu with Italian classics… And speaking of classics, Bluewater Grill is celebrating their twentieth anniversary with a list of $20 entrees from their Bluewater Classics menu. This parade of reasonably priced seafood will be served from October 2nd through 5th , so it might be a good idea to get a reservation now…
And in closing… If you know a restaurant opening I might’ve missed, an upcoming culinary event, or just about anything related to food that I should cover, 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 https://easyreadernews.com/restaurants/