Search Results: richard foss
by Richard Foss The Grand Vision Foundation periodically honors supporters of the arts, and for this year’s gala at the PV Golf Club they chose a duo whose contributions are very different. One is a veteran photojournalist, the other owns a downtown San Pedro restaurant, bar, and brewery. They might not seem to have any…
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There is a joke about Mexican food that it’s a cuisine of hundreds of dishes made from 10 ingredients. Mexicans have indeed found ways to bring an arsenal of techniques to a somewhat limited number of food staples, and create diversity of flavors, and textures that make it one of the world’s great cuisines. That’s…
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When I consider some dining establishments, I am reminded of Shakespeare’s observation, “There is a tide in the affairs of restaurants, which taken at flood leads on to fortune.” It shows that…excuse me, I just looked at that again and apparently the bard was talking about something else Where was I? Oh yes, tides of…
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The little building just south of Torrance Boulevard on PCH isn’t beautiful when it comes to proportions or decoration. From the outside it has all the charm of a shoebox, a yellow stucco square with olive green trim, unembellished but for a sign proclaiming it the Cozy Café. The building has probably been there for…
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Sweet and Virtuous: Enjoy cookies but don’t eat wheat? The recently opened Confections by Kirari West offers rice flour-based cookies with a Japanese twist, including matcha white chocolate chip and butterscotch with white miso. They also make more traditional chocolate chip and oatmeal rum raisin cookies. They offer the cookies by themselves or on sundaes,…
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I was the child of an avid golfer, and grew up liking everything about the game except playing it. The players were eye-catching in either spotless whites or garish plaids, and their shoes made a curious crunching noise when the cleats hit anything but grass. The long walk in a manicured landscape allowed glimpses of…
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The building at the corner of Marine and Highland is architecturally strange, but then again anything on this corner would have to be. It is built on a very small lot on an extremely steep hill. The architect decided to cope with this by designing a modest dining room and outdoor patio, plus three tiny…
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Sometimes you move forward by going backward. A place with a very contemporary design and food can seem dated after only a few years. It’s why some decor can be dismissed with a careless, “That place is so 1995.” Many designers might suggest updating that restaurant to current trends, but it might actually be smarter…
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Food Truck In Reverse: It’s not unusual for food truck operators to transition their business to a brick-and-mortar location, but somewhat less common for the opposite to happen. That process has occurred at Manhattan House, which closed a few weeks ago. Former chef-owner Juan Torres has taken his act on the road with a food…
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Searching for the bright side of the moon Photos and text by Bondo Wyszpolski Even with COVID lingering and the risk of another surge, the art scene in downtown San Pedro has reemerged. Galleries and art studios are open. Music and live theater have been staples of the Grand Annex and Little Fish, but note…
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I have heard some interesting arguments about vegetarianism and the vegan diet. Some point out that humans evolved as omnivores, with a natural craving for protein rich meat and dairy items. Those on the other side point out that the success strategies that worked on the savannas of Africa aren’t necessarily relevant to the planet…
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by Kevin Cody An evening celebrating Ukrainian culture, featuring music by the Klezmer supergroup Yale Strom and Hot Pstromi, is being hosted by Manhattan Beach author Richard Foss at Collage: A Place for Art and Culture in San Pedro. The concert is Wed. April 27 at 7:30 p.m. “Russian nationalists have denied that there is…
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by Richard Foss Sometimes I look at a restaurant’s location and presentation and my heart sinks. They may be making ambitious food and offering the best of service, but could they possibly survive on a lightly traveled street with poor signage? Some of them do, and the South Bay has successful eateries in pretty odd…
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by Richard Foss “You’ve been reviewing a lot of Asian food lately,” remarked a regular reader. She was correct. I have been eating it because you have, and new restaurants have been opening to serve it to you. Existing restaurants have been upping their game in response, and it’s an exciting time for people who…
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by Richard Foss I have only known one person who disliked pasta in all of its forms – my father. During World War II he was a crewman on a destroyer escort where a vast amount of the stuff had been loaded by mistake. To hear him tell it, everyone suffered through meals of over-boiled…
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I like to look back at old menus and reviews from groundbreaking places to compare with what they’re doing now. Some are still serving the same food as when they opened, often because that menu was designed by a consultant whose creativity departed when they cashed the check and packed up their knives. Others underwent…
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