Calamari’s [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
Calamari owner Steve Dahdah (center) with crew Mark Martitelli, Ed Rolis, Francisco Sanchez and Lisa Nisbet. Photo
The first time I passed Calamari’s restaurant in Redondo, I did a double-take. Was the place actually owned by someone whose name was Italian for squid? Or (even more unlikely), by an actual squid? Given that an octopus was successful at picking World Cup winners, perhaps cephalopods had taken up business management. Or perhaps this was a sign of an alien invasion, and our tentacled overlords were practicing by running a restaurant.
When we actually went inside, we were greeted by a human, who showed us to a table and handed us a menu of old favorites – a little of everything from all over Italy. The menu, strip mall location, and prices are all consistent with this place being an everyday restaurant – it’s modestly but attractively decorated, with full dinners that start at under 10 bucks and nothing over 15.
On that first visit I ordered a fried calamari appetizer to commemorate the name of the restaurant, and I’ve done that several times since – the calamari rings are dipped in an herbed batter and served with warm marinara sauce, and they’re pretty good. Since most meals here include soup or salad, I haven’t investigated the other starters, but one of these days I’m going to make a meal of them – sauteed mushrooms and a sausage roll join the usual items like hot wings, fries, and garlic bread, and with a salad or two on the side it could be a fun dinner for a small group.
Those who prefer a more conventional meal will usually start with a basket of hot homemade bread and either a cup of soup or a salad. I have usually chosen the salad because the dressings are homemade – my favorites are a creamy blue cheese and a robust Caesar that has a nice garlic and pepper sharpness. I don’t expect freshly made Caesar dressing at this price level, and its presence raised my esteem for the place. This made up for erratic service on our earliest visits – our waiter, while friendly, forgot some orders, scrambled others, and once delivered salads, appetizer, and main courses within two minutes of each other. This kind of thing happens at relatively new establishments, and as in any well-run place things get better. Lately the service and timing has improved, and on our most recent visit our waitress was both engaging and professional.
The people in the kitchen have been pros all along, delivering big portions of homestyle food. Among the regular pastas, I have tried the fettuccine alfredo, cannelloni, seafood fettuccini, and meat lasagna, plus a daily special of vegetarian lasagna. This was one of the rare places where the vegetarian lasagna was superior. While the beef was quite decent — a dense, moist stack of pasta, meat, cheese, and sauce that held together well — the spinach lasagna had interesting textures and a subtler, more complex flavor. I’d nominate their vegetarian lasagna for a space on the regular menu, because it was one of the better things I’ve had at Calamari’s. The seafood pasta in wine sauce was the only one that fell short of my expectations because it was a bit bland – the seafood flavor was fine, but it needed a bit of herbs or spice to perk it up just a bit. This has never been a problem with the red sauces here, which have the big flavor that comes from a liberal hand with the spices and long simmering.
That sauce is great on the pizzas, too, but the thing that really makes those shine is a crisp hand-thrown crust. At many places I have to ask that the pizza be left in the oven until it’s really done to avoid a soggy crust, but here it has come out with a crisp crust over nice chewy interior every time. Calamari’s has been running a promotion such that when you order any pizza, you can get a second one for five dollars, and we always do even if it means the whole thing goes home for the next day’s lunch (or breakfast, or late night prowl through the refrigerator). The pizzas are a bit more expensive than many of their competitors, but the high quality and this deal both make it worthwhile.
Another good choice is the roast chicken, if they happen to have it when you’re there. They were sold out on my first three visits, and I developed a suspicion that they had decided to take it off the menu but didn’t want to tell people. Then one day our server surprised me by actually taking my order for it. It turned out to be worth the wait, with a crackling herbed skin over succulent meat. I don’t know whether they only offer this on some days or they make only small amounts and sell out fast, but it’s worth getting if it’s offered.
The same seems to be true of their tiramisu, the only dessert they make in-house, because that has been sold out on every visit. Since sometimes I’ve ordered this as early as 7 p.m., I can only assume that either it is only occasionally offered or they only possess one small baking pan. One of these days I hope to try it, or at least find out which is the case. It’s a little mystery at a restaurant that has served consistently good food at reasonable prices, the kind of everyday delight that is worth driving a little out of your way.
Calamari’s is at 1000 Torrance Blvd. in Redondo Beach, at the southeast corner of Prospect. Open daily 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., local delivery available. Beer and wine served, vegetarian items offered, parking lot available, wheelchair access good. Call 310-792-9300. ER