Search Results: richard foss

Fried chicken has been multicultural from its beginnings, a Scottish cooking style married to a West African tradition of battering using a seasoned flour. Those traditions combined in the American South in the 1830s and were an instant hit. Regional styles quickly developed, with cornmeal used in some areas, wheat in others, and seasonings mild,…

Ask most Americans about Australian food and you’ll get a jumble of disconnected impressions that have little to do with reality. Top will be “shrimp on a barbie,” a phrase Australians don’t use, because anything big enough to be skewered and grilled will be referred to as a prawn. The bloomin’ onion isn’t an Aussie…

​​​​​Last call at Brewco: When Brewco opened 32 years ago, the brewpub craze was in full swing, nationwide, and local craft beer was prized. They outlasted all of their local competitors, but now are about to serve their last pints. The last day of operation will be October 15, after which the building will be…

One way of asserting status among people who love dining out is to reveal a secret spot – somewhere nobody else knows about where you can almost always get a seat and a really good meal. The appeal is obvious, both in being first among your friends to find a cool place, and it being…

Last week we had houseguests, who sounded delighted when I told them we were going to a new Hermosa restaurant that was quite promising. “What’s the cuisine?” asked my friend Lou.” When I told him it was a French bistro, he looked concerned. “I don’t have a jacket or collared shirt,” he said with an…

by Richard Foss To a historian who has been following the ups and downs of the dining industry, the biggest controversy in that field has a familiar ring. There are shortages of people willing to work, say restaurant owners, and those who do take a job are ready to move on as soon as another…

One of the tribulations of being a restaurant reviewer is when I recommend a place I have recently visited, suggest specific items they should try, and then get an email the day after my friends visit that reads, “They didn’t have any of the things you suggested, and the server said something about a change…

From Farmers Market To Fame: Some people wondered whether a space as large the former Giuliano’s on Aviation was appropriate for a bakery and coffee spot. When Tommy & Atticus opened, any doubters were silent as they gawked at lines of as many as forty people waiting to get inside. The sourdough breads that regularly…

Monday is the slowest day for the restaurant industry, and the generally stated reason is that most people dine out on weekends and spend the following day recovering. Or perhaps it’s their wallets recovering, because they feel less affluent after spending on fancy food and drink on Saturday and Sunday. Whichever it is, it has…

The management at a hotel in an area with many dining options has a difficult choice for their restaurant: stay safe or go bold. Most stay safe, creating a generic menu that will appeal mainly to the hotel’s clientele. A menu of steaks, seafood, and simple pastas isn’t a road to fame, but it’s easy…

Hermosa Action: There’s one open, one on the way at the corner of 2nd and Hermosa Avenue. Customers at Bolt, an offshoot of a West Hollywood cafe, order at the counter but receive table service. The housemade baked goods and generously sized meals are already popular with the brunch crowd. They’ve filed for a beer…

There’s a cliche about what teenagers like when they go to restaurants, and it usually involves loud environments, bright colors, and bland food. My offspring weren’t excited by those, but always welcomed a chance to visit Hoka Hoka, a Japanese/Korean fusion restaurant on Torrance Boulevard. The environment was cheerful and lively, and our youngsters enjoyed…

I have fond memories of visiting Captain Kidd’s when my children were little. It was their favorite restaurant, where they could enjoy staring into tanks of crabs, looking at pictures of fishermen from past decades, studying taxonomy charts of fish species on the outside patio, and then eating more fried items than I would ever…