South Bay goes French, Sunrise over Redondo, dining events, and restaurant news

Street Corner Hermosa manager Don Nguyen shows off the wine and beer garden behind the convenience store, which recently opened on the Strand in the former Poop Deck Location. Photo by Kevin Cody

A La Carte column for 20 April 2023

New Name, Management, & Ideas: For a brief time two decades ago, Splash restaurant at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Redondo was one of the hotspots of the South Bay. After a change in chef and management, things got dull, but they have livened up since the hotel was bought by Sonesta Resorts. The new restaurant is called Sol and features Asian fusion by Chef Hayato Yanai, who moved here from Tokyo with some interesting ideas. While his style is described as Japanese-French, it’s noticeable that carne asada fries, and a version of tacos are also on the menu, so he’s incorporating beach city favorites already (300 N. Harbor Drive, RB)…

Elevated Levels Of French: This is a big month for French food in the South Bay thanks to two projects, one already open and the other imminent. David Slay opened Fête Bistro by Slay, and it’s quite a surprise. Slay’s other restaurants focus on Italian and American cuisine. Fête’s menu is French with a few surprising Arabic touches. You can get duck confit a l’orange and sea bream Provencal with housemade pita, and hummus, or tabbouleh, which is a daring and interesting idea. I can hardly wait to see how this works in practice (1017 Manhattan Ave., MB)… Meanwhile in Hermosa, Greenspot is transitioning to Bonaparte Bistro, which will serve classic French cafe items along with most of the California-style Greenspot favorites.  The ownership is the same as Cafe Bonaparte just across the pier plaza, and the new space will offer a deeper dive into French traditions. Watch for the old sign to come down and the new one to go up soon…

And Openings Elsewhere: The convenience store that replaced The Deck is called Street Corner Hermosa, and they quietly opened a few weeks ago. Behind the tidy market with the racks of snacks and sundries that will attract beachgoers who forgot their suntan lotion, there’s a beer garden that serves pizzas and light meals. It’s a surprising choice, since the surrounding area isn’t exactly short of places that serve pizza and beer, but it could work (12723 The Strand, HB)… In North Redondo, La Carniceria opened on Inglewood just south of Manhattan Beach Boulevard. The bright, clean establishment has a surprising business model, which is to be just a butcher shop, rather than a butcher shop, and wine store or other specialty market. They’re open with a moderate selection and intend to add more items in response to customer demand (3407 Inglewood)…

Coming Attractions: Signs have been spotted for a new Tapville Social in El Segundo, across from the Northern Cafe near Whole Foods. This is a pour-it-yourself beer sampling establishment and restaurant similar on the model of the wildly successful Brewport Tap House on Main Street. Another location of this rapidly expanding chain is soon coming to Crenshaw Boulevard in Hawthorne. Both are in the early phases of construction, so the soonest they’ll probably be pouring is late summer…  Elsewhere in town, Porterhouse Bourbon & Bones is soon to open in the space on Richmond Street that was most recently Second City Bistro. “Soon” is a relative term, though. Construction is mostly complete but they’ve just brought in a new executive chef, who is developing a menu and training staff. Watch for an opening next month… There’s good news for those who enjoyed the upstairs speakeasy at Esperanza, which has received approval for their plans for the space. They’re putting in an elevator and doing other things to improve access, and expect to be open this fall… And finally, when Sion’s Restaurant next to the Seahorse Motel closed over two years ago, community members were told that the whole lot would be scraped, and the property would be redeveloped. Instead, construction work is underway now, and another restaurant will open in the remodeled space. An employee at the motel said that the food will be “continental,” and didn’t give an estimate of how soon they’d be open…

Culinary historian and chef Hae Jung Cho teaches how to make kimchi at Collage on April 29.

Event Alerts: And there are certainly some interesting ones on the way. If you’re reading this on April 20, the day this column publishes, you have two options for wine dinners tonight. Radici is hosting a five-course dinner with wine pairings from Davigna wines, who represent winemakers from all around Italy. Price is $120 plus tax and a 23 percent service fee… I wish they’d just quote what you’ll actually pay, but the math is up to you. Reserve on OpenTable.com… Meanwhile on Rosecrans, Paul Martin’s will be holding a four-course dinner with cocktails featuring Casamigos tequilas and mescals. That’s $79 plus tax and tip – reserve by calling (310)  643-9300… On April 26 we have an event by Women For Wine Sense, a nonprofit educational organization, with five local female winemakers pouring tastes paired with small bites. This will run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and will take place in an office space on PCH in El Segundo. Member price is $45, nonmembers $60 — for more information and to reserve, see womenforwinesense.org… A food-centric event will happen at 1 p.m. on April 29 —  a program about Korean food culture. Historian and chef Hae Jung Cho will teach the audience how to make kimchi and kimchi pancakes, and will present a talk on Korean food culture. The cost is $10 per person, and the venue is Collage in San Pedro (of which the author of this column is the director). For more details and to reserve, see collageartculture.org…

The wine dinners resume on May 3 at Pacific Standard Prime, when Majuscule Vineyards’ Greg Brickey will explain his wines from the Mount Veeder area of the Napa Valley. Chef Christine Brown will pair these with delicacies including porcini gnocchi, lamb osso bucco, and a black hawk filet mignon. The price is $195 including tax and gratuity – and look, some restaurants actually quote the actual price of their events. Thank you, PSP, we wish there were more like you… On May 5 there’s an unlikely event for Cinco de Mayo, when Primo Italia turns into Primo Oaxaca. Yes, the respected Italian restaurant is turning into a Mexican restaurant for the night, and it’s a wonderfully unlikely idea. Bravo to them for doing something this creative. Ordering is a la carte and no menu has been released yet, but you just know that this has to be interesting… Finally, on May 11 there will be a wine and wagyu tasting in the bar at Fogo de Chao in El Segundo. The price is a modest $45 plus T&T – reserve at OpenTable.com… And we would be remiss if we didn’t note that Dine LA will be occurring from April 28 to May 12, with specials all over the city including our neighborhood. Start checking menus and making reservations now at discoverlosangeles.com…

Odds And Ends: One of the signs of summer is when restaurants that haven’t been open for lunch start serving at midday. Nando Trattoria is the latest to do this, at least on weekends, so if you’re looking for a high style lunch this is a great option… There are also some April restaurant anniversaries to celebrate: MB Post turned 12, the Tavern on Main in El Segundo turned 21 and now is old enough to drink in itself, and Mickey’s in Hermosa turned 70. Seventy years in the South Bay is a pretty amazing record, and in many cities would be recognized with official recognition. A plaque shaped like a pizza would be entirely appropriate…

In Closing: If you know a restaurant opening I might’ve missed, a culinary event that should be covered, or just about anything related to food that I should know about, 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/.

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