Sushi out, ramen in MB, GF desserts in Redondo, gas price pain hits South Bay food delivery
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, or with coffee on the side, and have a small sitting area for those who want to enjoy them on the spot. I have no problems with gluten and can say that the ones I tried were indistinguishable from other very good cookies – try them and see what you think (625 N. PCH unit B, RB)…
Staying With The Japanese Theme: Sushi I-Naba on Highland in MB quietly closed at the beginning of June. They have moved the experience to their restaurant of the same name on Hawthorne Boulevard in Torrance, where they serve spectacular sushi meals at $280 per person, alcohol extra. The MB location had a rocky history and was closed by the city at least twice due to permit problems. It is really gone this time, because the interior has been gutted. Elsewhere in town, Silver Lake Ramen is open in the Manhattan Mall. As with many places with the word ramen in the name, they serve appetizers, sushi rolls, and rice bowls in addition to noodles. This is their 22nd location, so they must be doing it well (3360 N. Sepulveda #140)…
The staff works with a trainee packing freshly made cookies at Confections By Kirary West. Photo by Richard Foss
Exotic Meats By The Highway: I can’t remember how many times I have lamented that there wasn’t a single place in Manhattan Beach where you could get ground yak meat, alligator tenderloins, or whole pheasants. Actually I can’t remember saying that at all, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t be shopping at Wild Fork market when it opens at the corner of Manhattan Beach Boulevard and PCH. This gourmet grocery specializes in exotic meat and seafood, and has an eclectic range of ready to go vegetable items to go along with your meat. No clue yet on how soon they will be open in the former bank building, but it will probably be a while because some very extensive remodeling is in order…
Passing The Gelato Torch: Paciugo Gelato is out of the spot they held down for 14 years on Hermosa Avenue, Capri Gelato is in, and it’s more than just a name change. The new operation is inspired by the gelato and espresso shops on the Amalfi Coast and the islands offshore from Naples, and they serve the dense, rich style of ice cream from that area. The family operation has one other location in Marina Del Rey, and makes ice cream every day in-house. I haven’t visited this location yet, but enjoyed the gelato and coffee in the Amalfi coast town of Sorrento when I was there last year and look forward to seeing how the local version measures up (1034 Hermosa Ave., HB)…
Thoughts About Artesia: As predicted, Slider Stop on Artesia will not reopen – the banner on the building announces the imminent arrival of an acai bowl and boba place called Spoon and Straw. Given that this location is only a block from the well-established Natureba Brazilian juice bar, which has served acai bowls for a dozen years, they have competition with that specialty, but they will be the only boba place on Artesia this side of Western Avenue. That will fill a niche, and depending on what else is on their menu, they may have other attractions, but it still leaves Artesia weirdly unbalanced as a dining neighborhood. There are an unlikely number of Mexican cafes and burger joints but very little else – the most recent even moderately upscale restaurant open west of the 405 is Bamboo Thai, which opened in 2008. In the three miles from the corner of PCH to the freeway, the only grocery store with a produce section is Grocery Outlet. I like Grocery Outlet and shop there, but their selection can be limited. If you go two and a half miles along PCH from Rosecrans to 190th, you pass five full-service grocery stores and Grow Produce. Why does a high traffic street in an affluent area resemble a food desert? It’s a mystery. I firmly believe when someone builds the first upscale restaurant on Artesia, they’ll make a fortune and earn the gratitude of locals. Until then, those living along this corridor will have to make do with the choices they have…
Correcting An Error: In my most recent A La Carte column I reported that the Holy Cow Barbecue would open at the former Ruby’s. That was a mistake, because it will actually be at the former Crazy Fish at the PCH curve in Redondo. A different California-style barbecue place is apparently going to open in the former Ruby’s, but the owners are keeping quiet about the details…
Event Alerts! Bastille day is coming up, and on July 14 the French and those who love their culture celebrate the 1789 revolution with wine, food, and off-key renditions of the Marseillaise. The people at PSP Steak decided to celebrate Bastille Day with a four-course rosé wine dinner that pairs French wines with innovative California cuisine, at a price of $130 including tax & tip. (They should be applauded for advertising the real price, rather than making it seem cheaper than it is. They’re treating their customers like adults.) I’m sure it will be a superb evening, and I hope they play the French anthem and invite people to sing along. You can find out whether that happens by booking online at pspsteak.com. They’ll also be hosting a cooking class on July 30 with Christine Brown, who is an excellent teacher – check their site for details… The wine dinner at Shade Redondo on July 18th isn’t themed around any national upheaval, but celebrates Duckhorn wines with guest Neal Bernardi, their vice-president of winemaking. I have visited Duckhorn and respect their wines, and am sure this meal that includes a beet and cheese salad, ora king salmon, roasted duck breast, and roasted short ribs will be delightful. It’s the first at Shade with Michael Franks as host, and he always provides a warm welcome. Price is $125 plus tax & tip, so grab your calculators and then call 310-921-8950 to book… Those who are interested in food culture may be interested in a free program by Professor Natalia Molina, author of “A Place at the Nayarit,” on the topic of “How Restaurants Build Communities.” It’s at Collage in San Pedro on July 31, and more information is available at collageartculture.com… And finally, it isn’t too early to get a ticket for the Chefs and Cellars charity event benefiting the Palos Verdes Art Center. It will be at the Catalina View winery in PV on August 28, and since it always sells out, you should book now if you’d like to attend. Tickets are $150 inclusive – find out more and book at celebratechefs.com…
More In The News: Those who have been making the trek to South Torrance to enjoy Pizzas at Gaetano’s have a shorter commute with the opening of Piccini by the corner of Anza and Del Amo. It’s owned by the same family and uses the same recipes, so the pizzas, pastas, and salads will have the same flavors and skill. It’s take-out only, but the nearby La Romeria park is a great place for a picnic if you can’t wait to get the food all the way home (4642 Del Amo Bl, Torr)… Hudson House recently got a new paint job by Brady Smith that is a wonderful homage to New York graffiti artist Keith Haring, and it’s worth stopping as you drive by to savor the details. Haring’s distinctive dazzling colors and cartoon figures are presented by Smith alongside caricatures of South Bay beach scenes, and it’s a delight. The drawback: you’ll certainly notice the building, but the sign is a different matter. It’s almost invisible amid the riot of color… And every once in a while, I find a deal that I just have to share, and this is one of those days. The new Fogo de Chao Brazilian barbecue on Rosecrans has a spectacular buffet-style “Market Table” that offers a variety of salads, cheeses, and cold items as well as feijoada bean and sausage stew, and you can graze that buffet for midweek lunches for only $15. If you would like to try some of the barbecue meats, that is extra, but on a recent visit I was more than content to enjoy the buffet along with the hot cheese bread, polenta, and fried plantains that are included and brought to the table. This is a fast and superb lunch, and not many people know about it yet…
Gas Price Blues: High fuel prices affect restaurants in many ways, including increasingly expensive ingredients and decreased profitability of deliveries. Some places have raised the minimum order for free deliveries, and others have given them up altogether. I was a fan of a South Bay startup called Bakesale that was delivering baked goods from small producers, but they canceled home delivery and started serving higher volume corporate and catering clients. It’s sad because it was a very good idea, and it’s one of many business casualties of high transportation costs. Prices have risen all over the world due to the war in Ukraine, though it might be mentioned in passing that Exxon alone made $5.48 billion in profit during the first three months of 2022, and the numbers for the second quarter will be higher. That will make shareholders happy, but those of us who are paying more for everything as a result and watching businesses cut back may not be smiling…
Tooting My Own Horn: As some of you know, I frequently present culinary history programs both in person and online, and one of the latter will happen next Saturday, July 9th. At 10:30 AM I’ll present an illustrated talk on “Dickens’ Diet in Books and in Life” via Zoom for the Culinary Historians of Southern California, and the public is invited. You can learn more about the man behind the novels and stories, and why his characters seem so enthusiastic about English food. Sign up at this Link, or via the link on the Culinary Historians website at chsocal.org.
And 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 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/