The restaurant without a gimmick
Manhattan Beach has several restaurants that are architectural showpieces, among them the otherworldly Esperanza, sleek Zinc at Shade, the retro grandeur of The Arthur J, and hyper-modern Love & Salt. Places that can’t afford the architects and decorators festoon their places with surf memorabilia, photos they purchased from the Historical Society, or kitsch to convey that sense of being part of local culture. They appeal to people who think of beach culture as distinctive and stylish, and most offer original menu items that reinforce that appeal. It seems like a sensible template to follow, but one establishment has become enduringly popular with a strategy that seems deliberately anonymous. Nick’s looks like an upscale mall restaurant, with the obligatory old pictures of the Pier and bathers on one far wall, but otherwise minimally decorated, with no particular theme. (There’s a very good collection of vintage Metlox pottery on the premises, but you only see it if you happen to be on the way to the restroom.) The glassed-in kitchen on one side and view of the Metlox plaza on the other are the main visual attractions. Nick’s architecture is in keeping with Metlox Plaza’s low key…
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