A La Carte Column for June 25, 2026
What entree goes well with kicking a ball? World Cup fever is big now, and numerous local restaurants are creating menus based on who is playing. Given the cultural diversity of the expanded teams and the unlikely success of some teams, some chefs may be trying Cape Verdean, Ivorian and Paraguayan recipes for the first time. I hope customers react well to them, and they stay on the menus. It would be a breath of fresh air in an area with way too many copycat eateries…
Gone, but not forgotten: Social media erupted over the eviction of two local restaurants, the Fresh Brothers in Redondo and the Ocean View Café in Manhattan Beach. Though I don’t know the details of, high turnover is likely to be a recurring theme, as many restaurants are near the end of long leases at fixed rates and are facing rent hikes of as much as 50 percent. Those that are selling moderately priced food with no alcohol license are at the greatest risk – you have to sell a lot of pizzas or omelets to afford skyrocketing operational costs. In an era when an increasing percentage of food to go or delivered, restaurants in prime locations are at a disadvantage – they lose delivery business to ghost kitchens in garages. It’s sad for longtime fans of those businesses, but it’s the way the system works…
Changeovers: The Bonaparte Bistro on the Hermosa Pier Plaza did well at first, but after the initial rush they never matched the popularity of their sister bakery café, which is still thriving. The new restaurant in the bistro space will be called Malendrina Wine Bar. The fact that they mention a certain beverage in the name says something about their focus. Malendrina is Spanish for “wicked woman,” and I’m sure there is a story behind that… Just across the plaza, another eatery closed suddenly, amid much controversy. Social media buzzed when Playa Hermosa reportedly gave the staff only two days notice. This is a recurring situation, and here’s one reason why it happens: restaurant owners often have an agreement with their buyers to keep the establishment running until almost the day the building changes hands. Even if the new owner agrees to hire the former establishment’s staff, there is often a considerable time for remodeling when those people won’t be paid. Hence, once an employee knows their employer is closing, they are likely to jump to a new job immediately. The owner is left with the responsibility to run a restaurant and too few people to do it, so they have an incentive to tell the staff as late as possible. It’s hard on all concerned and leaves feelings of bitterness afterward, but you can understand why they do it. The Playa Hermosa location will become a restaurant called Kasamar. The chef-owner is Stephanie de los Santos, a Jose Andres protégé with backing from local industry veterans, and she plans to bring some of her Filipino heritage to a seafood-centric menu. After a few years in which most of the innovative restaurant action has been on Hermosa Avenue, this is a welcome development.
Relax, they’re still here: Some readers reacted with alarm to the signs announcing that the property under El Burrito Jr. and LBJ Burgers on PCH is for sale. It is, but that doesn’t mean these popular businesses are imperiled immediately. Even after the property sells, the tenants have at least two more years on the lease, so if you dine at each once a day, you can get at 730 burritos and burgers before there is any likelihood of them closing. And who knows – maybe the buyer of the property likes burritos and burgers so much that they will let them stay…
Coming attractions: EZPZ Pizza has opened in El Segundo. A reader who has been on the scene reports they offer “New York style pizzas with a Southern California vibe.” Sounds good to me – I’ll let you know when the pies are coming out of the oven… A new restaurant called Thai House will be coming to 1914 PCH in South Redondo, currently occupied by Kotsu Ramen. The new owners run the popular Barramee Restaurant in San Pedro, which I have visited many times. No word on how soon they’ll be serving, but if they are as good as the original, they will offer some serious competition on the local scene… The nearby Mellow Tea Studio has closed, and a sign announces “Coffee and matcha coming soon” from a company called Cravewave Coffee. I checked for other businesses by that name and found one in Nagpur, India – I think it’s probably not the same owners…
Event alerts: If you enjoy comedy and barbecue, why not enjoy both at the Gundo Barbecue and Comedy Festival, happening at that city just north of Manhattan Beach. They promise to make you laugh so hard you’ll almost drop your pork ribs — details are at gundocomedybbq.com… There are relatively few wine events on the horizon, which is often the case at the beginning of summer. One that is scheduled this Sunday has an unusual format. The “wine social” at the Arthur J featuring Halter Ranch Vineyards will have two sessions, one from 4:30 to 6 p.m., the second from 7 to 8:30 p.m.. Guests at each one will enjoy tastings of six wines and five food items, including crabcakes and goat cheese croquettes. It’s described as “a perfect event to enjoy before or after dinner,” which gives you a hint about the portion sizes. Reservations are on the Tock platform at exploretock.com… If the past is any guide, there will be generous portions at the South Bay Greek Festival, which runs from Friday evening July 10
through Sunday the 12. This is always a joyous occasion, where the Greek diaspora of Los Angeles comes together and celebrates their music, food, and handicrafts. Check the website at sbgreekfestival.com for details… On July 14 the Bluewater Grill celebrates a Japanese preparation with a miso cod dinner – you get an arugula salad, fish with vegetables and rice, and two glasses of wine for $55. No reservation needed… On July 16 there’s a Cakebread Cellars dinner at Chart House – five courses including sea bass Livornese and pepper steak will set you back $159 inclusive. Tickets are on Eventbrite… That’s also the place to reserve for the Orin Smith wine dinner at the HT Grill, which will occur on July 16. That one is $178 inclusive…
Quiet Dining Answers: In last month’s column I asked for reader suggestions for a quiet place for a family occasion or business dinner. The overwhelming consensus was in favor of the Bottle Inn in Hermosa, though other readers mentioned the outdoor patio at Tin Roof Bistro and back area at Porterhouse in El Segundo. Any other suggestions? This question keeps coming up, and it’s surprising that there are so few places to recommend. I should note that your experience may vary depending on the conduct of people at neighboring tables. Last week I requested a quiet table at Porterhouse so I could have a conversation with a friend who is slightly hard of hearing. It would have been fine if the people next to us had not been raucously celebrating a birthday…
Can’t always believe the internet: As much as we all rely on it, some restaurants don’t update their websites. Mangiamo has a wine dinner in July on their website, but it’s from last year. Earlier this week Steak & Whisky had a Dine LA menu on the events page of their site, which would be quite early for that August event – but this menu is from 2024. When I poked my nose into the restaurant to ask about this, the staff seemed to not know that this page existed. It’s not their fault – they are busy serving and probably never look at the online presence. Other restaurants that have been closed for months still have websites that don’t reflect reality, and many places that do still exist display menus that are ancient. If the details of a menu or experience matter, you might want to check things thoroughly before booking that table…
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 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 Easyreadernews.com/restaurants/. ER
Agree with your the last statement in the first section; time will tell how innovative the Playa replacement will be. Finally, the booths at Arthur J’s would be great for a business dinner or you could hold a larger dinner at the adjacent Bungalow. From experience both work fine. Your column is always solid and I realize its easy to be a critic.
I don’t mean to nitpic but the Orwin Swift wine dinner at HT Grill on July 16 is $165 inclusive not $178.