
Shortly before American celebrated its first Independence Day anniversary in 1777, future president John Adams wrote in a letter to his wife Abigail, “The day will be the most memorable in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parades, bonfires and illuminations [fireworks] from one end of the continent to the other from this day forward, forevermore.”

It was every reporter’s dream: to write a small article that brings down a big guy. Not only that, but an easy article to boot: Do a little background research, summarize others’ previous reportage and publicly available documents, interview your subject, his wife, and his aides, have a few beers with them to glean some loose-lipped quotes, and tie it all together in 8,000 very readable words.

The days when Thai food was an obscure cuisine are long gone, as are the days when a Thai restaurateur would think that a complete newcomer to the cuisine really wanted it Thai hot. Thai influences are well within the American cultural mainstream, and you can get a tamed version of Pad Thai at some coffee shops. More interestingly, Thai chefs are experimenting with fusions between their traditional cuisine and the rest of the worlds. In the South Bay, Chaba Thai Bay Grill is by far the best proponent of this cuisine.

It figures that if any restaurant in the South Bay was going to serve tasting menus, it would be Brix. Brix was planned with an outrageous level of ambition, promising to provide both comfort food and exotic cuisine across a wide price range. After a few months in business, they’ve aimed at a more achievable goal: upscale but still affordable food paired with an exceptional selection of wines.

When a new chef takes over a restaurant, the urge IS to change everything, to boldly announce a new personality is at the helm. This approach has its pluses and minuses – it generates excitement, but scares existing patrons of the restaurant who like it just the way it is. The smartest strategy may be to ease new items onto the menu and allow patrons a little time to adjust.