Posts by Richard Foss
A La Carte – Dining News For 23 March 2017
One Louisiana Restaurant Down, One Resurrected… After ten years in business, Hermosa’s New Orleans Cajun & Creole Cuisine closed after negotiations to extend their lease were unsuccessful. I have heard that a “bistro” has their eye on the space, though whether we’re talking traditional French or something modern remains to be seen. Meanwhile up…
Read MoreAcross the Borderline (Restaurant review)
My wife enjoys a particular genre of British comedy that is heavy on silliness taken into surrealist territory, and occasionally I read one of her books just to see what she is laughing at. One of the jokes I remember is from a satire on conspiracy theories in which a British spy has spent months…
Read MoreFast and flavorful at Bollywood Zaika
You can tell a cuisine has mainstreamed when someone comes up with a fast food version of it. Nowadays that means putting everything on a bun, in a burrito, or some other permutation that fits our love for portable and quickly served items. Addi DeCosta has ideas about how to do this with Indian food,…
Read MoreA La Carte Column: South Bay Dining News for 13 March
Pier Plaza Gets An Upgrade… Playa Hermosa has opened in the former Killer Shrimp space, and it looks like a major improvement. The space has been brightened and made more stylish, and though they are serving a limited menu at the moment there are intriguing items like blood orange scallop crudo, po-boy sliders with green…
Read MoreThe evolution of Britt’s BBQ
There are TV shows that involve inside looks at restaurant and hotel operations, and having been present for filming on more than one of these I can say with confidence that much of the drama is manufactured. The tension-inducing moments at a restaurant happen without warning: what are the odds, after all, that a camera…
Read MoreLaurel Tavern keeps it simple: sandwiches, sides, and beers
Twenty five years after they were invented, gastropubs are an institution rather than a novelty. The original recipe of high quality food and a big beer selection has evolved into an institution with a visual signature that includes long shared tables, lots of exposed wood, and a blackboard menu even if the selection doesn’t change.…
Read MoreSouth Bay Dining News: Burger City Grill, The Empanada Shop arrive on Artesia, Chong Brother’s “Rabano” set to open on PCH in Hermosa, Killer Shrimp moves to The Mermaid to make way for Playa Hermosa Fish & Oyster…and more…
Torrance Gets A New Burger Palace… The first of two Burger City Grill locations in Torrance has opened on Artesia, and the menu is remarkable because of what you can’t get. They’re specialists here, offering beef burgers and fries with various toppings, and beer, shakes, and soft drinks to go with them. That’s it…
Read MoreWhole Foods Feasting: The Second and Kogi
When Whole Foods opened in El Segundo I referred to it as the Disneyland of food, a place that attracted gawkers to see how beautiful vegetables could be. Part of the attraction was the array of quick service dining options, which included a wine bar, barbecue stand, and an Asian quick serve counter. Not all…
Read MoreThe legend of Lucio Gonzalez lives on (Restaurant review)
Lots of restaurants are named after their owners or founders, and locals have been accustomed to dining at Scardino’s, Norm’s, Gaetano’s, and Rosa’s without knowing anything about the person whose name is on the sign. This is understandable, because most people want a meal rather than a history lesson, and the staff wants to sell…
Read MoreSouth Bay Dining News: Kincaid’s celebrates 18 years, A Basq Kitchen pairs with King Harbor Brewing, and Nikau Kai opens surfer-oriented restaurant
One Problem Solved, Bigger One Created… People who go to restaurant websites usually want to know one of three things: where it is, when it’s open, and what they serve. Though the first item is usually easy to find, on many websites the other two are often either well-hidden or entirely absent. I find this…
Read MoreGreat ambitions take flight at The Great Room
The Great Room, and when you first enter you might not think of it as a child-oriented business at all.
Read MoreNorth Italia defies expectations
Whenever I experience a new restaurant, I ask myself some obvious questions: do they show basic competence at food and service, create a pleasant environment, and deliver value for money. Since I also appreciate a bit of culinary daring, I also hope they’ll bring something new to the table, literally as well as metaphorically. My…
Read MoreThe ten best new restaurants
Whatever your opinion of other aspects of the year that has just passed, it was a good one in the local dining scene. Some of our homegrown restaurant operations have been getting critical recognition from a wide area, as well as expanding both in and out of our region. Many that didn’t open new offshoots…
Read MoreA La Carte: Dining News for 05 January 2017
Long Awaited Openings… Over two years since the previous tenant departed, the Laurel Tavern has opened just north of the corner of Hermosa Avenue and Pier. The décor is classic, the cocktail selection abundant, the food menu a brief list of sandwiches and sides. They seem to anticipate confusion about their ordering system, since they…
Read MoreEurope meets Africa in Brazil
The most distinctive regional cuisines in the United States came about when African and European ingredients got into the hands of cooks who straddled those same cultures. The gumbos of Louisiana and soul food of Georgia are probably most famous, but there are hearty, spicy dishes from Maryland through the Carolinas to Texas that show…
Read MoreSquare meal, good deal, in a Torrance hotel
Restaurants inside corporate hotels have a tough time drawing a local clientele for a variety of reasons. Since the primary business at the premises is selling overnight stays, their restaurants are perceived as an afterthought, something for the convenience of out-of-towners who either lack transportation or are too timid to venture into the wider world.…
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