Posts by Richard Foss

Handel’s bare-bones walk-up stand isn’t fancy, but there are nearly always people standing outside eating because they couldn’t even wait to get to nearby benches.

Thai Dishes building with the steeply peaked roof by the post office on PCH is one of the more arresting pieces of architecture on the highway. It’s as close an approximation to a Thai home as local building codes will allow.

The restaurant that pioneered Spanish tapas in the South Bay is still serving them, both in their traditional form and modern variants. Any resident of Madrid would immediately recognize much of what is served here.

If a film producer was looking for a local place that looks like a classic steakhouse, the Bull Pen would be their first choice. This is the kind of establishment others try to mimic, one that looks a lot like their original location, which opened in the 1940’s.

When a chain operation in an office building is the overwhelming favorite steak option in an area with many competitors it means they’re doing something extraordinarily well.

Although almost everything else in our culture has changed in the last four decades, our definition of a romantic space hasn’t. The Bottle Inn in Hermosa was a place for an intimate meal when it opened in 1974, and though there have been only a few refurbishments since.

Dominique Theval makes French food as if it is the most exciting cuisine in the world because to him it is.

Most delis cultivate the impression of being a neighborhood institution, some going so far as to refer to their sandwich as “famous” on the day they open. Mickey’s doesn’t have to do that.

Here’s the pro tip – it’s not on the Tomboy’s menu, but they’ll make a chili size topped with cheese and onions. It’s the best way to enjoy the chili here, which is mild but flavorful.

Whether you’re enjoying Palmilla’s ceviches, Carne Tampiquena perfumed by a wood fire, or one of their regional specialties, it’s a gourmet experience.