Roadside BBQ on an unlikely road
A roadside bbq restaurant can be found in the most unusual places and have been having a moment in greater Los Angeles, sprouting up in vacant lots, parking lots next to bars, and anyplace else that has room for a smoker. These operations are helped by the fact that nobody expects fancy surroundings when chowing […]
Copper Pot brings Southern India flavors to Redondo Beach
I like it when restaurants display symbols of culinary culture. The images of village markets laden with exotic produce, bakers proudly holding fresh loaves, grandmothers stirring pots over wood fires, and families at the table are more than mere decoration. It’s a reminder that these recipes are the legacy of countless generations of loving experimentation […]
Old clothes in a new restaurant
My wife had gone to work on a casual Friday wearing a T-shirt and jeans, and her first question when she got home was, “I remember that we’re going out tonight – do I have to change clothes?” From the tone in her voice, I could tell that she hoped the answer was no. She […]
Straight talk, Ramen in MB, Clubby British in Hermosa, Seafood to Beer in Redondo
Straight Talk From Taco Land… The management at Tacolicious, which has a location on Manhattan Avenue, sent out a startlingly honest message that reads in part, “…we need to be frank with you: Along with the majority of restaurants in the U.S., we are not ok. Things appear shoddy for a reason. If you’ve noticed […]
La Venta comes back to life
The building on twisting Via del Monte is a landmark, though drivers on Palos Verdes Drive West who glimpse the white cupola through the trees might assume it’s a church. It isn’t, though La Venta has been several other things over the last 98 years, including a real estate office, bed and breakfast, private home, […]
Cruising Down Rosecrans to Eddie V’s
I was trying to figure out why the patio at Eddie V’s Prime Seafood seemed familiar even though I hadn’t been there before, and it suddenly struck me – the last time I was in a place like this, there was green water around us instead of green lawn. The broad patio with a wall-length […]
Strata and Cuisine
I don’t often find myself comparing restaurant offerings to geology, but that’s just the metaphor that went through my mind when I had dinner last week at The Strand House. I have been there over the course of a decade, and through the tenure of at least five chefs, each of whom arrived with their […]
Reality and illusions on the Pier Plaza
When I first heard Brews Hall was opening on Pier Plaza, my reaction was an eye roll. A sports-themed place that specializes in burgers and beer, opening across from a sports-themed place that specializes in burgers and beer, with variations on the theme adjacent and around the corner. It showed a certain lack of imagination, […]
Burgers on the beach bike path
The August Saturday morning was unseasonably cool and gray, with a light breeze adding to the chill. I looked at the cloudy skies to the west and rejoiced – it was beach weather! Yes, I prefer to go to the beach when it’s cool rather than hot, and I always have. It’s not just that […]
Sion rising, Manhattan Beach gains a bakery, loses an Italian, Redondo’s new Indian cafe, and other dining news
Bouncing back: Sion’s Mexican restaurant has been serving up Mexican food on PCH for over 30 years, and looked set to do it for another 30, until a fire broke out in the kitchen in June. Nobody was injured and the blaze was confined to a small area, but there was considerable smoke damage. The […]
Chinese home cooking comes to Redondo
Over the course of culinary history, there are ideas that are recreated again and again. Every culture has some version of meat roasted over a fire, whether they call it barbecue, kebab, shashlik, yakitori, or something else. Similarly, once people come up with the idea of dough, it’s a natural thing to wrap it around […]
The steak that would be king
Naming a steakhouse “The Rex” may seem presumptuous, because that title asserts kingship. Another steakhouse might assert that they are the queen of such establishments, or perhaps a prince, but that makes all other steakhouses subjects or vassals. It does make sense because good beef was historically the food of the aristocracy in most of […]
Pretty Mexican, ugly ramen, pizzeria on the move, and more dining news
View From A Height… With summer in full swing, Beach City restaurateurs are dealing with a boom like none they’ve ever had before. Thanks to the dining decks, many have more space than ever before, but there are fewer servers to handle the increased traffic, and less parking for customers who would like to dine. […]
Asking for trouble – and enjoying it
There’s a question that, however softly or politely it’s asked, should always be considered carefully. You might hear it when you decide to bet a friend that you can ride your bicycle down Pier Avenue blindfolded, shave the cat without getting scratched, or drink a whole bottle of tequila. “Are you sure you want to […]
Add sand to taste
Once upon a time there was a little hole in the wall that made very good pizza. They qualified as a dine-in restaurant on the basis of a few tables in a dark corner in the back, but on any given day most of their business was take-out. Most of those pizzas were eaten piping […]
East Redondo’s Mexican hideaway
There are certain amenities that send a restaurant investor’s pulse racing. A view of the ocean is the most obvious, but having the closest burger joint to a high school or the closest pizzeria to a hotel are also obvious winners. Surfers, students, and tourists have varying budgets, but they all get hungry, and being […]