Restaurant News

Complaining To The Wrong Guy… I have received two emails this week about the high noise level in local restaurants. “We cannot understand so many restaurants not ‘getting’ that we boomers like a quiet atmosphere, and we have money to spend,” wrote Karen Hopkins of Redondo Beach. I think she’s wrong in one respect –…

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Ojiya brings Japanese regional cuisine to Torrance mini-mall [RESTAURANT REVIEW]

The variety of regional Japanese cuisine is astonishing given the size of that country; the nation’s land area is slightly less than that of California. On the other hand, the terrain of mountainous islands helps create isolated populations that develop their own traditions, and the variety of ecologies from snowbound to tropical means there are plenty of unique ingredients in each zone.

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Beach Food: Old reliable gets a new chef and daring menu-Chef Nael Taki’s transformation of HT Grill’s formerly conservative kitchen has been controversial, but offers much to admire

It can be jarring when a well-established restaurant changes concept, especially when they don’t go through the usual steps of changing the name and décor. Those who visit expecting what they’ve always liked are confused. Those who might like the new menu and not the old one don’t know there’s a reason to stop in.…

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Chef Nael Taki’s new take on Riviera Village’s HT Grill

It can be jarring when a well-established restaurant changes concept, especially when they don’t go through the usual steps of changing the name and décor. Those who visit expecting what they’ve always liked are confused. Those who might like the new menu and not the old one don’t know there’s a reason to stop in.…

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Late Night Restaurant: The Kettle

Late night dining is tough in the beach cities. For transplants from cities like Chicago and New York, it can be unsettling to realize that your food options after 10 p.m. are little more than fast food and 7-11. Thank god for the Kettle. Since 1973, the Kettle has provided tasty breakfast, lunch and dinner…

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Outdoor Dining: Hennessey’s Tavern, Hermosa Beach

Hennessey’s Tavern has had a monopoly on the outdoor dining category for some time. And while the street-side tables at the Redondo and Manhattan locations are great, we all know it’s the roof-top patio at Hennessey’s Hermosa that brings home the bacon. Right on the corner of Pier Plaza and the strand, the roof-top at…

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Restaurant view: Strand House

It seems almost unfair to award best view to the Strand House. It’s like watching Meryl Streep win her 18th Oscar. But, as is the case with Meryl, when you got it, you got it. The Strand House took over the Beaches property at the corner of Manhattan Beach Boulevard and the strand in 2011…

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Cajun: Ragin’ Cajun

People from all over the world go to Louisiana to vacation, and it isn’t for the weather. They endure the humidity and heat because the greatest music and cuisine in America are to be found among those swamps, prairies and the occasional big city by a river. Ragin’ Cajun was the South Bay’s embassy of…

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Steakhouse over $20: Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

It’s unusual for a chain restaurant to win in a competitive poll in an area so supportive of small, local businesses. Fleming’s is the expert on steaks, offering both wet-aged and dry-aged beef – and if you’ve never tried both to savor the difference, it’s an interesting experiment in flavor. Great steaks are hard to…

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