A La Carte: South Bay dining news
Nick’s opened at Metlox Plaza last week. Photo
The One We’ve Been Waiting For… The big news this week is the opening of Nick’s, the steak and seafood house at Metlox Plaza across from Petros. The interior is classic and subdued by the standards of downtown Manhattan Beach, the menu packed with American favorites like cioppino, baby back ribs, and fried chicken. The menu is no fossil – there’s a kale and quinoa salad and braised short ribs, plus a serious cocktail program. They have their own market niche among downtown restaurants, and could break the spell on this previously unlucky location…
Around the corner, Love And Salt is almost ready to open. The transformation of the room is breathtaking; what had been a comfortable, intimate space is now a bright, dramatic, modern eatery. The shared tables down the center, the long dining bar with a view of the kitchen and prep station, the high ceiling with skylights that gives an indoor-outdoor feel – whether you prefer classic dining or not, it’s an undeniably artistic and exciting space. Opening is scheduled for a few days before Thanksgiving…
A mile or so north, the Toscana Deli shuttered, to be replaced by Manhattan Beach’s first take-out Vietnamese sandwich shop. Saigon Deli is serving banh mi, baguettes stuffed with tasty meats and spicy pickles, and they serve pho (noodle soup) on weekends. The tight parking in this neighborhood is a drag on any business, but they do have a small lot and will probably attract a lot of local business once people know they’re there…
The Learning Curve… Another Mexican restaurant has failed at the corner of Artesia and Inglewood, to be replaced by… another Mexican restaurant. To the credit of the new owners, they’re not replacing a generic fast food place with the exact same thing, which was the bewildering strategy of the previous two occupants. Tacos Baja Ensenada specializes in seafood, serving shrimp and fish tacos, burritos, and similar street foods. I wish them good luck, and plan on stopping in soon to see how they are doing…
New Bakery, Banh Mi, And A Weird Name… Saigon Market has been on Hawthorne Boulevard just north of Manhattan Beach Boulevard for years, but they recently expanded and added an in-house bakery. The bakers are La Brea Bakery alumni and know their stuff – the baguettes, pretzel rolls, and croissants are as good as it gets and hot from the oven each morning. At the moment their selection is a limited but top quality, but they hope to expand, and their products will soon be in some local restaurants. You can try sandwiches made with those breads at the in-house banh mi stand, or at the bizarrely named Cosmic Fist Café, which is also located in the market. It’s worth visiting this burger and sandwich stall just to get a picture of yourself next to the sign, and after lunch you can get pastries for tonight’s dessert or shop in a an eclectic market…
A Doma Kitchen specialty, the lamb sandwich on chapati bread with sweet potato shoestring fries. File photo
Pop Goes The Restaurant… Doma Kitchen isn’t ready to move into their new location yet, but they’re running a pop-up dinner series at Two Guns coffee in Manhattan Beach on weekends. Three courses cost $35.00 per person, and wine and beer are available separately. This is a smart way to keep their customers loyal while they prepare a new space that is larger and has an alcohol license. Reservations recommended – call 310-372-7298…
Coming Attractions… The former Billy’s Deli space will become a brewpub and smokehouse operated by Steve Roberts, co-owner of Charlie’s in Redondo. Work has already started, but the building needs a lot of TLC so the opening will not be until early 2015…
Big Change In A Little Restaurant… The Pacific Rim Café in Hermosa has served the same health-conscious Korean food for almost 20 years, so long-timers were shocked when they were handed a new menu. Some popular items are gone, though the homemade dumplings that are a specialty are still there. Owner Ho Kim and his wife are getting on in years and decided to eliminate some of the more labor-intensive items, which is entirely sensible of them. They introduced our neighborhood to kimchi and other exotic flavors, and they should be applauded for staying at it for so long…
One More Down… Sushi Duke on Catalina in Redondo closed suddenly at the end of October, a sad end for a once popular izakaya. The signs had been there to see for a while; a place that had made a reputation for top quality was reduced to offering sushi at one dollar per piece at happy hour. No word on where Sanjay is going, or what is coming in next…
Event Alert! At this time of year my inbox fills with notices of celebrations both secular and otherwise, some of which advertise the joys of going out for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. The selling point is often that it’s much less work. For me, getting together with friends and family to make and eat food is an act of love and companionship, so I can’t imagine going out. I know that not everyone has the local family network, so if you do, please invite people who may feel lonely and depressed at this time of year.
In order to get ready for those feasts, you can stop by the Holiday Wine Tasting at Lido Di Manhattan Beach that will be held this Sunday from 5 to 7 PM. For $35 they’ll be serving appetizers and offering samples of over thirty wines, and I’m willing to bet some will be great with turkey. Phone 310-536-0730 for reservations…
The Green Store. Photo by Brent Broza
First Looks…A while ago I noticed the patio at the Green Store (AKA Jackson Market) but just recently made it there for brunch. It’s a cute space to enjoy decent coffee, gourmet sandwiches, and such fare. For a quick bite with a beach view away from the hubbub of the pier plaza, you can hardly do better…
Any new restaurants I should know about, any events or suggestions? I’m at Richard@richardfoss.com.