Search Results: richard foss
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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Petros Kafe opens in El Segundo, new Kosher deli plans for Redondo Beach, Laurel Tavern is coming to Hermosa Beach, and tickets are on sale for Richstone Family gala dining event in July…
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If you read the Easy Reader online, as many do, you may have wondered what happened to the A La Carte column with restaurant news around the greater South Bay. The author has still been writing it, but it has only appeared in the paper editions until now. We’re catching up on updating the online…
Read MoreFirst looks… I stopped in at the Rockefeller in Manhattan Beach to see how that new establishment is fitting into the community, and I have to say that it is a very well-done remodeling of the former barbecue joint.
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I was chatting with the manager in a newly opened cafe who sounded rueful about the fact that they missed a chance to cash in on the holiday season. January is a slow time in the local restaurant community – I walked around downtown Manhattan Beach last Sunday at a time when most places would…
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Event Alert – A while ago I asked chef Dominique Theval if he ever makes cassoulet, the slow-cooked casserole of white beans, sausage, goose, duck, and other hearty ingredients that is a traditional winter dish in the South of France. He usually doesn’t because few Americans know what it is, but on January 7 Dominique’s…
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News from Redondo…Manhattan Beach has been the focus of several recent columns, not because I have anything against the other beach cities but because that’s where the news has been. This time it’s Redondo’s turn, with openings, classes, and other interesting items. New Kids in Town… I remember being surprised when I was driving in…
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Managing And Announcing Change… Some restaurants have had signs in the window announcing a change in ownership for months without anything actually changing, causing puzzlement among their customers. These notices are sometimes significant, sometimes not – they could signal a complete change in ownership, or that that one partner is being replaced by someone else.…
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Worst Restaurant End in South Bay History?… Chez Soi opened four and a half months ago as an edgy modern bistro. Over the course of its brief life it became more French, then went farm-to-table Californian, tried a family-friendly concept, offered design-it-yourself salads, opened for brunch, and offered all-you-can-eat fried chicken with all-you-can-drink beer. It…
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A La Carte: Banzai Beach changes concept, BBQ on 190th, hidden bars in Manhattan and Redondo Beach….
High Concept Edition… I have run across some interesting places for food or drinks that all fit a theme, so I’m going to start by mentioning a few that have unlikely locations, concepts, or are otherwise unusual. First, a back street find in Manhattan Beach: The Schooner is a comfortable old bar on 22nd street,…
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Some Action in Hermosa…After several months in which most openings have been in Manhattan and Redondo, Hermosa is getting some new restaurants. The former Hibachi has been purchased by the owners of Rok Sushi next door, and word is that they will offer Spanish food and charcuterie. It’s possible to get a sneak preview of…
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First Look At FWD… I’m going to avoid explosive puns in my reporting of the opening of Fishing With Dynamite, as tempting as it is. The small space has been intelligently designed to fit as many people as possible without feeling cramped, and it’s visually interesting – the live oysters are on ice in a…
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Three restaurants opened within a week of each other in Redondo Beach, all offering interesting and eclectic cuisines.
Read MoreThe parade of changes in Manhattan Beach is astonishing, with numerous closures announced and more places on the market.
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Coming Soon To A Restaurant Near You… Several South Bay restaurants are hosting prestigious chefs visiting our neighborhood and showing off while they’re here. Abigaile has been leading the way, with culinary luminaries such as Chef Tin Vuong. (Last week Abigaile’s patrons decided that the Mayor of Manhattan Beach is a better cook than his…
Read MoreApologies and Congratulations… I misspelled Chef Greg Hozinsky’s name in an article a few weeks ago, and it was completely my fault – in the photo that I shot for the story, he was wearing a chef’s jacket with his name on it. Lots of people have been learning to spell Hozinsky lately, since Chris…
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