South Bay Dining News: goodbye to Thani Thai, Lou’s On the Hill’s abrupt closure, Suburbia in Riviera Village, Celebrate Wellness and Jimmy Miller galas

 

Last Day Of A Landmark… Thai Thani was the oldest Thai restaurant in the South Bay and beloved by our readers, and if you enjoyed their food I hope you stopped in recently and had some. You won’t have any more chances, because they closed on June 22 after over 25 years in business. Many thanks to chef-owner Chaturonk Ngamary for so many years of spicy food in a serene atmosphere. A new restaurant is planned in the same space, probably not Thai…

Only The Contractors Are Happy… Just when it seemed like Lou’s on the Hill was picking up speed after a management change late last year, the restaurant abruptly closed for renovations. The recording on their phone says they shuttered to take care of “badly needed repairs,” which is odd because the place was gutted and completely rebuilt before the restaurant opened for business less than two years ago. It’s a blow for the Hillside Village development, which also lost Restaurant Christine in 2015. I’ve heard that the renovations at Lou’s are estimated to take until October and will involve a new look – I’ll let you know when I have more information…  

Where We All Live… The sign is up and the hiring notices are out at Suburbia, the new Riviera Village restaurant from the Blackhouse Group that also runs Abigaile, Dia De Campo, Steak & Whisky, and Little Sister. Despite early reports that it would be another Italian or Mediterranean concept in a neighborhood that has plenty of those, they’ll be serving “soulful New American cuisine. ” If the (as yet empty) spaces for menus on their website are a clue, they will also be open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. The Blackhouse Group is notorious for not revealing information and preferring to soft open their restaurants, so there probably won’t be a big splash when they start serving our little corner of Suburbia… (247 Avenida del Norte, RB)

Two Galas, One Day… You know that sinking feeling you get when you realize that two of your friends are holding parties on the same evening, and there is no way you can attend both? If you enjoy charity dining benefits you’re about to have that feeling again. Celebrate Wellness, which benefits the Cancer Support Community of Redondo Beach, is having their 20th annual event at the South Coast Botanic Gardens on June 26 from 3 to 7 p.m. It’s a great day of enjoying the work of talented chefs the parklike setting, and tickets are still available at $150 per person – call 310-376-3550 or check their site at cancersupportredondobeach.org for more details… That’s the same day as the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation BeneFiesta event at the Manhattan Beach Country Club. The BeneFiesta supports Wounded Warriors and other veterans’ charities with a lavish evening of music, comedy, cocktails, and dining. Tickets are available on Eventbrite or at jimmymillerfoundation.org – and wait, I just realized something – the Celebrate Wellness event ends at 7, and the Benefiesta starts at the same time. Crisis averted, you can attend both, though you may feel a bit full if you actually do eat and drink steadily for eight hours…

Transplant Rejected… La Sosta seemed to be doing well after moving from Hermosa to El Porto last year, but the small, very expensive restaurant was out of step with the lively neighborhood by the corner of Rosecrans and Highland. They closed a few weeks ago, and the new tenant is likelier to have a more casual atmosphere…

Hooked On Poke… The Big Blast Furnace In The Sky has been working overtime this week and beachgoers are looking for something cool and fresh tasting to beat the heat. Hooked, the latest place to specialize in the Hawaiian marinated fish called poke, is happy to oblige. They’ve been open three weeks on the pier plaza serving six versions of poke, including a vegan version made with tofu. Their timing is exquisite, and the weatherman says they’ll have a long, hot summer during which they can build a clientele…  

And Still More Events…  The Bite at the Beach food and craft beer event will be held at the MBS Media Campus on July 9.  I attended last year’s and had a great afternoon of listening to live local bands, nibbling, and talking with brewers and beer aficionados. Admission is $75 standard or $100 VIP, and the VIP’s have an extra hour to enjoy it all. Go to Manhattanbeachchamber.com and click the link on the front page…

Differences of Opinion… There’s so much strife in the current political scene that it has been leaking into the local dining experience. I was at a restaurant where supporters of a certain candidate were vulgarly insulting their presidential rival while their server tried to keep smiling but looked like she might have been fighting back tears. I know that the people at our table were not enjoying overhearing the insults and trash talk, and I suspect others may have felt the same. It’s bad enough when people at the next table have lover’s spats or other noisy relationship problems, but this season has escalated the situation. Is it too much to ask restaurant owners to post signs declaring some no-politics zones for those of us who would like some respite from the conflict? Yes, it probably is, but I wish it were possible, as arguments are not good for my digestion…

Any new restaurants I should know about, any events, any eateries where argumentative people are ejected by catapult? I’m at Richard@richardfoss.com… Any new restaurants I should know about, any events, any eateries where argumentative people are ejected by catapult? I’m at Richard@richardfoss.com…

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