By Carole Dixon
Just like the San Fernando Valley, the South Bay city of Manhattan Beach didn’t have much to brag about in the culinary department until recently. With several eateries opening in the past few years from Chef David LeFevre and restaurateur Michael Zislis, now Michael Cardenas of Sushi Roku and BOA fame has invaded this secluded seaside strip, which has become one of LA’s hottest dining destinations. While we wait for Chef Michael Fiorelli to launch the highly anticipated Love + Salt later this month, here are a handful of other reasons to brave the 405 South.
M.B. Post is located in the former post office and still has a crush of people four deep at the bar waiting for a table on any given night for sage chicken pot pie or the bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits. Just a few doors down at Chef David LeFevre’s other local hotspot, crowds are lining up on the sidewalk to grab a seat at the tiny nautically themed Fishing with Dynamite. Sit at the raw bar where the chef will serenade you with pop and rock tunes then dive into a bowl of the chunky ‘old school’ New England clam ‘chowdah’ (if you don’t know how to pronounce it correctly, there is a funny tutorial on the back of the menu.) The giant seafood tower includes jumbo Mexican shrimp, Atlantic lobster, succulent oysters and sea urchin, or the Peruvian scallops. The ‘new school’ menu includes a Mediterranean style grilled octopus with white beans and Kalamata olives.
By 6 p.m. on most nights, the modern French-Vietnamese eatery by Chef-Owner Tin Vunong, Little Sister, has a huge crowd waiting on the sidewalk. The space is industrial cool and date-night cozy at the same time; plus we love a menu that includes a ‘spice table’ with symbols, descriptions, and origins to help you decipher some of the more complex ingredients in the cuisine. Musts include the perfectly crispy Vietnamese crepe stuffed with pork belly, Singapore curry noodles, or the salt & pepper lobster.
On the corner of Rosecrans and Highland, Sushi Akatora (see photo, top) fills the bill for a top grade sushi bar in the hood thanks to beloved restaurateur Michael Cardenas and three weekly shipments from Japan. Named after his grandfather’s fishing boat, Cardenas works the room and pours bottles of cold sake for regulars — when he’s not in his native homeland climbing Mount Fuji. Sit at the bar and let Master Chef Katsu feed you until you’re full with black sea bream from Greece, Spanish mackerel, uni from Santa Barbara, and Japanese Pike. Add premium Kobe with a light miso and toro sauce topped with caviar for the ultimate last bite — or so you think, actually, don’t think too much, just eat.
Longtime MB staple and restaurant guru Michael Zislis owns Rock ‘n Fish, Rock & Brews, and a seemingly endless slew of other fun, casual rockin’ eateries. He also owns The Strand House which probably wins the prize for the swankiest — and largest — dining room in the area. Spanning over three levels, the views are incredible but so is the food with wood fired pizzas and cote de boeuf for two.
OK, so that was more like seven or eight reasons, but you get the idea.
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