Best of Food Part II

Best curry (tie)

Akbar and Chaba - If we ever want to provoke a serious argument among our readers, we now know how – ask who has the best curry. The point spread was tighter in this category than any other, with only one vote separating the top three. Akbar and Chaba are tied for first, Addi’s one vote behind. What is interesting is that they’re three different types of restaurant – Akbar is a high-style North Indian, Chaba an innovative Thai, while Addi’s specializes in the food of the Portuguese colony of Goa in South India. Curry is after all an international phenomenon – Indian traders spread the cuisine from Africa all the way to Thailand and Indonesia hundreds of years ago. Whether you prefer the green and yellow curries of Thailand as served at Chaba or the variety of Indian curries you’ll find at Akbar or Addi’s, the adventurous diner is the real winner in the South Bay.

Runner-up: Addi’s


Dine with a book

Ocean View Café - A good lunch and a good book is a great recipe for a relaxing afternoon, and the Ocean View Café in Manhattan Beach is the place of choice for our literature-minded voters. The healthy sandwiches and salads are probably best for those who are turning pages while reading, though you may have the soup if you’re careful not to spill any on page 137. The service here is efficient but relaxed, and lingering for another cup of coffee while you finish your chapter is acceptable. If you finish the book and still have half a cup, there are newsstands a few yards away – we recommend the current edition of this newspaper for your reading pleasure.

Runner-up: Ocean Diner


Best Discrete dining

Bottle Inn - We won’t ask why you’re being discreet, because it’s none of our business, but we certainly know why you’ve chosen the Bottle Inn for your private dinner. This peaceful, rustic restaurant has always been a great place for lovers, and the secluded location allows you to enjoy a companionable walk on the beach after a fantastic Italian dinner and a few glasses of well-chosen wine. Those paparazzi and detectives who have been following you will have to stay outside, and the two of you will have some time alone together in the South Bay’s most romantic restaurant…

Runner-up:: Jackson’s Village Bistro


Best Asian noodles

W’s China Bistro - W’s China Bistro specializes in Chinese food with hints of South American and Californian ideas, and many of their dishes have complex combinations of flavor. It might seem odd, then, that one of their most popular dishes is a plate of garlic noodles with chives. Odd, that is, until you taste them. W’s has a deft hand with all sorts of pasta, and the mild garlic sauce is a simple, fresh flavor that is endlessly enjoyable. Several excellent noodle dishes are available, from the light, crisp pan-fried noodles to the flat chow fun stir-fried with Szechwan sauce. Whichever you try, you’re guaranteed a satisfying dish.

Runner-up: Chaba


Best Eggroll

Szechwan Restaurant - Eggrolls aren’t really Chinese; while the finger-sized spring roll stuffed with mushroom, bamboo shoot, and vegetables is common in Cantonese cuisine, the fat eggroll stuffed with cabbage, bean sprouts, and pork was invented by Chinese chefs in America. The more American version tends to have a thick, crisp skin rather than the papery original. Szechwan Restaurant’s eggrolls split the difference between the two – they’re smaller than the ones you find in most Americanized restaurants and the skin is thin and crisp, but they’re available both with and without meat. Hybrid they may be, but they’re a great start to a traditional Chinese dinner in stylish surroundings at this Manhattan Beach institution.

Runner-up: Bobo’s

Best Fish & Chips

Captain Kidd’s - Though fish and chips is a classic English meal, the winner in this category is pure South Bay. Captain Kidd’s Fish Market has been around for decades, and if a creature lives underwater, they probably serve it, or will sell it to you to cook at home. Captain Kidd’s uses Icelandic cod for their fish and chips, and unlike many places that bread a big batch in the morning to save time, they batter their fish only after you order it. The result is flawless, the fish moist and flaky, the coating perfectly crisp. Your only problem will be restraining yourself from eating it until it cools – we recommend having a glass of something cool nearby in case you’ve judged wrong.

Runner-up: Underground


Business lunch

Hennessey’s Tavern - Our readers evidently do business in a relaxed and casual manner; their corporate lunches are held in the lively atmosphere of Hennessey’s rather than more staid circumstances. And that’s a good thing – who wouldn’t like to get to know their associates over a good burger and a beer, perhaps on the patio next to a roaring fire. Those who analyze such things might try to figure out whether people who order the potato-crusted salmon tend to be hard bargainers, while the ones who choose pepper steaks are flexible negotiators. Spend some time with good food and good brew in a place like this, and you may leave with some new friends as well as a signed deal.

Runner-up: Chez Mélange


Best Flan

Riviera Mexican Bar and Grill - The art of the egg custard is an ancient thing – though the oldest recipe for flan dates to around 1475, some types of custard go back to Roman times. Flan is different from other custards because it is water-cooked with caramel sauce, and it ranges greatly in color and texture; it can be honey-sweet or almost savory. Our readers favor the flan at Riviera Mexican Bar & Grill in Redondo, which is lightly sweet and has a tantalizing scent of vanilla. The texture is a marvel, so silky that it’s almost like a stiff cream, but while it is very light, this dessert is incredibly satisfying. If you already love the stuff, you should try their version, and if you have yet to experience it, this is the best place to start.

Runner-up: Hermosa Mexican

Best of Food Part III

Best Fries

Houston’s - The potato has been called The Root That Conquered the World for its speedy spread from the mountains of the Andes to a pivotal part of the world’s cuisine. We enjoy them boiled, baked, and roasted, but most popular of all is sliced and fried. In particular, people in the South Bay like them cut shoestring-thin with the skin on and done to a light crispness, because that’s how they make them at Houston’s. The mound of fries that flanks a Houston’s burger or sandwich might look impossibly large, but somehow by the end of the meal they’re gone – they taste so good that people keep eating them long after they’ve said, “Well, just one more…”

Runner-up: Hennessey’s



Best guacamole

El Gringo - Guacamole in the South Bay ranges from very bland to surprisingly spicy, runny as water to something that breaks your corn chips, expensively made tableside to whomped up in industrial-size batches. Our readers have opted for a version that is moderate on all counts, served at El Gringo. There is a hint of spice, a fleeting flavor of citrus, a dash of cilantro and onion, all blended with the taste of fresh avocadoes. It’s a surprisingly subtle thing, worthy of contemplation – though we’d prefer to just enjoy it with some warm chips or atop our tostada, ourselves…

Runner-up: Riviera Mexican Grill



Best gumbo

Ragin’ Cajun - The Ragin’ Cajun has a solid reputation, but it’s built on a liquid foundation – namely, the rich gumbo that is one of the mainstays of this popular restaurant. Whether served by the cup, bowl, or over jambalaya to create the dish called gumbolaya, the thick, warmly spiced stew with sausage, chicken, and seafood never disappoints. The Ragin Cajun has grown as a restaurant – longtime patrons can remember when there were just five tables in a crowded little space – and the menu has expanded to include a variety of Louisiana delicacies, but it is the gumbo that keeps us all coming back for more.

Runner-up: Café Boogaloo


Best Hamburger

Suzy’s - We know there are people who actually like chain restaurant fast-food burgers, but we have never figured out why. The usual answer is consistency – they’re always the same, and you can rely on them, even if they don’t taste like much of anything. We have noticed that well-run restaurants can produce a consistent burger that actually tastes very good, and obviously our readers have too. Suzy’s burgers are handmade and tasty, and always cooked just the way you ask for them – try getting that at a drive-through window. If you want to be reminded just how good a homemade burger can be, you need go no further that Suzy’s. It won’t set you back much more than the junk food version, and you will taste the difference.

Runner-up: Houston’s


Best heart attack plate

Cheesecake Factory -  We all have our guilty pleasures, and our readers’ favorite among them is the Cheesecake Factory. Perhaps we all go there telling ourselves that we will eat healthy, this time. We explain to our companions that here are all those salads and light pastas, the salmon in miso sauce, the other things that are good and good for us. Then we get inside the door of the restaurant and have to pass that loooooong dessert case full of beautiful stuff. All thoughts of dieting aside, we order a double cheeseburger or the honey-maple pork, extra potatoes, and cheesecake afterward. We’ll remember the healthy stuff on the menu again, but not until it’s time to return to the restaurant, and then the whole cycle starts over.

Runner-up: Coyote Cantina


Best Hip place

Harbor Drive - Harbor Drive (the street) hasn’t exactly been the capital of hip cuisine in recent decades – most of the waterfront restaurants there catered to the business crowd and offered safe but unexciting food. Harbor Drive (the restaurant) has livened up Harbor Drive (the street) immeasurably, and a young and lively crowd has been flocking to enjoy excellent food and the hopping lounge scene afterward. The big room has a sense of both space an intimacy, a difficult trick to pull off, and the big, comfortable booth are perfect for the crowd that likes to table hop between groups of friends. Our readers like the happening space that is always lively but never too loud, and they’ve voted Harbor Drive as the hippest, most happening place in the South Bay.

Runner-up: Blue 32

 

Best hot wings

Hennessey’s Tavern - Cynics will say that restaurants like to serve hot wings because they’re so spicy that much beer will be consumed to cool down the fire. This may be true, but it’s beside the point. We all wouldn’t be eating so many of Hennessey’s hot wings if we didn’t really like the sensation of heat and sweet, tempered with the cooling dip in some ranch dressing. It’s the culinary equivalent of a heavy metal ballad, powerful and soothing at the same time. And yes, they are good with a pitcher of beer, and we’re very happy that Hennessey’s has such a good variety on tap…

Runner-up: Paisano’s

Best of Food 2006 Part IV

Best Kung Pao

W’s China Bistro -

Some Chinese restaurants use Kung Pao dishes as an experiment to see just how hot an entrée can be before it burns through the plate. For those showoffs who like to drink Tabasco sauce just to prove that they can, this is fine, but the rest of us like some flavor with our heat. This is why W’s China Bistro won with a convincing lead in this category; their Kung Pao chicken has the requisite red peppers to make the dish lively, but the natural flavor of the chicken, peanuts, and vegetables is not overwhelmed. W’s version shows that Chinese chili dishes can be made with great subtlety, and that’s the reason they won this category.

Runner-up: Szechwan
 

Best lamb chop

Harbor Drive - One of the major changes in the American diet over the last twenty years has been the rising popularity of lamb, which has gone from a curiosity to a staple of the restaurant menu. The meat that used to be inextricably linked with sweet mint jelly is now cooked in a variety of inventive ways, from traditional to wildly inventive. At Harbor Drive, the lamb chops are rubbed with Thai herbs and char broiled, then served with a white chocolate mole’ sauce, roasted rosemary and garlic risotto, and sautéed seasonal vegetables. The lamb is perfumed by the light herb crust, which combines wonderfully with the rich taste of the meat. This is truly a chop above the others, well worth the prize.

Runner-up: Petros


Best lasagna

Mama D’s - Lasagna is one of the classic dishes we associate with Italian home cooking, despite the fact that so few of us really make it at home any more. Instead we go to Mama D’s, which handily won the competition for best lasagna in the South Bay. Theirs is the classic concoction of layered noodles, herbed tomato sauce, meat, and cheese, the hearty stuff we all grew up with. Fashions in Italian food may come and go, but delicious Sicilian comfort food is always in style, which is why the line at Mama D’s is almost as much a landmark as the restaurant itself.

Runner-up: Italy’s Little Kitchen

 

Best late night dining

The Kettle - The South Bay has become quite a nightlife neighborhood, and the main streets of Manhattan and Hermosa bustle with people going to swank clubs and trendy bars. If you stay around until those trendy places close, you’ll see many of those people drop in at The Kettle for a late dessert or snack. If you stay around a bit longer, you’ll see the people who cooked and served those meals, the doormen at the clubs, and the rest of the people who make the nightspots hum. There’s something nicely democratic about the high rollers and the rest of us all enjoying the same good food at all hours, whether it be pancakes at four in the afternoon or zucchini parmesan at four a.m.

Runner-up: Mediterraneo


Best steak under $20

Manhattan Beach Brewing - Some people were amazed that there still are places in the South Bay where you can get a great steak for under $20, but despite inflation and gentrification, there are plenty. It is possibly no accident that our top vote-getters are both places with a lively nightlife and bar scene, since prime steaks and quality libations have always been a winning combination. Manhattan Beach Brewing was the clear winner, a place where you can get a Cajun ribeye, New York Steak, or surf & turf for under $20, or a marinated skirt steak for under fifteen, all served with appropriate sides. There are plenty of burgers in this town that cost that much, none of which offer the luxury of a really good steak made to order.

Runner-up: Lou E Luey’s


Best old school dining

The Mermaid - So many things have changed in the South Bay that a traveler who had been gone for a decade or two might not recognize the place. One of the rare exceptions is The Mermaid, a place that stubbornly remains stuck in the 1950s. The overstuffed booths, old wood, and classic clubby atmosphere are only part of the story – the menu is a museum piece of gigantic steaks and chops, good fried chicken and all manner of fish, with all the trimmings. It’s everything we like about old school dining, when going out was a really special occasion and a big American meal and a couple of martinis was just the ticket…

Runner-up: Old Tony’s


Best sushi take-out

New Tokyo - If that spread of sushi at a party looks a bit too impressive to have come from the host’s kitchen, you may be looking at yet another platter from New Tokyo. This little place in the shopping center where Catalina meets PCH may look like just another hole-in-the-wall fast food joint, but it has a strong following among our readers, nosing out runner-up I-Naba by one vote. You may be surprised at how much quality sushi you can get from New Tokyo on a reasonable budget – platters that will serve as a main course for two or appetizer for many more start at less than $25. At prices like this, a sushi dinner is a very affordable luxury.

Runner-up: I-Naba


Veggie burger

The Spot -

The Spot was the first place in the South Bay to offer a veggie burger, and our readers say it is still the best. The thick patty of natural ingredients has a lightly crisp crust and chewy interior, and is served on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, and the usual accoutrements, but not fries – the Spot’s almond rice is a far healthier choice. If you’d like a beer with that burger, they’ll oblige with one of several organic and tasty ales. It’s a great take on the traditional American lunch.

Runner-up: Rocky Cola


Best value wine list

Mediterraneo - One of the joys of dining on tapas is the freedom to experiment – if you order something and don’t particularly like it, someone else at your table probably will. If nobody does, you can just order something else, because all the tapas plates are all relatively inexpensive. Mediterraneo has wisely taken the idea of tapas to their wine list – a lot of variety by both the glass and bottle, low prices, and high quality across the board. This gives those who appreciate the winemaker’s art a chance to try some very fine beverages and develop ideas about what styles of wine they like, knowledge that will be useful every time they consider a wine pairing. As so many people pay for wine education classes, it’s nice to know that the South Bay has the perfect place for those who prefer independent study…

Runner-up: Rock N Fish