Here’s my secret for finding the new restaurant eats: I subscribe to Eater and Infatuation and I regularly receive emails of openings and reviews. However, and no offense to my fellow foodies, but I have a different standard, and I don’t always agree with their recos. On the Xuntos front, I’m 100% “aligned” which by the way is ad agency/marketing speak, now that I’m professionally back in that sphere.
Xuntos is located in Downtown Santa Monica which, in my teens and 20s, was one of my favorite hangouts. Now part of the area has been surrendered to and relegated to the homeless encampments while the oceanside still caters to the elite. Walking to Xuntos with my Lady Dior from the public parking garage on 4th made me reevaluate my luxury bag choice for the night. However, upon arriving at the restaurant, I was very pleasantly surprised at the upscale environment.
My husband was already seated as I dropped him off to locate parking.
When I arrived, my husband’s wine choice for me was promptly served. It was their driest white wine offering which had a bit of zest and grapefruit tartness.
The complimentary olive starter served with the drinks had a bit of kick with a peppercini flavor.
We started off with the ham and grilled cheese sandwich. The “bikini jamon” was phenomenal! Cheesy, gooey, slightly sweet, with shaved sweet slices of jamon in the center. We ended up ordering two because it was that good!
Next up was the gazpacho which was delicious, refreshing, creamy, tart, a bit sour with hints of the freshness of cucumber, truly unique and perfect for a hot summer day.
Our first main dish was the garlic shrimp which was beautifully presented, steaming hot with sliced baguette on the side. The shrimp had a bit of heat and the oil from the pan served as a nice dipping sauce for the bread. The shrimp was small but plump and tender.
Next up was the squid ink pasta which was creamy, tart from the lemon juice and tomato purée.
The patatas bravas were served piping hot, crispy with a drizzle of sour cream, chives and tomato purée.
The finale was the steak which was lightly salted, tender and juicy, with a bit of chimichurri herbs, caper sauce and rock salt on top.
All the menu items from start to finish were exceptional. It’s been a while since all the notes, from the service to the quality of the food, hit all the right marks. As my childhood piano teacher would say after an excellent performance, three gold stars to Xuntos!
At the beginning of the year, I made a list of local restaurants that we hadn’t dined at which seemed interesting. The list has grown exponentially as restaurants have opened throughout the year. Tapizon was added to the list early on but we somehow never made it there until recently and what a pleasant surprise it was. First, it’s in the pocket of what looks like middle town USA in the heart of a El Segundo. The exterior of the restaurant has an entire wall that was a beautiful colorful mural.
The interior of the restaurant looked like a little jewel box. We came on a Saturday as I saw online that they had live performers. The bossa nova vibes combined with the beautiful decor made it seem like we were whisked away to a more exotic land.
After drinks were ordered and served, our starters arrived shortly thereafter.
The Caesar salad was creamy, cheesy with seeds which added a bit of earthiness to it.
The black bean soup was the better starter between the two as it was hearty and robust with flavor with a bit of tartness.
My husband’s grilled chicken was quite savory, chock full of flavor and tender. The coconut rice was fluffy and mildly flavored.
My fries were herbaceous and crispy. The brisket tasted smoky and was incredibly tender and the brown rice provided a nice bed for the beef juices. The silkiness of the beans and the creamy yolk worked in harmony with the rest of the dish.
We also received a complimentary dessert. The injera style flatbread was a bit chewy, warm, almost had an English muffin texture. It was served with ice cream, berries in the middle, chocolate drizzled on top and some whipped cream on the side, definitely unique and a dessert unlike no other and not overly sweet.
Tapizon is definitely a great value dinner experience, and we would jump at the chance to return. The owner, Eric, came by and chatted with us for a while.
He had a military background and flew planes which explained the plane fountain at the front of the restaurant. Eric was a New York transplant and had previously not been familiar with El Segundo but all that changed when the property became available and he decided to set up shop. We didn’t discuss how he came up with the restaurant’s concept but we are sure glad he decided to make El Segundo and Tapizon his next project as it was definitely a hidden neighborhood gem that we are happy to share with as many people who will listen.
Best Bet is housed on Washington Blvd in the former AFrame location. I didn’t realize the new restaurant was opening until the weekend prior when I was heading to Handy J for a car wash and I tried for nearly a week to get a dinner reservation. Luckily, the reservation gods deemed me worthy enough to get a spot, and the plan was hatched to try out Bet Bet for our Friday dinner. I dropped off my husband prior to looking for parking as I knew it would take a while but upon entering the restaurant, we were immediately seated, and shortly thereafter, our orders were taken.
Our drinks arrived first followed shortly by the dishes.
The fried chicken was served lukewarm, was incredibly juicy and cheesy with a bit of sweetness which was a bit surprising.
The garlic knots were served piping hot and had a crispy garlicky exterior. Its accompanying tomato sauce dip was a bit chunky and tart.
The meatballs were fire, literally mouth on fire from the temperature. The herbaceous tender morsels of meat were served in a bed of cheesy sauce which my husband commented was similar to a fondue.
The cacio e peppe had a bit of a salty bite from the pink peppercorn and was served al dente.
The Godzilla pizza was perfect, hit all the right notes, smoky, savory, meaty and silky.
The enigma, to be honest, was not our favorite. It was missing a crucial ingredient, like perhaps bits of garlic shrimp in the interior as it was just a calzone with pesto filling which oozed out as soon the crispy exterior was pulled apart. The crust had a dense black sesame and white rock salt exterior which made it a bit more interesting but otherwise, the dish was a miss. Bellies full, we passed on dessert.
What made our dining experience exemplary was the attentiveness and response time of the staff. Although they had been open only a few days, they worked seamlessly and in unison with each other, from the two hostesses, our server and the two restaurant managers helping clear tables. It felt like a well-oiled machine rather than a newbie to the neighborhood. All in all, we thought the restaurant was a hit and would happily return with friends.
So glad we were able to visit during its opening week as we met Chef Jason Neroni and his wife who shared that they only allow reservations for half the restaurant and left the other half for walk-ins from people in the neighborhood. Truly a Best Bet for the city!
Grace Gambin
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