Elegant and refined define the Art Deco decor and the culinary offerings at Nando Trattoria. Upon entering the establishment, one immediately senses they are somewhere special. The restaurant is located on Manhattan Avenue and is in a fairly modest sized space. At the time of dining, which was prime dinner time on a Saturday evening, every table at the restaurant was occupied.
Organic heart of romaine lettuce, DOP Parmigiano Reggiano, toasted croutons, Caesar dressing
The patrons’ anticipation and enjoyment of an authentic Italian dining experience is palpable as gasps of excitement and delight are heard while dishes are served to adjoining tables.
Golden crispy rice saffron ball, wagyu beef ragù and smoked mozzarella, provolone
There is a low and respectable murmur of voices and laughter during the meal. Most of the tables are comprised of at least two couples and in a few instances, a slightly larger party.
Crab and Lobster ravioli, delicate scampi sauce, scallop
We had the benefit of sitting next to a lovely gentleman who was proud to declare he had dined at the restaurant every week since it opened in the height of the pandemic. Nando Trattoria’s ability to thrive despite such obstacles speaks volumes about what they uniquely offer the residents and visitors to this newish Manhattan Beach restaurant.
There were a few notable highlights.
NANDO TRATTORIA ANTIPASTI – APPETIZERS
Fresh baked focaccia bread served with Parmigiano truffle fondue
The first was the focaccia served with a parmigiano truffle fondue. The top layer was reminiscent of a pie crust which was light, airy and flaky.
Traditional baked lasagna with beef ragu and bechamel
Our next favorite dish was the lasagne bolognese which was both dense, due to the combination of the beef and bechamel sauce, but also light as a result of perfectly textured and al dente handcrafted pasta.
The icing on the meal were the nutella bombolini. We almost opted to skip that dessert but one of the servers convinced us that it would be a mistake of gargantuan proportion. Needless to say, he was right and I will forever have dreams about that doughy slightly sugared exterior with the warm, creamy filling.
In a beachside restaurant community that has seen a transformation of clientele and residents over the years, Nando Trattoria definitely stands on its own and is without compare.
I am eagerly awaiting the next opportunity to introduce our foodie friends to this “new to us” neighborhood gem. Grazie to the two brothers who brought their culinary gifts and passion to the shores of Manhattan Beach. We are looking forward to seeing you soon.
Nando Trattoria
1131 Manhattan Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
https://www.nandotrattoria.com/home-nando-trattoria-manhattan
In searching for a local waterside restaurant, I came upon Beachside’s revamped menu. It had been a few years since we had dined at this particular locale, and I noticed that the menu had a few unique offerings which seemed to embody SoCal vibes.
We ordered a few starters to whet our appetite.
The Asiago cheese bread was served with a side of ricotta and herbs as well as a small serving of aioli. The bread was surprisingly light and airy but had a crispy outer layer. The creamy ricotta and garlic aioli were nice subtle compliments to the bread.
The butternut squash bisque was simply presented with some sliced apples in the middle and a few sprigs of arugula for some garnish. The bisque was drizzled with a bit of curry oil giving it a hint of Indian essence. Surprisingly, the bisque was quite sweet which I think would have been better as a more savory starter.
As a direct contrast, the flavors of the brussel sprouts packed a punch and were quite complex. They were tangy with a hint of sweetness possibly from a bit of tamarind combined with a small serving of sambal. As a result, the sprouts had an earthy smoky flavor and some crunch from the peanuts interspersed onto the dish.
Of the three starters, the sprouts were my favorite and frankly the best sprouts I’ve ever tasted in a city which offers some version of the same dish at most upscale restaurants. What made this rendition stand out was the Asian inspired dressing which set it apart from the rest.
The entrees and side dishes were promptly served shortly thereafter.
The loch duarte salmon was quite unique. The entree’s name alone would pique one’s interest, but what made the dish different was the quinoa risotto on which the mildly seasoned tender salmon was nestled. The hybrid grains had a unique nutty and earthy flavor and combined with the light flaky fish, the pairing had a contrasting subtle complexity of textures.
Our other entree was the Mongolian short rib which appeared to be the brussel sprouts’ Asian cousin as it had a similar tangy sauce albeit sans sambal. The two large generous servings of short rib were incredibly moist and tender and were adorned by cucumber spirals and shaved radish slices elevating the appearance of the dish.
The fries I ordered to compliment my short rib were perfectly crisp, lightly salted and had a strong but not overpowering truffle flavor.
The grilled broccoli paled in comparison to the fries, having no distinct flavor, as it was served with a light citrus and creamy dressing.
To finish off the meal, we ordered the cocoa dulce de leche mousse. When we asked our server Brian about this particular dessert and what he thought of it, he became incredibly giddy and excited as it was apparently his favorite. On our first bite, we understood the gravity of the situation. This was a decadent divine dessert. The cocoa powdered exterior covered a thin chocolate shell which sheltered a very dense, rich chocolate middle. The bottom layer consisted of crushed chocolate melded together giving the multilayered dessert a hint of bitterness and crunch.
We found the ambiance at Beachside to be a relaxed upscale beach vibe. It’s a great place to get together with friends, go on a date or just hang out by the fire pit while sipping on a few cocktails. We will definitely be back to this waterside gem!
We had the great fortune of meeting Chef Jason Fullilove when he opened up a pop-up in Culver City just up the street from our home. I likely read about Barbara Jean on Eater or Infatuation and with its close proximity, we decided to give it a try.
The kitchen was open to the dining area, and we watched Chef Fullilove at work, putting together the dishes for his customers. There weren’t many of us dining so initially I had some doubts about the quality of the food. However, after sampling one entree after another, surprising and overwhelming our taste buds, we were sold.
Chef Jason Fullilove came by to ask how our dinner was and we found him to be a truly cool cat. I mentioned that I normally held Honey’s Kettle in the highest regard and placed them on the pedestal of best fried chicken on the Westside but his version completely unseated them. The recipes of all the soul food inspired items we ordered were so upmarket that it didn’t seem befitting for such a casual location. I asked why there was very little advertising or marketing being done on behalf of the restaurant. He said he was experimenting with word of mouth as being the primary method of organic advertising. I was truthfully worried that wasn’t going to be sufficient but I did my part by writing about the pop-up on my blog, posting my review on Yelp and spreading the word to all my friends and neighbors. Sadly, the pop-up didn’t last in the area but for a few months.
Since then, I followed Chef Fullilove’s career on social media. He moved his pop-up to various locations throughout Los Angeles. He even had a stint as the chef at The Magic Castle. When I read that he was one of the rotating chefs at Abernathys at the Music Center, I immediately made dinner reservations as we had Alvin Ailey tickets for a Saturday evening show in April. Then the pandemic struck and everything was cancelled. One restaurant after another was forced to permanently shudder, and it was heartbreaking to read about them, knowing that with each closure, dreams were being shattered.
After months of quarantine, restaurants were finally allowed to reopen for outdoor dining. A few weeks ago, I saw an Instagram post that Chef Fullilove was back on the Westside at an Abbot Kinney restaurant called Neighbor. I looked for Chef Fullilove’s menu on Yelp and Instagram but couldn’t find one. Knowing that Chef was at the helm, we made dinner reservations on faith that it would be just as good if not better than our Barbara Jean experience.
Upon our arrival, we mentioned to our server Candace that we had dined at one of Chef’s pop-ups previously and we would love to say “hi” to him if he was available. He promptly came out to greet us, and he was just as we remembered him. It started off our evening on the right foot.
We began our decadent meal with a quintessential Los Angeles offering. Chef Fullilove’s interpretation of the brussels sprouts included a cauliflower coconut puree as a dipping sauce with a few sprinklings of pomegranate seeds. The brussels sprouts were crispy, slightly smoky and a bit charred but not excessively which would have masked that the starter was actually a vegetable dish. The pops of pomegranate added a bit of tartness as well as a holiday look and feel to the dish.
Next to arrive were the homemade buttermilk biscuits. The biscuits were a prime example of Chef’s southern cuisine expertise. They were piping hot, with a crispy exterior. The biscuits were dense with a hint of cheese and herbs. The pat of butter may have been drizzled with a bit of honey or perhaps liquified caramelized onions. The concentrated concoction had a bit of an unexpected but welcomed fried chicken aftertaste. Adding a bit of heat to the biscuits was the pepper jelly.
The mixture for the chicken liver butter had a base of smoked apple sauce and pickle mustard seeds. It had a very earthy flavor and incredibly smooth texture, oozing into the crevices of the thick pieces of toasted bread.
Arriving simultaneously were the uni deviled eggs which were topped with Santa Barbara sea urchin, yuzu kosho and tobiko. It was an interesting and unexpected combination with a bit of Japanese influence.
The smoke trout rillettes were quite substantial and hearty. The mealy hush puppies sat alongside a thick, creamy mixture reminiscent of a tuna salad topped with trout roe.
After our assortment of starters, our entrees arrived.
My husband’s burger was quite large and came with a generous side of fries. The beef patty was so incredibly tender, it almost tasted as if it was a shredded beef sandwich.
The fried chicken was moist and tender with a very subtle heat, as if it had been marinated in buttermilk and perhaps tabasco. Its batter was light and crispy but tightly packed. The sauce tasted a bit like thousand island dressing which was a nice pairing with the chicken.
Last but not least were the turmeric pork ribs with toasted sesame seeds. They were tender and moist with a slightly tangy barbecue sauce.
We are incredibly happy that Chef Fullilove is back in West LA and cannot wait to introduce his Southern cuisine which he has expertly fused with a bit of Asian influence. His menu offering is perfect for the ethnically diverse city of Venice Beach. We’re hoping that he makes the Westside his “Neighbor”-hood home for a bit so we can introduce his spectacular cuisine to some of our friends and continue to partake in his sensational offerings.
Neighbor
1031 Abbot Kinney
Venice, CA 90291
It had been a while since we visited The Culver Hotel. Previously, we had been to their upstairs bar for drinks, enjoyed their happy hour with friends and late last year, we celebrated my company holiday lunch in one of their private banquet. The food was always quite good and the architecture and decor definitely hearkened a nostalgic era from the past.
Then the pandemic struck and they ceased all operations. Culver Hotel was closed for a significant amount of time, and I was concerned it might not ever reopen like so many other businesses.
Fortunately, they had the means to pivot and revamp their dining area as well as their menu. They created a beautiful outdoor oasis with potted flowers and plants as well as a mix of eclectic outdoor seating options ranging from garden benches, wrought iron tables and chairs, bar top tables and even a few outdoor living room seating arrangements. It was quite charming and provided a casual chic vibe.
Our server Austin was busy initially, but once he was freed up to help us, the food and drinks came out fairly quickly.
The honey nut squash risotto arrived first. It was quite savory with a light nutty herbal flavor. My husband requested the addition of chicken which they were able to accommodate, and it added a bit more substance to the dish.
Austin had recommended the oxtail and truffle fries for this meat and potato girl, and I am so grateful he did. The meat was tender and moist and packed full of flavor, and the fries had a textured coating and were perfectly light and crispy.
For dessert, we ordered the bread pudding which came with vanilla ice cream on top. The cast iron bread pudding arrived piping hot. It had a slight citrusy custards flavor but was not overwhelmingly sweet and combined with the ice cream, it was truly the icing on our delectable dinner experience.
There are very few restaurants where we can say that the food and the service combined with the ambiance hit every note and we are fortunately able to say that of the newly opened Le Jardin. For $100, we were able to experience a top notch meal in a beautiful, serene and historic location. Le Jardin is truly a neighborhood gem.
Le Jardin
9400 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90230
Bar & Dining
I have been to Fig many times over the past few years for work functions and parties held at their venue. The food was always exemplary and I expected the same from our outing for their Poolside Cinema events. Sadly, my recent experience was quite the opposite. Service was a bit slow which was understandable as I believe the pool area only had one server attending to all the customers. The alcoholic drinks were very meager in portion. What was worse than the light pour was the quality of the food.
To say that the $29 foraged mushroom pizza tasted like cardboard with arugula on it would be an understatement and kind.
I’m a french fry connoisseur but the $14 plate of supposed rosemary fries resulted in only 3 fries being eaten from the batch. It was as if potatoes were cut and fried but the kitchen forgot to season it.
The $28 rockfish was barely passable as the fish was tender but the fish, squash, eggplant and peppers had no distinguishing flavors.
The only saving grace was the $26 cacio e pepe. It’s as if it was cooked in a different kitchen than the prior three orders. The pasta was perfectly cooked, al dente. The cheese packed a punch of flavor and the black pepper added a bit of heat to the dish. If we were ever to return, we would likely order just that dish, which would satisfy the $25 minimum.
I honestly am appalled by what Fig was allowed to serve us. I asked the family who sat in front of us, and they thought everything they ate was horrible as well and they ordered other items from the menu. I cannot ever recommend Fig to my friends or even to my worst enemy. It’s a hard pass on their food and drinks on a go forward basis.
Fig Restaurant
101 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Public School opened in Culver City in 2012 and is one of the popular gastropubs in the city attracting visitors near and far.
For our dinner selection, we had both the recess happy hour and DineLA’s restaurant week dinner menu.
We started off our evening with our favorite beverages, a Moscow mule for Troy and a vodka martini for me.
The first of our dishes to arrive were the savory bacon cheddar tots that we all wish had been served at our elementary school cafeteria.
The crispy naked chicken wings arrived shortly thereafter. They were perfectly cooked, moist and lightly seasoned, served with a side of blue cheese and super spicy buffalo sauce.
Next on deck was the decadent chorizo mac and cheese sprinkled with bits of salt & vinegar potato chips, kale and mornay sauce.
We also also ordered the Brussels sprouts which were served with a bit of kimchi and slivers of bacon intermixed with a citrus gremolata.
For our main entrees, we ordered the Moroccan harissa salmon which was plated with cannelloni beans, zucchini, kale and roasted tomatoes, one of our favorites on the menu.
I ordered the steak frites, which was a grilled flat iron steak, served with charred green onion chimichurri, truffle aioli and Parmesan truffle fries.
For dessert, we were served warm, crispy churros with spiced chocolate sauce drizzled on top and filled in the middle which oozed out with every bite.
Our other dessert was the vanilla cheesecake with macerated strawberries and whipped cream. It was perfect, not too sweet, not too dense, a great way to end a fantastic meal.
A toast to Public School for their delicious food and fantastic service. Until next time!
Public School 310
9411 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
PS310
Netflix’s “Chef’s Table” season 1 introduced me to N/Naka several years ago. I loved hearing Nikki Nakayama’s tale of tenacity at breaking down her family’s gender bias and pushing through the male dominated culinary barriers, harnessing sheer force of grit and determination, something called keeshin in the Japanese culture. It was so moving listening to her narration of how she couldn’t allow herself to be perceived as “less than” by her family or her peers. She harnessed her intuitive and artistic nature to create a mood and a story through her cuisine, much like an artist painting a canvas with varying colors and contrasting textures, creating layers of depth and complexity.
Last year, the Michelin Guide returned to California, and I recalled seeing Instagram posts that N/Naka had been awarded two stars. It was such a huge feat for any restaurant to be granted the honor, but I silently acknowledged that my chances of obtaining a reservation were even more diminished by the well-earned accolade.
Then the coronavirus pandemic upended the world as we knew it. All superfluous enjoyment ceased. Everything became bleak and dark with no light at the end of the tunnel. Social media became my distraction and refuge.
I belonged to a Facebook group, Culver City foodies, and one member had posted that N/Naka was offering $38 bento boxes on Tock. I happened to have read his post a bit after 6 a.m. one Saturday morning and went on the site.
Though most reservations were waitlisted, I was able to get an early dinner pickup time a little over a week later.
I arrived 10 minutes early on my designated day, and surprisingly, others did as well. 5 p.m. was the first available reservation. I was second in line and an Asian woman wearing a mask and gloves had a clipboard, checking off each reservation as we arrived. She went into the nondescript gray building on the corner and emerged with plain brown paper bags containing our takeout, placing the bag inside each of our trunks, providing my first true curbside experience.
At first sight, it was evidenced that great care and consideration was given in the selection of items chosen for the bento box. Each compartment offered a dish which was beautifully and artfully displayed. The combination of offerings was like an orchestra with each instrument playing its part in a composition, creating a cohesive harmony for the palate.
As we slowly immersed ourselves in the experience, savoring the complexity and depth of flavor, we gradually hastened our pace through the edible presentation, reaching a fevered crescendo as we reached the pinnacle of the masterful composition before slowly and mindfully taking pause to enjoy the last few moments, ending on the last and final delicious note.
A few months have since passed, and takeout reservations are now available on Tock at 10 a.m. on Saturdays but have swiftly been sold out in 5 seconds or less. I was fortunate to have learned about the opportunity to partake and to have had great timing as it afforded us the opportunity to enjoy a memorable experience.
The bento box offering by N/Naka was an artful presentation of grace and refinement and reaffirms why Nikki Nakayama has been elevated to be deemed as “greater than” all others in the ultra competitive culinary scene of Los Angeles.
N/Naka
3455 S. Overland Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
Despite growing up in San Gabriel Valley and living in Los Angeles most of my life, I had never taken the opportunity to visit Descanso Gardens. It was one of the few sites that reopened after the coronavirus pandemic shut down Los Angeles. After two months of limited options and social isolation, I finally had something to look forward to and was excited at the novel idea of being a tourist in my own city.
My husband and I headed out late one Saturday afternoon for our 4 p.m. admission, a time which was deliberately chosen in an effort to shield ourselves from the weekend’s heat wave. The 23 mile drive that would have ordinarily taken a bit over an hour was cut in half due to the lack of traffic on the freeway, one of the few upsides to the pandemic.
On arrival, I quickly realized that I had not allotted enough time to see the grounds. We had a mere hour to whisk through the gardens before they closed for the day. Our first stop was the Japanese Garden which was a miniature version of the gardens we visited during our time in Tokyo. For a brief second, on seeing the iconic red bridge, it felt as if we were back in Ueno Park, walking through the vermillion torii gates at the Hanazonoinari Shrine.
We made our way through the beautiful expansive Rose Garden, passed the fountain
as we headed to Mulberry Pond and then the lake where we came upon some ducks.
Afterwards, we walked through the Camellia Forest. Hearing twigs break underfoot as we walked on the dirt path and listening to the melodic birds singing as we made our way through the forest was calming and nurturing. The tall lush trees shielded us from the heat and the mindless chatter of the outside world. We were cocooned in a safe haven and for once, after months of anxiety, fear and confusion, we felt at peace.
Near the end of our visit we were surprised to see a pair of ducks waddling down one of the paths near the Japanese garden. It made us chuckle seeing how unfettered and unaffected they were by the small crowd gathering around them.
Descanso Gardens was brimming with life and possibilities. For us, it was a restorative place that helped quiet our minds, calmed our nerves and gave us hope that we will heal and grow. In times of stress and uncertainty, I will remember our first outing, the beautiful array of colors in the Rose Garden but as we trudge through this time of uncertainty, I will look to the pair of ducks as the example for how we will get through this together, by not looking back and only looking forward, walking with confidence and courage, not letting anything or anybody get in their way.
Descanso Gardens
1418 Descanso Drive
La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011
Mark Tripp and I both worked together at an ad agency in Santa Monica up until a year ago. I remember my coworkers eagerly awaiting the emails from him inviting us to his grill on the third floor for some good eating, ranging from breakfasts and tacos to burgers and dessert. He was what I considered an integral part of that agency’s DNA.
Though we have both moved on from that world, coming across his stand today was a reminder of how much I enjoyed his food. I ordered a double cheeseburger with no bun and got a bag of chips. My double cheeseburger patties were as juicy, flavorful and perfectly seasoned as I remembered them to be. I could have easily eaten four patties.
Having read some of the reviews, I am aware of the comments about the price. I have firsthand knowledge on the quality and diversity of food Mark is capable of cooking and though we didn’t discuss what his future culinary plans are, it’s quite possible that the burger component will only be a part of what’s yet to come. There are very few times I have some insight to the back story of how a cook or chef got his or her start, and with that in mind, I have complete faith that Mark will continue to grow, evolve and surprise us.
https://www.trippburgers.com
I came across My Lai on Yelp which appeared to have just opened as it only had eight reviews, all 5 stars. It’s located across the street from Mar Vista on Venice around the corner from Little Fatty and Rasselbock.
As one of the reviews previously mentioned, it has a Chipotle vibe where you can create your own bowl or order one of their specialities.
I was immediately drawn to the garlic fried rice which I paired with grilled chicken, cilantro, sliced cucumber, sesame medley, crispy garlic and miso sesame sauce. The chicken was moist and tender with a bit of char, and the cucumber added a bit of freshness and lightness while the cilantro added a layer of earthiness to the dish. The miso sesame sauce was light and tangy, and the crispy garlic added texture and bite, but the star of the dish was the garlic fried rice which appeared to have been cooked in a savory chicken broth or stock resulting in a glutinous sticky rice.
The rice was reminiscent of what is traditionally served in Filipino restaurants but more potent and richer in flavor. Though the bowl I ordered was not an authentic Vietnamese dish, it was quite enjoyable.
The restaurant is quite clean and modern with both an indoor and fairly decent sized outdoor space for dining. It would be very easy to have a quick, easy and healthy meal here or spend an hour or two lounging on the patio with friends. This new find is a solid winner!
My Lai
12222 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
https://www.mylaikitchen.com
Grace Gambin
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