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Redondo
Beach
RESTAURANTS
Chez Melange / 2*
1716 PACIFIC COAST HWY, REDONDO BEACH; 3 10/540-1222
Located inside the modest Palos Verdes Inn, this well-regarded brasserie
has been presenting artful California cuisine so long it's become a Redondo
Beach institution. The menu may no longer be cutting-edge, but it does
seem to get more and more eclectic, moving seamlessly from Japanese to
Cajun, Italian to Chinese, and keeping up to date with premium vodkas
and a mouth-watering oyster-and-seafood bar. The decor has a dated, late
1980s feel, but the conservative, moneyed crowd here doesn't seem to mind
a bit. During the day, a wide wall of picture win- dows makes the restaurant
light and airy; at night, it feels decidedly more formal. Each meal begins
with a basket of irresistible breads before you move on to a dizzyingly
international entree such as shrimp and chicken in orange vindaloo curry
over basmati rice with sweet, chunky chutney; rosemary-laced pork tenderloin
and shallot-sherry cream sauce; Parmesan-crusted albacore with Greek feta
salad and tabbouleh; or spicy
blackened halibut sauced with horseradish and served with seafood gumbo.
Spa cuisine selections are available at every meal. $$; AE, DC, MC, V;
no checks; breakfast, lunch, dinner every day; full bar; reservations
recommended; www.chezmelange.com; between Palos Verdes Blvd and Prospect
Ave.
Kincaid's Bay House / 2.5*
500 FISHERMAN'S WHARF, REDONDO BEACH; 310/318-6080
Opened in 1999, this branch of the venerable San Francisco/Hawaii surf
'n' turf specialists is the classiest joint on the reborn Redondo Beach
pier. Sporting a Craftsman-inspired chunky architecture and sleek, clubby
decor, the restaurant boasts panoramic ocean views, a relaxed bar with
outdoor seating, and an open kitchen starring a huge hardwood spit roaster
redolent with the aroma of sweet, smoky Nebraska-bred beef. A grand entryway
of marble flooring gives way to rich burgundy carpeting and the warm glow
of Deco-inspired wall sconces. Composed by Kincaid's Hawaiian executive
chef James Nalu Miller, the menu offers island-
influenced dishes like char-sui pork skewers that are grilled over applewood
to caramelize the sweet-tart honey/soy/hoisin marinade. Fresh fish from
the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii are featured each day; other seafood
specialties include wood-smoked prawns flavored with
chipotle-ancho rub and Kincaid's signature barbecue hollandaise, plus
crab-and-shrimp hash served with sherry-cream sauce. Meat lovers cancatch
a whiff of the spit-roasted prime rib on the way in ... if that doesn't
entice you, consider seasoned and buttered sirloin, or pan-seared venison
flavored with blackberry and sage. For dessert there's Key lime pie—the
pale yellow color lets you know it's authentic—or pear bread pudding
baked in individual ramekins and served with bourbon-custard sauce. $$-$$$;
AE, DC, DIS, MC, V; checks OK; lunch Mon-Sat, dinner every day; full bar;
reservations recommended; www.kincaids.com; at the south end of Harbor
Dr.
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