Thursday, October 16, 2025

Bread Head - Manhattan Beach

I may not love the location, but I do love the story. A pair of new parents needed a work-life balance that their fine dining careers would have forced them to forgo, and their solution was sandwiches. 

Great bread, this thin and airy, beautifully crispy focaccia, so good the filling almost doesn't matter. 



Get the Combo Grinder but be sure to eat it fast. The dressing seeps into the bottom bread and soaks it through in minutes. The meats are  reminiscent of BCD's claim-to-fame Godmother in their tenderness and smooth texture, but I like their balance better. The salty salami, punchy hot coppa and smooth smoked ham just pop a little bit more, and the fixins are just enough to add some acid with the greens. 


I caught the newly released hot sandwiches, but I'm pretty meh about the Roast Pork & Broccoli Rabe. The bitter broccoli is far too forward, overpowering at tender super-savory, but much subtler pork. 



The Roast Beef suffers similarly, as two inches of bitter arugula hit tender, blander beef quite hard. I do love that mayo and the pop of fresh horseradish, but I feel I could have made this myself minus the bread. 

This little shop of fabulous focaccia has me quite conflicted. The focaccia is fantastic and its airy crumb and crunchilicious crisp is an undeniable draw, but the fillings fall rather flat. Sandwiches are often associated with comfort food and home cooking, but if I'm paying for someone else to make my sandwich, I'm looking for a taste of something I can't get from home. For me, Bread Head just misses the mark. The bread is an awesome start, but a bit more creativity, a bit more pop, a bit more focus on the filling could make them the best thing since sliced bread...and more than just sliced bread.

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