Barsha Wines and Spirits UPDATE - Manhattan Beach

This whole place is a vibe. It is my vibe, my husband's vibe...and I honestly can't see a single person not vibing with the original location of Barsha in Manhattan Beach. 

Half wine shop, half hangout, the communal tables are awesome for casual conversation over snacks and sips.

The weekly tasting flight is best for getting an idea of what you want. The Lyrarakis Vidiano Queen White 2025 from Crete is a white I actually do not hate, and the MAAL Biutiful Malbec has an overripe fruit flavor that I totally dig.  

I always fall for the Hand of Fatima, a mix of dips. My favorites are the mint pesto and harissa, but who doesn't also love a good hummus with an olive?

For cheeses we got Delice de Bourguignon, Gouda, Manego, and Shaft Blue. Not a single bad choice, and the flavor of those pickled grapes is wild. 

It's been 10 years, and I still love this place. This place shows real spirit with their carefully curated spirits, along with a never-ending supply of charcuterie and cheese. There's something here for everyone so just be sure to show up. 

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.

Mercado Manhattan Beach UPDATE - Manhattan Beach

The original location closed not too long ago, and I can understand why. This food must have taken Santa Monica by storm when it first opened, but these tried-and-true tidbits have given way to a Mexican food movement that encompasses a lot more creativity and a deeper dive into the food of the streets and homes. 

Say what you will about authenticity, but the food here is good, despite feeling a little more sterile. 

Manhattan Beach brings an element of ritz I don't much enjoy, but complain as I might, classics like Guacamole always hit. The avocados are a rich, ripe green without the slightest hint of brown, and the ratio of avo to acid is on point. Perfectly crispy chips dip divinely into both the guac and the smoky salsa. 

A side of Elote is splendid simplicity, just flame-kissed corn with butter and cheese. There's still so much flavor you just keep eating. 

If there's any sign of gentrification, it's this California Burrito. Pastor-marinated chicken is so white and watery and bland, and the lettuce waters it down so it's both soggy AND bland. 

That said, the Dos Gringas are great. Those pastor bits are juicy beneath a hot and crispy crust, and these tacos are so savory they require little else. Even the side of squash is perfectly seasoned and grilled, and the cilantro lime rice is good enough to eat by itself. 

Churro Ice Cream is accurate, but I don't know if I'd get it again. I think I'd rather just have a freshly-fried churro.

Flan is fantastic, super creamy, exactly right. 

Nothing I haven't had, but sometimes you want to know exactly what you're going to get. Mercado isn't all that exciting but it is solidly reliable and quite delicious.

Silver Lake Ramen - Manhattan Beach

Another ramen place close to my house, known for slinging some pretty good stuff. 

The apps are alright, and you can get a lunch combo that includes a little something before your bowl for only $20.50. The Pork Bun is an option, but the sauce is slathered sloppily and it's a bit too sweet for me. Momofuku it is not, but it's not bad depending on your palate.

Chicken Karaage is great, very crispy and plenty of savory chicken. 

The Classic Ramen is exactly enough for me, a wad of noodles, a slice of pork, and half a soft boiled egg. Bigger eaters may opt for extra noodles or meat. The broth is creamy, almost milky, thinner but not entirely without the savory taste of fat. 

Far as ramens go, this one falls somewhere in the lower middle. Like so much of Silver Lake, it scratches the surface but doesn't have the depth. 

Fishing with Dynamite UPDATE - Manhattan Beach

It's a warm winter Valentine's day on their parking-spot patio, and the sea breeze blows through the sides. It's a tasting menu for all at this time, with all of the dishes incredible. 

A Japanese Hamachi Sashimi to start, a pearly pink cut cooking in a cool citrus ponzu. Avocado adds to the smooth, buttery texture, and the subtle sweetness contrasts a kick of chile. 

Atlantic Salmon Tartare soaks in a subtle sauce which whispers with ginger and pear. Perfect dip for chips, and they serve it with giant fried wonton.

We splurge for the SS Minnow, but there's plenty of food on the tasting menu alone. Unnecessary but unregrettable, the butter-brine west coast oysters are a spectacular slurp. Clams taste like a salty, tender sea, and the PEI mussels make a sweet-y, meaty middle, the perfect transition to succulent shrimp and lobster. 

Service stops at this point, and I'm none too pleased. We're in no hurry, but the lag between apps and entrees and the blank stare when we ask leaves us on a sour note. 

We eventually receive the Pan Roasted Pacific Striped Bass. The skin is super crisp, and the fish is pure perfection. Topping a sweet potato, tempered by a sharper swiss chard, this dish is one of the best fish entrees I've had this year.  

Steamed Purple Clams and Salt Spring Island Mussels sizzle in a spicy tomato soup with fatty bits of chorizo for flavor. A spear of baguette is spread with a rich aioli, make for soaking in sauce. 

They still make the best Key Lime Pie, a tart filling beneath a magical meringue and above a crumbly graham cracker crust. 

The Chocolate Praline Bar is a rich chocolate crunch, a hunk mousse-y chocolate with hints of hazelnut. Little dots of pear butter add a little floral fruit, and the ice cream cools it down. 

I don't want to say it, but we never recovered from being forgotten. The parking meters are strictly policed in this part of town, and one of us had to leave the table early while the other person paid. It's a long time to be waiting at lunch, and it's terrible to feel forgotten at a place of this caliber. The food is still fantastic, and I'll still be back for more, but it's worth mentioning that this visit didn't go well at a place that's usually the total package.

Gelson's - Manhattan Beach

Mardi Gras is for the partiers, and I've long since left that behind. 

But the Crawfish Boil is for everyone, and Gelson's will give to two for a measly $25. Just pour on the seafood broth and spread the garlic butter around. Pop it into your preheated oven and in 15 minutes, you get a bona fide boil. 

The crawfish are okay - a bit salty but not bad. The shrimp are juicy and just perfect, and there’s nothing to peel. They do well with the veggies too: the corn sits in the sauce, and it’s a mix of sweet and savory. Slices of sausage add their savor, soaking into potato, carrots, and long green beans. 

This is the first time I’ve been to a Gelson’s food counter, and I’ll be coming back to try the others.

Love & Salt UPDATE - Manhattan Beach

I feel guilty making this post. They shuffled tables to accommodate us with just one hour notice on a Sunday night, and the service was just stellar. The food was fantastic, though the light and my cell phone skills made it not so photogenic. 

Right off the bat, the bread was addicting; this thick, crusty, super-chewy core of Fett'unta, a hit in the mouth of gooey garlic, soaked with olive oil, grilled to a juicy crackle. I could have had just this for dinner,

But save some to dip in the broth after these soft Salt Spring Mussels. Savored with sausage, uplifted with some leeks, the plate may be blurry, but the sea-sweet quality is clear. 

Whole Roasted Branzino has a crispy skin and the flesh is white as snow. The taste is so pure, fresh as the day it docked, on a soft bed of lentils, a sweet contrast to bitter Brussels. 

They sure can cook their carbs. A simple-sounding Rigatoni all'Amatriciana is anything but, with a deeply textured pasta, tangy tomato smoothed out with a salty guanciale, creamy with pecorino smear. 

Break the egg on their signature Duck Egg Pizza, and smear. Let the gooey yolk wrap around the bits of bacon-pancetta, and let it run through the shaved potato. 

Complete the perfect meal with a dessert of Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch. The crispy wafers with layered chocolate make a high-end Nutty Buddy, and I can't imagine anything better. 

I was fond of Love & Salt the first time, but I didn't fully appreciate it until now. The consistent delivery of fabulous flavor and quality is indisputable, and they're stood the test of time. Their food is as relevant now as it was when they burst in brand-new, and I will never stop loving Love & Salt!

Rock n' Fish - Manhattan Beach

Rock n' Fish is the Keanu Reeves of restaurants. Exudes charm from the wavy tips of his raven hair to the tips of his likely-pedicured toes. If the opinion of everyone is to be believed, he is the most unproblematic person there is.

Find fault and you are the problem. Any resentment is envy, any anger is misplaced. Can you truly take issue with a cocktail of Jumbo Prawns on Ice? The red-white chevron is stunning, the taste is as tender and sweet as shrimp can be. Don't be put off by the portion of 4 - their size is quite substantial. 

The Rock’N Crab Cakes just rock. I don’t have a better word to capture the beauty of crab filigree topped with a spicy cream to make it pop.

Forget your bar burger, (though they do make some good ones), Coconut Crusted Mahi Sliders are all the sandwich you need. Sweet marries savory in a tropical slaw, and a slightly spicy aioli adds acid to balance a creamy avocado.

Don’t be fooled by the straightforward-sounding menu - the food isn’t boring here. Unproblematic doesn't mean unenjoyable, and there is value in being a light that isn't blinding. When in Rock n' Fish, just kick back and relax. The seafood won't make you squint, but it sure will make you smile.