Bistro Beaux - Torrance

The best Torrance treats live in Eastgate Plaza. Japanese powerhouses like Nozomi's flown-in fish, Wadasumi's sushi and steak, and the skewers at Torihei make this singular strip mall the only place I want to be.

Add Bistro Beaux to the best. This one is off to the side, obscured by Mitsuwa and Matsui but still casting a strong shadow on the scene. 

Japanese-Italian means the best Spaghetti Carbonara, and the gooey ham-and-egg-cream combo leaves a rib-warming result. 

Go light and simple with a Basil, Fresh Tomato, Mozzarella; al dente spaghetti adds carbs to caprese.

Get whatever you want, pasta as you like, but don't leave without the Spaghetti Crab Butter. Thick white cream-sauce with chunks of sweet red crab, full flavor, seafood savor. It's thick and it's dense, and yes, it's intense, but you'll never want anything more. 

No need to go big or go home here. The smaller starters are less hard-hitting if you're feeling spaghetti-shy. The Proscuitto and Burrata are a sweet refresher,

and there's even a Caesar Salad if you're not feeling...anything. 

The toddler loves the Parmesan Cheese Scrambled Egg, but this scramble has sophistication.

The devil's in the details, and the fun is in the fusion. They get creative with the Mochi and Spicy Cod Roe Sauce Naan. Thin-crust naan smeared with spicy cod, gooey with cheese and striped with mochi for texture, it's a mouthful of fishy, salty, chewy, sweet, umami. Buyer beware, cod roe comes from a fish and it tastes like it comes from a fish so don't get this unless you like the taste of fish.

                                   

The Italian Pudding is a signature dish, and I love this hybrid of Italian cheesecake an flan. The take-home presentation is not so pretty, but the balance of sweet and creamy caramel is key. 

Eastgate Plaza --> Bistro Beaux. Don’t think, just go!

Sidecar Doughnuts UPDATE - Torrance

 

When it’s your birthday, you can have your cake and eat it. 

Have your Celebration Cake...doughnut and eat it! It’s cake in a better way, glazed instead of iced, and it still has all the sprinkles. 

A few other flavors: the fruity Susie's Blueberry Pancake finish like a concentrated muffin, Vanilla Bean Glazed is OG greatness, and Salted Malted Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough has all the things. 

Strawberries & Cream is fluffy but rich, full of icing-cream and fresh strawberries FTW.

Know anyone with an upcoming birthday? Let them eat doughnuts. 

Eat at Rudy's - Torrance

 

Once upon a time, there were two BFFs named Rudy and Joe. They slaved over a hot stove side by side, dazzling their diners at Eat at Joe's, a South Bay landmark and Redondo Beach institution since long before I was born. Legend has it that the bromance fizzled and the rivalry sizzled, and Rudy no longer wanted to eat with Joe. He packed his bags and took off his apron, and threw it down in Old Torrance where he still cooks today. 

He does cook up a good Country Breakfast. A little brick of a biscuit topped with sausage and covered with country gravy can't go wrong, and there's even eggs for extra protein. I love how they smash the side of home fries so you get a crisp crust. 

The Rambo is a lactose-intolerance option, with French toast and eggs. The sausage patties will work, but you can also choose bacon or ham.

Get any breakfast in a tortilla if you're looking for easy-to-eat. The Breakfast Burrito will put you in a coma, but that cross section of bacon, eggs, sausage, and potato sure is pretty. 

I hate to say it, but the Rudy's Special is nothing special. Eggs scrambled with chorizo except the flavor of the egg is stronger than the chorizo.

Don't want to assault your arteries? Try the Healthy Quesadilla but don’t. It only saves calories because it's a something you won’t want to eat. The egg whites are bland, and the spinach cooks off a lot of water, so your tortilla gets soggy. Nothing is seasoned. At all. 

I love diners, and this one is alright. They do the diner things with finer things so it’s a little bit bougie but not necessarily bad. The food is fine, and I’d eat it again but it doesn’t really stand out.

Bay Cities Italian Deli UPDATE - Santa Monica

 

I wrote them off for five years because I didn't like a sandwich. Yes, I was an idiot.

Never judge a deli by just one sandwich, even if it’s their signature. Sorry, Godmother, you’re just not as magical as I wanted to believe, even on the second try. The meats are soft and salty, the mortadella almost creamy, and there is significant credit to be given for overall balance, but their other stuff is so much better. 

The Spaniard, for example, is a much stronger sandwich. The jamon is sliced so thin, and the accenting chunks of spicy chorizo are just...everything. The gruyere is melty, and the roasted tomatoes are next-level gooey and sweet. This is coming from a person who hates tomatoes.

“Pot roast should NOT be a sandwich!” 

“It’s too much.”

"I don't know about this..."

Shove it because I love it. Shredded chunks of soupy beef, braised to fall-apart tender, it’s loud and proud, a messy, soupy American dip. It's Sunday dinner in a sandwich, Phillippe's be damned.

Sandwiches are satisfying, but don’t stop there. Their deli counter is the best I've seen. 

Lukewarm Buffalo Wings don’t sound like they’d be great, but the sauce has a mouth-watering mix of spicy yet sweet and sharp - buy a bucket and make it a large.

The Mac n’ Cheese is the best stuff they sell, and the best I've had; big floppy elbows with the best bread crumbs, literally, ever.

The best stuff you can buy, just bring some cold hard cash. Great for Italian groceries, and check out all the cheese. Try all the sandwiches, too, and don’t leave without mac n’ cheese.

Mochinut - El Segundo

Mochi. Fried. Glazed. Eat. Eat again. Can't stop eating.

Because sooooo good! Blueberry is fruity and sweet, Maple Bacon is a winner, and Fruity Pebbles are always fun. 

Strawberry Funnel Cake is my favorite, the Original Glazed are great, and I love the sweet simplicity of the Churro.

The texture is chewy but soft, and you'll go nuts for these balls of dough. You won't be bummed if they get a little old or cold, but they're best served hot and fresh. I prefer Del Amo's Modo, but I still wouldn't miss out on Mochinut. 

Jin Ling Tang Bao - Monterey Park

A random find from a delivery deal on Sayweee. I don't trust Chinese companies, but we're two-for-two on food. 

They make soup dumplings in every flavor, and they are good, but I do wish they traveled better. A lot of soup gets lost in the wrapper, but mad props for making a wrapper that holds for hours. The fillings are fun, and with them I find no fault. The Beef is sweet and bold, the Crab has a little brine, and the Chicken Mushroom drips with shiitake juice.

Spiced Beef as a side is a soft shank with a nice seasoning of five spice and soy.

I want to try them again, when indoor dining is truly safe. Those dumplings deserve better treatment than to travel through LA traffic, and if they’re good after an hour, they can only be great when they’re fresh.