Category: California

A delicious restaurant I visited while in Manhattan Beach was MB Post. It’s a very happening place. You can sit at your table and watch the hustle and bustle in the kitchen. All the dishes here were small portions that made sharing easy.

They have a long list of hand crafted cocktails to choose from. I started with a Moscow Mule; it wasn’t on the menu but I had confidence that the bartender could make it. I also did this because I needed more time to determine what other creation to try.

The waitress informed me that MB Post is famous for their Bacon Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits. Naturally I knew I had to try these. They came with a maple butter on the side; I just tasted a little of it on the biscuit because I thought they were perfect on their own. They were salty from the cheese and bacon and the biscuit itself was light and fluffy. These would be perfect in the morning for breakfast. My suggestion is to get a few to go so that you can warm them up in the morning.

A great appetizer that was ordered was the Mycella Blue cheese plate. It paired nicely with cocktails. The cheese also came with a side of locally made honey. I’ve never combined the two before but I am glad I tried it. The sweetness of the honey took away some of the bite of the blue cheese.

It was now time to work on some main dishes and sides to share with the table. The Grilled Skirt Steak tempted the table and it came on a bed of grilled broccolini. The steak was very tender and had a spicy red chimichurri sauce on top. This sauce gave each bite a huge kick. The heat definitely lingered in my mouth for a while. If you do not like spice but love steak, just tell them to leave off the sauce.

Being in California I wanted to make sure I had fish. The Albacore Tuna Tataki was a great choice. The tuna was cooked medium – where it was pink on the inside but not rare. It was light and flakey. It paired really well with the grilled asparagus that came with it.

For the sides I knew I could not pass up Roasted Brussel Sprouts and fresh green beans. The Brussel Sprouts had a nice char on them that added smoky flavor. The green beans were cooked with large chunks of bacon and topped with peanuts for added crunch. Both of these veggies went well with steak and tuna.

While dessert was tempting, I decided to try another cocktail. Based on the ingredients it sounded like it would be sweet like a dessert. They called this drink, “Gift of the Gods”. In addition to the whiskey, it contained cinnamon, Asian pear, and vanilla foam. It was so refreshing. It was the perfect ending to a satisfying meal.

If you are headed to Manhattan Beach check out MB Post. You can check out their menu at www.eatmbpost.com because it seems to change daily based on ingredients the chef has available.

Enjoy!

T

 

A picture perfect visit to California has to include watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean while enjoying a wonderful meal. That is exactly the experience I received when I visited Rock’N Fish in Manhattan Beach.

This place was clearly a hot spot because as soon as I walked in I saw lines of people at the bar and every table was full. I was so glad to have a reservation. My table was upstairs, away from the big crowds; there was a cool balcony that let me look down at the restaurant below.

It was recommended that I try the coconut crusted Mahi sliders. These sliders were so good. The Mahi was light and flaky and it paired well with the crunchy sweet breading. There was only a hint of coconut so it was not over-powering. The mango slaw that was on top of the fish was perfect. I could have eaten that just by itself. It also added an additional sweet taste to each bite.

For my main dish I went for the seared wild Ahi tuna. It came with Jasmine rice and Szechuan green beans. The combination of flavors had those Asian influences that I enjoyed tremendously. The tuna was cooked to perfection keeping the inside pink but a grilled outer layer. It was served with a red wine sauce that was great to dip the tuna in.

I made sure that I saved enough room for dessert. I was told that their sticky toffee pudding was a must have. It came out nice and warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. It was the perfect ending to the meal. It was also the perfect size for sharing.

If you are in Manhattan Beach and you want some awesome seafood, check them out. www.rocknfishrestaurants.com

 Enjoy!

T

 

While visiting Manhattan Beach, California, I made the mistake of not making dinner reservations ahead of time. Naturally I panicked a little because I was hungry. Not far from the hotel was Tin Roof Bistro. I decided to take my chances and see if they had a table. To my astonishment they did!

Tin Roof Bistro is a rustic looking restaurant that had a very intimate feel.

Their menu was eclectic; there was seafood to wood fire pizzas. I decided to start with a spicy tuna spring roll. I expected to get a crunchy, traditional spring roll but this was far from that. The spicy tuna – which was so fresh it melted in my mouth – came mixed with fresh chopped vegetables and wrapped in rice paper. The rolls came with a wasabi ginger sauce for dipping and it was fantastic. This appetizer was a cross between a salad and a sushi roll. It was a fresh combination of ingredients.

I was having a hard time deciding on my main dish. It was a tossup between the wine braised beef short ribs or the pan seared sea scallops. Since I was at the beach I decided to go for the scallops. The other reason was because the scallops came with a creamy parmesan risotto.

Only 3 scallops came with the dish but they were huge. They were very tender; I did not need a knife to cut them. The sear on them from cooking added the right amount of saltiness to each bite. The risotto was to die for! It could easily stand on its own. It was not overly creamy, which sometimes can happen with risotto. It was the perfect portion size.

I recommend checking out Tin Roof Bistro at www.tinroofbistro.com. I will definitely be back so that I can try the short ribs.

Enjoy!

T