love on the rocks.
my first thoughts on having lunch with one of my friends from LA today was not intending to be insanely overwhelmed with good food. this particular friend doesn’t subscribe to the foodie train of thought so my expectations for the lunch choice wasn’t high. however, being that he is of the design profession i should have anticipated the choice’s aesthetic value to be in tandem with great food to follow. silly me.
my friend suggested we meet at manhattan beach pier on such a beautiful day that i couldn’t argue. and naturally, when people mention places i start conjuring up every yelp review i have read in any particular area to at least have some suggestions on hand for the inevitable question of “where do you want to eat?” but when i got there, my friend had a place picked out . . the strand house.
with such a well crafted space, i didn’t think twice about the food selection. my instincts told me it was going to be amazing.
and for quite possibly the first time in life, i didn’t go with the first thing on the menu my eye was drawn to. i’m usually pretty good about being decisive about what i want to try. that dish, in this case, was the duck confit benedict. just didn’t feel like soaking my stomach up with all that goodness today. happens.
so i resorted to the spicy rock shrimp pizza and a few mimosas as my selection and my friend got the belgian waffle topped with fresh berries and blueberry ice cream and a few goblets of the matilda goose island, per my recommendation. a belgian style pale ale generally reserved for the more savory dishes and perhaps a little heavy for a daytime beer, but delicious nevertheless.
i got the donuts for dessert— a variation of three full sized donuts topped with blueberry glaze, vanilla bean, and caramel with fleur de sel.
i also finally located manhattan beach post and simmzy’s on my gallivant from the parking structure to lunch, both suggestions by small fry that were on my hit list since we discussed them. fortunately, my friend was intrigued enough with the space to indulge going into a second restaurant after such a big lunch.
and the star of today’s show …
the mo-pho-jito. not a joke. look it up. topped with a coriander honey. i mentioned to the bartender before i ordered it that i was concerned about the simple syrup content of it so he obliged and lightened it up. i know you’re staring at the pork belly steam bun right there on the menu. don’t worry. i ordered it.
looks a lot like the momofuku ones although the hoisin sauce was a little spicier. delicious nevertheless. perfect dish to order in front of your vegetarian friend. no judgment.
the ambiance is great here also. very casual. nice vintage character. communal tables. big fan.
had to walk off the mojito and mimosas on the beach before heading home.
great day. KTFO for 3 hours when i got home.
- stella
the strand house
117 manhattan beach boulevard
manhattan beach, ca 90266
(310) 545-7470
manhattan beach post
1142 manhattan avenue
manhattan beach, ca 90266
(310) 545-5405
