baleen kitchen

beautiful setting. the hotel grounds and marina make you think you're on a tropical island, and the open windows, slowly turning ceiling fans and cool ocean breezes reinforce the sensation. limited wine choice but one of every varietal. service pleasant and attentive. clam chowder loaded with succulent clams and bacon is a must. fish and chips beautifully executed with flaky, moist fish in a crispy light crust and perfect french fries. smooth aioli and snipped chives, malt vinegar and ketchup on the side. salad well made although the stems on the greens are a distraction. the dressing outstanding. an excellent place for a relaxed and beautiful lunch.

baleen kitchen is part of the portofino hotel & marina in redondo beach. as was mentioned in a previous post and visit, it was voted top 10 best restaurants for waterside dining in la by the zagat.now it can be truly interesting what you can learn and experience just by trying new places and things. did you know that baleen is a filter-feeder system inside the mouths of baleen whales.  baleen is similar to bristles and is made of keratin, the same substance found in human fingernails and hair. baleen is often called whalebone and was once used to make backscratchers, parasol ribs and in corsets. now baleen is used to make great food! 😉

romantic dinner. much more than a hotel restaurant. great location. fab kale caesar salad and wonderful seabass.

all good. service food atmosphere were all 4 stars out of 5.

i seldom venture outside of orange county for media tasting.  but when eating around socal and baleen kitchen partnered up to host a media tasting for bk’s valentine’s day menu, i couldn’t pass it up.  how could i resist a beautiful location right next to the marina? baleen kitchen is part of the portofino hotel & marina in redondo beach.  it was voted top 10 best restaurants for waterside dining in la by the zagat.  read on and you will understand why. the restaurant recently gone through a renovation.  the nautical theme dining area next to the chef’s kitchen and the outdoor seating are perfect for a more relaxing and casual gathering with friends.    once we checked in with our hostess, annelise, we sat next to the baleen lounge while waiting for other media guests to arrive.  the lounge offers ”small-plates fare with bold flavors and a little latin spice, accompanied by a serious mixology program of ‘classic reinvented cocktails’.”  we got to sample (pictured above from left to rig

while baleen kitchen, hidden inside the portofino hotel, is relatively unknown to those not living in the south bay, it tends to be to go-to special occasion restaurant for redondo beach locals. i personally had only been for lunch more than 2 years ago but remembered liking it.

on a recent stay-cation to the portofino hotel & yacht club in los angeles, i had a chance to meet executive chef jesse souza and dine in the fabulous baleen restaurant. with more than 17 years of fine dining experience at high-end coastal destinations, native new englander jesse souza was appointed in may 2006 as executive chef at seaside portofino hotel & yacht club.

my wife and i are staying a the portofino hotel across the street. service was reasonable , manager was good, food wa average at best. we are not food snobs by any means and were not impressed at all. don't know why this gets such good reviews. not worth cost.

the food is fabulous and the ambiance, elegant but intimate. it would make a great dinner date location or an ideal place to have brunch/lunch with friends.

posted on june 20, 2011 by southbayrantsnraves chef jesse souza, restaurant manager chris schaefer and their wonderful staff hosted a casual lunch for some of us bloggers. we sat outside literally steps away from the marina on a sunny and slightly breezy day. it made for a wonderful atmosphere. starting off with an amuse buche of a soft baguette topped with smoked salmon, avocado, boursin cheese, capers, and arugula. i was very impressed by the soft bread. it really meshed well with the salmon and the cheese. this was compliments of the chef & wasn't available on the menu. this chinese chicken salad was one of my favorites of several we were served that day. i'm a noodle fiend so i of course was more than happy to see some on the plate. the taste was very subtle and refreshing. the poached chicken was moist, mandarin oranges are always a welcomed addition. what i loved about this grilled shrimp salad was that it was panzanella inspired. if you don't know, panzanella, a dish i wish i kn

outside patio seating overlooks marina. baleen is located across from the hotel portofino's entrance. there's an outside patio dining area overlooking the redondo beach marina. i had lunch here out on the patio. the salad i had for lunch was god and everything was very fresh. the server was attentive, the view superb. although the food was okay, what i had was not outstanding and i felt it was kind of pricey.