m.b. post

mb post serves the best brunch in manhattan beach, and that was unanimous among all my friends who live in la or visit manhattan beach often. therestauranthas a cool and  and relaxed vibe but both service and food and very good. their signature bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits are worth the drive to mb but the rest of the food is excellent as well.

it's good but over-rated. the food tastes great therestaurantis beautiful. those are huge pluses. but when i want breakfast i want a plate of breakfast. not some deconstructed tapas style breakfast dish. they have all the right components of something great but the final result is compartmentalized and unfinished. for most the design touches make up for the lack of finesse with respect to the food delivery. however if you look past the sizzle and see the steak for what it is... it's just a small cut cooked well and it's missing all the trimmings. i want to love it badly as i love the setting but i have to look at the good as this is about food first, not just atmosphere.

our first stop in our california adventure was brunch at m.b. post. trying to find arestaurantthat five people can agree on is no easy task, but manhattan beach post left all of us with full stomachs and happy faces. therestaurantlooks like a modern cabin and the food is served family/tapas style.   we started off with a bunch of breads & sweets. we got their bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits (naturally) and they were fan-fuckin-tastical. the biscuits come served with maple butter and somehow that butter ended up on every single dish we tried, just fuhmazing.  we tried their sticky bun that comes topped with pecans and brown sugar #skeetskeet . just wow (especially with some of that maple butter slathered on it). we also got some weiser farm potatoes served with fried sage and homemade lemon buttermilk ranch dressing. bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits with maple butter sticky bun weiser farm potatoes  we then moved onto our individual dishes. i had their eggs benedict that comes o

the last week of june, i spent in la and san diego. one of the bestrestaurantexperiences i had during that trip was at manhattan beach post . the day was beautiful, with lots of sunshine streaming down upon us and a slight ocean breeze as we arrived at manhattan beach. after our dinner of lots of small plates and some cocktails, we had a walk to aid our digestion along manhattan beach pier. the restaurant, also known as m.b. post,  was just opening for its dinner service as we arrived, with the front windowed walls thrown open to take in the summer weather, and the wood with modern metal frames throughout therestaurantgave off a beachy chic while touches of nostalgia were brought in with multiple post boxes and the menu delivered in an envelope like a mail package.   we started out with their infamous bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits with maple butter. they are worth the hype, warm, gooey with cheese inside and speckled with bits of delicious salty bacon and everything was gone fr

but, mb post is arestaurantwhere you can close your eyes and point at a dish, and not be disappointed by the random choice. there are no gimmicks here, nor are there any specializations cuisine-wise (if i had to describe the food here, it’d be american with an asian flair) – just simple and well-executed dishes that chef lefevre (formerly of the water grill in downtown, and before that, at the legendary charlie trotter’s in chicago) probably enjoys making at home.

great atmosphere, small plates. you would barely know thisrestaurantexisted by its outside appearance, inside it's long communal tables and almost open kitchen lend to a busy, loud, trendy, fun dining experience. the small plate menu is fantastic and offers an array of seasonal goodies. the spaghetti squash/ pumpkin puree was delicious along with the grilled mahi mahi with the cauliflower. even the dessert was an unexpected hit, a pumpkin ice cream topped with marshmallow, caramel and crumbled graham cracker. would love to go back next time we are in town!

mb post, the short form of manhattan beach post, has been a buzzing los angeles arearestaurantfor several months. a modern american gastro pub, this david lefevre helmed establishment reportedly packs them in on a nightly basis; so during the la stop of my west coast tour, i made it a point to take flipper for a ride to see what the chatter was all about.

chef lefevre helmed water grill, downtown la's pantheon of seafood, for 6 years. that is an eternity in la. somehow, david lefevre was able to get arestaurantopened, on time, a mere 6 months after departing dtla. chalk it up to that engineering degree? . it has been mentioned the chef/owner had industry (and local assistance), though one can't but conclude think this man is a bit of a genius . first, witness the attention to details in the room, both exterior and in - therestaurantfeels comfortable, even quaint, but holds 100. found object decorations evokes a vintage, pre-gentrification manhattan beach, yet doesn't betray the globally inspired cuisine. despite the wood paneling throughout, the main dining room doesn't feel cramped, and is rather cacophonous. this does not feel/look like arestaurantbuilt within a post office.