Food & Spirits

Manhattan House Opens in Manhattan Beach with Award-Winning Chef Diana Stavaridis

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Living doesn’t get much better than life at Manhattan Beach, where the pace of life is easy but expectations are high. A new restaurant, Manhattan House, which officially opened July 1st, enters the scene and meets the challenge of serving fresh, sustainable, locally sourced, and of course delicious food to neighborhood regulars and out-of-town visitors alike.

Manhattan House Restaurant in Manhattan Beach.

Manhattan House Restaurant in Manhattan Beach.

Helmed by Chef Diana Stavaridis, she comes to Manhattan House following a notable path through acclaimed kitchens and under accomplished chefs.

Chef Diana Stavaridis

Chef Diana Stavaridis

She polished her skills at BLD and built them working across Europe, with Michelin Star Chef Giles Epie at Citrus Etoile and renowned Chef Gregory Marchand of Frenchie’s, then at the River Cottage with food sustainability pioneer Chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. At Manhattan House, she unites the best of classic French training with the vitality of California cuisine.

Noted Richard Drapkin, a veteran restaurateur and strategic advisor to the restaurant. “Manhattan House will give her a fabulous platform to let her culinary talents shine and I’m honored to be a part of the team serving what I believe will be some of the most noteworthy food in the L.A. area.”

At Manhattan House, Chef D (as she prefers to be called) features the best ingredients gathered and sourced from hyper-local resources. That includes herbs and vegetables grown at a nearby elementary school garden, with benefits for not only Manhattan House but also the students who learn about food sustainability. In addition, Manhattan House works with local farmers and fishermen to fill out the menu with top-grade meat, poultry, and seafood.

With this fine foundation of ingredients, Chef D  has put together a menu showing off a variety of techniques to highlight the natural flavors: fermenting, pickling, smoking and preserving, to name a few, all prepared in-house. These crisp, invigorating flavors decorate and complement a diverse American cuisine.

Menu items change depending on season, but you can expect palate pleasers galore. For starters, order a salad or Carrotology 1.0, a beautiful plate that mixes baby rainbow carrots, carrot hummus, pistachio dukkah, and roasted lemon.

Manhattan House Manhattan Beach Carrotology 1.0

Carrotology 1.0

Seafood lovers can opt for seared yellowfin tuna or a salmon tartare, the latter highlighted by California King salmon. Meat eaters will want to dig in to the strong flavors of foie gras royale or mini andouille sausages.

For the main course, every food group is again represented, with gluten-free and dairy-free choices. Mary’s Roast Chicken features the famous and celebrated Mary’s Free Range Chickens from California’s own San Joaquin Valley. The pork chop at Manhattan House features Cook Pigs Ranch, based in San Diego and proudly raising humanely raised heritage pigs.

pork

Chef D whips up bourride with local halibut and Manila clams (sourced locally — not from Manila!), or you can go for a good old burger, which Manhattan House also does well.

As a matter of fact, we enjoyed MHouse burger so much, it will be included in out Top Ten Favorite Burgers in Los Angeles. The secret is a Custom blend of beef; 50% chuck, 10% smoked brisket & 40% dry beef brisket., and it is topped with aged Vermont cheddar, caramelized onions, House sauce,  and is served with home cut fries.

Top Ten Burger in L.A.!

Top Ten Burger in L.A.!

Vegetarians can expect the likes of a black-eyed pea fritter, accented with African yellow curry and peanut chili relish.

Other special culinary creations include:

Stuffed Squash Blossoms – ricotta, cranberry beans, Fresno chili, lemon herb butter.

Softshell Crab Sandwich –MH brioche toast, bourbon pickled jalapeno, carrot slaw, mustard remoulade.

 

crab

Greens & Grains Salad –Bloomsdale spinach, local organic strawberries, beets, buckwheat, red quinoa, MH fromage blanc, citrus vinaigrette

Black Eyed Pea Fritters – African yellow curry, baby carrots, peanut chili relish

Grilled Lamb Meatballs – Sonoma lamb, buckwheat tabbouleh, baby radish pickles, mint yogurt cheese.

manhattan house restaurant

Specialty Cocktails

cocktailAs befits a restaurant named Manhattan House and located at Manhattan Beach, the drink menu includes several twists on the classic Manhattan cocktail. For example, the East Village Manhattan combines Michters Rye, Vya vermouth, barrel-aged bitters, and Luxardo cherry for mouth-watering refreshment. In addition, you can choose from a range of local and regional draft and bottled beers, as well as an expert selection of California-centric wines. If you prefer your own bottle, the corkage fee is $19. Don’t feel left out, nondrinkers — the bartenders can pour out a delicious mocktail too.

Manhattan House is an extraordinary neighborhood restaurant in an extraordinary neighborhood. Even better, Manhattan House celebrates its amazing home base by working with local purveyors of all kinds — even nearby school kids! At Manhattan House, you can be assured that you’ll get a delicious, satisfying meal and take extra comfort in knowing its place in the community around you.

Call 310-574-2277 for Reservations

Manhattan House
1019 Manhattan Beach Blvd.
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

ManhattanHouse.pub

About the author

Jane Emery