Last Sunday, my family and I drove to Manhattan Beach to celebrate Father's Day at The Strand House. Passing this restaurant many times during my weekend excursions to Manhattan Beach, I have never actually dined at the Strand House, and neither has my family. On the outside, it looks like a modern two-story beach house, with tall glass windows and a balcony overlooking the pier and boardwalk. Once inside, hungry customers are seated with a 180 degree view of the Pacific Ocean, and you are immediately teleported to a gorgeous island vacation for dinner.
Viewz From the Balcony
My family and I were seated out on the balcony, where we could people-watch and enjoy the sky before the sun set. Glancing upon the menu, the Strand House acquires their fresh produce from local farmers in Southern California. A small detail I admired was that they noted the exact times the sun rises and sets for that day. Being a sucker for a perfect LA sunset on my snap or insta story, this was greatly appreciated! To start, my family split the artichoke pizza. This crispy, thin crust pizza had leek fondue, Parmesan, Fontina, olives, and lemon zest. The textures and flavors of this perfect slice was so divine and elevated. It made me excited for what was to follow.
Fresh Catch and Dropped Jaws
Being in Manhattan Beach, the four of us knew we had to order seafood. My sister ordered the salmon served with mashed cauliflower that was SO tasty, caper berries, radish, and garlic breadcrumbs. It was so juicy and fresh, and cooked perfectly medium-well. My dad ordered the slow roasted halibut, served with corn chowder purèe, clams, bacon, Piquillo pepper, and basil. It was flaky, tender, yet light. My mom and I decided to split the scallops and the branzino. The Hokkaido scallops was served with mushrooms, asparagus, sunchoke purèe, and lemon. They were meaty and sweet, and so so fresh. The branzino was pan seared, with the crispiest skin that crunched so nicely with the black truffle risotto, Shimeji mushrooms, and peas. Stunning food to match the stunning view. As we were chowing down on the fresh catch, we took a look over at the table next to us...and our jaws dropped.
Donuts and Sunsets
For those of you wanting to know what caused our shock was *drumroll please*–housemade DONUTS. As if the meal couldn't have gotten better, we were so excited to order some for ourselves. The waiter didn't even bother to offer us the dessert menu because he just knew what we wanted, and what I am sure everyone else wanted! Scratch that, it wasn't a want, it was a need. Fifteen minutes later, five beautiful, shiny glazed donuts came out on a wooden board. I wish I could remember every flavor, but the stand-outs were the chocolate crunch caramel with fleur de sel, as well as the blueberry glaze with lemon cream filling. They were all heavenly, fluffy, sweet, and perfect for sharing (and for taking pics of). Oh, did I mention that the sun was setting just as we started taking our first few bites? It was meant to be.
The Strand House is a must for anyone who loves a seafood + sunset combination (umm...who doesn't?!). It truly feels like you are on vacation, for at least an hour and a half, but why not take advantage of the SoCal view and relaxing ambience? I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who is close enough to Manhattan Beach for quick getaway, and to relax and listen to the ocean waves as you eat some flaky halibut. It is the epitome of California fine dining, where you can have vacation for dinner...and some donuts while you're at it!