Sunday, June 19, 2011

David LeFevre's M.B. Post in Manhattan Beach

Some of you would love the bacon cheddar biscuit with maple butter, or caramelized pork jowl, or skirt steak with a bold chimichurri sauce. Some would prefer delicately steamed fish, served atop boiled bok choy and  a subtle sauce, or a light appetizer of couscous mixed the tartness of pomegranates and crunchy marcona almonds. Whichever camp you're in, M. B. Post will satisfy.

Start with a choice of three carbs, each paired with its own spread. Our favorite was the bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuit with maple butter ($5), but we also enjoyed both the fleur de sel pretzel with horseradish mustard ($4) and grilled naan flatbread with harissa yogurt ($4).

Bacon Cheddar Biscuits
Los Angeles Magazine featured his recipe for the bacon cheddar biscuit here.

The cheese and charcuterie board was also impressive with its slew of condiments, from different types of mustards to honeycomb to fruit preserves and pickled vegetables.
Cheese and Meat Board


Avila's HeirTheir craft cocktails are $12 each and they have interesting variations on popular classic and tiki drinks. I particularly enjoyed the Avila's Heir (margarita with corralejo reposado, serrano, mandarin, yuzu) and Sun Also Rises (Blood and Sand with Compass Box "Oak Cross", rhubarb, blood orange). I had ordered My Landing Strip (aviation with Hendricks, creme de violet, candied orange) but I thought it had too much creme de violet for my taste.


Chef David LeFevre has a big selection of lighter appetizers, from salads of beets to local vegetables to Pomegranate cous cous, lavender feta, marcona almonds, mint ($9).
Pomegranate Cous Cous
If you want a heavier course to go with beers, there are the "fee-fi-fo-fum" fries that are bigger than your fingers or something in between with the steamed mussels served with a fistful of sticky rice.

The proteins also ranged from the more delicate and seasonal seafood such as the Grilled king salmon, blood orange, korean pear-celeriac-fava slaw ($13)
Grilled Salmon
Note that the items here are meant to share so even the protein/"entree" dishes, while may be enough for one, aren't particularly big.

The Steamed Tai Snapper, bok choy, and sudachi ($15) are subtly flavor with moist and flaky flesh.
Tai Snapper

If you want a richer dish, get the Vietnamese Caramel Pork Jowl, green papaya salad, lime ($13)
Vietnamese pork jowl

The rich pork jowl was complemented well with the sour green papaya salad.

Other red meat dishes we liked were the Moroccan BBQ Lamb Belly, creamy semolina, Weiser farm tiny carrots ($13) and Meyers Farm "Never Ever" Skirt Steak, grilled ramps, red chimichurri ($17).

The side dishes are also done well and are boldly flavorful, including the green beans with fish sauce.
Green Beans

There are always three or four dessert selections, and the table favorite was by far the Three point tart with macerated strawberries and rhubarb, buttermilk panna cotta ($6)
Three Point Tart
This wouldn't have been my first choice to order from reading the menu, but the crispy, flaky pastry with the sweet strawberries and tart rhubarbs paired with the creamy panna cotta was much better than I had expected.
Chef David Lefevre
Chef David LeFevre
Since Chef David LeFevre had most recently left Water Grill before opening MB Post, I had high expectation of his seafood dishes, and he did not disappoint. Here at MB Post, he can play around more with flavors, incorporating more "exotic" South Asian flavor profiles. Compared to the restrained, quiet Water Grill, the crowded MB Post fits the Manhattan Beach clientele more, and whether you wanted a heavy or lighter meal here, you can maneuver your way through the menu. Either way, you'd be happy.



M.B. Post
1142 Manhattan Ave.
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 545-5405
www.eatmbpost.com
MB Post on Urbanspoon

Disclosure: This meal was hosted. Oh, and I even took home some leftovers.

2 comments:

Kung Food Panda

I want to try this place out now.

You could have dropped off some leftovers to this Panda! LOL

Porque Chile

We'd love to see bacon biscuits here in Chile

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