For Decades, Fritto Misto Has Served Up Tasty Italian Specialties to the South Bay in a Simple and Convivial Atmosphere
Robert Kerr grew up in Napa in the 1960s— then a small town where he and his family would frequent local restaurants, where they enjoyed a warm welcome and dined on their favorite dishes, priced so that his family, seven in all, could visit regularly.
Kerr has consciously kept these virtues alive at Fritto Misto, a beloved institution on Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach that bustles with couples and groups who are drawn to his restaurant’s unwavering mix of welcoming service, cheerful atmosphere and hearty Italian dishes. (To the warm service, Fritto Misto is owner-operated, and boasts a front-of-house staff that seems to never change, plus a kitchen staff whose members have been in place for 14 years on average.)
The menu lists myriad of Italian classics—from thick lasagna and jumbo ravioli filled with prosciutto, mortadella and chicken—plus a wine list with improbably low prices. It is Southern California, though, so the menu also has a generous supply of vegetarian, gluten-free and low-carbohydrate options, including a mix-and-match Create Your Own Pasta section.
If in doubt, you can always order a goodie-laden Greens and Gorgonzola salad, an order of the spicy shrimp ravioli or a creamy plate of chicken cilantro ravioli, plus a mellow bottle of Chianti and call it a day.
Fritto Misto Italian Café
316 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
310.318.6098 | FrittoMistoItalianCafe.com
Photography by Paul Jonason