A trio of partners help M.B. Post deliver
One of the first restaurants to ignite the foodie-fueled uptick in other culinary concepts across the South Bay, M.B. Post continues to hold its ground among local favorites—much in part to chef/owner David LeFevre’s playful and globally eclectic menu.
In a laid-back, classy town like Manhattan Beach, M.B. Post finds just the right balance between casual and artisanal, offering diners expertly composed dishes with a flip-flop-friendly ambiance.
Menu sections like “Pass the Bread,” “Eat Your Vegetables” and “Seafood…Eat Food” are cheeky and plates are mouthwatering. Although the seasonal menu changes at the chef’s whim, shareable items like Bacon Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits with maple butter; Pomegranate Couscous with lavender feta, marcona almonds, grapefruit and mint; Albacore Tuna Tataki with grilled pineapple, yuzu and Serrano, and desserts like The “Elvis,” a wonderful mess of chocolate pudding, peanut butter mousse and bacon brittle, are enough to make anyone over-order.
Brunch features a not-to-be-missed Sticky Bun with pecan and brown sugar, easily worked off with a couple games of volleyball on the beach. The highlight of any brunch menu, of course, is a hand-crafted cocktail menu, the one here featuring interesting specialties like Gift of the Gods, Old English with Chopin, St. George, Asian pear, cinnamon and vanilla foam; Blood & Smoke, a bloody mary with bacon-washed Chopin wheat, celery seed, sriracha salt and speck; and The Golden Hind, a mojito with Starr, passion fruit, luxardo maraschino and pink peppercorn.
Paying homage to the old post office space in which it resides, the restaurant decor deftly reflects its seaside community’s relaxed, beach-front vibe. Exposed rafters, cement floors, sun-bleached reclaimed wood and a color scheme inspired by local lifeguard stands bring the outside in, adding a level of coastal rusticity. Intended to be a space where patrons come to dine, yet stay for the engaging atmosphere, the trio of partners behind M.B. Post coined it a “social house.” Mike Simms (of The Simms Restaurant Group) and Jerry Garbus, who also serves as wine director, share LeFevre’s passion for hospitality.
As a Manhattan Beach native, Simms brings a sense of local community and credibility to the restaurant, while Garbus, acclaimed for his sommelier expertise in Food & Wine magazine, sums up the trio’s convivial vision for M.B. Post, saying, “I remember most of the great meals I’ve had; who I had them with, the food I ate, the wine I was drinking and the occasion. My job, essentially, is to help in facilitating that kind of experience.”
With 40 percent of the restaurant set aside for walk-in guests at communal tables, M.B. Post remains the perfect spot for friends to swing by and see what’s cooking.
M.B. POST
1142 Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
310.545.5405 | EatMBPost.com
Photos Courtesy of M.B. Post