True to Its Name, Chez Melange Cooks Up a Unique Concept Blending Lunch, Brunch & Dinner
After 35 years in the restaurant business, Michael Franks and Robert Bell are still serving up delicious meals with a side of passion at longstanding Chez Melange.
Supplying a unique concept and layout to match, one can dine here according to one’s mood: the location includes the lively Bouzy Gastropub, delightful Oyster Bar, and savory Sea Change eateries under one roof.
Ten years ago, Chez Melange moved from the Palos Verdes Inn to the building at Catalina and Avenue I in Redondo Beach. With the added space and new location, the co-owners were at liberty to explore new concepts that paired well with vibe and clientele of the local village.
“Being a Brit, I always wanted to own a true gastropub like we had back home,” explains Franks.
Thus, Bouzy Gastropub was born, with its presence marking the first gastropub in the South Bay. The cozy Bouzy, which hosts weekly live music (a hit with locals), is a place where friends gather for cocktails, craft beer and hearty pub food.
Crowd favorites are the Knife & Fork Pancho Burger piled high with bacon, avocado, chile relleno, and hot sauce; and the New Orleans-inspired Chez’ Famous Fried Chicken Salad, with lettuce Mache, corn, pecans and buttermilk ranch dressing. Bouzy is now open for lunch, Tuesday through Sunday, and every Monday is $5 burger night.
Down the hallway and just off the main dining room of Sea Change, the Oyster Bar is intimate and relaxing. The rustic vibe and ample bar seating makes a great spot to knock back a bit of bubbly while noshing on fresh oysters. This raw bar offers seasonal fresh seafood towers in three sizes and other tasty bits like hamachi sashimi and the Pacific Rim Tostadas with Ahi and Japanese salsa.
The adjacent dining room hosts Sea Change, the seafood bistro. The menu changes daily to “keep the food honest, fresh and seasonal,” says Franks.
Scrumptious specialties with a kick include Zarzuela, a Spanish mixed seafood stew that includes lobster and a baguette for dipping. Also on the menu are daily fish specials and delights like the decadent Lobster Grilled Cheese sandwich or Veal Chop with Chanterelle mushrooms.
“You’re only as good as your last meal, my dad always told me,” shares Franks, who desires to make every guest feel at home in his South Bay institution, a place to savor every last morsel.
“We are all about community here,” he adds. To this end, Chez Melange is also part of the garden co-op Seed to Plate, which educates special needs students who help tend to the restaurant’s vegetable, fruit and herb garden at Valmonte Elementary School.
Its bounty is provisioned to Chez Melange. Evident is Frank and Bell’s appreciation not only for their patrons and staff, but the business as a whole. An attitude as inspiring as the food.
Chez Melange
310.540.1222 | chezmelange.com
Photographs: Courtesy of Chez Melange