Originally built as a Baptist church, the historical building at 1301 Manhattan Avenue has evolved over time to serve as a place of worship, a brewpub, a combined living and rehearsal space for influential punk bands like Black Flag, a bustling bar with a mechanical bull, and now, a chef-driven restaurant turning out delicious food in a modern space that pays homage to its historical roots.
The original restaurant and test kitchen concept from the Blackhouse Hospitality restaurant group and Executive Chef Tin Vuong, Abigaile touts global gastropub fare, featuring an on-site brewery, as well as the Ocean Bar upstairs.
Graffiti by local punk musicians adorns the walls of the restaurant, which is anchored around a copper-clad barrel brewing system. Abigaile, whose kitchen is helmed by Chef/Partner Tin Vuong and Chef de Cuisine David Bartnes, is the only restaurant in Hermosa Beach with an on-site brewery.
Recently appointed brewmaster Paul Papantonio (previously at St. Archer in craft beer mecca San Diego) is spearheading Abigaile’s menu of in-house beers, and curating its menu of primarily Southern California selections on draft.
While IPAs and porters are the most requested styles in the South Bay, Papantonio is keen to make less popular brews such as lagers, as they are harder to find and “few people are actually making them well,” he says. Papantonio fuses traditional brewing techniques with unexpected ingredients to create unique brews like Jam Session and Punchbowl IPA.
He also recently added a special R+D section of the menu consisting of small-batch brews, where guests can help decide what the next in-house beer may be.
Chef Bartnes serves dishes that are globally influenced and domestically sourced from purveyors like Le Sanctuaire, Meyers Ranch, Marshall Farms Honey Farm, Handsome Coffee, and Straus Organic Creamery.
The menu is divided into sections, including “First Bites & Snacks” like Pao de Queijo, Brazilian cheese puffs smothered in butter and spiced honey; “Charcuterie & Cheese” like bocadillo bites filled with jamon serrano, piquillo peppers and manchego cheese; “Swimmers” like Plancha Baby Octopus served with Portuguese sausage, quail egg, bacon aioli and mojo verde; “Carnage” like P.I.G. Pop Tarts, which consist of smoked pork confit, bacon and gruyere wrapped in puff pastry; and “Plats Principaux” like Lomo Saltado that highlight a beef tenderloin served with yellow aji, cilantro and potato.
With a menu that changes daily, take Vuong’s guidance and “Step just a little outside your comfort zone and enjoy food without order or rules.”
Abigaile Restaurant
1301 Manhattan Avenue, Hermosa Beach 90254
310.798.8227 | AbigaileRestaurant.com
Photos courtesy of Abigaile
