Fishing With Dynamite: The Bomb in Manhattan Beach

Manhattan Beach dining scene is blowing up. Following his success at M. B. Post, Chef David Lefevre opened up Fishing with Dynamite just a few doors down, this time focusing on seafood.

Not to miss at Fishing with Dynamite is their raw bar selection, including (of course) a great selection of eight different oysters. My recent favorite is the Sweet Petite (Cape Cod, MA). Like the name suggests, it's one of the sweetest oysters out there!

Think you know scallops? Hold that thought until you try the Peruvian Scallops ($22/dozen), perhaps the most unique item on the raw bar menu. Small yet succulent and sweet, perfectly accented by the grapefruit.

We also had Littleneck clams ($26/dozen) and Atlantic Lobster ($20 for half), both excellent.

Uni lovers (that would be me) shouldn't miss the special and aptly named Bomb.com: hand harvested Santa Barbara sea urchin ($15)

You can choose two of these sauces: mignonette, cocktail, ponzu, pico de gallo, yuzu kosho mayo, saffron aioli, remoulade. Which one you should get depends on what raw items you're getting!

Cocktails are also great here and designed to go with the seafood dishes and there are options for all palates from martini lovers to those who like richer, sweeter cocktails like flips. If you want something spicier, try the Regalo de Dios (Hacienda de Chihuahua sotol, Combier, strawberry-rhubarb puree, serrano, rhubarb bitters).

Those who prefer more aromatic drinks should opt for Through the Looking Glass (No. 3 gin, Tio Pepe fino sherry, Cocchi Americano, orange bitters, Dolin dry vermouth rinse).

There were also a couple of specials on the menu that day:
Hamachi, avocado, ponzu, radish, serrano, shiso ($16)

Pay attention to the special items. When we were there we lucked out with Chef David's Mom's Cape Cod Squash Rolls with rosemary butter ($4)

His mom used to make these squash rolls for family thanksgiving, lucky him. The sweetness and extra creaminess from the squash really take dinner rolls to the next level!

New England Clam Chowdah ($6/cup): Neuske's bacon, Weiser Farm potatoes, house made oyster crackers

I know people really love the clam chowder here, but be warned that this one's a bit different. The texture was creamier but to me reminiscent of the texture of coconut milk.

Maryland Blue Crab Cake, in-house dill pickles, whole grain mustard remoulade ($16)

This was an awesome crab cake. It was big, and somehow it retained the shape even though it was pretty much all crab.

Black Miso Cod, Japanese eggplant, adzuki beans, pickled ginger, thai basil ($16)

The grill marks already show you how flaky the cod was. Cooked perfectly, it was sweet, tender, and flaky.

Sauteed Loup de Mer, caramelized onion, fennel, red wine reduction ($17)

The previous fish dish was delicate but this one is all about the crispy skin and its bolder sauce.

I also enjoyed the large diver scallops with turmeric cauliflower, mint, yellow raisins, capers, Marcona almonds ($16)

We should already know from Chef Lefevre's background, having worked at Water Grill, that he has a way with seafood.

Now, dessert ... This is actually a bit funny, but the power went out for the whole block while we were finishing our dinner! We were done with all the entrees and managed to get one more cocktail, but unfortunately because of that we weren't able to get any dessert. Poor Chef David, since he now had two restaurants on the same block, so the power went out for both ... Oh, well, just another excuse for me to come again and enjoy all the fine seafood before dessert!

Fishing with Dynamite

1148 Manhattan Ave
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 893-6299
http://www.eatfwd.com/