21 Jan Mosa – Seafood and Pasta House in Hermosa Beach
Hermosa Beach, the beachfront city in the South Bay, sits between Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach. It is a city popular for sunbathing, surfing, beach volleyball, cycling, running and paddleboarding. Hermosa Avenue runs parallel with the beach and the northern end is filled with restaurants, bars and shops. The southern end is a bit more residential with a smattering of local neighborhood restaurants. And the southern end of Hermosa Beach is now home to a new restaurant, Mosa.
Mosa is on the corner of Hermosa Avenue and 2nd Street. A casual restaurant, it is accented with shades of blue tiles, live greens and eclectic pieces of art on display. The space is shaped like an L, with a bar that runs along the main dining room. Mosa is comfortable and inviting beach town restaurant.
Mosa is the new product from Chef Anne Conness and her partner Nancy Vrankovic. They opened Sausal in El Segundo which served California rancho cuisine, as well as the Israeli-leaning Jaffa in West Hollywood which recently closed. At Mosa, the menu is coastal driven featuring fresh seafood and pasta inspired by California and Italy.
Mosa’s menu offers a selection of starters (panini rolls, prosciutto board, heirloom tomato caprese) and vegetables ranging from salads to charred eggplant, Moroccan spiced carrots and grilled broccolini.
But the best part of the menu is the seafood bar.
Freshly shucked raw oysters are available for “$3 bucks a shuck”. The Malpeque oysters from Prince Edward Island were tender with a lot of brininess and a sweet finish and the Buckley Bay oysters from British Columbia were a bit meatier and creamier.
Octopus Carpaccio is thinly sliced and dressed with olive oil, arugula, basil and crisp capers. This is a dish I could eat over and over.
Ahi Tuna Tartar is mixed with avocado and soy and sits on top of a risotto crisp. While this dish is a rather cliche choice, I loved the texture and could taste the large chunks of tuna.
Steamed Salt Spring Mussels are served in a fennel mascarpone broth with chickpeas, espellette and garlic toast. Mascarpone was a surprise, as were the chickpeas, but it all worked and we were soaking up every last drop of the broth.
The pasta dishes range from the lighter cacio e pepe and scami to the richer classic lasagna and lamb parpardelle but we opted not to have pasta.
While we were tempted by the Cioppino, a “fisherman’s wharf seafood stew” with mussels, clams, calamari, shrimp, fish and scallops which can be served over spaghetti or with garlic toast, we instead opted for the Branzino from the Entree section. The whole fish is served on top of spinach, red pepper rouille and charred lemon. It was so delicate and delicious.
Mosa is at home in Hermosa Beach. It is a family-friendly place to sit back and relax and enjoy a delicious seafood meal. And you can wash it all down with a glass of wine from the wine list which features Californian and Italian wines.
190 Hermosa Avenue
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254