• All
  • *
  • Cocktails
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Podcasts
  • Syndicate
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Videos
  • Wine
A year after opening, Preux & Proper in downtown LA is like a new restaurant. The decor is the same and the slushy machines on the ground floor are still there, but there is a new chef at the helm. Chef Sammy Monsour Sammy Monsour came to Preux & Proper in January 2016 but is also new to Los Angeles. Raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, he went to culinary school at The Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park in New York. He was working in Boston, learning from great chefs, and then took his art on the road, organizing pop-up events such as "Chuck Taylor’s Fried Chicken All Stars", "The Future of Junk Food" and "Antibellum". But now he has found his new home at Preux & Proper. He also brought his chef de cuisine, Steven Hacker, and sous chef, Paul Trevino who worked with him at Antibellum and kept almost all of the original staff of the restaurant. While the restaurant was first opened with a New Orleans theme, Monsour calls his menu "soul food". There is a mix of southern flavors (New Orleans, Texas, the Carolinas, Alabama) that work well together. Monsour is down-to-earth, charming and outgoing. But what shines the most is his passion for what he does. The food is focused on flavor and soul and is very very tasty!
I have been meaning to go to Manhattan Beach to try David Lefevre's Fishing With Dynamite since it opened almost one year ago.  So, what better place to spend National Clam Chowder Day (February 25) than at the East Coast-meets-West Coast seafood restaurant across the street from the beach!?!? Fishing with Dynamite is a friendly little spot. I say little as it only seats 33 people. When you walk in, you are facing, and almost up against, the raw bar, which has a few seats along it and then to the right is the bar with a few more seats. On either side of the raw bar are tables but in between all of these, there is little standing room. I arrived a few minutes before my dining partner and wasn't sure where to wait. But, the friendliness of the staff made me feel right at home. From the hostess to the servers to management, everyone was so personable and their love for the restaurant and the menu was apparent. Not a bad sentiment to start off a meal!
Copied!