A sustainable seafood market, a restaurant and a coffee shop do not seem like the likeliest of combinations, especially in a location like the San Fernando Valley. But sitting on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks, The Joint Eatery is just that.
Open since the summer of 2018, The Joint Eatery sits on the south side of Ventura Blvd, just west of Woodman Ave. The space is quite large and bright with long wooden tables for communal seating. The coffee bar and counter where you order the food is in the back left corner of the open space.
On the right side of the space, separated by a partial wall, is the seafood market, featuring fresh fish and shellfish sourced from around the world, as well as dry-aged fish, a specialty of The Joint Eatery.
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.
Thinking about what to pair with a seafood meal? Of course a plethora of wines come to mind. From Champagne to Riesling to Gruner Veltliner to Sancerre to Chablis to Vermentino to Albarino, the list of white wines that pair beautifully with seafood is endless. But think outside of the box. What about pairing seafood with sake?
Sake is a natural pairing for sushi and sashimi but thanks to JFoodo, a Japanese Government Organization committed to promoting Japanese goods, I had the opportunity to see how versatile sake is and how well it pairs with flavors outside of Japanese cuisine.