The Kettle

Biking over 40 miles in one afternoon sounds insane... because it is.  So by the time we got to Manhattan Beach, not only were we tired, but we were starving.  As you can imagine, by the time we reached The Kettle, we were ready for some grub.  And grub, we did.

"Our menu is only a guide, please feel free to be creative." - YES.

French Onion Soup - $6.95

The soup is topped with mozzarella and not gruyere - it is a bit unconventional, but it works.

Roasted Garlic Hummus Platter (garlic hummus, warm pita, veggies) - $7.95

Fluffy pita?  Oh yes.

French Quarter (half-pound burger with melted Swiss cheese, smoked bacon, avocado, tomato, onion, protein-style) - $11.50

Even without the sourdough bread, this burger was good!  In many ways, including the 1000 Islands sauce, reminded me of a slightly more upscale, more expensive In n Out burger...

BLT & Avocado (smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado on 9 grain wheat bread) - $10.50

With a diner-type feel, this place is family-friendly.  It doesn't have mind-blowing food, but they have pretty solid burgers and sandwiches.  Plus, they're open 24 hours, 7 days a week so it may be a good place to resort to during those late night/ early morning adventures.



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cuisine: American
location: Manhattan Beach
hours: Open 24/7!
websites: { K | yelp }
attire: Casual
parking: street
notes: Sit out on the patio on a sunny Cali day.  Or a cool Cali night.  At any time, really.

Uncle Bill's Pancake House

[written 10/7/2008]

A pancake house is not the place you'd normally find me on a Saturday morning, namely because I'm not a fan of pancakes (I know, I know), but one Saturday morning, after a 2 hour wait, I enjoyed not one, but two good ol' wheat flapjacks drizzled with blueberry syrup.

If you're not big on pancakes like me, there were plenty of other tantalizing items on the menu. Exhibit A is the Expo '73 omelet: onions, mushrooms, ham, bacon, sausage, American cheese all wrapped snuggly in a fluffy egg blanket, topped with sour cream, and the money ingredient: house meat sauce. The crispy hashbrowns that accompanied the meal added great touch and texture.

Service was also top-notch: refills taken care of, all main and extra orders out in reasonable time.

Overall, this is certainly a place I've put down in my brunch book for future visits. And if you have a big party like mine, jot down your name on the clipboard by the door and chill at the beach which is just down the hill.
Brunch can't get much better than this.

Exh A - Expo '73 Omelet

Chocolate chip pancakes w/ a fresh cup of joe

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cuisine: American Brunch
location: Manhattan Beach
hours: M-Th: 11am-12am; F-Sat: 11am-1am; Sun: 11am-11pm
website: { UB | yelp }
attire: Casual
parking: street
note: If you have a large group, get there early and sign your name on the clipboard next to the door.