15-05-2025
Making Waves In Her-Mosa Beach
There's something intoxicating about the smell of smoky kabobs cooked over oak, being carried by a sea breeze. For sure, it can turn a hungry person into a positively starving one. That's what happened walking up to AttaGirl — a California-Mediterranean fusion spot that opened near the Hermosa Beach Pier on March 6 and is already drawing well-heeled throngs who don't mind a wait for a table in the White Lotus-vibed establishment to savor mezze, kabobs and a smattering of other dishes inspired by Italy and Africa. The instant success of the restaurant helmed by chef Alice Mai is no surprise. Its quippy name came courtesy of her longtime mentor and now business partner, legendary chef David LeFevre, whose Manhattan Beach hot spots RYLA, the Arthur J., Manhattan Beach Post and Fishing With Dynamite (where Mai was his longtime chef de cuisine) are still buzzing years after becoming the 'it places' for the glitterati in seaside South Bay is quickly becoming a standout in her own kitchen now — with a menu that's inspired, she says, by 'what I like to eat.' We started with a chef's plate, which was a mix of mezze served with house-made focaccia drizzled with olive oil, a delightfully fluffy fresh-baked pita, hummus, cucumber tzatziki, spicy whipped feta and a savory roasted spiced eggplant. But the standout in this mix was Mai's pickled vegetables, which we can certainly imagine buying by the jarful.
The appetizer list reads like a spinning globe, with crispy cauliflower falafel, fried whole prawns, salmon crudo, lamb meatballs and an octopus la opted for the soft-shell prawns and were not disappointed by the delicate crunch that came with each savory bite. The house-made pastas certainly invited memories of eating beachside in Positano — especially watching fellow diners dig into the vongole — but the spectacular spiced lamb Bolognese radiatore hints at the long years Mai has spent perfecting her craft after leaving the corporate course, the skewers — cooked in the open air of the eatery's parking lot that welcomed us into the beachy scene — are not to be missed. As our server Christine pointed out proudly, with Mai running her own kitchen and the long line acting as a visual 'attagirl!,' the neighborhood, as she pronounced it, is a fitting choice: 'Her-mosa Beach.1238 Hermosa Ave., Hermosa Beach,
