Beach Magazine Dec 2015

dining
The Arthur J owner Mike Simms with a portrait of his
grandfather Arthur J. Simms. Photo by Brad Jacobson
A steak in the Mid-Century spirit
Executive chef David LeFevre brings 1950s era of
steaks and cocktails to downtown Manhattan Beach
by Richard Foss
Eating steaks has been a symbol of affluence
for hundreds of years and not just
on this side of the Atlantic. Beefsteak
clubs were established in London as early as
1705. Wealthy members dined on steaks,
baked potatoes, wine and beer, a menu that
would delight their counterparts today. It was
such a national trait that the guards at the
Tower of London were nicknamed beefeaters
and a French slang word for Englishmen was
“rosbif.”
Still, the place we associate with big steaks
is the USA and the era is not the 1750s but
the 1950s. It was an era of cool music, strong
cocktails, big steaks, and big dreams. Even
people who weren’t born yet can get nostalgic
for the era of optimism and opulence.
The place to do that today is The Arthur J.
It’s mid-century visually and the kitchen
serves up dishes in that spirit, but made
attractive to a contemporary palate.
The restaurant is an homage by the Simms
brothers to their late grandfather Arthur J.
Simms, who was a restaurateur and whose
portrait hangs by the front podium. The
grandfather is also oddly but touchingly
remembered with a pair of battered golf
shoes by the front door.
Executive chef David LeFevre taps into
nostalgic and historic veins both with what is
served and how it’s presented. Some very
modern items are served in the blue-flowered
Corningware baking dishes that were in
every kitchen when Eisenhower was president.
These and other touches show a genuine
affection for what’s going on here.
The menu is heavy on steaks, naturally, but
there is much more here. I have visited The
Arthur J twice — once with someone who is
a connoisseur of cow, the second time with
someone who hadn’t eaten beef for decades
and both visits were successful. Both times
we were served by a cheerful pro named
Rachel who was an excellent guide to the
subtleties of the menu.
The starters are mostly classics. We tried
an emmental popover, split pea soup,
Hamachi tartare and a grilled Treviso salad.
The popover and soup were on different visits,
but I wish I had ordered them together
because they would complement each other
well. The very light, savory roll with funky
cheese filling would have been great with the
soup, which had a slight peppery tang and
extra flavor from rye croutons and the
chunks of Virginia ham. A note to those who
haven’t had it before: Virginia ham is saltier
and chewier than most other hams, so adjust
your expectations when you bite into one of
those nuggets of meat in the soup. Including
it in this soup adds a rare flavor of Colonial
America in a California beach town. The
only modern element was the garnish of
smoked chicharrones, which added a rich
crunch to the mix.
The flavor of the Hamachi was another
coast and another century; marinated
chopped yellowtail with micro-greens, tomato,
radish slices, cucumber, Thai chili, peaches,
and peanuts. A puffed rice chip with
sesame on the side adds an additional texture,
if one is needed. Those items don’t
sound like they should work together but
they do. There’s a slightly different balance
34 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • December 10, 2015