The Chicken Shack

1030 Aviation Boulevard,

Hermosa Beach, CA 90254

(310) 372-1522 ‎

chickenshackrotisserie.com

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-chicken-shack-hermosa-beach

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Rating: 3 stars

Typical cost for lunch: $$ - $$$ ($7-14)

What was ordered: The Classic Cut, Saltado de Pollo

Date of visit: 11 February 2011 (1^st visit)

Review: When you are looking for a place to eat lunch the brightly painted red and yellow Chicken Shack naturally draws you in like a moth to light. I was pleasantly surprised to discover this place is a Peruvian restaurant. We here at the Aerolunch Blog are big fans of Peruvian food. In fact we refer to El Pollo Inca (just down the street from the Chicken Shack) as “the Standard”.

Perusing the menu, the Shack’s main focus seems to be on their rotisserie chicken, so I ordered the Classic Cut for $9, which is half a rotisserie chicken with two sides and two sauces. I got garlic rice (based on the server’s recommendation) and mixed vegetables on the side but could have alternatively chosen golden fries, potato salad, or garden salad. The chicken was excellent but not significantly better than most rotisserie chicken I have had. The garlic rice was good, but the vegetables were excellent. They were a steamed mixture of carrots, broccoli, and green beans and came with an Italian type dressing to give them some flavor. They were not over-cooked and maintained a slight crunch.

My compatriot ordered the Saltado de Pollo for $14. This is a classic Peruvian dish of stir-fried chicken breast and onions served over fries and a scoop of garlic rice on the side. The chicken was expertly cooked and well seasoned. The fries were not really incorporated into the dish as I am used to in a saltado. Instead of absorbing the delicious sauce they were an independent part of the meal. The saltado also came with two sauces.

The Chicken shack has three sauces to choose from: 1) the classic Peruvian green sauce made from jalapenos and lettuce, 2) yellow sauce made with Aji de Amarillo (a yellow Peruvian chill pepper), and 3) white sauce, a non-spicy yogurt sauce. The green sauce is the normal sauce you get in every Peruvian restaurant. The yellow sauce was spicier and creamier (due to the presence of yogurt). I thought the yellow sauce had great flavor and highly recommend it. We didn’t try the white sauce. My friend was disturbed by the fact that you don’t get a big bottle of the green sauce here. Each meal comes with two little cups of sauce and if you want more they are $0.50/each. It was enough sauce for me, but not him.

The food here was excellent; I would call it 4 stars. My main gripe with the Chicken Shack is the cost. The rotisserie chicken was several dollars more than their competitors and might be able to be justified with the steamed vegetables and delightful yellow sauce. The Saltado de Pollo however is twice the cost of El Pollo Inca just down the street and El Pollo Inca throws in a cup of cilantro, chicken, and rice soup. They might be nominally better than El Pollo Inca, but the cost/benefit is just not there. 3 stars.

-Ben

Los Taquitos

1120 West Florence Avenue

Inglewood, CA 90301-1572

(310) 215-0535

‎ ‎

http://www.yelp.com/biz/los-taquitos-inglewood

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Rating: 4.5 stars

Typical cost for lunch: $ ($5-9)

What was ordered: Machaca Burrito, Chicken Fajitas, Orchata

Date of visit: 31 January 2011 (1^st visit)

Review: We were heading to the Front Page Jamaican Grill, but they were closed…. So we decided to try the hole-in-the-wall Mexican place in the back side of the strip mall. That is how we found Los Taquitos and are ever so happy we did!

Los Taquitos is a small unassuming joint tucked into a rundown strip mall. It seems like the perfect place to find delicious authentic Mexican food and that’s what you find. When we sat down, chips and salsa were brought out. The salsa was great though I tend to prefer my salsa a little thinner than they serve it here (though by no means is it chunky). I have a theory that great salsa starts with dried whole chili peppers and I’m pretty sure that’s what I was eating with this salsa.

The Machaca burrito was sublime: shredded beef fried with eggs, bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes all wrapped up in a tortilla. I recommend you get it “wet” which means it comes bathed in delicious, spicy enchilada sauce. You can pay a buck more for rice and beans on the side, but with the chips and salsa, the burrito alone was enough to fill up my hearty appetite. The Fajitas were a show stopper: strips of chicken, green pepper, and onion sizzling away on a cast iron pan brought right from the cook-top to your table. A pool of tasty marinade was on the bottom of the pan bubbling up and around the chicken and veggies. Beans, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, and warm tortillas were served on the side ready to be assembled into a scrumptious meal.

The fajitas are a $$ ($7-9) lunch and are an excellent deal. I put Los Taquitos in the $ bin because I consider the burritos more of a typical lunch time order. Either way you look at it Los Taquitos is a great meal at a ridiculously cheap price. 4.5 stars, I’ll have to go back a few more times before I am willing to give them the full 5 stars.

-Ben

Manhattan Bread & Bagel

1812 North Sepulveda Boulevard,

Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

(310) 545-7553 ‎

manhattanbread.com

http://www.yelp.com/biz/manhattan-bread-and-bagel-manhattan-beach-2

Rating: 4 stars

Typical cost for lunch: $$ ($6.25-10)

What was ordered: Grilled Pesto Chicken Breast Sandwich & Grilled Veggie Sandwich

Date of visit: 1 February 2011 (1^st visit)

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Review: This is the kind of niche I would like this blog to fill. Most people around here have had a morning meeting where Manhattan bagels and schmear were served. They are delicious and they have earned a respectable 4 stars on Yelp, but what does that mean to the hungry lunch crowd? Not a whole lot. Today I offer a review of Manhattan Bread and Bagel as a lunch destination.

This is a higher end bagel shop that serves the affluent community of Manhattan Beach. Going in I didn’t expect a whole lot of food for my money, but I was pleasantly surprised by the generous sandwich I received for $7.50. The chicken pesto had big pieces lean chicken breast bathed in, what tasted like, homemade pesto. Some nice green leaf lettuce, red onion, and a few slices of tomato completed the sandwich on two big slices of fresh sourdough. The grilled veggie was even better: a big pile of roasted veggies (eggplant, pepper, and zucchini) on a ciabatta roll with a healthy schmear of goat cheese and some of the same pesto. It was a hearty vegetarian sandwich.

The only real drawback to the lunch was the sides. All sandwiches come with a wedge of orange and some pasta salad. The pasta salad was a little boring but not bad, and the wedge of orange…. was a wedge of orange. I understand trying to keep prices down while using higher end ingredients means sacrifices have to be made, but I wish there were more options. For $2.50 I could have added some chips and a soda… nahhhh. What I was looking for was a proper side salad or cup of fresh homemade soup for a couple bucks more.

In conclusion, the sandwich was satisfying but the lunch was not satisfying enough to make me a regular. I will go back when I am looking for a quick light lunch. 4 stars.

-Ben