Manhattan Beach (MB) Post

Located in the former Manhattan Beach Post Office, David LeFevre’s MB Post has been getting rave reviews since first opening.  For this laid back beach town, MB Post is a genuine foodie destination.

LeFevre’s resume includes stints at the recently deceased Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago and formerly in Las Vegas, as well as LA’s own Water Grill.

The open dining room at MB Post is on the smaller side with several “communal” tables and an open kitchen.  Dark wood floods the entirety of the room giving it a homey feel.  At dinner, lighting is rather dim making it somewhat difficult to read the menu until your eyes adjust.

Bacon Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

No meal at MB Post can go without their signature Bacon Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits with Maple Butter ($5).  Loaded with thick cut bacon bits and huge chunks of cheddar cheese make these fat and cholesterol bombs to die for.  Considering the amount of bacon and cheese infused into the biscuits they are somewhat on the heavier side, but remain flaky and moist.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

The Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Emmental, hazelnuts and sage ($10) takes a different spin on the classic Brussels Sprouts with Bacon.  The Emmental cheese gives it a sharp, salty twange along with some nutty background notes.  The hazelnuts add some crunch and sweetness, while the sage gives the dish an added earthiness to the dish.

Mac & Cheese

The Mac and Cheese is topped with loads of crunchy bread crumbs.  This dish is somewhat “loose” as the sauce is not very thick but does coat the noodles thoroughly.  The dish is very rich and bursting with sharp cheese flavors.  It was actually too “cheesey” for me, and I could only muster a few bites.

Moroccan Lamb Belly

The BBQ Moroccan Lamb Belly with harissa caramelized onions and Japanese eggplant ($15) is a mix of cultures and tastes.  The lamb belly is fall apart tender with no gamey flavor.  The harissa gets sort of lost in the mix, as I could not taste the bold flavors that are associated with it such as the roasted red peppers and chiles.  This dish was not hot whatsoever.  The eggplant is also very tender, and the dish could have been improved with a textural contrast.

Ribeye Steak

The Meyer Farm 12 oz “Never Ever” Beef Ribeye with Black Truffle Butter ($37) is full of flavor given the high fat content of ribeye.  The steak was perfectly cooked, tender and full of big beefy flavor.  The earthiness of the black truffle butter seems to get lost in this dish.  Although the black truffles are a luxurious item, adding heaps of butter on an already well-marbled steak is overkill.  Although a great dish, I don’t think I would order this dish again given the price point and other appealing options on the menu.

Valrhona Chocolate & Salted Caramel Tart

The Valrhona Chocolate & Salted Caramel Tart with vanilla whipped cream ($6) was a disappointment.  The dessert is cloyingly sweet with barely a hint of salt.  The caramel to chocolate ratio is very heavy on the sugary caramel.  The star of the dish should be the Valrhona chocolate but sadly plays a very minor role.

The "Elvis"

The “Elvis” with chocolate pudding, peanut butter mousse and bacon brittle and bruleed bananas ($7) sounds like a sure fire winner on the surface, but this dessert just didn’t work for me.  The chocolate pudding was full of flavor, but the peanut butter mousse was gritty and was really “greasy”.  The bacon brittle adds crunch and salt to offset the sweetness of the rest of the dish.

Sticky Bun

The Sticky Bun with pecans and brown sugar ($6) was somewhat disappointing.  It was rather dry and “bready”.  It wasn’t tender as you would expect and want a sticky bun to be.

The Benedict

The Benedict ($13) is a twist on the classic Eggs Benedict.  The prosciutto gives the dish some earthiness and a salty punch, while the arugula adds some peppery notes and cuts down on the richness of the dish.

Corned Beef Check Hash

The Corned Beef Cheek Hash ($11) is a total winner.  Although scary sounding, the beef cheeks were tender and full of flavor.  The potatoes were nicely crunchy.  The egg yolk makes for a great sauce when broken over the dish.  The herbaceous and garlicky kick from the gremolata got lost in the dish but wasn’t missed at all.

Blueberry Skillet Cake

The Blueberry Skillet Cake ($11) is light and fluffy, and topped with loads of blueberries.  The real maple syrup adds some sweetness and delectable caramel notes.  Any pancake lover will immediately fall in love with this dish.

After having had a chance to sample a fair number of dishes at dinner and brunch, MB Post had some winners and some that left me scratching my head.  Overall I really like the place and would like to explore more of the menu.  This is definitely a great place to go with a lot of people so that many dishes can be sampled at once.