Marilyn Anderson & Dennis Lanning's PORTOFINO HOTEL AND YACHT CLUB - Redondo Beach, CA A short way down the coast from Los Angeles is the beach town of Redondo Beach. Once a sleepy enclave of surfers and airline stewardesses (when they were called that), it now boasts of sky-high real estate and some hidden travel gems, perfect for a weekend escape. One of these is the Portofino Hotel and Yacht Club, located in King Harbor on the Pacific Ocean. The hotel takes its name from the fact that while landlubbers may come by car, the wide berths and superior dock space of the marina ensure that even the biggest boaters have easy access as well. While we were there, many guests had come by boat and sought a luxurious night or two on shore. With a first-class restaurant across the courtyard, we were looking forward to a great get-away-from-home-for-a-night, as we live only 10 miles away. The Portofino doesn't disappoint. Substantially remodeled at a cost of $11 million and operated by the capable Noble House Hotel Group, this once sketchy property is now a first rate inn. The new maritime look is handsome and warm with a soft yellow and blue theme.
After our walk, we returned to our room for a quick cat nap on the lushest of bedding and casually dressed for the evening ahead at their signature restaurant, Baleen Los Angeles. A natural for air passengers to Los Angeles, due to its close proximity to LAX, desirable to boaters for the marina facilities at its front door, and a short drive for LA locals, the Portofino is a traveler's trifecta. We loved the sense of "quiet luxury" imbued in the newly remodeled rooms on the water and also their first-rate restaurant. If you like the easygoing feeling of the seaside, a jaunt to the Portofino could be the perfect destination. PORTOFINO HOTEL AND YACHT CLUB BALEEN LOS ANGELES - Redondo Beach, CA Across the courtyard from the Portofino Hotel and Yacht Club, Baleen Los Angeles brings fine dining to King Harbor in Redondo Beach, California. Recognizable as the signature restaurant of the Noble House Hotel Group—we have found from prior experience—they succeed where others don't, in serving food with style and elegance but without pretension. Baleen is an inviting and handsome restaurant. Just entering relaxes you in a way few places do today. It seems more like a cozy living room than a highly functional dining emporium. We were thinking Bing Crosby and "White Christmas" as we were seated at a nice table close to the fireplace, which warmed our hearts on a chilly beach evening. The menu is designed to do the same thing for your stomach, that is, warm and comforting food, but with an eclectic and fresh edge to it. Each menu item is a feast for the eyes as well as the palette, with creative presentation being the order of the day. We started with the heirloom beet salad with pine nuts, feta cheese, asparagus, and aged balsamic vinegar. Tasty and unique with those oh-so-rare heirloom beets! We also split the lobster and crab salad with light dill sauce, topped with caviar and pear balls on the side. Yummy!
Baleen's distinctive preparations and accompaniments make you want to try everything on the menu. Our entrees included a perfectly prepared grilled char, with an edamame puree topping a crispy potato cake with fresh bok choy and mild ginger sauce. Arctic char is closely related to both salmon and trout and has a reddish pink color, clean taste and even texture. It was char par-excellence! Nothing is more comforting than a great grilled steak. Our second entrée was their charbroiled rib-eye steak topped with a sweet roasted onion and cabernet reduction, and served with golden fingerling potatoes. Another extraordinary dish! On our afternoon walk that day, we had both resolved, "No more desserts." But tonight we realized our promise would have to wait—Baleen simply made it impossible to resist. "Ever have "Blueberry Soup?" our waiter Joe asked. "Wow," we said. In all our travels, we'd never come across it. Convincing us we'd like it, he brought a deep dish consisting of cinnamon gelato, ground cinnamon, sugar, and white chocolate sticks in a "soup" of blueberries and sauce. Talk about licking our lips! This was an exceptional dessert that we highly recommend. As if that wasn't enough, Joe also brought us another dessert, an utterly divine chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream. As we finished our meal, all we could say was, “Ahhhhhh.” Baleen Los Angeles is a place we will return to soon and often. This was our third meal at a Noble House restaurant and each one was as close to perfect as possible. For the Noble House Hotel visit, www.noblehousehotels.com.
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