Friday, June 10, 2011

Semi-Retro Dinner

Once upon a time, there were two restaurants on the Redondo Beach Pier. One was named Tony's Fish Market and the other was named Old Tony's and they pretty much faced each other across the Pier.

Tony's Fish Market got sold some time ago (much to the sorrow and despair of the natives) but Old Tony's is still going strong. But it may not be soon. The august City of Redondo Beach wants to find a master lessor to manage every business on the Pier and that puts Tony's at risk. What if they don't like Tony's? Even though it's been there since 1952! See it before it's gone at oldtonys.com.

To show our support, we went down there for dinner. It was faintly sunny, but mainly our usual June Gloom (overcast or marine layer, whatever you want to call it.) Instead of seafood I decided I would have me a retro dinner - salad, sirloin tips in Bearnaise sauce and big, fat baked potato with all of the trimmings - sour cream for one half of the potato, butter for the other and chopped green onions over it all. Bring it on!

Since it was cool out and Tony's had their sliding windows open, I started with a Bloody Mary and we split an order of Cajun popcorn shrimp. The heats blend and it's warming. I recommend the combo.

I was worried about the house salad though. Tony's Fish Market made one that I loved - butter lettuce, chopped hardboiled egg, tiny shrimp in a half buttermilk-half mayo dressing. Old Tony's didn't. So, I asked what was in it? Server Jason obliging reeled off the ingredients and it was the Fish Market recipe! Yay! Now my retro evening was set!

Three minutes after taking our orders, Jason returned, a grim look on his face. "We're out of the sirloin tips," he said sadly.

So I ordered coconut shrimp and French fries instead. So much for a retro dinner...

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