By Amanda Cushman Real Simple Food
I DON’T KNOW WHETHER MOST people know where El Segundo is, but I just discovered this cute town near the airport and found a quaint setting for a sleepy village that has quite a few restaurants to explore.
I paid Main Street a visit the other night to check out Chef Hannes’ establishment, which was an enjoyable experience. I had a few friends that wanted to try something new and we looked online for something that would not be crowded and overwhelmed by trendy packed venues on a Saturday night.
We discovered Chef Hannes in an online search and ventured over to El Segundo. Who knew this small town had such a variety of places to check out; there was Sushi, Vietnamese, Italian and this eclectic Hannes place. It seemed that the menu had a little of every cuisine from Italian to Asian.
The atmosphere was something along the lines of a country kitchen with casual table settings and the chef himself attending to the customers as they walked in. It was very quiet and calm for a Saturday night which all of us welcomed.
We had a friendly wait person who informed us of the specials, which included grilled scallops, Chilean sea bass and arugula salad with goat cheese. My friend picked the scallops, I ordered the pasta with turkey sausage and our other companion had a chicken gumbo.
We all ordered the special salad which arrived with arugula, roasted eggplant, tomatoes and goat cheese. It was a large serving that was delicious with just the right amount of vinaigrette. On the table they served a sliced baguette with some sort of potato garlic spread that was loaded with garlic and olive oil. It was quite addictive and we all polished it off without a problem.
The entrees were also abundant portions and were well seasoned and perfectly cooked. I don’t often order pasta as I am aware of avoiding carbs as a way to maintain my girlish figure but I was in the mood for some hearty fare and upon eating this dish was delighted with my choice.
The sauce had a nice combination of tomato, sausage and basil and there was enough of it to coat the pasta. My friends both enjoyed their entrees as well, especially the scallop dish.
I would recommend checking out this place. I discovered before leaving that they have a garden area in the back so you can sit outside and enjoy the weather.
For those of you who may want to try their hand at a pasta with chicken sausage that I often make at home, here is my version of this delicious dish.
AMANDA CUSHMAN is a culinary educator who has cooked professionally for 25 years. She teaches privately for groups of two to 20 students. She has developed hundreds of recipes for cookbooks as well as food magazines and Web sites. She
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 14, 2008. Read the original PDF.