Crowds Are A Bummer. But Fish and Chips at Bombo Rock!

Summer weekends in Santa Monica can be drag. Even if you paddle out early -- say 7:00 or 7:30 AM latest  -- it can get pretty crowded, and that's generally not a good thing. This past Sunday I thought I was out early enough to beat the crowds but I was wrong. There were tons of surfers, and a very big contingent of swimmers as well. Now, I've said it enough times, but I'll say it again: I'm no expert surfer. Really, really far from it. But I understand there are rules, and right-of-way issues, and some people, I guess, just don't pay any attention to that. Like if I've already got a spot in the line-up, and there's three of you paddling out, how about giving me some space and not crowding me out? That's what these dudes did and, quite frankly, it was kind of rude. Did I say anything? Nope. It's not worth starting something over. I've seen surfers get territorial and it's not pretty. Anyway, I paddled off and found a new spot. The good news is that it's almost Labor Day, and after the holiday the summer crowds will definitely thin. So it will be more like during the week -- I made it out for a surf session Wednesday morning, and though the waves were pretty mellow, there was almost nobody out. So that was nice.

Also nice was the post-surf lunch. Heading home, I detoured. I'd been having a craving for fish and chips, and I just read somewhere that Mark Peel's Bombo, in the Grand Central Market, had added them to the menu (or they might have put them back on the menu because for a while they didn't seem to be on it). Bombo's been on the must-try list for a while, but as I've said I always get sidetracked at the Grand Central Market by Wexler's. But I really wanted fish and chips so I resisted the urge for deli and this time was a success, as you can see here:

We still miss Mark Peel's Campanile, which closed a few years back but was consistently one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles, in one of the most beautiful spaces in town, with some of the most delicious food. Who wouldn't miss grilled cheese night too, huh? I was also a fan of the short-lived Tar Pit on LaBrea. So it was only good news to hear that Peel was setting up shop at the Grand Central Market, which has become such a great destination for good eats. Bombo is mostly about seafood, and you can even buy some nicely curated fish to take home and cook yourself if you want. Many of the dishes on Bombo's menu are cooked in broth, in these big steam kettles I've never seen anywhere else. I'm going to come back and try more of the menu, but like I said, this time was all about fish and chips. So how was lunch? In a word, excellent!  You might be used to a beer batter, but here the fish -- cod, which is always great for fish and chips -- had a crust that was bread-crumb based, so it was super crunchy, while the fish inside was light, flaky and not at all greasy. There was vinegar for sprinkling over the fish and, of course, a cool tartar-like sauce for dipping. The potatoes were perfectly fried little discs with the skin on, which is the way I like them. All in all a super delicious lunch, and highly recommended if you're downtown. Thanks, Bombo!

More info. here:

www.bombofoods.com

And more on Chef Mark Peel:

www.chefmarkpeel.com