A good friend of mine recently had a birthday. To celebrate, I asked him where he would like to go. He chose Happy Hour at Brio Coastal in the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance.
The Del Amo Fashion Center has been undergoing a multi-year renovation. Brio Coastal is located on the west side of the mall next to the recently shuttered Great Maple restaurant off of Hawthorne Blvd. Because the weather was nice, we sat outside in their patio. We were fortunate to enjoy a cool ocean breeze.
Brio Coastal’s Happy Hour menu is extremely affordable. They offer 5 different craft cocktails at only $5 each. Likewise, they have selected wines by the glass at $5, and $1 off of any beer. We decided to order some small plates to share.
Buffalo Cauliflower Steak
We started with the Buffalo Cauliflower Steak. Fresh cauliflower is grilled and topped with crumbled gorgonzola cheese. It is then drizzled with horseradish cream and buffalo sauces. Slivered green onions top the dish giving it a colorful presentation. Having this blend of flavors made the dish quite tasty. .
Scallops with Butternut Squash
Scallops with Butternut Squash intrigued me because I’ve never seen butternut squash combined with scallops before. The butternut squash was mashed and topped with roasted pepitas. Salsa verde was placed on the perfectly grilled scallops. This unique and tasty dish nicely reflected Autumn flavors.
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- Tropical Cosmo
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- Honey Bourbon Manhattan
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- Italian Mule
I tried three of the five cocktails – Italian Mule, Tropical Cosmo and the Honey Bourbon Manhattan. For the price, I was impressed that each of the drinks was made from scratch using quality ingredients. Of the three, I was surprised to find the Honey Bourbon Manhattan come out on top. Their version of a Manhattan was extremely smooth and satisfying.
Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli
The highlight of the evening for me was the Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli. Grilled shrimp was combined with lobster ravioli. It was mixed with a creamy black pepper sauce and topped with spinach and roasted cherry tomatoes. The sauce was rich and a bit on the spicy side. I wish I had some bread to sop up the sauce.
Brio Coastal Bar and Kitchen, 21532 Hawthorne Blvd, Torrance, CA
https://www.coastalbarandkitchen.com