Right on the heels of Chez Melange celebrating its 37th anniversary, Chez Melange recently announced that they will close. It’s a sad time for their numerous Chez Melange fans as they have been accustomed to relying on Chez Melange for their delicious creations, fun wine dinners and Michael Frank’s warm, friendly service.
To make sure we had a chance to visit Chez Melange one last time, my wife and I recently invited our friends for dinner. Of course, co-owner Michael was there to warmly greet us. We asked him why he made the decision to close and he said: “it was time…”. I like Michael, and I was relieved that he didn’t make the decision for health reasons.
For dinner, I selected Zarzuela, a Portuguese seafood stew. In Portugal, the dish is called Zarzuela de Pescado y Marisco. The dish is made with shrimp, lobster, clams, calamari, mussels, scallops, fish, and tomatoes in an addictive delicious sherry cream sauce. Fortunately, you can mop up the sauce with the provided sliced baguette.
Of course, my wife selected filet mignon. This was Chez’s version of Steak Diane – surrounded by Southern-style greens mixed with bacon and caramelized onions and roasted fingerling potatoes. The steak was prepared to perfection and the sauce placed it over the top. The caramelized onions and bacon added a sweet and salty element to the greens.
To say, “Thank You” for the love and support over the years, Chez Melange has the restaurant on a Farewell Tour where they cook and dish up all the hits from the ’80s ’90s and 2000s. They want to show gratitude to every single person that has supported them throughout their journey and encourage all supporters and locals to dine in a final time before Feb. 29 or sooner.
During this time, they expect to be whipping up many Fried Chicken Salads, Steak Frites, Chez Burgers, Chicken Parmesan, Cajun meatloaf, and Sicilian Spaghettis. Please reach out to them if there are any dishes you want to enjoy one more time!
Chez Melange, 1611 S Catalina Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90277; 310.540.1222
chezmelange.com
Hi Bryan,
Great review. It is sad and definitely an end of an era. I remember in the 90’s going to brunch / breakfast in their former location on PCH. Delicious food and great ambiance. You gave a good tribute and send off for this iconic South Bay restaurant. Bravo!! Dean
Thank you Dean. I agree, that this is very sad and the end of an era. Michael Franks and Robert Bell teamed up to create Chez Melange, Chez Allez, Fino, Misto, and Descanso. They had an amazing run and firmly established themselves as pioneers in the South Bay.
I’ve known Michael and Lisa for many years and been an avid supporter of Chez Melange. I was just getting over losing The Admiral Risty and now this.
Thank you Michael , Lisa and Danny for a great 37 years!
Hello David, thank you so much for commenting. It’s been a wonderful ride. I’m a big fan of yours and saw you live with Keiko Matsui in concert. Unfortunately, I missed seeing you tickle the ivories at Descanso in Hermosa Beach.