honey | Shannon the Foodie

It’s that time of year again where I fork over wheelbarrows full of money so I can get a glimpse of LA’s best restaurants. Yep, it is DineLA. DineLA this time around is in July for two weeks (July 14-27), right smack dab in the middle of summer. I had no idea that DineLA happens twice a year and occurs only a few months between each other, so I definitely didn’t prepare to take such a hit on my wallet. Since I was so unprepared on all accounts, I definitely had NO IDEA where to go. Mix that with my indecisiveness and that is a recipe for disaster with frustration over a place to eat (those decisions are really important, okay). Anyways, thank goodness for best friend number 2, aka Eater LA, for already doing most of the brunt work by recommending what they thought was the 20 Best Picks for DineLA July. So, what did I do? What every indecisive yet fastidious foodie would do… heavily research the restaurants on the list and pick one from there, duh.

Eater LA really does know how to compile a solid list (click above link for proof), so I trust their judgement in that regard. There were a few repeat winners, such as The Bazaar by Jose Andres, Craft, and Gordon Ramsay, but there were other ones that were obscure but seemed promising. Being as adventurous as I am when it comes to food, I went for the path less taken and went for obscure yet promising – I ended up choosing Abigaile located in Hermosa Beach. I have never heard of Abigaile nor have I ever been to Hermosa Beach so I was excited to make this DineLA experience into a foodie excursion. Of course I couldn’t go on this adventure alone so I took my foodie friend, Vinh, as he also is down to try just about any kind of cuisine/restaurant.

My first impression of Hermosa Beach was that it reminded me a lot of Del Mar combined with La Jolla in San Diego. Hermosa Beach is a quaint and cute little beach town that has tall streets like San Francisco but has the serenity of San Diego beach cities – two places that I hold near and dear to my heart. Needless to say, I instantly fell in love with the place. It is quite unfortunate that I live about 45 min to 1 hour away from there. The restaurant had a very rustic feel – lots of dark woods, metal chairs and sheets, and a chalk wall. The back of the restaurant had large glass windows that has views of the ocean and the pier, which is only 1 block away – it was stunning. Abigaile is cozy enough to take a someone to on a date but was also open and spacious enough to fit a fair-sized party – very versatile, if you ask me.

Okay, now on to the food. I already knew what I wanted before I got there because I like to know exactly what I am getting into (although sometimes I surprise myself and select things on a whim). Abigaile is described as New American style food, it is like America food with a bit of a twist from cuisines around the world (Asian, Brazilian, Canadian, etc). Their menu was extensive, with plenty of choices that can statisfy the picky and the open-minded eater. Abigaile’s DineLA dinner was priced at $45, a bit on the pricier side, but it was worth every penny – let me tell you why. First of all, you get a 5 course meal. Second, Abigaile does NOT skimp on the quality and definitely not the quantity, so you will not leave full. And third, the service was impeccable. Finding a restaurant that participates in DineLA that has all of that criteria is near impossible. I think Abigaile achieved what very few restaurants achieve when participating in DineLA, that is to retain customers and to get them coming back. You can say that I will definitely be back soon. See, this is why you go with the obscure yet promising ones, you tend to find hidden gems that way. Did I mention that Abigaile also brews their own beer – and good beer might I add! I am not a beer drinker, but their beer was good enough to convert me into one (I still love my wine though). Their Cacophony IPA had a lychee taste to it – and I am not mad at that.