Star chefs overseeing standout performances
Dressed in his kitchen whites, David LeFevre was busy making his rounds through the tables at his Redondo Beach spot Friday evening, chatting up diners, sometimes taking a seat next to them to talk about their fourcourse meal.
The celebrated South Bay chef wasn’t at one of his restaurants but rather the BeachLife Festival’s DAOU SideStage Experience popup as New Orleans band the Revivalists played on the adjacent main stage a few feet away.
He talked to some diners about the music and just the excitement of being back at a live concert before taking some time to himself to face the stage and watch the band.
“It’s been awesome; the music has been incredible, (and) the guests have been dancing and having a blast. This is the epitome of the South Bay — the weather is perfect, the sun is setting right now. I mean, it’s just perfect,” LeFevre said.
Just like the inaugural festival in 2019, the SideStage popup restaurant this year includes three star chefs displaying their cooking skills alongside the main stage musicians, with each chef serving a $274-per-person prix fixe menu on different nights of the three-day event at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach.
LeFevre, who is behind the MB Post, Arthur J and Fishing With Dynamite, returned to cook for his second time at the pop-up Friday while on Saturday the Side
Stage belonged to Brendan Collins, formerly of Michelin star-winning Melisse restaurant in Santa Monica, who served diners as acts such as Counting Crows and Men at Work were set for the main stage.
South Bay native Tyler Gugliotta, current chef/ owner of Baran’s 2239 in Hermosa Beach and Tigre’s Fuego in Redondo Beach, will be closing out the SideStage tonight as Ziggy and Stephen Marley perform.
Though Friday night was perfect for LeFevre, returning to BeachLife has been far from a perfect road because of the pandemic and its particularly devastating effects on restaurants.
Like other restaurant owners during the pandemic, LeFevre had to pivot his business model to survive by serving to-go meals during the lockdown and opening patio spaces where it was possible before indoor dining returned.
“Manhattan Beach has been really supportive; all of our restaurants are still open and they’re thriving right now, but, yeah, it’s been a tough year,” he said in an interview before the festival.
And with the tough year in mind, LeFevre wanted to serve something fun and lively that would spark conversations around the table during the pop-up, so he looked to Friday night headliner Jane’s Addiction for inspiration.
“We wanted to keep it eclectic and kind of funky. We’re doing some hamachi that’s fun with coconut and Southeastern flavors and short ribs glazed in pomegranate that’s a really fun bright entree. We were really thinking of Jane’s Addiction and thinking what we could do to match their vibe.”
The music also is the inspiration for Gugliotta’s meal, which he’ll be cooking when the Marley brothers perform today.
“I’m going with a lot of Caribbean flavors, some jerk flavors on the entree and a fun ceviche with watermelon and hibiscus,” said Gugliotta, who saw Ziggy Marley perform at the inaugural fest in 2019.
Though today will be all about celebrating his favorite artists and food, like LeFevre and other restaurant owners, Gugliotta had to be creative to survive the past year and a half, serving efood ranging from togo dinners to breakfast burritos to bring in revenue.
With everything that has happened since the pandemic, Gugliotta said cooking at the festival feels even more special.
“It’ll just be nice to be out with people from the South Bay and other places and seeing them just enjoy themselves listening to good music and having good food,” he said.
On Friday night, the ambience was festive for SideStage diners such as Bobby Hartry, 54, and his wife, Jenn Hartry, 49, of Rancho Palos Verdes, who sat at one of the tables closest to the stage finishing their short rib dinner.
“It’s just amazing here. We’re big fans of David LeFevre,” he said. “Normally at these kinds of things you’re kind of away from the stage, but this is supercool because you’re right there,” he said, pointing to the stage just a few feet away.
“The energy here is just so great, the sound is amazing and I just knew the food was going to be great,” she said.
For LeFevre, seeing happy diners like the Hartrys is, well, like music to his ears.
“I think this is more special than last year. I think the crowd is ready to celebrate, to be together. I think people are realizing what they missed,” LeFevre said Friday before heading back to the SideStage restaurant to begin serving the final meal of the night alongside the Jane’s Addiction set.