F Grill, Manhattan Beach

After dazzling palates at a restaurant in France for 20 years, the owners of F Grill moved stateside and trained their culinary focus on nouveau American cuisine. At F Grill, black wood tables that sit between rustic brick present dishes marked by inventive recipes and fresh ingredients. A French influence gently pervades the menu, which includes escargot quiche, filet mignon, and waffles topped with tomato and goat cheese. At breakfast and brunch, eggs and bottles of champagne crack open, the libations complementing omelets, benedicts, and "breakfast burgers." Come lunch and dinner, it's time for small plates, big steaks, house-made pastas, and burgers.