Hudson House: Spirited food

The emergence of gastropubs has created the perfect solution for those who love the ambiance of a good bar, but also appreciate the finer things in life. One of the most popular in the South Bay is Hudson House, which opened in the space vacated by Grog on Pacific Coast Highway.

Going here to dine looks dubious at first – the food menu is about half the size of their beer menu, and many people here are obviously hoisting a pint or a glass of wine rather than having dinner. They don’t know what they’re missing, because every item I’ve tried on that menu (and I’ve tried most of them) have almost all been delectable.

My wife and I started a recent meal with Dungeness crab deviled eggs, cauliflower fritters, and a bowl of cucumber and celery root slaw with a sweet rice vinaigrette, the first pricey by the standards here at $9, the other two items $6 each. We accidentally created a flavor assortment with marvelous contrasts, the fritters hot and crisp, eggs cool and lightly spicy, slaw tangy with sweet and sour overtones. Dungeness crab is less oily and rich than Maryland crab, which makes it work in some recipes and fail in others. Eggs are so rich that the lighter textured Dungeness works perfectly, and these had just the right overtones of red and black pepper and spices. The fritters had a vegetable sweetness, crispness, and warmth that made them fine even without the remoulade sauce with which they were served, and the slaw had a sweet crispness that quenched any leftover heat. If you want a great set of snacks for two or three people, order this trio with confidence.

I was slightly less happy with the next item we shared, grilled tilapia tacos, but that’s only because it was very difficult to eat neatly. The tilapia was tasty, the pickled onion and sour cream salsa striking, but it was moist enough to threaten the structural integrity of the tortillas. Grilling the tortillas a little more or reducing the liquid volume of the filling would fix this problem. It was a tasty mess, unlike any fish taco I have had before and a nice variation on the breed. Our server mentioned that on Tuesday Hudson House serves carnitas and chicken tacos for one dollar each, and based on everything else I’ve had here it will be worth a special trip.

We knew that we would only have room for one more item, but couldn’t decide between two and ordered both anyway. My wife wanted to try the sugar cane skewered lamb with mint sauce, and I wanted the brown sugar pork ribs. Of the two, the lamb was the winner. The ribs were nice in a comfort food way, sticky and sweet like the Polynesian-style tiki bar ribs of bygone days. The roasted shallots and shreds of cilantro added some interest, but I might have liked a bit more garlic and pepper in the mix. The spicier lamb was absolutely perfect as it was, the honey yoghurt spice sauce that accompanied it such a good idea that I intend to steal the concept for my next party. The selection of green and black olives that accompanied the skewers was the final touch, a bit of tart and vinegar richness to make a Mediterranean feast. It was an exceptional presentation and a winning final item.

To drink with all this, there was beer – and wines and cocktails, but we were in a beer mood and so many interesting ones were offered that we had to try a few. The peach lambic was our favorite, a food-friendly beer that worked perfectly with spicy flavors, but the Ommegang Belgian-style brown ran a close second. We also shared a Samuel Smith’s nut-brown, a beer that is liquid comfort food to any lover of tradition.

Desserts were offered, but we declined – we had over-ordered on our savories, and had no room for anything else. The lavish dinner for two ran $93.29 including beverages – high for bar food, but reasonable for multi-course grazing. You can have a fine meal at Hudson House for much less, and I have – the pretzel burger with Jarlsberg cheese, grilled onion, and arugula runs $10 by itself, $2 extra with fresh hand-cut fries or a salad, and it’s a meal. On this night we splurged and were rewarded with as memorable a nibble and brew experience as we’ve ever had. I’ll be back – for that burger, the sides we tried already and more that we still need to explore, and for the bustle and joy of a happy, boisterous bar.

Hudson House is at 514 Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach. Open daily for dinner, weekend lunches. Street parking only, some vegetarian items. (310) 798-9183. ER