‘Redondo Beach’
Down in Redondo Beach is one of those corner liquor stores. You know, the type that sells mostly overpriced snack food, but a couple beer brands cheaper than average for when you’re desperate. What makes this liquor store different from all the others, however, is the addition of a kitchen in the back carrying the name of The Standing Room. With a more diverse menu than you could ever imagine from such a place, they happen to be best-known for their burgers.
EDIT: This spot is closed, but obviously Chick-fil-A and its bigotry against beef continues to thrive.
Other than having hyphenated names, In-N-Out and Chick-fil-A have some other eerie parallels. For a long time, Chick-fil-A kept itself to the south, but has since expanded. In-N-Out, on the other hand, has kept itself to the west and has hardly expanded outside of California. Both still carry an air of mystery, as they are not readily available like McDonald’s or Burger King. They are also pretty religious, with Chick-fil-A closing on Sundays and In-N-Out printing bible quotes on their packaging. And finally, their menus are both incredibly simple. Yet, their simple menus are what makes them such opposites. In-N-Out only has burgers, while Chick-fil-A only has chicken.
I didn’t even realize Chick-fil-A existed in LA until a friend told me about one in the South Bay Galleria Mall in Redondo Beach. One day for lunch, we headed over there so I could see what Chick-fil-A was all about.
Captain Kidd’s in Redondo Beach is kind of a combination of a fish market and a restaurant. I typically wouldn’t find myself in a place like this, but unforeseen circumstances led me there.
I am typically not the biggest fan of fish, and some of my fans may have noticed the lack of seafood in almost all of my posts. The big reason for this is the smell of fish. I have heard that if fish smells and tastes “fishy,” it means it’s bad. I don’t like taking that sort of risk with my food and usually prefer to eat more meaty and less smelly animals.