Beach City Grill:
International Comfort Food
Dealing in Guilty Pleasures
By Gretchen Tostrup

In the quiet time before dawn, Larry Hodgson wove the colors and sounds of the village into his dreams. In this recurring dream, he was in a house with many rooms. Each room was decorated in bright décor,homage to the diverse countries of Central America and the Caribbean. Every room had music playing, and local cuisine being served.

He was in the Peace Corps. It was the mid 70s’s, and the contrast between the highly hip U.S. and the wilds of Paraguay was strong. He had been raised on Aruba, in the Caribbean, and had traveled as a youth with his family. His father’s career in petroleum engineering had taken the family to many corners of the globe. Larry had studied engineering and psychology at USC, but it was the isolation of the Paraguayan jungle that brought the recurring dream into focus.

“International comfort food” is what Hodgson envisioned that tropical morning long ago. “I wanted to make the food I love to eat!” laughs Larry. “I did not want to be categorized. I need freedom to cook what I like.”

He spent several years working in the restaurant business in Spokane, Washington and Woodstock, New York, and then enrolled at the prestigious CIA, the Culinary Institute of America. The intense course of study brought structure and background to his culinary talent. His reputation brought him to San Pedro, as inaugural Chef at The Grand House. After three years as executive Chef, he left to open Beach City Grill.

The coming Summer Solstice will mark twenty years of delicious tradition for Hodgson and Beach City Grill. The menu is a trip around the Caribbean, with Jamaican jerked chicken and Cuban roast pork, Yucatan chicken salad and pasta “Aruba”. Touches of Asia like spicy shrimp “Divi Divi” with Indonesian peanut sauce, or the Mediterranean with Greek shrimp with garlic, Greek olives and feta cheese, round out the international bill of fare.

Larry spent a week in New Orleans cooking with renowned Chef Paul Prudhomme, and came home with an iron skillet and the secret to authentic “blackened” meat and fish. When the open kitchen sizzles with spices and fragrant smoke, something fabulous is coming! Blackened Black Angus rib eye steak is the ultimate example of the iron skillet art. Mahi Mahi or salmon is wonderful prepared this way.

Beach City Grill’s menu is ripe for grazing – why not make a meal of little plates of savory treats? Cajun sweet potato fries are legendary, and make a good starter while perusing the menu and the specials board. Warm grilled shrimp cocktail is different, and served with three tasty sauces. Grilled chicken wings with tangy Thai chili-lime sauce make the typical Buffalo wings fade into obscurity. The “Sticks” category offers excellent grilled chicken skewers with that intriguing Indonesian peanut sauce. Mushrooms with garlic are full of flavor, and the grilled veggies are great! The “Soft Tacos” category takes tacos to new heights – the Baja fish tacos and blackened salmon tacos are spectacular, and the Jamaican jerk chicken taco with plantains and fruit salsa is a culinary fusion that really works.

Soups are made daily, and vary with the season. Black bean, minestrone and Asian noodle were recent examples of the tasty soups available at the Grill. Leafy salad with caramelized walnuts and gorgonzola blue cheese is modern and satisfying, and all of the salad dressings are made on site – try Chipotle Lime or Creamy Feta dressing for a different take on salad. Larry Hodgson is an advocate of “local and seasonal”, and uses the best products that Southern California has to offer. He is a devotee’ of the farmer’smarket, and uses freshness as his guide in steering the menu for that day.

The “Specials” board is reflective of Hodgson’s devotion to fresh and local ingredients, and his attention to creative detail. The ever-changing list of tempting dishes calls for intense study – try a refreshing glass of iced tea spiced with cinnamon and orange while reading for better concentration. Fresh squeezed lemonade is just the thing for thirsty diners.

It is vital to save room, for Hodgson’s prize-winning desserts are not to be missed. An additional “specials” board arrives, with a selection that literally takes the cake. The board announces that “there are no calories if you share,” and multiple forks are encouraged. From an assortment of creamy cheesecakes, with berries or chocolate or pumpkin, to classic crème bruleé, to sumptuous chocolate cake and caramel turtle pie, it is a sweet choice.

Beach City Grill is casual and bright with color. Beach towels under glass serve as tablecloths, and green plants and reggae music lend island atmosphere to the intimate restaurant. Eating at Beach City Grill is like taking a tropical vacation at 6th and Nelson. Beach City Grill 376 W.6th Street, San Pedro (310) 833-6345.