Canadian “snowbirds” flocking to Southern
California for the warm winter climate have
found a home away from home in Redondo
Beach.
Their travel destination is the Redondo Beach
Café, conveniently located on Pacific Coast
Highway on the fringe of Riviera Village.
Once inside, the tourists – and an increasing
number of ex-pats – are warmly welcomed by
restaurant owners Kosta Tsangaris and his
brother, Chris. But that’s not the end of the
Canadian connection.
With a click of the big-screen TVs that circle
the dining rooms, patrons can watch Canadian
hockey and football. Indeed, on Nov. 25, the
brothers hosted the Canadian Football League’s
Grey Cup Party that is equivalent to America’s
Super Bowl. More than 150 guests sipped
Canadian beer and chomped on Canadianstyle sandwiches.
The play-by-play is enhanced by Chris
Tsangaris, 39, who played for all-time football
great George Allen at Cal State Long Beach
before playing for the Canadian Football
League from 1992-97.
And there’s more.
A taste of Canada wouldn’t be complete
without Montreal smoked meat, flown in regularly to the Redondo site – allegedly the only
place in California to receive the special meat.
The delicacy, which sports a flavor between
corned beef and pastrami, is piled high on
grilled rye, slathered with Thousand Island
dressing or mustard and for an extra treat,
topped with sauerkraut and Swiss cheese.
The menu also offers poutine, a classic
Canadian version of French fries. The potatoes
are covered with fresh curd cheese, and then
doused with hot, brown gravy. Even fast-food
restaurants such as McDonald’s and Burger
King serve the sides throughout Canada.
REDONDO BEACH CAFE HAS BECOME A POPULAR
PLACE FOR CANADIANS, PARTICULARLY MONTREAL
“SNOWBIRDS” LOOKING FOR A TASTE
OF THEIR HOMELAND
Canadians, however, aren’t the only
“targets” for authentic cuisine. The Tsangaris
brothers are of Greek heritage, and insist their
cooking replicates the tastes of the East Coast.
“We were born and raised Greek,” Kosta,
42, says. “Lots of places out here try to cook
Greek, but if you go in the kitchens, you won’t
find the real ingredients that are used
traditionally.”
Kosta first stepped into the restaurant
business in college before switching to high-end
seafood eateries. When he moved to California, he worked for six years for Papadakis
Taverna in San Pedro – still referring to John
Papadakis as “my final master.”
Two years ago, the brothers opened the
Redondo Beach Café that had been previously
operated by their uncle, John Gorgolis.
“The place was built in 1961 as The Wooden
Shoe,” Kosta explained. “When the owner died
in 1978, Uncle John took over and kept it from
’78 to 2003 with the same name. Then, Rocky
Cola Café leased the property for 30 months
before handing it over to us.”
Kosta said Uncle John has returned to help
out. And the men’s mother, Kyriakoula, comes
in to cook her special dishes including baklava
and oven-roasted stuffed tomato filled with
ground beef and rice.
“Our focus is to offer quality and hospitality
in a comfortable and healthy setting,” Kosta
says.
BIG SCREEN TVS ENTERTAIN GUESTS, PARTICULARLY
WHEN CANADIAN SPORTS EVENTS ARE TRANSMITTED
FOR PARTY-TIME
CHRIS TSANGARIS HOLDS A SLAB OF FROZEN
MONTREAL SMOKED MEAT SHIPPED IN REGULARLY
FROM CANADA
He recalls poring over the Bible, Torah and
Shakespearean plays find a name for the
restaurant. “We must have considered 100
names, and finally decided, ‘Where are we?’”
The Redondo Beach Café offers seating for
165 in a 4,000-square-foot building with 12,000
square feet of parking space. Forty part- and
full-time employees serve breakfast, lunch and
dinner with an average $10 tab per meal.
Kosta says more than 12,000 meals are served
monthly.
The City of Redondo Beach, he adds, has
always been good with restaurant permits and
rules. “We’re not here to do franchises, to be
cookie cutters in the business,” Kosta adds. “Our
goal is to be able to walk into this restaurant and
look at the faces of our patrons and know I’m
going to keep them going with a happy, healthy
environment.”
Are the Tsangaris brothers anxious to have
their children learn the business?
“You know, there seems to be a generation
gap in restaurant families these days,” he says.
“After the kids see how much work is involved,
they don’t want to follow in the footsteps.
“But you usually see the grandkids taking an
interest, and we’ll hold on to that thought,” he
concludes.
(Redondo Beach Café is located at 1511 S.
Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach. Contact 310-316-1047 or visit www.redondo
beachcafe.com.
CORN CHOWDER WITH BACON,
LEEKS AND POTATOES
Preparation Time 20 mins. Cooking Time 35 mins.
4 strips turkey bacon, diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 cups washed, trimmed, halved, sliced leeks
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups diced red potatoes
2 cans (12 fl. oz. each) Evaporated Milk
2 cups water
4 teaspoonst Chicken base (meat first)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole-kernel corn
Diced bacon in a bit of oil Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 2 to 4 minutes or until bacon is
crisp. Add leeks and wine; cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 6 minutes. Add potatoes, evaporated milk, 2
cups water, bouillon and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, for
15 to 18 minutes. Mix 1 tablespoon water and flour in small bowl. Add corn and flour mixture to stockpot;
cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Place about 3 cups soup in blender; cover.
Carefully blend until smooth. Return blended soup to stockpot; stir. Yields 4 servings.