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Chez Melange

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Chez Melange
Chez Melange
Map
Restaurant information
Established1982
ClosedFebruary 29, 2020
Owner(s)Michael Franks, Robert Bell
ChefRobert Bell
Food typeSeafood, gastropub
Street address1611 South Catalina Avenue[1]
CityRedondo Beach, California
CountyLos Angeles
StateCalifornia
CountryUnited States
ReservationsYes
Other locationsNo
Websitechezmelange.com

Chez Melange was an American seafood restaurant and gastropub located in Redondo Beach, California, which closed on February 29, 2020.[2] It was opened in 1982 and owned and run by Michael Franks and co-owner and head chef Robert Bell.[1][3][4][5][6]

History

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Chez Melange was originally located on Pacific Coast Highway and after the lease was up it moved to its new location in January 2009 on Catalina Avenue.[2]

Chez Melange ran three restaurants at the same Redondo Beach, Catalina Avenue venue, Sea Change, a sea food themed restaurant, Bouzy, a gastropub and The Oyster Bar.[2][3]

Robert Bell said when first meeting Michael Franks, "I remembered thinking, I don’t want to work with this guy. I’m from Brooklyn, he’s from London. He came from what I thought was an upscale upbringing, I was just off the line of being poor. He went through restaurant school, I barely made it through junior college. But we were both very driven, very passionate about what we were doing, and that’s the only reason we got along."[7]

Chez Melange closed permanently on February 29, 2020.[8]

Table Manners, Perfect Storm

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In 2021 the Chez Melange location was reopened under different ownership as a new restaurant called Table Manners[9][10] and was later renamed Perfect Storm.[11] Perfect Storm permanantly closed in the early 2020s.[12]

Montauk

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In 2024, it was annouced a new fine dining restaurant, Montauk, would be opening at the former Chez Melange location in the spring of 2025.[13][14]

Controversy

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African American entrepreneur Lavae McClinnahan had the original high-end restaurant concept of Montauk that was influenced by the hamlet of Montauk in the Hamptons.[15]

In 2025, it was reported that in Redondo Beach, though a largely liberal area, some locals were not happy about an African American-owned upscale dining location, with some going so far as to contact the police in hopes of shutting Montauk down before it opened.[15]

Unfazed, McClinnahan said that he envisioned Montauk as African American entrepreneurs reclaiming beachfronts which were once epicenters of African American culture.[15]

BET quoted McClinnahan as saying, "Here in South Bay, there’s no African Americans." Adding, "The community is asking for more. Everything has been kind of dumbed down, and people want better options."[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Shindler, Merrill (January 10, 2019). "Where to find the best seafood in the South Bay". The Daily Breeze.
  2. ^ a b c Avelino, Bianca (September 11, 2010). "Q&A: Chez Melange Co-Owner Michael Franks". Patch Media.
  3. ^ a b Harris, Jenn (January 16, 2018). "Ranchero Mexican restaurant in Pasadena is closing after 49 years". Los Angeles Times.
  4. ^ Davis, Genie (March 22, 2018). "These special farmers supply fruits and veggies for Chez Melange restaurant in Redondo Beach". The Daily Breeze.
  5. ^ Lindsey, Robert (August 18, 1985). "California Grows Her Own Cuisine". The New York Times. p. 9.
  6. ^ Jenkins, Kathie (October 10, 1993). "No Vacation for Chez Melange Partners". Los Angeles Times.
  7. ^ Foss, Richard (September 30, 2016). "Mama Terano's Boy Chef: Robert Bell". Easy Reader.
  8. ^ Holland, Emily (January 14, 2020). "Chez Melange To Close After 37 Years In South Bay". Patch Media.
  9. ^ Foss, Richard (March 30, 2021). "Learning Table Manners [restaurant review]". Easy Reader.
  10. ^ Guzman, Richard (February 26, 2021). "Former Chez Melange in Redondo Beach has been split into two new restaurants". The Daily Breeze.
  11. ^ Foss, Richard (October 28, 2022). "Potential realized in Redondo". Easy Reader.
  12. ^ "Perfect Storm". Yelp.
  13. ^ "Lavae McClinnahan Introduces Montauk: A Sophisticated Coastal Dining Experience in Redondo Beach". KTLA. November 12, 2024.
  14. ^ "Montauk Official Site". montaukinredondo.com.
  15. ^ a b c d Venable, Malcolm (January 31, 2025). "How One Restaurateur is Bringing Black Excellence to a California Beach Town". BET. Archived from the original on February 1, 2025.
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