Review: Brix@1601 in Hermosa Beach gives contemporary American a well-executed twist

"DO YOU want that decanted?" the sommelier asks. Yes, please. Minutes later she's back, bearing a crystal decanter that, I swear, looks like a glass saxophone. It's that big. She sets it down in the middle of the table and when she later pours the wine, we watch, fascinated, as ruby Pinot speeds down the slender spout and lands with the grace of an Olympic diver in the precise middle of the glass. It's a charming bit of theater at Brix@1601, a new wine-centric restaurant in Hermosa Beach.

By S. Irene Virbila

July 2, 2008