Dining Details: Brix@1601 in Hermosa Beach

Ambience: Sprawling South Bay wine-centric restaurant with a contemporary American menu. There's a large bar and several dining areas. Lots of stone and wood, even a fireplace, give this newcomer polish.

Service: Enthusiastic and helpful.

Price: Dinner appetizers, $8 to $15; main courses, $12 to $54; desserts, $6 to $9; cheese plate, $12.

Best dishes: Sliders, crispy calamari, lettuce wedge, duck confit spring rolls, hot-smoked salmon, prime flat-iron steak, Alaskan halibut, diver scallops, burger, maple tiramisu, coconut coupe.

Wine list: Exceptional, wide-ranging list and wine by the glass program. Corkage fee, $20 (2-bottle maximum).

Best table: One of the generously sized booths.

Details: Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m Monday through Friday and for dinner from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Bar stays open nightly until midnight. Full bar. Valet parking, and also parking in a lot beneath.

To see a photo gallery, go to latimes.com/food.

Rating is based on food, service and ambience, with price taken into account in relation to quality. ****: Outstanding on every level. ***: Excellent. **: Very good. *: Good. No star: Poor to satisfactory.