Love & Salt opens, bringing duck fat crackers to Manhattan Beach

Love & Salt, a new Italian restaurant by chef Michael Fiorelli (Terranea Resort), Guy Gabriele (Zazou) and Sylvie Gabriele (Zazou, Farm Stand) will open Nov. 25 in the former Cafe Pierre space in Manhattan Beach.

The restaurant, named for its owners’ philosophy that great food mostly needs love and salt, will serve Italian dishes showcasing California ingredients, including cheese and salumi, homemade English muffins with rosemary, sea salt and cultured housemade butter, chicken liver toast with guanciale and pickled cherries, house ham, duck fat crackers and more.

A section of the menu called Odds & Ends will feature a corned lamb tongue panini, crispy chicken skins, whole roasted glazed pig head and more. Farmers market finds will be highlighted in a small plates section with a classic Italian chopped salad made with shaved black kale, soppressata, olives, pickled peppers, breadcrumbs and ricotta salata, and a caramelized fennel dish with burrata, peperonata and white anchovy.

Fiorelli will use a wood oven to turn out a duck egg pie with guanciale, potato, mozzarella and Parmesan, and a caramelized onion pizza with black grapes, robiola and wild arugula. He’ll also be making house-made pastas and family-style platters with roasted whole chicken, rabbit porchetta, whole branzino and more.

Love & Salt’s pastry chef, and chef de cuisine Rebecca Merhej, will prepare a black mission fig crostata, cinnamon coffee cake and more for dessert. The restaurant will also feature a wine list curated by Guy Gabriele, cocktails by Vincenzo Marianello (Copa d’Oro), housemade limoncello and a list of amaros.

The 100-seat restaurant was designed by Ana Henton and features paneled walls, a chef’s table with a view of the open kitchen, exposed wood beams and a large steel “love” sign created with empty salt shakers.

Love & Salt will be open 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday and 5 to 11 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.

317 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach, (310) 545-5252, loveandsaltla.com.

I’m not afraid of carbs. Follow me on Twitter @Jenn_Harris_