A Direct Hit by an Ex-Army Cook

At 15, William Young got a job washing dishes at a Long Island restaurant. A year later, he was in charge of the kitchen. Over the next 16 years he bounced around a lot--Army cook in Germany and France, cook/bartender/bouncer (Young could bench-press 500 pounds) in Long Island, head chef at a home for 600 disabled adults and children. Now he’s chef at Califia, which has been one of the best-kept secrets in the South Bay. Hidden in the bottom floor of the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Manhattan Beach, Califia is an elegant two-level room with oil paintings, comfortably large booths and tables in shades of brown and green. The polished service is overseen by maitre d’ Sandy Girvin, himself a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.

To begin, there’s an unusual appetizer of blackened loin of lamb with rosemary on corn bread croutons with jalapeno relish ($8) or angel hair pasta with smoked scallops, prawns, sun-dried tomatoes and morels ($7.50).

Salads include Kentucky limestone lettuce with a basil and anchovy vinaigrette ($5) and a salad of grilled breast of duck, goat cheese and mixed greens in raspberry vinaigrette.

For a main dish, the menu’s biggest seller is the full rack of lamb roasted with Dijon mustard and herbed bread crumbs served with a rosemary mint glaze ($26). Grilled, butterflied filet mignon is stuffed with wild boar sausage with roasted shallot and Merlot wine sauce ($26).

At lunch, Califia offers two tasty soups: a rich lobster bisque with a flaky puff pastry topping ($5.50) or the puree of artichoke and spinach with sour cream and chives ($4).

Califia is at 1400 Parkview Ave., Manhattan Beach. (310) 546-7511. Open Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesday through Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m.