Page 2 August 19, 2021 EL SEGUNDO HERALD
Burkley Brandlin
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Eddie V’s Brings Class to
South Bay’s Nightlife
Story by Chase Yi
Photos by Daniel Christopher Caso
There’s an electricity that going out to a nice
dinner sparks, and Eddie V’s in El Segundo (on
the corner of Rosecrans Ave. and S Nash St.)
brings a strong current to South Bay’s nightlife.
Upon entering the front lobby, the atmosphere
is reminiscent of a swanky New York piano
bar. The entrance opens up to a main dining
area on the left and heading to the right, the
moody lighting leads to a large bar with more
seating around a small stage where patrons can
enjoy live music. Past the bar, more outdoor
seating is available with blue, luxurious patio
furniture and large fire pits. It’s definitely the
kind of place where you dress up, and not for
the stress of having to get ready, but because
you want to look nice and enjoy a good meal
with family and friends.
Seated in a comfortable, spacious booth,
waiters are flying around with an exuberance.
Employees wear white dinner jackets or black
bistro attire, and the main waiter for the night,
Eddie Gonzales, approached our table with
Panko covered crab cake Crispy Brussels sprouts
excitement in his voice. Wearing a face mask,
he clearly explained the menu and shared an
impressive wine list curated by Max Vandercook
(Eddie V’s Bar Manager). Gonzales tracked the
different regions around the world where they
import their wines, as well as showcasing their
two staples of the restaurant—USDA prime
cut steaks and Goldwater lobsters flown in
from South Africa’s Tristan de Cuna (a small
island of only seven inhabitants). Although it
felt like a lot of information to grasp, Gonzales
was effortless in his explanation and helped us
navigate our selections from the menu.
To start, Gonzales recommended the jumbo
lump crab cakes and the Maine lobster tacos.
For good measure, my photographer and I also
ordered the burrata & heirloom tomatoes. When
the first round of orders arrived, the crab cake
immediately caught our eyes. It’s a generous
portion, perfectly breaded with Panko crumbs.
It’s over 90% crab with a remoulade glaze on
the bottom. More often than not, crab cakes have
a soggy taste that comes with frozen transport,
but these were fresh—certainly worth the $24
price. The burrata was also a refreshing bite
from the savory crab cake with crisp, juicy
tomatoes and a balsamic drizzle that made
the dish almost dessert-like. However, the
lobster tacos were overpowered by too many
hints of Mexican flavor profiles, like grilled
corn, cilantro, and a chive-infused tortilla that
really took away from the succulence of the
lobster meat. The Napa Valley Resiling is a
good choice to cleanse the pallet before the
other dishes arrive.
As soon as Gonzales and his waiter in training,
Brittany Been (a resident of Torrance) cleared
the table, the main courses arrived on cue—an
8oz center cut filet mignon ($44), the Chilean
sea bass ($49), and a variety of sides (Georges
bank scallops, lobster cheddar mashed potatoes,
truffle mac & cheese, and the crispy Brussels
sprouts—all served family-style).
The filet mignon was excellent. I didn’t even
have to use a steak knife to cut it. It was gone
from the plate a second later. The Chilean sea
bass (served Hong Kong style with a soy broth
on a bed of sautéed spinach) was a similarly
tasty bite. It was a sweet pairing against the
heartier filet. The various sides offered a
nice respite, too, from the entree flavors. The
Korean glazed Brussels sprouts were the star
of the night. Every bite was a kick to the
tastebuds with notes of peanut, green onion,
and traditional Korean BBQ. The truffle mac
and cheese was also enjoyable, with large
pieces of truffle to boost the profile. Lastly,
the lobster mashed potatoes are the perfect
“shareable” side dish—one scoop will fill
you up. Needless to say, we had many great
leftovers to take home.
At the end of the night, we were full-bellied
and in a wonderful mood. Gonzales had shared
with us that Eddie V’s just opened last June,
and since launching their new location (they
have 29 across the country), they invested 8
to 10 million dollars in restructuring costs.
Overall, it feels like money well spent. Gonzales
even relocated his entire life from their
Palm Desert location to help open the new
space in El Segundo.
“Working here, it feels like what I’m called
to do,” says Gonzales. “My goal is to work in
upper management, and maybe one day open
a location in Tokyo. I speak fluent Japanese
now. That would be a dream come true.” •
Steak, lobster and scallops
Nina Baumler Promotes PTA
Reflections Program in El Segundo
By Kiersten Vannest
I will change the world by _______.
Students all over the nation are invited to
answer this question in their own artistic way
this year through the National PTA’s Reflections
program. Heading up the Reflections
program at the council level in El Segundo’s
district is workers’ rights attorney and fellow
parent Nina Baumler.
Nina’s story begins in England, where she is
from. She worked for five years as an attorney
on behalf of corporations and employers before
deciding that she needed a break, becoming
disillusioned with her career up to that point.
So around the age of 25, she booked herself
an around the world ticket.
“I think it was it was kind of like the scariest
thing I could imagine doing,” she shared,
adding that she needed a change, and this kind
of travel would allow her to jump into the
deep end to discover more opportunities and
reflect inward. Baumler traveled to Australia
and East Asia and backpacked her way through
South America.
In America, the most common second language
for native English speakers is Spanish.
In England, says Baumler, it’s more commonly
French. So when she reached Argentina,
frustrated that she couldn’t communicate effectively
with the locals, she enrolled herself
in a Spanish school.
As luck would have it, an American working
in aerospace would also be taking those same
classes at the same time as he made his way
from the U.S. down through Central America
on his own sojourn. That American is now
her husband, with whom she has two children
here in El Segundo.
After they met, they moved to Berkeley
before his job brought him to the space tech
center and hidden gem that is El Segundo.
“Now we’re just like boring parents in El
Segundo like I am today, but we have many
See Nina Baumler, page 11
Nina Baumler, a workers’ rights attorney and volunteer extraordinaire.
Photo courtesy Nina Baumler.