Neighborhood Gems: M.B. Post | Manhattan Beach's Favorite Son Is Still Going Strong | Tasting Table Los Angeles

David LeFevre has a pretty enviable commute.

When it's time to head to work, the chef of M.B. Post and Fishing with Dynamite–two of the South Bay's most popular dining destinations–simply strolls the few blocks from his home to his restaurants.

The proximity isn't a coincidence; when LeFevre debuted M.B. Post in 2010, his goal was to open the kind of restaurant he wanted in his backyard–exactly the kind that the cozy beachside community was missing. The result was a resounding success.

"Manhattan Beach is a very social neighborhood," says LeFevre, "The most important goal was to open a place where people could have fun."

Housed inside what was once a post office, the restaurant is filled with a lively crowd sharing plates of LeFevre's soulful comfort food: fluffy bacon-cheddar buttermilk biscuits with maple butter ($5), blistered blue lake beans tossed with chili sauce and crispy bits of pork ($9) and braised lamb neck with crispy gnocchi and carrots ($16).

Blistered Blue Lake green beans (Photo: Rick Poon)

M.B. Post's menu is covered in references to area farmers and hand-written notes offering seasonal specials. It's a testament to the locavore fever LeFevre has instilled in the South Bay dining community.

"In California, there's no excuse to not serve farm-to-table," asserts LeFevre, "Amazing produce is literally at your doorstep."

Could anyone ask for a better neighbor?

Other Manhattan Beach Neighborhood Gems: Fishing with Dynamite, Little Sister, Café Pierre, Uncle Bill's Pancake House