Anne Fishbein
The brainchild of brothers and first-time restaurateurs Jonathan and Jason Baran, Baran's 2239 is inspired by their family's historic Pasadena restaurant, the Brothertons Farmhouse, which opened in 1937 and served down-home comfort food at 2239 E. Colorado Blvd. for half a century. Perhaps taking a cue from the Brothertons Farmhouse, the Barans' new South Bay space is humble but functional: a few tufted banquettes, a scattering of wooden tables and a wide wall mirror that gives way to exposed rafters. Chef Tyler Gugliotta, a Torrance native who most recently worked at the Tasting Kitchen in Venice, has an interesting family tree of his own. His aunt and uncle, owners of Weiser Family Farms, are known for their choice vegetables (and for being name-checked on countless menus around town), but it soon becomes apparent that Gugliotta's inventive global cooking doesn't need to hang its hat on the farm-to-fork ethos alone. For a local hangout, the food at Baran's 2239 is progressive, delicious and unexpected. Read our full review.
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