A certain kind of person doesn’t mind going through life working at a job that doesn’t inspire them, going through the everyday motions for the sake of job stability and security. Then there is Meg Hall, owner of Made by Meg in Redondo Beach, who has no tolerance for boredom and discontent.
“I just didn’t see my life unfolding and having any significance,” Hall said of her career as a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch. “I wasn’t happy. So I got a career coach and we talked about what made me happy and that was cooking.”
Hall started attending culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in the evening while keeping her day job. Finally, in 2007, she was able to make the break and open her catering company Made by Meg in Manhattan Beach.
Hall continues to cater events of all sizes in the South Bay and Los Angeles proper. But she now has more than just a commercial kitchen at her disposal: Last week she opened a storefront kitchen and restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach where she not only prepares dishes for her catering jobs but also serves inventive casual fare to locals.
Locals are already attracted to the diverse, fresh menu that Made by Meg posts on its Facebook page every morning at 10:30am. The menu changes daily.
A typical menu includes sandwiches with house-roasted turkey breast and roast beef, salads with farmers market seasonal vegetables, and main dishes like grilled chicken and flank steak. Every dish is prepared to order. Hall is even offering some options for those on a paleo diet, at the request of her sister, a devotee to CrossFit.
Hall’s commitment to sourcing her foods locally and sustainably is what keeps her menu ever-changing. She is at the mercy of what she finds at the local farmers markets.
Requests for Hall’s services continue to grow and her impressive list of clients include UCLA, LMU, USC, a host of music industry bigwigs and a handful of celebrities and actors. But Hall doesn’t seem particularly star-struck by her famous clients.
“It’s L.A.,” she said. “Everybody has to eat, so sooner or later you’re bound to end up feeding some celebrities.”
