What began with ice luges, seafood towers, and flair bartending in the 1980s has grown into one of the South Bay’s most enduring hospitality stories. For more than four decades, the Fellows family has been at the heart of celebrations big and small, through their family business, Critics’ Choice Catering. Today, that legacy continues with their newest venture, Urban Palms, an event venue that houses the Palm Court Café.
The story starts in the late ’80s, when Michelle Fellows moved from New York to Manhattan Beach with her bartending company, Hey Bartender. At the same time, Scott Fellows was dazzling event guests with Scott’s Seafood Show, famous for extravagant raw bars and ice displays. When the two met at a Redondo Beach Chamber mixer, they combined talents—and launched Critics’ Choice Catering in 1984.
Continuing the legacy, the Fellows family set their sights on expanding from catering to a permanent space. In September 2023, they took over the former Paradise restaurant at Pacific Pointe and transformed it into Urban Palms. For Scott and Michelle’s daughter Kaycie Fellows, owner of Urban Palms, the location carried a special resonance.
“It was pretty magical. I grew up my entire life coming here when it was Paradise,” Kaycie said. “I never imagined one day that I would get the keys and the ability to breathe fresh life into it, and to bring something that's never been brought to the South Bay before.”
Kaycie designed Urban Palms intentionally to be different. Unlike traditional hotel ballrooms, the 10,000-square-foot venue offers clean white walls, soaring ceilings, and porthole-style windows.
“It's not some cookie cutter ballroom,” Kaycie explained. “It's just a really solid blank canvas that allows you to create whatever it is that you're envisioning. There are no restrictions. People are able to bring in their own vendors. They're able to work outside the box.”
The space can host up to 300 guests and extend outdoors when needed, offering a truly flexible event experience. Urban Palms accommodates weddings, corporate events, theme nights, community mixers, and more.
Beyond the venue itself, the Fellows family has built a strong multi-generational team. Scott and Michelle are semi-retired—Michelle in a CFO role, Scott as retired CEO—while Kaycie and her brother oversee creative direction, marketing, and operations.
“We have two dozen employees all living locally. That was a big goal for us, to hire from within the South Bay,” Kaycie said.
Food remains the centerpiece. Critics’ Choice Catering has long been known for scratch-made, globally inspired menus, and Urban Palms continues the tradition. “We have chefs that are internationally trained,” Kaycie explained. “We're creating traditional African and Chinese cuisines, as well as beautiful, Puerto Rican and Mediterranean-infused menus. So I think the beauty of having an international scratch kitchen is that there's no limitation to what you can do. The sky is truly the limit.”
That spirit of variety carries into both their signature dishes and casual café offerings. Urban Palms’ signature dishes include the Santa Maria marinated tri tip and chimichurri sauce. The Palm Court Café, located inside Urban Palms, keeps things approachable with casual specials like Taco Tuesdays with hand-pressed tortillas and Flatbread Thursdays fired in the brick oven. The café menu is priced between $5-$15.
Drinks get just as much attention. While Urban Palms awaits their beer and wine license, they allow clients to bring their own spirits for custom cocktails during events. The venue’s 50-foot seamless bar was designed with built-in wells, storage, and beautiful lighting to showcase both efficiency and flair. The Palms Pear Margarita—a mix of fresh pear, organic agave, smoked salt, and a dehydrated pear garnish—has quickly become a signature cocktail at events.
Beyond food and drinks, the memories created define Urban Palms. One of its first weddings came when a couple lost their venue to the California wildfires earlier this year. “It was just the most simple, elegant, and classy wedding,” Kaycie recalled. “What is so special about this property is that it is a very ‘less is more’ type of space.”
Another memory that left an indelible mark on Kaycie and her team was working with Wish Upon a Wedding, a nonprofit that organizes weddings for terminally ill brides. Urban Palms hosted a ceremony for a bride who had only months to live. “It was the most beautiful thing because she had the most gorgeous wedding ever,” expressed Kaycie. “We donated all of the food and all of the venue, and it was something that we'll never forget.”
Forty-one years after Critics’ Choice Catering began, the Fellows family continues to blend tradition with fresh ideas. The Palm Court Café is now a go-to for breakfast and lunch, and starting this fall, Urban Palms will host interactive dining nights such as “Salsa & Salsa,” where couples can learn to make salsas before hitting the dance floor. Future offerings will include experiential chef nights, multi-course dining, and themed food-and-drink events.
Urban Palms has begun building seasonal traditions. They will again host a family friendly Christmas Fair in late November to kick off the holiday season, complete with decorated, 10-foot trees, a letter-writing-to-Santa station, a vendor village to buy locally crafted presents, a gift-wrapping station, a raffle with big prizes, and a festive buffet.
When she’s not creating menus and memorable events, Kaycie is happy to share her own foodie secret. It’s her go-to order at In-N-Out. “I do two patties with cheese and grilled onions. Then I get two pieces of lettuce, two tomatoes, onions, pickles, and chopped peppers on the side,” laughed Kaycie. “I build my own open face, protein style. I call them my protein bombs. That's my secret order.”
After more than four decades of hospitality, the Fellows family continues to do what they do best: making people feel at home. Urban Palms is their newest chapter, and for Kaycie and the team, the best memories are still ahead.
Palm Court Café, inside Urban Palms, is open Monday–Friday from 7:30 AM–2:30 PM, located at 889 W. 190th St., Gardena, near the 110 and 405 freeways.