A Little Bit of Paradise
You have one of the nicest locations of any art gallery in the area. “Oh, I think I live in the most beautiful place on earth.” Andrea Luse says this with a big smile and a laugh. She’s the owner of Ma Griffe Galerie, up the hill from Point Fermin and across from Angel’s Gate […]
Bo Bridges’ surf photo shoot with Big Geek radio controlled helicopter [PHOTOS]
All images by Bo Bridges, BoBridges.com The images of surfer Dayton Silva hugging the El Segundo jetty as he paddles out, and riding long, swooping waves back to the beach have a dream-like quality that could only have been captured by a camera floating overhead. Read the full Bo Bridges story or watch the video.
Bridges over local waters
Bo Bridges’ first photo shoot with Big Geek, a five-foot long, radio controlled helicopter, didn’t end well. The plan was for underground skateboarder Saul Weber to hit a curb, slide down a rail, jump off a picnic bench and then, round a telephone pole and make a speed run back down the course. The shoot was set up in an empty parking lot off Aviation Boulevard in north Redondo Beach. Rob Moscato of Gyro Hobbies in Laguna Beach was at the RC controls. Bridges directed Moscato to fly a few feet behind and a few feet over the head of the skater.
Best Realtor
Hoffman Murphy Team–If Marie Hoffman and Susan Murphy of the Hoffman Murphy Team hadn’t been voted Best Realtors, they might have won for most upbeat and energetic. Hoffman credited her energy to having been a Jazzercise instructor for 23 years with her husband Dwain Roque. Murphy, in her spare time, works with the Redondo Beach […]
Best Mexican Restaurant under $10
El Gringo – There are an amazing number of Mexican places in the beach cities where you can get a decent meal for under ten bucks, so anybody who wins this category has faced down some serious competition. The three restaurants in the El Gringo chain have taken the title for the third year in […]
Best Tapas
Mediterraneo – Tapas started in the easygoing café society of Madrid as a complement to glasses of wine, and they have thrived after being transplanted to the South Bay. Exhibit A is Mediterraneo, which has the largest variety of authentic Spanish tapas as well as some that exhibit a Californian flourish. The traditional plates of […]
Best Italian Restaurant over $20
Bottle Inn – Someone who didn’t know The Bottle Inn is a fine dining restaurant might think it was a wine shop – and indeed there is an impressive selection of wines here, but their destiny is to be paired with impressively authentic Italian food. The pastas are homemade, the sauces rich with the flavors […]
Best of the Beach Winners 2011
The Best of the Beach is our celebration of all the people and places that make the South Bay a great place to live, work and play. Once a year, our readers get a chance to pick their favorites in ten categories – automotive, personal services and fashion, kids, sports, shopping, home services, pets, health […]
Best Fish & Chips
Shellback – Beer battered seafood works so well because the carbonation in the brew makes the crust expand into feather lightness. Locals may not have known the chemistry but are aware of the effects every time they dig into Shellback’s famous fish and chips – the big filets have a crunchy, delicious crust every time. […]
Best Outdoor Dining
Mediterraneo – The people on one side of the table get a view of the beach on the other you see the cars coming down Pier without having to listen to them or smell them. Both sides get to people watch the plaza in all its variety, so any outdoor diner here gets a view […]
Best Sports Store
Dick’s Sporting Goods – It’s hard to fathom when you walk into any Dick’s Sporting Goods store – including the gleaming new store in El Segundo Plaza – that this expanding empire of big box stores began with the thwarted dream of an 18-year-old clerk at an Army/Navy store in a small New York town […]
Best Men’s Boutique
Jeffrey Scott Men’s Collection – Readers voted Jeffrey Scott Men’s Collection as their premiere apparel and lifestyle destination of choice in the South Bay. Fashion-savvy men and the women who shop for them can expect to discover “hard-to-find, unique and contemporary collections of apparel and accessories that are on trend and are presented in an […]
Best Women’s Boutique
Splintered Heart – For the last two years, women’s clothing boutique Splintered Heart in Hermosa Beach has said it offers the hottest styles in clothing, accessories and unique gifts at reasonable prices. And this year, our readers agree. Located on Aviation Boulevard, the alternative clothing, accessories and gift retailer says that it’s able to offer […]
Best Vintage Consignment Store
Return Engagement – When it comes to finding high-quality deals on clothes, accessories and more, our readers turn to Return Engagement in Redondo Beach’s Riviera Village for their choice of consignment store. The store offers new, gently-used, vintage and modern clothes, jewelry, shoes, hats, purses, and scarves, including brand name and designer labels. Just what […]
Best Sushi Chef
Sanjee Duke, Sushi Duke – These days we’re not quite sure where to tell you to go to catch up with Sanjee Duke – since he opened the new location on Catalina in Redondo, he has been there pretty regularly, but there have been Sanjay sightings at the Hermosa location, too. Does he have a […]
Best Gift Shop
Gum Tree – The distinctive boutique and Australia-inspired café, overlooking the ocean from a 1911 Craftsman bungalow, has quickly become a beach cities favorite. Lori Ford’s domain, the homey boutique, features Dash and Albert rugs, throws, pillows from Thomas Paul, Moroccan leather poofs for the living room, Jonathan Adler salt and pepper shakers, etched glassware […]