Best restaurant wine list: Bottle Inn
Whether you are in the market for a rustic, full-flavored wine for an everyday meal or a bottle of something magical to celebrate an anniversary, corporate triumph, or just the fact that you really enjoy great wine, the Bottle Inn has what you are looking for. The owners have been collecting fine wines for over […]
Best wine store: Uncorked
A small wine store is a lot like an art gallery, a curated selection for connoisseurs rather than a warehouse that might contain gems mixed with dubious items. In a small place, the owners can come to know both their stock and their customers and match one to the other. From your first visit to […]
Best Door Center: Cook’s Doors and Windows
The family business has been serving the area since 1923, providing interior and exterior doors, replacement windows and moulding to architects, builders and good ol’ do-it-yourselfers. Three generations of the Cook family are on hand at the Lawndale facility to provide accurate information in what they describe as “low pressure customer service.” Cook’s Doors and […]
Best seafood soup: Fishbar
Fishbar has won this award multiple times, possibly because there are multiple things to love here – South Bay restaurants have been serving chowders and fish stews since the era when patrons arrived in Model T’s, but not in the variety or quality displayed at this establishment. New England and Manhattan style clam chowder are […]
Best Tile: Classic Tile and Design
Classic Tile is a family-owned and operated business of two generations that’s serving the South Bay for over 30 years. Products offered by Classic include artistic, ceramic, porcelain, concrete, glass, metal and stone tile. The staff will gladly offer tips on installation and tile care. The showroom on Pacific Coast Highway in Hermosa Beach is […]
Best shopping center: Manhattan Village Mall
Featuring more than 80 establishments – ranging from large department stores and small boutiques to restaurants and electronics stores – the Manhattan Village Mall has it all. With a large, convenient parking lot, shoppers can visit for some retail therapy, to dine or just to make a quick stop at the bank. The mall also […]
Best fresh seafood: Bluewater Grill
Decisions, decisions – and you can’t decide ahead of time, because the menu changes daily. Bluewater Grill offers as many as twenty kinds of fresh fish, either simply grilled or sautéed or in preparations like tacos, pastas, and cioppino. Add in the array of fresh oysters and the Ipswich fried clams – a rarity here […]
Best fish & chips: Captain Kidd’s Fish Market
Things have changed a bit at this South Bay landmark since one of the partners sold his interest, but the essentials remain the same – good value, casual environment, and famously fine fish and chips. Twelve dollars gets you two big pieces of fish in crunchy batter, as many fryer-fresh fries as the average person […]
Best Wax: European Wax Center
The European Wax Center keeps customers coming back because of their 100 percent beeswax that’s made especially for their locations. They have many repeat guests because of the way they take care of the skin by cleansing, protecting and rejuvenating, all done in clean, professional, full-privacy wax suites. For first time visitors they offer a […]
Best Private School: Chadwick Day School
Chadwick Day School in Rancho Palos Verdes has a 75-year history of success in developing young people of academic excellence and exemplary character. The beautiful, 45-acre, K-12 campus overlooks the South Bay. They are one of only four U.S. schools that hold full membership in international Round Square, a worldwide consortium of more than 80 […]
Best of the Beach [VOLLEYBALL TEAM]
A new alliance will be watched closely this season in what could produce the best professional beach volleyball team in the world. After disappointing fifth-place finishes with partner Jake Gibb in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, Hermosa Beach resident Sean Rosenthal has joined forces with 2008 gold medalist Phil Dalhausser. Their goal is gold at […]
Best Philly Cheesesteak: Big Mike’s Philly Steaks & Subs
The staff at Big Mike’s are used to homesick Philadelphians who come in to eat cheesesteaks and reminisce about their childhood homes by the broad Schuykill River. We get it – imagine being a Californian living in Philadelphia who has finally found the perfect burrito joint, the one that gets the salsa just right and […]
Best House Painter: Steve Radl
Steve Radl grew up in Manhattan Beach. His kids go to school in the community. And his wife is a teacher at Meadows Elementary school. So most of the customers of Steve Radl Painting are more than just customers: They are neighbors. Radl said he hasn’t advertised in 10 years, but has still been able […]
Best pizza: Fresh Brothers
This company is one of many South Bay success stories – they have gone from two locations in the South Bay to eight as widespread as Calabasas and Westlake Village. Their secret is simple – Chicago attention to light, flavorful crusts and a flavorful, strongly herbed sauce, paired with California ideas about freshness and healthy […]
Best Pool Store: ABC Pool and Patio
When it comes to furnishing your backyard and taking care of your pool ABC Pool and Patio is a one-stop shop. Its 20,000 square-foot showroom in Torrance offers patio furniture, fireplace accessories, barbeques and pool supplies. The family-owned business has been located in the South Bay for the past 55 years. This ABC also offers […]
Best rotisserie chicken: Poulet du Jour
The chicken is everything you hope for when you envision roasted bird – juicy and tender, with a flavorful, lightly crisp skin. Part of what makes it special here are the creamy garlic sauce and the variety of sides – try the fresh-tasting Mediterranean-style coleslaw with lemon juice and olive oil, creamy or spicy hummus, […]