Best Italian over $20: Bottle Inn
It’s the antithesis of dining at most places in Hermosa – quiet, dark, and elegant while the pier places are loud and bright; gracious and informed by tradition while others are brusque and modern. The menu here does change with the times, though some items have been there for 37 years – items like the […]
Best Real Estate Broker: Gina Ruiz, Clearsight Realty
Gina Ruiz traces her interest in real estate to her childhood. “My grandfather owned six real estate offices. So I was introduced to the real estate at a young age, and started out working for his company,” Ruiz said. Ruiz’s Clearsight Realty is a flourishing private realty and brokerage company that prides itself on getting […]
Best Dance Studio: You Can Dance
You Can Dance is home to “Dancing with the Stars” duet Anna Trebunskaya and Jonathan Roberts. The studio is owned by Trebunskaya and her mother Irina Trebunskaya, both Hermosa Beach locals. The team of 10 instructors teaches a variety of dancing classes and programs for all skill levels, including salsa, cha cha and tango, foxtrot, […]
Best Movie Theater: ArcLight Beach Cities
ArcLight earns its Best of recognition with reserved seating, top quality sound and visuals and ridiculously comfortable leather seats in its state-of-the-art auditoriums. They have bars too, and for special 21+ presentations, adult moviegoers can sip on their cocktails while enjoying the film. ArcLight boasts a membership club of more than 500,000 film aficionados who […]
Best sushi: Oki Doki
The entrance does not lead you to think you are in a top tier place – it’s a modest location next to a 7-11 – and neither does the name. Once you are inside Oki Doki Sushi, you quickly discover that this is a place where inventive sushi is taken seriously. The staff is friendly […]
Best Japanese food: ROK Sushi Kitchen
The sign over the door does say “Rok Sushi Kitchen,” but they serve much more than sushi, and the list of entrees and sides goes far beyond Japanese tradition. They do offer salmon baked in ginger-soy sauce and steak teriyaki, but with nontraditional sides like wasabi mashed potatoes and tempura onion rings, and Chilean seabass […]
Best dance club: American Junkie
American Junkie is largely responsible for the heavy bass drops that pulsate through the party scene on the Hermosa Beach Pier every Thursday night. The modernized gastro pub boasts two dance floors inside, usually pumping with high-energy beats provided by resident DJs QUASAR, Nick Jagger and Drew Pierce. It also regularly hosts guest DJs, including […]
Best Indian food: Akbar Cuisine of India
This was our closest race this year – Akbar edged out Addi’s Tandoor by only one vote out of more than two hundred that were cast. Akbar has all the elements of traditional Indian cuisine like tandoori barbecue and fragrant lamb curries, but also offers some modern fusion items that would have been mysterious to […]
Best live music venue: Saint Rocke
Since taking over the space previously occupied by Pitcher House on Pacific Coast Highway in Hermosa Beach five years ago, Saint Rocke has become the South Bay’s premier music venue. Allen Sanford’s intimate venue hosts a constant flow of inspired performances, from nationally touring artists (2012 included rock guitarist Steve Kimock, psycho-billy trio The Reverend […]
Smackfest Volleyball Tournament to stay in Hermosa Beach
The July 27 coed volleyball tournament Smackfest will continue as planned. The City Council on Tuesday approved the event application along with several revisions to previous years’ proceedings, including a participant cap of 600 and a maximum of 33 volleyball courts, down from last year’s 37. It was also agreed that eight security guards along […]
Best Cajun Jambalaya: New Orleans Cajun & Creole Cuisine
The New Orleans serves both types of Louisiana food – the refined Creole and the spicier, exuberant Cajun. Everything about this place from the alligator on the neon sign to the worn roadhouse-style décor tells you that you’re in a place with Louisiana roots, especially when you get a plate of gumbo, fried chicken, or […]
Best underage band: Bläk Reign
What started out as a one-time gig for the fourth grade talent show two years ago has given birth to arguably the hardest rocking kid band in Southern California. Bläk Reign’s youthful trifecta — Tre Coe on guitar and vocals, John Forbes on bass and vocals and Nathaniel Harris on drums — covers classic tunes […]
Café Boogaloo gets midnight closing time
The Hermosa Beach City Council on Tuesday voted to modify Café Boogaloo’s Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to cap their hours at midnight and cease live entertainment by 11:30 p.m. Council members followed the recommendation of the Planning Commission and determined that the business, located at 1238 Hermosa Avenue, was in violation of both the law […]
Best late-night eatery (after 11 p.m.): The Kettle
It’s almost midnight and you feel the sudden craving for a real meal – something more than a fast food joint. Whether you’re ending the day after a show, just starting it as a shift worker, or are one of those postmodern people who has no sleep cycle whatsoever, you head for the Kettle. The […]
Best original music band: Andy & Renee with Hard Rain
With 11 albums and more than two decades of serenading the South Bay, Andy & Renee of Hard Rain aren’t newcomers to the scene. Singer-songwriters Renee Safier and Andy Hill and band members Jim Vermilya, Kirk Makin, Dave Batti, John Hoke and Marty Rifkin have earned a variety of recognitions, from L.A. Music Awards’ “America […]
Best Travel Service: AAA
AAA is vernacular for high quality. Standard & Poors and minor league baseball use it to denote the top echelon. Perhaps it’s no coincidence, then, that the South Bay chose AAA – formerly the American Automobile Association – as its preferred travel agency. “Our agents are very service-oriented and we have a really high standard […]