Standing Room: Best of the Beach 2018 Restaurant hamburger
Our definitions of what a burger is have exploded during the last decade. It no longer raises an eyebrow when a chef tosses something outrageous on top of that beef patty. Or maybe it’s a turkey patty, or lamb, chicken, veggie, ostrich, or whatever else didn’t get out of the way fast enough. You […]
Martha’s: Best of the Beach 2018 Breakfast omelet
Could it be that the omelets at Martha’s taste a little better because of the ocean breeze, or perhaps their sunny patio or homey interior? We don’t know, but we suspect that there’s at least some effect. Perhaps the cooks and servers are a bit more inspired to do their best by their environment. Either […]
Gen Korean BBQ House: Best of the Beach 2018 Ethnic BBQ, Korean
Gen is Korean for “The Beginning,” and it’s an appropriate name for reasons that the founders may not have considered. It is a good place for newcomers to tabletop grilling or to Korean food because they offer a mild version of that cuisine served by fluent and helpful servers. It’s also the beginning of […]
Tin Roof Bistro: Best of the Beach 2018 Shopping Center Resturant
Openings at Del Amo and other malls have raised the bar in this category, but Tin Roof edged out the competition once again. They describe themselves as a “wine country bistro,” and you can imagine this place with a view of vine-covered hills rather than a parking lot. They have a bocce ball court for […]
Hop Saint: Best of the Beach 2018 East of Sepulveda restaurant
190th Street starts at the top of a hill with a view of the ocean and ends at Figueroa in downtown Los Angeles. There’s only one noteworthy restaurant along with its entire length, and perhaps that contributes to what makes Hop Saint special. All the creativity and culinary passion along those many miles are channeled […]
Tower 12: Best of the Beach 2018 New, Eclectic
Wait, say some people who haven’t been there. A place on the Pier Plaza has won best eclectic restaurant and best new restaurant? Yes, it has, and deservedly so. The second-floor restaurant is decorated like a hangout for an art-loving surfer, and the menu has burgers and pizzas like the bars on the block. […]
Lucille’s: Best of the Beach 2018 American BBQ
The hardest thing about dining at Lucille’s used to be finding a parking space, but since they moved that is less of an issue. Instead, you have to grapple with what to order since they have a remarkable variety of meats and flavors to choose from. Their giant smoker holds hundreds of pounds of beef […]
Pancho’s Restaurant: Best of the Beach 2018 Cocktails
Pancho’s victory in this category is a testament to the fact that a cocktail is more than what a bartender pours into a glass. The iconic restaurant on the corner of Rosecrans and Highland in Manhattan Beach has achieved institutional status locally for a number of reasons — its beautiful food, of course, as well […]
Uncorked: Best of the Beach 2018 Wine Shop
The rarest and most rewarding thing that can happen for a business is when it becomes both a vital part of a community and a community unto itself. Uncorked, the neighborhood wine shop on the corner of Pier Avenue and Monterey Boulevard in Hermosa Beach has reached this status. The shop is a pervasive presence […]
Saint Rocke: Best of the Beach 2018 Live music club
There’s something almost mystical about certain rooms that invite the spirit of live music. Plenty of rooms have stages and great sound systems and the other technical components meant to make amplified music transcendent; very few have that unnameable quality that makes songs come to life. Saint Rocke has it, and locals know it; the […]
Shellback Tavern: Best of the Beach 2018 Neighborhood bar, Sports bar
Almost everything changed in Downtown Manhattan Beach over the last couple decades as the formerly sleepy, little beach town became an affluent and even fashionable destination. The Shellback abides, as it has for 53 years now. Despite occupying one of the most valuable pieces of land in Southern California, perched just above the pier, the […]
Shellback Tavern: Best of the Beach 2018 Bartender Joe Del Riego
There are a select number of professions in the world that one might call almost spiritual in nature but not in the least bit priestly — the taxi or rideshare driver who makes new friends nightly, the hairdresser who takes your head in his or her hands every few months and hears your tales of […]
Good Stuff: Best of the Beach 2018 Contemporary American
Good Stuff’s roots trace back to a burger stand in West LA, and have spread to the South Bay, where it’s menu has evolved with the increasingly health-conscious local residents. The menu has a variety of Blue Zones-inspired options, as well as flavorful wraps, bowls, salads and entrees that range well beyond what you’d expect […]