Best of the Beach 2022: Bowl (Acai or Fruit), Breakfast Omelet, Coffee House (Chain)
Bowls (Acai or fruit) Paradise Bowl Two of the most popular ingredients for fruit bowls are pitaya (otherwise known as dragon fruit), and acai, both tropical fruits that don’t grow here. That means nobody can really compete on whose is freshest. It’s all about the inventiveness with which they are combined with quality ingredients. Paradise […]
Best of the Beach 2022: Outdoor Dining, Ice Cream Palor, Neighborhood Deli, Quiet Dinner
Outdoor dining Palmilla All beach city boosters like to emphasize the variety of options for outdoor dining in their towns, but Hermosa really has everyone else beat thanks to the traffic-free pier plaza. Free of vehicular traffic, we hasten to add. The pedestrian traffic is a big attraction as people of all ages, some walking […]
Best of the Beach 2022: Romantic Dinner, Specialty Salad, Sandwich Shop, Special Occasion Restaurant, View
Romantic dinner Chart House The Chart House is a favorite place for wedding receptions, and perhaps some of the romance from those occasions has infused a sort of psychic energy into the building. Or perhaps that’s backwards – maybe the space has been the scene for so many romantic evenings that people decide to have […]
Best of the Beach 2022: Bartendar, Local Original Band
Bartender Rico De Alba, Shellback Shellback bartender Rico De Alba is thrilled to finally see the faces of his guests after enduring mask mandates. “I love talking to people and making them feel welcome,” he said. For the past 21 years the resident bartender has been serving signature drinks like the Fanta, a shot of […]
Best of Beach 2022: Dance Club, Restaurant Crew, Bagel Shop, Bakery bread, Bakery dessert
Dance Club American Junkie A “house party vibe” is how American Junkie manager Art Hernandez describes the Pier Avenue dance club, which features two DJ’s on the weekends. The east room has throwback, sing along, rock: the second dance floor, house music. The club also brings in some heavy hitters for live performances, like rappers […]
Jay LaPlante memorial brings friends together for a final send-off
by Chris Down Friends and family attending Jay LaPlante’s memorial last Sunday, on the beach in Manhattan Beach, were asked to dress as Jay would dress. Casual, no shoes and in his favorite color, blue, “to keep his eyes shining bright”. The cyclist, surfer, sailor and accomplished pumpkin racer died in a motorcycling accident last […]
Best of the Beach 2022: Hamburger Restaurant, Hamburger (Fast Food), First Date, Fish and Chips
Hamburger restaurant Ercoles 1101 There are some similarities between our winner for fast food burger and restaurant burger, mainly that both come from places that make almost nothing else. Ercole’s burgers are made with fresh meat from the butcher next door and garnished with lettuce and tomato, same as In-N-Out. One difference is that the […]
Best of the Beach: Tequila Bar, Wine Bar, Wine Store, Chef, Cicerone
Tequila bar Palmilla To some people, tequila is an ingredient in a margarita or paloma, perhaps something to down a shot of on a bet. To others it’s one of the world’s great liquors, expressing smoky, vegetal, and sweet flavors based on a variety of factors. This includes the climate of the region, the skill […]
Best of the Beach 2022: Neighborhood Bar, Wine List (Restaurant), Sports Bar
Neighborhood bar Shellback One of the most expensive residential neighborhoods in California has a favorite neighborhood bar that does not fit expectations. Rather than a palace of fancy mixology with a high style interior, locals prefer an unpretentious beachy hangout that looks worn around the edges. That’s probably a mix of nostalgia and habit for […]
Best of the Beach 2022: Inventive Cocktails, Liquor Store, Margarita (Restaurant/Bar)
Inventive cocktails Palmilla Cocina y Tequila The selection of liquors at Palmilla is impressive – not just the array of tequilas and mezcals that are standard at an upscale Mexican restaurant, but fine whiskies, rums, gins, and amari. The bartenders do justice to those fine ingredients in mixed drinks that use fresh juices and fresh […]
Best of the Beach 2022: Craft Beer Restaurant/Bar, Happy Hour
Craft Beer Restaurant/Bar Hermosa Brewing Company These days it’s a rare eatery that doesn’t have local beers,and a rare bar that still serves just burgers and hot dogs. Even so, Hermosa Brewing stands out for creative food that would grace an upscale space and beers that will satisfy a demanding brew connoisseur. The food menu […]
Best of the Beach 2022: Vegetarian/Vegan (Over $20), Vegetarian/Vegan (Under $20)
Vegetarian / Vegan (Over $20) Pura Vita Pura Vita was one of the most exciting openings of last year, because they were serving something many people thought could not be done. Italian food is based on rich sauces that usually use abundant cream and cheese, so making it vegan seemed impossible. Pura Vita makes splendid […]
Best of the Beach 2022: Thai Southeast Asian, Sunday Brunch, Tapas/Small Plates
Thai Southeast Asian Thai Dishes The people who brought Thai food to the South Bay are still best at serving it, say our readers. Thai Dishes remained popular through the pandemic thanks to pleasant outdoor patios at the side of the restaurant and in their parking lot, and that’s still some people’s favorite seating even […]
Redondo reviews, stays at 100 percent renewable energy
by Garth Meyer Redondo Beach will remain a default 100-percent renewable energy town after a city council vote April 5 to reaffirm. Councilman Nils Nehrenheim dissented. The decision followed controversy over unexpectedly high electric bills in January. Councilman Todd Loewenstein subsequently called for a review of the city’s commitment – made last fall, to take […]
MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS – Former Manhattan Beach City Manager Mark Danaj indicted for embezzlement
by Mark McDermott Former Manhattan Beach City Manager Mark Danaj, fired under mysterious circumstances locally four years ago, has been indicted on felony embezzlement charges. Danaj’s most recent employer, the City of Fremont, has accused Danaj of using a city credit card to make more than $18,000 in personal purchases over the past four years. […]
More public input sought on uses for old Redondo library
by Garth Meyer The City of Redondo Beach is seeking further community input on future uses for the old library at Veterans Park. After a March survey and open house at the library, the Recreation and Parks Commission was set to meet on the matter Wednesday. Another open house is scheduled for April 27, from […]