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 […]
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 […]
Best of the Beach 2022: Criminal defense attorney, Beach Camps, Plumbing, Financial Advisor
Criminal defense attorney Nigel Villanueva “In every single case, the client needs to be apprised of everything. I’m here to give them my judgment and expertise, but ultimately everything comes down to their decision,” Criminal defense attorney Nigel Villanueva said when asked to describe his relationship with his client. “I try to be as open […]
Best of the Beach 2022: Seafood (other than sushi), Rotisserie chicken, Sports bar food, Steak (over $40), Steak (under $40), Sommelier
Seafood (other than sushi) Bluewater Grill The Bluewater grill was anachronistic on the day it was built, a retro design reminiscent of East Coast seafood houses of the 1950s. Meals at those establishments were generally clam chowder, fish simply grilled or fried, two vegetables and a potato, and martinis for adults, lemonade for kids. Part […]
Best of the Beach 2022: Kids Restaurant, Late Night eatery (after 10pm), Mall restaurant, Mediterranean/Midde East, Mexican (over $25)
Kids restaurant Good Stuff Children have a different palate than adults, with a love for sweet and rich things and no appreciation for bitter flavors that add complexity to dishes. As such, kid’s menus at many restaurants are frightening to parents who care about healthy diets, but that’s not the case everywhere. Good Stuff offers […]
Best of the Beach 2022: Indian, Italian over $25, Italian under $25, Japanese (other), Japanese (Sushi)
Indian Addi’s Darbar Darbar has multiple meanings, one of which is a formal reception held by an Indian prince. Addi’s Darbar is more formal than most Indian restaurants, the cozy dining room princely in décor if not size. The menu includes items from all over India but has a focus on the food of Goa, […]
Best of the Beach 2022: Freshly made noodles/dumplings, Hot Chicken, Hotel restaurant
Freshly made noodles/dumplings Din Tai Fung Our readers think that Din Tai Fung is the best, and they’re in good company. This is the restaurant that broke stereotypes when they got a Michelin star for Chinese street food. You can see the noodles being made by hand while you are standing outside the restaurant. Unless […]
Best of the Beach 2022: Family dinner, Farm to Table, French/Continental
Family dinner The Kettle Many parents complain that there are few places in our downtowns that are family oriented as opposed to aiming at the bar crowd. The Kettle is a rare exception, and everybody’s first choice when it comes to a good meal at a moderate price in a family friendly environment. They have […]