Posts by Teri Marin
The Kettle: Best of the Beach 2018 Late night eatery
The restaurant that spawned a restaurant empire keeps doing what it does best – serve good American food at all hours. The restaurants that the Simms family has started, like Simmzy’s, Tin Roof Bistro, The Arthur J, and the Lazy Dog chain, all have their roots in the only place in the South Bay to…
Read MoreCharlie’s: Best of the Beach 2018 Italian under 30
There are restaurateurs around LA who would take umbrage if you referred to their place as an Italian joint. None of them are the owners of Charlie’s in Redondo, which glories in the monicker. They call the place a New York Italian joint, and it fits perfectly. People here are as likely to have a…
Read MoreThe Spot: Best of the Beach 2018 Vegetarian
When a restaurant has been around for decades and becomes an institution, there’s a tendency to kick back and become a fossilized version of what they were when they opened. Such museums that serve food usually offer a lifeless version of what once made them famous. The Spot has bucked that trend, still offering some…
Read MoreLittle Sister: Best of the Beach 2018 Asian fusion
Little Sister refers to their cuisine as “East meets West,” but it’s really East meets East. The fusions on the menu are mostly between the cultures of Asia, as interpreted by visionary chef Tin Vuong. Vuong came to prominence at Abigaile gastropub in Hermosa Beach, but really hit his stride when he opened Little Sister.…
Read MoreTapas y Vino: Best of the Beach 2018 Tapas
Spanish styles of architecture and cuisine are so popular in the South Bay that there are plenty of places where you might forget that you’re in the USA. Tapas and Vino is a little short on whitewashed walls and red tile roofs, but the cuisine by new chef Adrián Fernández García might be found in…
Read MoreThe Strand House: Best of the Beach 2018 Outdoor dining, best view
The Strand House has a fantastic view of the ocean from almost every table, but a few people each night get to enjoy it from a unique perspective: the four tables perched on the outside balcony. They enjoy the ocean breeze, or for the few weeks of winter we get, they bundle up against it.…
Read MoreThe Arthur J: Best of the Beach 2018 Steak
The people who created The Arthur J know that the environment is a vital component of the dining experience, and they set out to create one in which your expectations are high. The sleek, mid-century design is a celebration of the era when steak was king, and it is an admirable backdrop for a meal…
Read MoreBottle Inn Redondo: Best of the Beach 2018 Restaurant wine list
When Silvio Petoletti opened the Bottle Inn Redondo, he brought the focus on great wine along for the ride. The focus has changed quite a bit, with fewer ancient Italian rarities and more value bottles and California boutique wineries represented, but that fits the local customer base. Wine tastings by established and emerging winemakers are…
Read MoreBo Bridges Gallery: Best of the Beach 2018 Art Gallery
Bo Bridges introduced a new aesthetic to beach photography when he opened a gallery in downtown Hermosa Beach in 2008. Beach photography had long been characterized by warmly lit, nostalgia-inducing, and neatly framed images of piers, volleyball players, and surfers. Bridges applied his background in shooting extreme sports to finding angles that caused his volleyball…
Read MoreBottle Inn Hermosa: Best of the Beach 2018 Italian
A change in ownership last year hasn’t done a thing to dim locals’ enthusiasm for the original Bottle Inn Hermosa. On the contrary, there are rave reviews for the updated look at the same time as there is relief that the award-winning cuisine didn’t change much. There are a few new items, but the bedrock…
Read MoreStrand House: Best of the Beach 2018 Outdoor dining, Best View
The Strand House has a fantastic view of the ocean from almost every table, but a few people each night enjoy it from a unique perspective: the three or four tables perched on the outside balcony. They get to enjoy the ocean breeze, or for the few weeks of winter we get, they bundle up…
Read MoreTower 12: Best of the Beach 2018 Happy Hour
Some places that offer a happy hour give with one hand and take with the other – the prices are lower on a few items, but the portions are smaller. Tower 12 is different, offering the same generous portions on most of their starters and full pours at less than full price. You can easily…
Read MoreJus’ Poke: Best of the Beach 2018 Poke
There’s a certain rightness to Jus’ Poke winning this category since they have been serving it since the days when most people didn’t know what it was and thought the name rhymed with “joke.” Folks know otherwise now because it has become wildly popular, but the first specialist keeps leading the pack by a mile.…
Read MoreCreme de la Crepe: Best of the Beach 2018 Crepe
While Creme de la Crepe has spread across Southern California, opening outlets as far south as San Diego, the Hermosa Beach-born restaurant is still the crepe king of the Beach Cities. Creme de la Crepe offers 38 varieties of fruit-filled breakfast crepes, decadent dessert crepes and savory crepes from morning to evening. The rest of…
Read MoreParadise Bowls: Best of the Beach 2018 Bowls
With locations just off the beach in both Manhattan and Hermosa, Paradise Bowls’ superfruit bowls and smoothies are a hit among beachgoers and particularly the fitness minded. Acai, pitaya and bee pollen are popular ingredients, alongside more common berries and citrus fruits. “We’re a family-owned business, so we see plenty of family, friends and regulars,” said…
Read MoreGood Stuff: Best of the Beach 2018 Breakfast Muffin
There’s no one muffin to single out at Good Stuff. The muffin menu at each restaurant seems to vary by the whims of the management, but that’s part of the charm. “It depends on the suggestions we get,” Athena Marin, the manager of Good Stuff Redondo Beach, said. “Some days, I’ll ask if we…
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