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 Bowls wins again for their 11 different combinations that blend tropical and temperate climate produce with peanut butter, chocolate, coconut, almond milk, bee pollen, and other add-ins and toppings. It’s mixing raw natural flavors in the same way that a chef would approach the task, and the folks at Paradise Bowls are pros.
Paradise Bowl
1246 Hermosa Ave.
Hermosa Beach
919 Manhattan Ave.
Manhattan Beach
Runner-up:
Beach Bowls Acai Cafe
1622 S Pacific Coast Hwy.
Redondo Beach
2370 Crenshaw Blvd.
Torrance
Breakfast omelet
Good Stuff
Good Stuff has a surprisingly short list of omelets, five in total, and they’re all very good. Most people who have looked at the menu only notice four of them, because one is down in the Beach Body Fitness section, and it’s actually the most interesting one they have. To make one, they fill a six egg white omelet with ground turkey, tomatoes, and spinach and top it with a scoop of guacamole, and it’s simple goodness that just happens to be healthy too. It comes with sliced tomatoes, but if you’re ordering it just for the flavor, they’ll substitute hash browns.
Good Stuff
1286 The Strand
Hermosa Beach
(310) 374-2334
1617 S. Pacific Coast Hwy #102
Redondo Beach
(310) 316-0262
550 Deep Valley Dr. #151
Rolling Hills
(310) 544-8000
Runner-up:
Martha’s
25 22nd St.
Hermosa Beach
Coffee house (Chain)
Starbucks
What is the secret to Starbucks success? A big menu and a consistent product across locations. The big menu means if you keep on trying things, you’ll probably find something you like, and the consistency means if you enjoy it in their Hermosa Beach location, you’ll like the version they serve in Japan, Jamaica, or Jordan just as much. (And yes, they have locations in all three, and 73 other countries as well.) The rush toward globalization continues because of this truth – as much as people may enjoy novelty and excellence on an occasional basis, they’ll buy comfort food and comfort coffee more times in any given week.
Starbucks
1303 Hermosa Ave.
Hermosa Beach
Runner-up:
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
2616 N Sepulveda Blvd.
Manhattan Beach