Best of the Beach Dining & Entertainment 2024 Winners
Bartender
Rico de Alba
We live in a time of mixologists, that newer breed of bartender known for artfully concocting drinks. Rico de Alba can hold his own in this aspect of the craft, but what he concocts is something no amount of fancy ingredients can conjure. Rico makes the Shellback Tavern a home away from home, both for his fiercely loyal regulars and for those who just happen upon the iconic Manhattan Beach, pier-adjacent yet miraculously down-to-earth bar.
De Alba has won Best Bartender more than any other bartender in the South Bay. He says it matters to him not because it gets his picture in the paper, but because it’s an honor bestowed by his customers.
“It means a lot,” De Alba said. “It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know, you know?”
De Alba has been working for Shellback owner Bob Beverly since he was 12. In the early ‘90s, his older brother was working as a cook at Grunions, which was then owned by Beverly.
“I saw this young kid hanging around the back door,” Beverly said in a 2020 interview. “He would help his brother take out the trash. Eventually I thought, ‘Hey why don’t we just hire this guy?’”
When Beverly took over the Shellback in 1998, De Alba came along as a cook. What Beverly saw in De Alba was a man who took on added responsibilities without anyone having to ask him. When the kitchen shut down at night, he often kept working, helping out as a barback. He learned how to make drinks, and soon became a bartender. A little later, he also became the manager.
“He was trained to work in emergencies. Now he runs the place so I can hang out in Cabo,” Beverly said.
Thus began the De Alba Best of the Beach bartender dynasty.
“A lot of times it’s not about being a good bartender,” De Alba said. “It’s how you treat your customers. That’s what it is. People keep coming back even if you make a bad drink, you know what I mean? You make them feel like they’re at home, and they’ll keep coming back. You make friends and you make them feel welcome – that’s what it takes to be a good bartender.”
Which is not to say he’s not a mixologist. He is the creator of arguably the most popular and most definitely the least pretentious drink in the South Bay: the Fanta shot. Like all great drinks, there is a story behind it.
De Alba accompanied Beverly on one of his spontaneous “let’s go to Cabo” road trips. When they stopped to eat in some small Mexican town on the way down, De Alba had a Fanta soft drink with his meal. The Mexican Fanta, he realized, tasted different, and it also tasted like the “180 Bomb” drink Shellback had to discontinue when the 180 liquor company went out of business. Upon return, the Fanta shot was born. Before the days when people said things “went viral,” the drink went viral, and has continued to do so. During last year’s Six Man volleyball tourney, De Alba said they sold 13,000 Fanta shots.
“It’s one of those things that people, if they come to the Shellback and don’t have a Fanta shot, then they are not part of it,” De Alba said. “You know they are not local. They don’t know. They have no idea we have Fanta shots.”
The legend of Rico De Alba keeps growing. During the pandemic, when a tragedy struck his family, his community found another way to let De Alba know how beloved he is. De Alba’s brother-in-law and best friend, Marlon Blandon, died of Covid-19. Blandon and his wife had separated so he had been raising five kids by himself. De Alba and his wife, Guissell, already had four kids, but they did not hesitate. They brought all the kids into their Lawndale home, and suddenly had a family of 9. As De Alba’s daughter, Haley, said at the time, “Family is all you have. Family will always be there, no matter what. It is taught to us that as family we all help each other in a time of need.”
De Alba’s extended family, his Shellback people, came to his aid. A GoFundMe campaign raised $80,000 in a matter of weeks to help take care of the kids.
There is a beautiful expression of how things like this occur in the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi: “It is through giving, that you receive.” One of the organizers of the fundraiser, former Shellback regular Tim Graham, echoed those words in his description of De Alba. “The one thing with Rico is,” Graham said, “he is always doing things for other people.”
116 Manhattan Beach Blvd
Manhattan Beach
(310) 376-7857
Craft Beer
Hermosa Brewing
We would tell you what Hermosa Brewing has on their tap list, but we can’t — they change it almost every day. Unlike some places that offer limited styles, the beers always include IPA’s, ales, and sours, and you’ll often find a saison, oatmeal stout, or other seasonal variety. There are places with a much larger list that include products by the mega-brewers, but that’s not what they do here. If they don’t have the beer you tried last time and liked, talk to Dave the cicerone about your preferences and try a taster of their current offerings. Those who appreciate a handcrafted beer or ale are certain to find something they like, and maybe several somethings.
1342 Hermosa Avenue
Hermosa Beach
(424) 398-0014
Uncorked Hermosa Beach. Easy Reader file photo
Wine store
Uncorked
This duo of wine stores that generate an unending stream of interesting events have won the prize again, and it’s no wonder. Their selection is very well curated, and the staff know what they have and are ready to help with pairing suggestions for any meal. Uncorked is the local favorite partly because they’re so active in the community – owners Jeff and Kathy host wine dinners at a variety of restaurants, participate in charity events, and are generally involved in just about everything. This business stocks fine wines, hires fine staff, and charges a fair price, and that’s a recipe for success.
302 Pier Ave
Hermosa Beach
(424) 247-7117
1000 Manhattan Ave
Manhattan Beach
(310) 372-2021
Liquor store
Adams
Adams Liquor and Bottle Shop has two locations in Redondo, and at both of them you’ll find spirits, liqueurs, aperitifs, and all the other ingredients for a great cocktail. Boutique producers are well-represented, and browsing the shelves will bring you face to face with makers you’ve never heard of. A mandarin orange flavored organic grape-based vodka from Sonoma may catch your eye, or an Italian grapefruit gin, or perhaps a small batch bourbon you’ve heard about but never tried. The prices are generally comparable with the corporate warehouse stores, but Adams is locally owned and right in our neighborhood. You can raise a glass to quality and convenience when you get home with that bottle of something intriguing.
1306 1/2 S Pacific Coast Hwy
Redondo Beach
(310) 316-3740
604 Torrance Blvd
Redondo Beach
Wine bar
Barsha
The wine bar experience is a little different from most other drinking places because at most bars, the beverage is an accompaniment to the conversation. At a good wine bar, the beverage is often a major topic of conversation, and appropriate snacks are served along with the fruit of the vine. Customers sip, taste, and talk with their companions, the staff, and even total strangers about what they’re experiencing. Barsha in Manhattan Beach has found the perfect balance of food and atmosphere to loosen tongues and create a vibrant social scene that happens to center on wine. Stop in and try the wines and light meals, and if you find something you particularly like, take a bottle home to spark conversations there.
917 N Sepulveda Blvd.
Manhattan Beach
(310) 318-9080