You may think it’s strange to write up a street that would normally be associated with the warmer, summer months, but whatever, Manhattan Beach Blvd. is a sweet street, regardless of the weather. Yeah, it sucks when it’s overcast, but the crowds are much tamer in December than July, and there is definitely a more local vibe to the area now, which makes it even sweeter.

Let’s start with the obvious: this is the street that the wonderful, smaller, relaxed version of the Santa Monica Pier is on. It’s the Manhattan Beach Pier that is really only used to take a scenic walk (as long as you look south, away from the factory along the coast in El Segundo) and to visit the Roundhouse Aquarium. So it’s no Long Beach Aquarium, but it’s got everyone’s favorite part: tidepools! You know that’s the best because it’s not like you can go swim with those Beluga Whales, you have to stare at them through the glass and imagine swimming with them. The last time I went there were all of these shark eggs which were really bizarre looking, and plus I had no idea sharks laid eggs! (This was a while ago… mind you.) It’s a very small and personal space, but you might just learn a thing or two, and have a great time while you’re at it. You can’t leave with out taking a picture with the giant Great White Shark statue out front!

Now onto some food choices. I’ve only eaten at a few places here, but I know The Kettle, Le Pain Quotidien, and Manhattan Pizzeria are close to the pier. Don’t get super excited, the best part about beach towns is the non-nonsense attitude and that goes for the food. I’m not telling you to drive out of your way for these places, but if you’re here, these are your options if you’d rather skip the chains like Octopus and Wahoo’s (although Wahoo’s isn’t that bad!). The Kettle is your traditional 24 hour American diner. Fabulous for swinging by after a late night at Simmzy’s or Shellback… but we will get to those later. If you’re in the mood for pizza, some say Manhattan Pizzeria offers the best thin crust in the bay. I have to admit, I love when pizzerias serve BBQ Chicken pizza too. Some may hurt me after hearing that from me, but it’s so good and sometimes you need to switch things up! There’s always the reasonably priced La Pain Quotidien which offers food at a higher quality. Yeah it’s a chain, but whatever. It’s first and foremost a bakery, but serves up delicious soups, salads, and sandwiches. They also have this Tuscan Platter with prosciutto and melon, and a few other sides that paired with a pastry and cup of iced tea sounds pretty good to me! It’s a great brunch spot too, boasting homemade jams on top of all of their other homemade treats! While you’re busy eating, you must stop at the Manhattan Creamery, my favorite. There is a serious lack of true homemade ice cream shops in LA, and this is one of the tastiest! I can’t even tell you the best flavor to get, everything I’ve had has been so.. creamy! The store also has lots of candies and sweets that no one can resist.

For late night fun, try Simmzy’s or Shellback Tavern. They are definitely not “Hollywood”. They are definitely beach bars! Simmzy’s has more of a pub vibe with pretty good food like pulled-pork paninis, blue-cheese burgers, and garlic fries, and has a great beer selection to keep most occupied for a few hours! It’s a small place but it’s worth the squeeze. Then there’s Shellback Tavern which is beach shacky in the sense that it’s decorated with surfboards and other beachy paraphernalia. They’ve even got sharks hanging from the ceiling! It’s definitely a grittier dive bar and girls, you might just meet the surfer boy of your dreams here! Also, you can start your Saturday right, drinking at 9am at Shellback’s! This place may not have the best alcohol selection, but their prices are cheap and the people are great!

Grab a jacket and spend a day here in December. Even if the weather’s not perfect, you can still have a great time on this week’s Sweet Street, Manhattan Beach Blvd.

Want to suggest a sweet street? E-mail us!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 at 5:08 pm and is filed under Sweet Streets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.