Sound Bites 18.0: Beach Hopping @ Hermosa, Redondo, Manhattan Beach

Hermosa Beach

HC, Wing, and I started out with "mimosas in Hermosa" (the theme that inspired us to go to the beach in the first place) at Scotty's on the Strand.  Scotty's is a cute diner with a nice view of the beach and was the least fratty place (one pub offered 32oz mimosas! :x ) we could find.  Oddly, a waiter started putting down new place settings before we even paid the bill.  There were other empty tables around, so I didn't really understand the need to rush us out of there.  Maybe it was because we only ordered mimosas and a plate of fried clams, which were decent, but made me wish we had ordered their hash browns instead.


Redondo Beach

We decided to do our own lobsterfest with Quality Seafood's great September Lobster Special.  $18 for a 1/4 lb lobster, giant ear of sweet corn, large baked potato, and melted butter.  If you're thirsty, you can even add $2 to get a Pabst tallboy!  This is way more affordable than the lobsterfests I've been too AND you get bigger sides.  This is the last weekend before the special ends, so check it out, especially if you missed all the other lobsterfests.  Just make sure to go to the register where they sell the raw seafood.  We made the mistake of waiting in the long line for cooked food.  We just assumed the longest line would be for the affordable $18 lobster special.  I was surprised people were totally unaware of the lobster deal.

After lunch, we quenched our thirst nearby at Naja's Place.  With 88 beers on tap, it was hard to decide what to drink.  Apparently, it gets rowdy after lunch.  The bar was so crowded when we left, I almost ran into a girl dressed up as a cupcake.  I didn't ask...


Manhattan Beach

HC introduced us to Fishing with Dynamite.  I loved the seaworthy decor and the artwork, as seen behind my refreshing Innocents Abroad cocktail (the sparkling cocktail w/ Starr, passion fruit, lavender & Thai basil reminded me of a passion fruit mimosa).  In addition to our afternoon drink, we had a few "snacks"...

Snacks:

• 1/2 Dozen Peruvian Scallops - some of the best scallops I've ever had
• Sampler Platter - each oyster on the bar.  Wing and I raved about the Kiwi Cup and Coromandel oysters (both from New Zealand), so we were easily persuaded to order more.  Also, loved the ponzu sauce.  I want it with all my oysters from now on. 
• 1/2 Dozen Kiwi Cup & Coromandel - I wanted to try the Kiwi Cup oyster as soon as I read the name.  It turned out to be my favorite oyster off the sampler.  It was crisp and clean.  Wing loved the Coromandel, but I found it a bit salty, though not as salty as the Sweet Petite, which made my mouth pucker.  It was not sweet, merely petite
• Pretzel and Chocolate Bread Pudding - because HC can never leave without dessert.  I'm not really a fan of bread pudding, but this dessert changed my mind with it's mixture of hot salted caramel and cold house made ice cream.  Plus I love pretzels. 

  

  Scallops // Kiwi Cup // Bread Pudding

HC Recommended:
We were too full to try these since we did each have a whole lobster for lunch!

• Maryland Blue Crab Cake - in - house dill pickles, whole grain mustard remoulade
• Key Lime Pie - graham cracker crust and kaffir lime meringue

I see a lunch or dinner here in my future...

It was a fun beach hop, but due to scarce free parking, next time I would park at Manhattan Beach and then make my way over to the other beaches.  However, if we stop at Fishing with Dynamite first, we might never make it to the other beaches.  

Song Pairing:  High Living by Toro y Moi


More Fishing with Dynamite Reviews: 
EstarLA 
Gourmet Pigs
Kevin Eats
LA Weekly
ShopEatSleep