Layover: Los Angeles, CA (Hermosa Beach)

by Heather Poole on

I live in Los Angeles and yesterday my 15 year-old cousin flew into town from New York with a group of fourteen 15 year-olds who had, oh….about 10 hours before their Qantas flight to Australia departed. Believe it or not, It isn’t all that unusual for travelers heading overseas to have that much time in-between flights. Constantly I meet people aboard the airplane flying into LAX with hours and hours of sit time on their hands.

“So…what are you going to do before your next flight departs?” I often times ask.

Most of the time people have no idea what they’re going to do, which is why they always ask me, the flight attendant, for a few suggestions. I’m going to tell you what I always tell them…

THREE HOURS OR LESS – If your sit time at the airport is less than three hours, sit tight. You don’t want to miss your flight. Anyway, there’s plenty of things to do at the airport. But if you do find yourself hungry and can’t find anything to eat where you are, take a walk over to the Tom Bradley International Terminal where you’ll find a few sit down restaurants outside of security. Or you can go down to baggage claim, walk outside and grab a complimentary shuttle to the Parking Spot, which is located right next to In-n-out Burger. That’s where you’ll find the best burger in town. Try ordering it “animal style.”

FOUR HOURS OR MORE – If you’ve got four hours or more of sit time in Los Angeles at LAX, why not make a mini vacation before your vacation officially begins by visiting Hermosa Beach? Hermosa Beach is where you’ll find the typical Southern California layed back experience. Just a fifteen minute cab ride from the airport, it shouldn’t cost you more than $30 (with tip). Make sure to check the big bags, don’t forget to pack your bathing suit in your carry on, and get ready to soak up the sun!

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TAXI! If you want to sound like a local tell the driver to take Sepulveda (Sah-pull-vah-dah) to Pier Avenue and drop you off at the bottom of the hill. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you see all the cute boutiques, sidewalk cafes, and that beautiful blue ocean surrounded by white sand. When you’re ready to head back to the airport (give yourself an hour just to be safe), you can catch a cab on Hermosa Avenue across the street from Paisano’s Pizza and Pasta

THE STRAND – The Strand is a 22 mile (wide) sidewalk that stretches along the beach and extends from Malibu to Palos Verdes. Rent a bike at the Hermosa Beach Cyclery or take a leisurely walk. Either way you’ll enjoy seeing beautiful people and homes along the way. You can even stop to watch a game of volleyball. Make sure to bring along your camera because the sunsets are spectacular.

THE BEACH – Last month Maxim rated Hermosa Beach 6th in the “top 10 beaches in America”, in 2004 Readers Digest rated Hermosa beach as the best beach in the United States, and Sports Illustrated referred to Hermosa Beach as the beach volleyball capital of the world. Flying through on a Sunday? You don’t want to miss the drum circle that meets beside the pier on the sand every third Sunday of the month from noon until 3pm. Don’t have a drum? No worries. There are plenty of instruments lying around if you’re so inclined to join in. Public restrooms and an outdoor shower are located near the pier.

GOOD CHEAP EATS – There are too many wonderful places in Hermosa to list here, but if you’ll be in Los Angeles on a Tuesday you’re in luck because that’s Taco Tuesday at Sharkeez and Two-timin’ Tuesday at Hennesy’s where you’ll enjoy a two for one burger special on a rooftop deck overlooking the ocean. Here are a few other restaurants I recommend…

  • Good Stuff -The food is just that – good stuff. Not to mention the beach side tables paired with the delicious tortilla soup are hard to beat. Kids eat free evenings. Located on the strand next to the Hermosa Beach House Hotel .
  • El Gringo – Got a hankering for fish tacos served with chips and salsa and a Negra Modelo? Then make sure to grab a table on the rooftop deck. Located on Hermosa Ave, so face the water, turn right, and start walking until you hit 26th Street – about a 15-20 minute walk – take a right on 26th and look for the big yellow building.
  • Fat Face Fenner’s – A great place to go if you’re craving greasy fried food, a cup of chowder, a fish sandwich or a beer. Located on the pier.
  • Martha’s 22nd Street Grill – This is THE PLACE to go for breakfast. I always take my out of town guests here to get that California feel. While I’m not a vegetarian, I always order the tofu scramble served with brown rice while my husband usually orders the Greek omelet. It’s a bit of a walk, but if you face the water, turn to your right, and start walking for approximately 10-15 minutes you’ll find it.
  • Paisano’s – If you’re craving a slice of pizza, this is, by far, the best place to go, especially if you’re from New York. My husband, a Brooklyn boy, won’t order from anywhere else. Located on Hermosa Avenue
  • Paradise Sushi – It’s a dive, but a lot of fun, and the sushi is 50% off on Mondays. Located on the pier.
  • Scotty’s on the Strand – Got kids? Looking for cheap, casual, dining on the beach where kids can be..well…kids? This is the place. Don’t forget to check out the nightly sunset specials. Located on the strand.
  • The World Famous Spot – If you’re a vegetarian this is the place for you. Try the Dear George, a tofu dish served with brown rice, steamed veggies, and served with an amazing savory sauce. It’s a 10-15 minute stroll from the pier, so face the water, turn left, and start walking until you hit 2nd Street, turn left and you’ll run right into it.

Wanna know what’s going on in Hermosa Beach RIGHT NOW? Check out the strandcam!

  • Photos courtesy of Lady M (Hermosa beach), Tel lo Juro Por Madonna (Shopping & Hermosa Pier)

    • Drinking in Utah no longer for members only

    by Tom Johansmeyer on
    Four decades after making it difficult to get a drink, Utah realizes that buying liquor involves spending, too. Last week, the state decided to allow liquor to be sold to anyone with a valid form of ID. For the past 40 years, getting a drink has involved becoming a member of a private club – which required an application and a fee.

    The cost of tradition, it seems, is $7 billion – the amount Utah pulls in from tourism every year. Officials figure they can add to that number by selling wine with dinner, among other liquors and situations.

    You know what … it just might work.

    I know a lot of people by liquor in New York, and I vaguely remember seeing people in Boston, Washington and Chicago spending cash on booze, too. It happens from coast to coast, as of July 1, 2009 without exception.

    The private club rules that are now assigned to history were not particularly severe, but it’s not hard to see how they could become a pain in the ass. Annual membership fees started at $12, and you needed a separate membership for each bar. Tourists could buy temporary memberships, starting at $4 for three weeks, but they could only bring up to seven guests into a bar with them.

    Hotels built the membership fees into their room rates, so they could drink at the hotel bars without fear of misstep. Bars that served only beer didn’t require memberships.

    Yeah, you need needed a chart to keep the various rules straight. Now, it’s pretty easy. Belly up to the bar and order yourself a shot!

    OpenTable Diners’ Choice winners for American grub

    by Tom Johansmeyer on

    Once your barbeque is finished and you’ve cleaned up the long, you’ll probably want to leave the house for your next meal. You’ve done your share of cooking and coped with the mess. When you’re looking for a restaurant to make your life easier tomorrow, check out OpenTable‘s list of top shops for Best American Cuisine. The winners come from 2.5 million OpenTable user reviews of more than 9,000 restaurants. And, since these are quintessentially American restaurants, you’ll extend your celebration of independence by an extra day.

    Since all this is so close to July 1, you can also use it as a way to stretch Canada Day a bit. The food really isn’t any different anyway, except for a few moose dishes, I suspect.

    Caroline Potter, billed as OpenTable’s dining expert, calls this “a great time to be an aficionado of American cuisine. From a melting pot of culinary influences, today’s chefs have created a cuisine that is truly our nation’s own.”

    So, ready a long list of restaurants that will blow your independence-oriented mind? Look for them after the jump.

    I was surprised by how few states are represented. There are 53 restaurant winners on the list, but only from 22 states. I guess Montana, Idaho and oregon don’t have much to offer … though I doubt that’s true. There are some fantastic restaurants in New Hampshire, but none made the cut. So, take this list with a grain of salt. After all, nine of the winners are the Capital Grille.

    New York and California, unsurprisingly, led the way, each occupying 11 percent of the results, though neither was able to top the Capital Grille’s 17 percent. Missouri, Colorado and Maryland followed with nearly 8 percent each.

    The 2009 Winners of OpenTable’s Best American Cuisine Awards

    • Abacus – Dallas, TX
    • Aria – Atlanta, GA
    • Blue Hill – New York, NY
    • Blue Hill at Stone Barns – Pocantico Hills, NY
    • Bluestem – Kansas City, MO
    • Café Trio – Kansas City, MO
    • Capital Grille, Atlanta – Atlanta, GA
    • Capital Grille, Boston – Boston, MA
    • Capital Grille, Chicago – Chicago, IL
    • Capital Grille, Denver – Denver, CO
    • Capital Grille, Kansas City – Kansas City, MO
    • Capital Grille, Lombard – Lombard, IL
    • Capital Grille, Minneapolis – Minneapolis, MN
    • Capital Grille, Orlando – Orlando, FL
    • Capital Grille, Tampa – Tampa, FL
    • Charleston – Baltimore, MD
    • Charleston Grill – Charleston, SC
    • Cheevers Cafe – Oklahoma City, OK
    • Chez Betty – Park City, UT
    • Dal Rae – Pico Rivera, CA
    • David Drake – Rahway, NJ
    • Eddie Merlot’s, Fort Wayne – Fort Wayne, IN
    • Eddie Merlot’s, Indianapolis – Indianapolis, IN
    • ELEVEN – Pittsburgh, PA
    • Eleven Madison Park – New York, NY
    • Fearing’s – Dallas, TX
    • Flagstaff House – Boulder, CO
    • Gayle – Philadelphia, PA
    • Gramercy Tavern – New York, NY
    • Lahaina Grill – Maui, HI
    • LJ’s and the Kat Lounge – Hagerstown, MD
    • Lola, A Michael Symon Restaurant – Cleveland, OH
    • MICHAEL MINA – San Francisco, CA
    • Mulvaney’s B&L – Sacramento, CA
    • Murray’s Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge – Minneapolis, MN
    • Niche – St. Louis, MO
    • Paseo Grill – Oklahoma, OK
    • Per Se – New York, NY
    • Providence – Los Angeles, CA
    • Sweet Basil – Vail, CO
    • The Dining Room at The Langham Pasadena – Pasadena, CA
    • The French Laundry – Yountville, CA
    • The Prime Rib, Baltimore – Baltimore, MD
    • The Schoolhouse at Cannondale – Wilton, CT
    • Tilth – Seattle, WA
    • Tristan, Charleston – Charleston, SC
    • Vie – Western Springs, IL
    • Vintage Tavern – Suffolk, VA
    • VOLT – Frederick, MD
    • White Barn Inn – Kennebunk Beach, ME

    Gadling Take FIVE: Week of June 27 to July 3

    by Jamie Rhein on

    Happy 4th of July a day early. This week we’ve welcomed another blogger Kendra Bailey Morris who will be enticing us with posts about food in her series The Accidental Chef Travels. Oh, how we love to eat at Gadling. We’re hooked already.

    Also Hotel Month has kicked off. Each day will bring a new angle to where to stay and helpful tips to make your slumber experiences good ones.

    And here are five posts that offer insight into destinations. As always, I’ve had a hard time choosing.

    See Chicago wieners (and others) on IgoUgo list

    by Tom Johansmeyer on

    Chicago makes several appearances on IgoUgo’s list of top hotdog establishments, but there are plenty of spots across the country where you can pick up a great hotdog. My favorite apparently made the cut – a shortcoming of the list, I guess. For me, it doesn’t get better than Popo’s, in Swampscott, MA, and my local shop, Gray’s Papaya, is no slouch, either.

    And, don’t forget that there are some dogs to be found outside the United States. I’ve had interesting eats in Stockholm, Montreal, East Anglia, Reykjavik and Madrid. That said, IgoUgo‘s honor roll is packed with fantastic hotdoggeries, and you’re bound to find something that satisfies the basest of “culinary” urges.

    Get IgoUgo’s suggestions and reasoning after the jump.

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    From IgoUgo:

    Portillo’s, Chicago: “The hot dogs are all beef and are definitely the best in town. The cup of hot gold might not be real cheese, but darn, it’s good.”

    Nathan’s Famous, Coney Island: “Sure, you can get their hot dogs at airports and malls throughout the country now, but they taste different in New York.”

    Pink’s, Los Angeles: “Who knew you can fit two hot dogs in one bun (The Today Show Dog)? There’s even a crazy option with three hot dogs in a tortilla (Three Dog Night).”

    Puka Dog, Koloa, HI: Located in a “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shopping center,” Puka Dog’s homemade buns are spiked and warmed from the inside out before the bun is filled with a secret garlic-lemon sauce and topped with a veggie dog or a polish sausage – and star fruit, mango, or papaya relish.

    Hot Doug’s, Inc., Chicago: “Not only do they have the classic Chicago-style dog but they also have the Elvis (with Polish sausage) and the occasional game”-try the alligator dog with blue cheese and order the duck-fat fries.

    The Dog Out,San Ramon, CA: When walking into the Dog Out, the feeling is “it is going to be a fun meal.” Keep an eye out as sometimes the manager comes around with free ice cream for everyone.

    The Wiener’s Circle, Chicago: There is not a Chicago-style hot dog like those “at The Wiener’s Circle (after midnight).” This place is one of character, “famous for people yelling and swearing at each other before they take part in the monstrosity that is cheese fries.”

    Wright’s Dairy Rite, Staunton, VA: Open since 1952, this classic drive-in restaurant has had car-hop service since its inception. Inside, there’s a phone at every booth to call in your order. “The dogs come in regular size and Dogzilla, a 1/3-pound dog served on a sub bun.”

    Chris’ Hot Dogs, Montgomery, AL: “Chris’ Hot Dogs is a dive, but everybody knows it was one of Hank Williams’ hangouts.” The place is dark, dingy, and kind of seedy, but the hot dogs are great. Regulars range from “construction workers to the governor.”

    SuperDog, Portland: SuperDog prides itself on its natural and homemade goodies like “all-meat chili, soup, and cheesecake…yes, cheesecake.” The hot dogs are “the best,” the buns are “out of this world,” and, if you’re lucky, the beer on tap is “SuperDog IPA.”