Leave your condo for Redondo!

Dear Readers, We apologize for the lapse in updates. It's just that we've been doing so much awesome research for the site, we haven't had time to convert our wonderful times into awesome posts. Enjoy this summertime beach outing, and we'll be back on our game in no time.

It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy in southern California. So ditch the Prius and jump in your Mini Cooper convertible for a roll down(or up) PCH to Redondo Beach.

Redondo is full of youth, but a young adult sort of youth as opposed to angsty teenager sort of youth(I’m looking at you Huntington Beach, with all your lower back tattooes and piercings). With it’s long stretch of beach, great surf, a large pier, and it’s myriad people make Redondo beach a great place to go on a date as there are so many options of fun and excitement. Don’t like too many options you say? I’ll help you narrow things down a bit to get the most out of your date with destiny.

I highly recommend traversing Redondo Beach on two wheels, as the whole length of the South Bay beaches are bike friendly. But whatever, parking isn’t too bad too.

In the morningtimes, you’ve got two excellent choices: CJs Pantry, across from the Redondo Beach Elks Lodge, is a quaint little café with great diner breakfasts and nice, fast service even when they are busy, which is usually. Just up the street, the Catalina Coffee Company, is a new favorite of mine as it’s a great place to park and begin/end your bike trek along the beach. Enjoy a morning cup and croissant, or a afternoon iced coffee and delicious gourmet sandwich.

The furthest south end of Catalina Ave, has a great many boutique fashion shoppes winding down to the Esplanade. But I’ll be honest, I’ver never been to any of them because I’m a dude, but they are there and I hear they are very nice.

Wooo! After all that shopping I bet you and your beau are hungry for lunch. Right along that southernmost strip of Catalina are a host of excellent options. The Redondo Beach Brewing Company, Zazou, and HT Grill/Hennesy’s Tavern. RedondoBrewCo and Hennesy’s serve up classic beers and sandwiches in a wonderfully bright and welcoming tavern setting, while Zazou is a bit “nicer” while they still welcome patrons in casual attire.

Your other option is to take Catalina down to the enormous Redondo Beach Pier, which I highly recommend. The pier has your standard stand-fare so take your pick of fresh fried fish or fresh fish tacos and walk the pier looking through the tchotchke shops and kite vendors.

Holy shit that was delicious. Let’s head back up to PCH and Ave I, to GoBoy Records, Redondo’s best used record store. It’s no Amoeba, but you’ll find vinyl here that you may not other places. Looking for that rare Ted Nugent LP you’re missing from your collection? Need a Big Sandy limited edition? Or just a Clash CD for the drive home, this is the place to be. My favorite Redondo crusing music: Sublime, The Kinks, Iggy and the Stooges.

It’s getting late…why not spend more money and have more fun! Fuck yes. We’re going back to the Redondo Beach pier, only this time, head to the north end, and go down the stairs to the Redondo Beach Fun Factory, a fucking HUGE arcade and carnival. Play some pinball, skee-ball, or video golf. I can’t recommend anything because it’s all awesome and it all smells like fish.

What’s that? You’re just coming down to Redondo for the evening? Why didn’t you say so! Up the street, the entrance tucked inside a parking garage, you’ll find the swank steak and seafood joint, the Chart House. GREAT VIEW, phenomenal fresh fish, great wine, good service. Fairly expensive, but that view!

You want to spend more money? At PCH and Palos Verdes Blvd, in the Palos Verdes Inn, is the long-established, five-star restaurant, Chez Melange. Eclectic cuisine with a daily changing menu and an every-couple-months-changing bar(sometimes Sushi, sometimes tapas, sometimes something you aren’t expecting). Managed by local favorite restauranteurs, Robert Bell and Michael Franks, Chez Melange is a great fancy dining room(some places near the beach don’t mind beach attire, and while you can probably stroll into Chez with jeans and a t-shirt, it’s frowned upon). Easy-ish to get a reservation, a great dining room outside of LA, always full, never overwhelmingly busy. And a full bar.

There you go. Too many things to do in Redondo Beach that you’ll need to come back again for more. Check local listings for festivals and volleyball competitions as in the summer there is always a bunch of things happening. I think at the end of summer is LobsterFest, festival of all things covered in drawn butter.

INFO!

Catalina Coffee Company
126 N Catalina Ave
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 318-2499

CJ's Pantry
324 S Catalina Ave
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 318-2411

GoBoy Records
1310 S Pacific Coast Hwy
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 316-1957

Chez Melange
1716 S Pacific Coast Hwy
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 540-1222
Reservations recommended, but fairly easy to acquire

The Chart House
231 Yacht Club Way
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 372-3464

Redondo Beach Pier - you don't need directions. It's pretty hard to miss.