There is no shortage of places to eat in Manhattan Beach, but we like it most for its coffee shops — a style of restaurant that once thrived in Southern California but has become increasingly rare. The best of them is The Kettle, open round the clock and therefore a great people-peeping location at 3am, when the clientele is likely to include local cops starting or finishing their shift, couples ending a late-night date, and all sorts of other well-behaved insomniacs. It’s a low-priced place with high quality food, in particular noteworthy morning muffins, bananas Foster French toast, and California Benedict (which adds avocado). Sion’s Mexican Restaurant is another kind of coffee shop, located in the parking lot of a motel. As its name suggests, the menu features the likes of huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, and abundantly stuffed breakfast burritos. Speaking of breakfast, Uncle Bill’s Pancake House, right on the water, is a must, especially for the hash brown scramble known as potatoes stroganoff.
Un-fussy California Fare from Malibu to Santa Monica While Malibu is an upscale place, there are still opportunities to experience casual California beach eats at their best. Try some breakfast...
Granola first was invented in the 1860s (not the 1960s) and eaten by health nuts of the day. It was a severe dish made from nothing but double-baked sheets...
