Sliding past the sushi bar at Koi

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Scoot up to the sushi bar at Koi and you begin a familiar ritual: figure out the day’s freshest fish, order a couple cuts and then snap your chopsticks apart, shaving away splinters until the things are whittled down to dull little spears. It’s a second-nature [...]

One keg at a time at Beachwood BBQ

PHOTO by RUSS ROCA
I can’t say exactly when it happened, but at some point beer became like fast food—something consumed, but not necessarily enjoyed; something purchased not for flavor, but for price. Beer—Bud Light, Coors Light—was a drink whose very lack of taste was matched only by the [...]

Beachwood—”Where the Fork Meets the Pork”—serves fish (salmon and albacore), ribs, brisket, beef short ribs, pulled pork, smoked chicken . . . a farm full of meat. And it’s all dry-rubbed and slow-smoked with applewood, pecan and oak. (For vegetarians, there’s a formidable fried green tomato sandwich with smoked fresh mozzarella, basil, mixed greens, balsamic [...]

Common sense dictates an Irish pub on a street known to embrace all ends of bar culture will do drinks okay, but not much else. But in keeping with classic Irish culinary tradition, O’Malley’s also makes the best breakfast potatoes: soft but not mushy, bite-sized but not too tiny, crispy but not burnt. With O’Malley’s [...]

Stop by Nick’s on a Saturday or Sunday morning and you’ll find yourself surrounded by a mob of people either already inhaling burritos or standing in a line that, at times, goes out the door. It’s a hyped place, but unlike most “oh-my-god-you-haven’t-been-there-before?!” sacred cow restaurants, Nick’s earns it. All three of Nick’s burritos (chorizo/bacon, [...]

Perhaps it’s the creamy hollandaise-looking sauce ladled on top, or maybe it’s the attention to detail, but Crema’s omelet is well above its competitors. Just about any accompanying ingredient you select to be packed inside will make the perfect omelet: dense, firm and generously stuffed. Bacon, avocado and tomato are good choices, but there’s too [...]

Remember Johnie’s Broiler–the landmark Downey drive-in, pillar of 1950s modern architecture and key cruising spot that was illegally demolished in January 2007?
Downey City Council passed a one-year moratorium on any development out at the site, immediately after a bulldozer allegedly hired by a lessee knocked down most of the 1958 drive-in.
But now, Wave newspapers reporter [...]

Hard water torturing your hair? Make a date to wash your hair at The Spot in Seal Beach

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
There are those who will tell you that washing your hair every day is bad—as in awful. No good. Evil. These same people (like hairstylist and salon owner Sandi Sandman—best name ever, right?) will recommend [...]

U-Haulers
16TH ST | SEAL BEACH
MON | OCT 8 6:35PM
A resident contacted police concerned about a couple who, according to the caller, were apparently living out of a U-Haul truck. The caller reported recognizing the couple because they lived in the area, though he was worried because the truck had been parked in front of his [...]

Wake up right in Seal Beach with these morning meals

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Seal Beach’s Main Street is a municipal anomaly, lined with quaint and quirky businesses that stand in contrast to the rest of the town’s upscale suburban sprawl. However, deeper examination (all it takes is a few hours eavesdropping on coffee shop conversations) reveals [...]