Fine Dining

     The "South Bay" of Los Angeles has so many amazing restaurants to choose from.  I am only going to mention a few that are in Manhattan and Marina del Rey.  These restaurants are some of my personal favorites.  If you love greek food, Manhattan Beach has an amazing restaurant called Petros.  I have been going to this place for years with my family and it is great.  My favorite is their hollow doughnut dessert.  Definitely worth trying!  Another great restaurant in Manhattan Beach is the MB Post.  This place is awesome and the food is served family style so you order lots of small plates that you can choose to eat individually or share amongst the table.  I think this si the best restaurant in Manhattan Beach and one of the best in Los Angeles.  People come from all over Los Angeles to eat there and you should look to set up a reservation several weeks in advance.
     One of my new favorite restaurants is in Marina Del Rey and its called Paiche.  This place is a fusion between Peruvian and Japanese cuisine.  The dishes are small and meant to be shared so it is suggested to get lots of dishes to share with the table.  Paiche is an amazonian fish and they actually hae several dishes of the fish.  It was one of my favorite dishes at the restaurant and dish deserves its title as the name of the restaurant.  Thanks for reading about another day in paradise!

-Jackson McCracken

Reasons to Pursue Palos Verdes

     A great place to visit or stay in Los Angeles is Palos Verdes.  Palos Verdes is a city just south of Redondo Beach.  It is the peninsula to the south that is easily visible from Malibu, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach etc.  It is a very secluded and beautiful area that is not easily accessible from freeways.  However it is not a burden driving there because the ride is very scenic along the Pacific coastline.  In my opinion Palos Verdes hosts the nicest resort in Los Angeles called Terranea.  It is a beautiful ocean front resort that has magnificent views, dining, and golf.  The resort is 30 miles south of downtown Los Angeles.  There are several things worthy of checking out in Palos Verdes.  One of my personal favorites is a place called Abalone Cove, which is a great place to bring kids or people of any age.  It is only five dollars to park.  The cove property has great trails to hike and amazing tide pools to explore for sea life.  There is a wide range of sea life available to be seen including the rare abalone, which gives the spot its name.  It is a great place to check out and it is never crowded.

     When you are done hiking around abalone cove you should stop by Lunada Bay Cafe.  It is a small local cafe that has great coffee and hot chocolate.  This place has my favorite hot chocolate in all of Los Angeles.  There are several great golf courses in Palos Verdes including Trump National Golf Club (very expensive but beautiful), Los verdes, the links at Terranea, and more.  

     Palos Verdes is a place most people don't visit when they visit Los Angeles, but is a beautiful place that everyone should see.  Thanks for reading!

-Jackson McCracken

                                                                                        

Beach Life

            In the summertime, Los Angeles is the city where everyone should be visiting.  It is such a large, diverse and spread out place with so many things you can do.  When the weather is a little hotter in the summer I highly recommend checking out the lovely beaches in Los Angeles.  There are several good options that might make more sense to where you are staying like Malibu, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach or Hermosa Beach.  My personal favorites are Manhattan and Hermosa because of the relaxation atmosphere, good-looking people, and good surf.

            Not only is the beach awesome in Manhattan and Hermosa but also there are great places to eat and explore when you are finished or need a break from the beach.  If it is a hot day and you need some ice cream to cool off I highly recommend the Manhattan Beach Creamery.  It has all kinds of unique flavors and chocolate covered snacks.  If you are hungry and want to grab something to eat I also recommend Simmzy’s Pub.  Simmzy’s is a really cool restaurant in a prime location right on Manhattan Beach Blvd.  It is on the small side but it has great sandwiches and burgers and an array of amazing beers to choose from. 

            If you are staying close by to Manhattan and Hermosa and are looking for something fun to do at night both towns have plenty of great bars and places to have fun with friends.  Hermosa has more of a younger crowd so if you want to check out some clubs go down to Pier Ave and see what is a popular spot for the night.  Thanks for reading!  Hope you enjoy!  Check out Joanna's advice too!

-Jackson McCracken