Only in Hermosa
Entertainment
Fiesta Hermosa at the Hermosa Beach Pier
Hermosa Beach Pier is worth visiting year-round, but the Strand becomes a major hotspot of activity during Fiesta Hermosa. The 2024 event will take place on May 25-27, continuing the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce’s nearly 100-year history of celebrating local artists. Modern Fiesta Hermosa began as Fiesta de las Artes in the 1970s, and slowly expanded to take over the entirety of Pier Avenue with hundreds of vendors across three days by the early 80s. Attendees of the 2024 Fiesta Hermosa can visit five major sectors: The Makers Mercado, Carnival, Garden, Beach Concert, and Food Fair, with free parking for bikes. Four stages will also be available for live musical performances.
Original Songwriter Showcase at Saint Rocke
Hermosa Beach has a rich musical history, from jazz performers like Tommy Dorsey at The Lighthouse Club to punk bands like Black Flag playing at Saint Rocke. Mic Drop Media founder and Jazz v. Punk documentarian Michelle Crispin approached Saint Rocke about doing a night dedicated to original music, and these Songwriter Showcases began in May 2023. Held on the last Wednesday of every month, each Songwriter Showcase curates a collection of 10 or so artists to perform two songs. Crispin said, “If we really are proud of our musical heritage, we need to put our money where our mouth is and support these artists.”
South Bay Parkland Conservatory Blue Butterfly Revitalization at the Greenbelt
The Greenbelt is a 3.7 mile public walking path just one block west of PCH, stretching from 30th to Herondo Street. It was part of the Santa Fe Railway until the stretch of railroad closed in the 1960s, leading to the City of Hermosa Beach purchasing that land for $7.5 million in 1988. A major project for the South Bay Parkland Conservatory, the nonprofit dedicated to “preserving open space and creating more parks in the coastal cities of the South Bay” since 2004, has been restoring the Greenbelt. Visitors can appreciate a whole host of plants that also serve as year-round pollinators for species like the endangered El Segundo blue butterfly.
Jay Leno Shows at The Comedy & Magic Club
The Comedy & Magic Club opened its doors over four decades ago thanks to the efforts of El Camino College alum Mike Lacey, who parlayed his success into charitable endeavors like donating Christmas gifts to children at UCLA Medical Center. This success was built upon performers like Ray Romano, Robin Williams, Howie Mandel, and former Tonight Show host Jay Leno — who even practiced his opening monologues at the venue. Leno continues his tradition of weekly Sunday, with the website FAQ stating, “Jay is just a really great friend of the club and he loves performing in front of a ‘real’ audience.”
Jazz Brunch Sunday at The Lighthouse Club (Jazz Brunch Sunday)
The Lighthouse Cafe needs no introduction. Many will know about this venue from the 2016 film La La Land, in which Ryan Gosling plays piano at the jazz club. Its history of jazz performances goes back to 1949, largely spearheaded by Howard Rumsey — who acted as a figurehead for owner John Levine due to antisemitism of the era. Rumsey rose to club manager soon after, and The Lighthouse Cafe would become a beacon for jazz performers of all stripes. Performances are ongoing to this day, and while entry is usually restricted to those above the age of 21, Jazz Brunch Sundays open the club to all through 2:00 p.m. PST.
Food
Try the Indian Egg at Baran’s 2239
For an upscale, fine dining experience, it’s hard to go wrong with Baran’s 2239 — founded by brothers Jonathan and Jason Baran, whose family owned and operated The Brotherton’s Farmhouse in Pasadena for over 50 years. Baran’s 2239 uses locally sourced ingredients for in-house recipes, which Executive Chef Tyler Gugliotta says are “French-technique based” on the restaurant’s website. Breakfast burritos are a big piece of Baran’s slim, focused menu. However, it has been featured on the Michelin Guide “Bib Gourmand” list since 2019 thanks to popular items like the Indian egg, a scotch egg-styled ball of lamb sausage in curry jus with a garnishing salad of cucumbers and sumac yogurt.
Try the Rigatoni Pollo e Basilico at Bottle Inn
A mainstay of Hermosa Beach’s dining culture, Bottle Inn has been serving residents and visitors alike since 1974. The restaurant came under new management in 2017, but has continued to thrive through it all. In fact, Bottle Inn is prominently featured on the City of Los Angeles’ tourism website for its “romantic ambiance and its consistently outstanding traditional Italian Cuisine,” alongside accolades like the LA Times’ “Best of the Southland” and Wine Spectator “Award of Excellence” in 2023. Bottle Inn’s Rigatoni Pollo e Basilico not only tastes great, purchasing a plate also gives $1 to the Hermosa Beach Education Foundation — everyone walks away a winner.
Try the Churro Waffle at Ocean Diner
There are plenty of great breakfast spots in the South Bay, with one standout being Hermosa’s Ocean Diner. Patrons can enjoy a classic mid-century diner experience surrounded by paraphernalia like World War 2 newspaper articles. Ocean Diner opened its doors over 35 years ago as a dessert restaurant called Grandma’s Place, whose spirit is alive through the restaurant’s in-house desserts and themed menu items like the churro waffle — served with cinnamon sugar, bananas, and caramel sauce. Founder Rick Hankus would go on to open Java Man in 1992, and this Hermosa institution is also still open to the public.
Try El Orangután (Espresso Martini) at Palmilla
From the same minds behind Sharkeez and Tower 12, Greg and Ron Newman, Palmilla serves upscale, home-style Mexican food in a resort-inspired space designed by Gulla Jonsdottir. Of course, a Mexican establishment wouldn’t be complete without a full service bar boasting top-quality tequila, and Palmilla is renowned for its El Orangután cocktail: an espresso martini made with four types of alcohol and shaved orange milk chocolate.
Try the Matcha Tiramisu at RYLA
One recent addition to Hermosa’s acclaimed restaurant scene is RYLA, opened in 2022 by Ray Hayashi and Cynthia Hetlinger, spouses blending Japanese and Taiwanese flavors with coastal California cuisine. RYLA is notable for its rotating selection of small-plate meals, which landed the restaurant on Michelin Guide. Hokkaido milk bread is the restaurant’s foundation, but a common recommendation is the matcha tiramisu: layers of chiffon cake (soaked in matcha tea) and mascarpone cream, dusted with matcha powder and garnished with white chocolate. The dish is recognizably built within a masu box, typically used to serve sake.
Shopping
Buy FORMA Candles at FORMA
Just one block from the pier, FORMA brings international flavor to Hermosa Avenue. The sunny storefront is lined with crystals, stationery, home goods, and clothing, much of which comes from abroad; founder Honor Topcu hoped to “redefine the boutique shopping experience” by celebrating diversity and supporting global artists, according to FORMA’s website. This ranges from jackets embroidered in Texas to jewelry from Turkey, or mosaics from England. However, visitors can also get a taste of local wares through the popular FORMA candles collection, which boasts scents like Santal + Coconut, White Sage + Lavender, or Tonka + Oud. These soy wax candles are handmade in Hermosa Beach, and promise over 50 hours of burn time.
Buy Bar Nine Coffee at Wicked+ General Store
Wicked+ is a self-described “modern day general store” focused on lifestyle products “with a story to tell.” The storefront is an “accidental” venture by brothers Brian and Colin Cooley, transplants from Atlanta, Georgia who originally rented the Pier Avenue space for their PR and marketing work before its casual decor attracted passersby. Now, Wicked+ sells everything from apparel and grooming products to outdoor goods, books, and uniquely designed Hermosa Beach hats, focused on a predominantly male audience. One stand-out product on offer is coffee from Bar Nine, a Culver City establishment which has won numerous accolades and only works wholesale with “an exclusive and select number of pro partners interested in amazing coffee.”
Buy Rock & Roll Styles for Kids at Sol Baby
Families with young children can enjoy a fun day at Hermosa Beach and walk away with a souvenir from Pier Avenue’s apparel shop Sol Baby. Owned by the Rothwell family — Gina, Dave, Kaiya, and Puck — since 2007, Sol Baby boasts a selection of limited-quantity items that are often sourced from local, independent designers. Sol Baby operates out of the building that served as the historic Either/Or Bookstore from 1966 to 1999. One current collection features over 50 rock & roll-themed items referencing artists like David Bowie, Motley Crue, The Ramones, Def Leppard, and The Beach Boys. Visitors can pick up shirts, hats, pajamas, and bodysuits, alongside children’s books utilizing their favorite musicians to teach subjects like the alphabet.