Scott and I love seafood, so being out of landlocked Utah and near the sea is definitely a culinary advantage. Scott scouted out Rock'N Fish on Manhattan Beach for one of our first seafood adventures.
{location}
Right off Manhattan Beach, it is the perfect place to go when you are spending your day at the shore. It is very close to the pier, which houses a free aquarium, the beach, and the walking paths along the beach. There are also several other restaurants and shops nearby.
We parked in a garage several blocks away, but didn't mind the walk as we were heading to the beach anyway. The parking was $2.00 hourly and very tight -- it took some maneuvering to get the car seat out.
{ambiance}
We never entered the actual restaurant -- in the front is a screen that pulls up during business hours, leaving tables out in the open air, which was perfect for this beach adventure. The atmosphere is on the nicer side of casual -- there were definitely people in swimsuits, but it had a classy air (and prices to match).
I will say that the restaurant is not particularly kid friendly -- there wasn't a good place to put our stroller so we folded it up and left it outside. We put Cal's car seat under the table, where he blissfully snoozed through our lunch (ahh, those newborn days where they sleep everywhere), but we got a few irritated looks from patrons and waiters nonetheless.
{food}
The food was incredible. I don't remember what Scott ordered -- something with scallops and sweet potato fries. I had jambalaya, which was fantastic and very spicy. However, the real star for us was the clam chowder. We were only sharing a cup because someone had mentioned to us that it was good, but I honestly wish that it was all I had ordered. It was fantastic. Scott had to leave and put more money in the meter and I was tempted to devour the entire cup before he returned -- fortunately, I have some human kindness left in my heart. The bread was also excellent.
{miscellania}
Cost: $$$ a little pricey ($15 for my lunch-size portion of jambalaya)
Hours: 11:30 am - 10 pm, Sunday through Monday
11:30 am - 10:30 pm, Thursday
11:30 am - 11:00 pm, Friday through Saturday
Address: 120 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 (310) 379-9900
Reservations: Yes
You're making me feel some serious South Bay nostalgia. :) You should check out Mama D's sometime - it's in Manhattan too, a cozy (and I do mean cozy) little Italian place near the ocean that is delicious. Have fun with your fooding! And if you need any other South Bay restaurant recs let me know! :)
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