Be Decadent: 24 Hour Pre-Babymoon in Manhattan Beach
from top: the Manhattan Beach pier; me and Napper on the boardwalk; the Strand House (3 & 4); stuffed french toast at the Strand House; Shade Hotel; and MB Post.
Upon being invited down to Manhattan Beach for a decadent sounding brunch and sleep over at the Shade Hotel, Napper and I packed our overnight bags and decided to make a mini pre-babymoon out of the trip. It was a gloomy day but that didn't stop us. A deliriously decadent brunch at the Strand House, a very modern sleek restaurant that also has a bar/club that gets rocking in the evenings (apparently, we did not make it!), was heaven. Especially to a pregnant lady! The stand out was by far the huckleberry and marscapone stuffed french toast. This sweet breakfast extravagance rivals only the ricotta honeycomb banana pancakes at the Landing on Harbour Island. Everything else we feasted on was delicious as well--- also of note are their french fries that are super crispy and fried in something not polite to talk about but trust me, they are divine.
Afterwards, we rolled out onto the Manhattan Beach pier we had been admiring from our table at brunch. At the end of the pier is a very minute Aquarium-- I love zoos and aquariums so this was a delightful surprise! We checked out some local sea life-- eels and sharks and gorgeous otherworldly looking Moon Jellyfish. Having ticked the box of "cultural activity of the day," we strolled on the boardwalk and scoped houses. And then I dragged Napper into a few shops-Wright's is a store with a sophistication level that far surpasses beach town. I wanted every Isabel Marant item in there.
We had a lovely suite at the Shade Hotel, which is located a few blocks from the beach. While the grey, sliver and dark woods of the minimalist decor are not my style and the blue lighting is a wee reminiscent of Virgin America, the staff was very friendly, and our room comfortable. The "chromatherapy" offered in the rooms (essentially lighting your room different colors depending on your mood or inspiration) was actually quite soothing and the gigantic jetted tub with Molton Brown (my favorite!) products was incredibly restorative and refreshing. We also loved the included decadent breakfast buffet the next morning- fruit, oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, delicious pastries, bagels & lox-- quite a spread.
After our own spa experience in the room, we walked down the hill to the most buzzed about restaurant in town, MB Post. And thank you to the concierge at Shade who managed to get us a last minute reservation!! MB Post is hands down the BEST restaurant I have been to in ages. Bestia, in downtown LA comes close, but MB Post will have us making the drive South just to have dinner here again and again. The decor- sublime. Big and open and modern but warm with rustic beams, tastefully cushioned banquettes, every seat was filled yet it wasn't annoyingly crowded. The service was awesome and the food even better. The bacon and cheddar biscuits are worthy of the hype, as is the white oak grilled sword squid and the linguine with sausage. Every dish was exceptional. I loved their wine list, too. Interesting and varied but they have delicious favorites like the California chardonnay and Oregon pinot noir in addition-- my biggest pet peeve with the hipster restaurants in LA and NYC is they strike these crowd pleasers from their wine lists leaving their clientele confused and often unsatisfied with the rare wine they've never heard of they've been forced to order. Take notes from MB Post, hipsters!
Napper and I also managed ice cream from the Manhattan Beach Creamery. Only after we had our scoops did I remember the the go to order here is the make your own ice cream sandwich... next time!
Safe to say we happily and heartily ate our way through our 24 hour stay in Manhattan Beach. The couple that stuffs themselves together....