Restaurants in Hermosa Beach

Studio Restaurant and Lounge is equal parts food and festivity. Here, filet mignon sandwiches and country-fried chicken are regularly served to the beat of drums, the strum of guitars, or the stylings of resident and guest DJs. Red and green light drenches the crowd on the dance floor as well as diners digging in to burgers and bacon macaroni ‘n’ cheese. Studio Restaurant and Lounge also entertains its guests with football nights and speed-knitting tournaments.

Chefs at Polentoni splash spicy tomato sauces over handmade pizzas, hearty pastas and risottos, and other mouthwatering Italian dishes. On plates, rich pesto and refreshing salads enjoy the company of piquant garlic, tender cuts of chicken, and creamy cheeses. Rustic brick walls, pristine hardwood floors, and streamlined wall sconces epitomize the restaurant’s contemporary design, which builds a cozy space where visitors can enjoy glasses of wine or knit comfy scarves out of noodles.

Bolstered by a consistent stream of media praise, including a spotlight in the Daily Bruin in 2011, Extreme Pizza's thrill-seeking founders channel their penchant for outdoor adventure into a menu of healthy, creative pizzas. They habitually tweak the menu to incorporate new pies, many of which are available gluten-free, much like dictionaries with the "G" pages ripped out. Their chefs slice veggies and twirl dough each day before molding pizzas such as the Paia Pie, a smorgasbord of hawaiian pineapple, canadian bacon, and mandarin oranges atop a bed of mozzarella and cheddar. The website conveniently displays approximate calorie counts to accommodate diets and phobias of eating foods containing prime numbers.

Patrons can carryout take and bake pizzas or settle into the Redondo location and chow down beside a view of the ocean expanse. Kids blow through excess energy in the game area while adults scrutinize incoming broadcasts on TVs in the dining room.

Inside the Torrance Marriott, chefs toss together farm-fresh ingredients to create flatbreads, sandwiches, and well-balanced entrees that complement a wine list of more than 40 different vintages. A two-story water feature gives meals a soothing backdrop for thoughtful conversations or raucous celebrations in anticipation for a new quarterly budget report. Outside, flickering flames from the fire pit cast a glow on the zen garden's orange-cushioned lounge chairs beneath the clear Southern California sky.

Though the name of their business venture has been synonymous with finery and prestige for more than 100 years, the chefs at The Rockefeller never stop looking for ways to add even more weight to the name. Specializing in artisanal pub eats, the chefs whet appetites with fresh, briny oysters, which often serve as a savory prelude to braised-short-rib tacos or apricot-enriched duck confit. Inventive yet selective, the culinary magicians also infuse waffles with bits of bacon, topping each creation with fried chicken and pads of clover-honey butter. Pair any of these eats with any one of the bar’s 24 craft brews on tap and there’s bound to be some magic or nonmagic belches in the air.

Not to be outdone by the back-kitchen specialists, the servers claim domain over a setting that’s as quietly elegant as the offerings on the menu. A stone-pillared, covered patio with skylights contrasts the rich wood tones of the indoor dining room, with both spaces primed for special events that range from the no-frills 99-cent gourmet-burger days to wine Wednesdays. The space also plays host on Thursdays to cult-movie nights, an especially appetizing event for those who enjoy the taste of cheesy celluloid.