Feature Stories

Earthquakes aren’t the only thing shaking up the Beach Cities!

The Grand Opening of Rock & Brews PCH in Torrance rocked the South Bay Wednesday night in spectacular fashion.

A ribbon cutting ceremony took place at noon on Wednesday followed by a private luncheon for more than 100 returning military veterans and members of the Wounded Warriors Project. (Read More)

Bridges to Italy and the Academy of Foreign Languages host a series of mixers throughout the South Bay intended to bring together members of the local Italian community and Italophiles to share the many wonderful aspects of Italian culture such as language, food, fashion and design.

These monthly mixers are open to the general public but once in a rare while, they will host a limited, invitation-only event at a private home.

On April 30, the group assembled in Redondo Beach for an Evening of Traditional Italian Cuisine prepared by Chef Michelangelo Glionna of Parma, Italy. (Read More)

When a country wins the ‘Oldest Trophy in Sports’ – The America’s Cup - it is taken around the victorious nation to celebrate the triumph.

Due to nefarious attempts over the years to abscond with this world-class prize, potential venues are not informed of its impending arrival until the last minute.

The King Harbor Yacht Club in Redondo Beach was contacted only two days ago of its forthcoming arrival. (Read More)

Shade Hotel owner Michael Zislis and Executive Chef Chris Garasic recently debuted zinc@shade’s new breakfast, lunch and brunch menus.

Chef Garasic oversees menu development and execution for Shade Hotel’s popular zinc@shade craft kitchen & modern lounge, in addition to on-site meetings, weddings and special events. His focus is on fresh, ‘farm-to-table’ cuisine which is infused with his passion for Mexican, French and Italian cuisines. (Read More)

I recently had the pleasure of touring the Automobile Driving Museum (ADM) in El Segundo.

Now, I’m not what you’d call a ‘car person’.

I’m not mechanically inclined and don’t know a thing about engines or how they work. I couldn’t tell a crankshaft from a muffler or a piston from a spark plug. My car has a turbo engine and I have no idea what that means…. but I’m pretty sure ABS is a good thing, right? (Read More)

Long recognized for impeccable service, incomparable cuisine and world class hospitality, Chez Melange has been at the forefront of the flourishing South Bay food scene for over a quarter century.

Always in the vanguard of emerging dining trends, co-owners Michael Franks and Robert Bell have established an affable environment for local chefs, growers and foodies to experiment and expand their gastronomic repertoire.

The latest chapter of their ‘Trust the Chef’ dinners featured 12 year-old, Redondo Beach native Jack Witherspoon. (Read More)

It has been said, “A bottle of wine begs to be shared.”

I couldn’t agree more, especially during the holidays! So you can imagine my delight when Total Wine & More chose me as their Local Favorite for the month of December.

Local Favorite is a promotion where a local media personality is invited to select a few wines which are then promoted throughout the month as that Local Favorite’s picks. (Read More)

My friend Dawn and I made plans to get together for dinner a few months ago to catch up with each other. We no longer workout together at the gym every morning because (drum roll, please) she’s pregnant. Pregnant and …..pink. Very, very pink. Evidently, pregnancy wasn’t enough of a life transformation. She colored her hair pink soon after discovering she was with child. Don’t ask me why.

She’s been a bit down lately. You would be too, having to go through the hot summer months feeling like an overstuffed dumpling. (Read More)

It all began with a desire to learn how to defend myself.

We’ve all experienced that terrifying sensation of helplessness in one situation or another. As a woman, I‘ve always felt particularly vulnerable since, physically speaking, I’m the equivalent of veal and when faced with a sketchy situation, the hair on the back of my neck stands up and a loop of, “DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! DANGER!” plays in my head. (Read More)

Wouldn’t we all love to dance like the Stars? Well, the good ones, at least.

My friend Dawn must have had stars in her eyes when she asked (ordered) me to enroll in a ballroom dance class with her.

She cajoled (threatened) her husband into taking dance lessons last year and when he declined (refused) to take part this time around, she requested (demanded) I join her – no doubt relying on my sense of noblesse oblige – and considering her indispensible support on my Bloody Mary expedition earlier this year, how could I say no? (Read More)

It cannot be sufficiently emphasized how vital it is to have a well-rounded cocktail repertoire.

Polite society demands an appropriate beverage for every occasion: sake with sushi, vino with Italian, champagne for celebrations, ice cold beer at picnics, assorted martinis at cocktail parties, gin and tonic on safari and one wouldn’t dream of drinking anything but a Mint Julep at the Kentucky Derby. (Read More)