Jackie's South Bay Weekend Guide

This Sunday is St. Patrick’s Day, and it seems like every restaurant in town will be serving up their particular version of corned beef and cabbage. No kidding! The French (Dominique’s) are making it; the Brazilians (Sylvio’s) are making it; the Italians (Il Fornaio—call ahead) are making it; the Mexicans (Ortega 120) are making it; and even the Americans (Nelson’s) will be making it! It goes without saying, every Irish pub will be serving it, and I imagine Paul Hennessey will be up to his ears in it.

Dolce Vita Café is now offering dinner every Friday and Saturday night! Located in the heart of Riviera Village, this popular breakfast and lunch establishment presents diners with yet another delicious opportunity to meet, eat and be merry. Each weekend, proprietor and renowned chef Mario Martinoli will offer a prix fixe dinner selection alongside the new cafe menu which will feature appetizers, pasta, risotto, chicken and other specialties of the house. Martinoli recently remodeled the space and installed a new dining counter to complement the legendary ‘family tables.’ Dinner begins at 6 p.m. and family tables can accommodate six to eight guests. These dinners are extraordinarily popular and will book up quickly each week, so be sure to call and make a reservation. Additionally, guests may call ahead and place an order as these meals are also available to go. Dolce Vita Café is located at 1718 S. Catalina Ave. in Redondo Beach. For more information and reservations, visit the website at dolcevitacaferedondo.com or call 310-844-7462.

Hermosa Beach celebrates all things Irish at the 19th Annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday. Sponsored by the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce, the parade begins at 11 a.m. at the staging area near City Hall on Valley Drive. The route makes a left onto Pier Avenue and ends at the corner of Hermosa Avenue and 10th street. The Wearing of the Green is a time-honored tradition. Don’t be surprised to find yourself ordering corned beef and cabbage, savoring a pint of Guinness, singing Danny Boy and kissing perfect strangers. For more information, visit hbchamber.net/news_events/st_patricks.aspx.

Hop on over to South Bay Galleria for a visit with the Easter Bunny! South Bay Galleria welcomes the Easter Bunny for the 2013 Easter season with a special event on Saturday, March 16, starting at 10 a.m. The event will kick off the season with Easter Bunny photos, which will be available from the day of the event through March 30. This year for the first time, the Galleria will introduce new green screen technology which will be integrated into the Easter Bunny photo set to make holiday photos even more memorable. The event takes place in the South Bay Galleria food court and will feature a free McDonalds breakfast and free gift for the first 300 children (ages 2-10) to arrive. Free entertainment, including balloon artists and face painters will be on hand as well. The photo sessions will be available Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. until 6 p.m. Photo packages start at $13.95 and each child who visits the Easter Bunny will receive a free gift. For more information, visit the website at SouthBayGalleria.com. South Bay Galleria is located at 1815 Hawthorne Blvd. in Redondo Beach.

If you have not been to Tapas & Vino yet, you are in for a treat! Andy is currently running a Not Just Tapas & Vino Campaign exclusively for our audience! Mention The South Bay Show or South Bay by Jackie and receive 25% off a lunch or brunch entrée. Or just tell them Jackie sent you! Tapas & Vino is located at 1729 S. Catalina Ave. in Redondo Beach. For more information, visit the website at tapasyvino.com or call 310-791-8200.

As always, check the calendar links and ‘Things to Do’ page on my website, southbaybyjackie.com, for details on these and other events throughout the South Bay.

On The South Bay Show this morning, our guest was Brooke Williamson. Brooke is the owner/chef of Hudson House and was the runner-up in the latest season of Top Chef. Don’t worry, if you missed it, you can listen to it online.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day and have a great South Bay weekend!

Jackie

southbaybyjackie.com