Manhattan Beach Eats: MB Post, Strand House, Shellback, Ercoles

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Tired of cooking? Beat the heat with food to go from any of Manhattan Beach's dining establishments. These days, you can dine in al fresco at many MB restaurants or swing through with a preordered curbside pickup.

Many restaurants have developed creative ways to get their tasty fare to you, crafting family meals that boast culinary finesse. MB Post, one of Manhattan Beach's most popular social houses, is offering a different family meal every night. Tonight [Wednesday, August 19], their family meal features Truffle Honey-Laced Whole Fried Chicken with Yukon Gold Country Mashed Potatoes with gravy, Napa Cabbage Coleslaw, Key Lime & Graham Cracker Parfait for $85. Family meals are designed to feed 4-6 people, are available until sold out, and can be picked up between 3 and 5 p.m. They also offer "Batch Cocktails" to go with your dinner.

The Strand House in downtown Manhattan Beach, which has the most commanding views of the ocean and Manhattan Beach Pier, is offering a lunch special called "Taste Of The Strand" each week. This week's phenomenal pairing is a first course of Tuscan Kale Salad with grapes, feta cheese, candied pepitas, EVOO and lemon, and a second course of Italian Sausage Campanelle Pasta with roasted fennel, pecorino cheese, trumpet mushrooms, basil and white wine. The special is available Tuesday through Friday for the next two weeks for just $26 per person. Add a glass of Scarpetto Pinot Grigio for $8 for the perfect al fresco lunch.

Part of the fun of dining in downtown Manhattan Beach is the vast experiences that are available. Shellback Tavern has some 8 tables with plexiglass between them on Ocean Drive, where you can enjoy the Shellback vibe and hearty fare. Manhattan Pizzeria is another go to. Their outdoor dining deck is just above The Strand House's and still affords amazing views. And the food is basic but tasty, scoring high marks with its legion of core fans. Eat pizza. Eat calzone. Grab some fries.

Ercoles in downtown Manhattan Beach joins a few other dining enterprises that are creating outdoor dining decks where metered-parking used to be. Now, sure, go ahead and order a famous Ercoles burger at the window or enjoy it outdoors in a cool environment on Manhattan Avenue in Manhattan Beach.

There are lots of other great places to have an outdoor dining experience in Manhattan Beach. Fishbar in North Manhattan Beach has multiple outdoor tables for dining on their much-loved and famous cuisine. OB's Pub & Grill offers several sidewalk tables where fans can grab a great bite. Pancho's, a landmark in Manhattan Beach, has tables on the sidewalk on Highland Avenue and around the corner down Rosecrans Avenue.

For sure, restaurateurs are enterprising bold and big ways to provide their loyal customers with value, great eats, and service. Restaurants in Manhattan Village are easy to seek out for curbside pickup. And legendary spots like Hangar Inn on Aviation Boulevard have created outdoor operations in their parking lots.

According to the Downtown Manhattan Beach Business and Professionals Association, a survey of the restaurants in downtown MB said locals are responsible for 90% of the spending at their restaurants and those businesses want to give a Big Shout Out to the Manhattan Beach Community for its support.