It is the 19th Annual “Redondo Beach Lobster Festival” and we decided to “shine it” this year.  Two years ago we arrived the night before the festival and hit the Redondo Beach Boardwalk and had a better time with all the seafood vendors, seafood restaurants, arcade and shops.  My friend JB, his wife Shirley and son Leo decided to join us this year for some fun, sun and seafood.

JB and the Dali Lobster Telephone…

Redondo Beach Pier & International Boardwalk

It gets slightly dark at night and you will see a “Slim Shady” character here and there but nobody seems to mess with anybody else.  Also, there is a police station (per the map) on the pier and I spotted a police vehicle on premises.

Quality Seafood Inc.: Sea Urchin (Uni)

This gent was super cool and picked out the freshest stuff he could find for us.  He made sure not to give us any empty clam or mussel shells either.

Quality Seafood Inc.: Tons of Variety

There are so many seafood counters it can become a little overwhelming.  It is best to peruse first and then devise a plan.  There are multiple areas for ordering fish and seafood.  If it “came from the sea”, you can find it here.

Quality Seafood Inc.: Manila Clams and Black Mussels…

They added a garlic white wine sauce and steamed them for us.

Davy’s Maine Lobster “Meal” was Nice…

It came with a whole potato, butter sauce, lobster and watermelon pieces.  The lobster was sweet, nicely cooked and “didn’t have a chance”…

Quality Seafood Inc.: “Fried Whole Squid”

Somehow they forgot to throw them in the fryer initially but it was worth the wait.  The “whole squid” factor and freshness likely made this better than the amazing calamari served at seafood vendors at Fisherman’s Wharf in SF.

Boardwalk @ Night and Shoreline

I prefer the look at night.  Plus it’s cooler…

Shops and Eateries on the Boardwalk

The soft serve vanilla ice cream “product” dipped in chocolate I received from a vendor was “sh-nasty”.  It had that yellowish colored tint to it, wasn’t creamy and tasted like something worse than low-fat ice milk.  Dairy Queen it was not…

Leo Hammering a “World’s Best Homemade Churro”…

These churros from Pier Bakery are very fresh, with a soft interior and firm exterior.  Delicious!  And you can add caramel sauce or strawberry sauce to it for an extra coin or two.

Retro Multi-Level Bar on Boardwalk

It looked pretty ’60s style inside and seemed like a cool place to camp out at night.

Boardwalk: Backside View @ Night

The pier and boardwalk are prettier at night.

Contaminated Fish List

Yummy!!!  Fisherman were all over the pier, day and night.

Fun Factory: Great Place for Kids…

The Skee-ball and hoop-it-up were fun for us adults.

The Portofino Hotel & Marina: Lobby

A great place for drinks at night or free coffee in the morning.  The hotel rooms are nicely appointed and decorated albeit showing a little wear around the edges.  The decor in our bathroom reminded me a bit of the US Grant in San Diego.  The staff are very accommodating even if not always on point.

Portofino Hotel: Morning View Off Patio…

Plenty of paddle boarders passed by as did some boats.

Baleen Kitchen: Harbor View

The service was “snail slow” here today as it took one hour for our food to arrive.  The dining room is lightly occupied but it appears that they fill all the room service orders for the hotel.  They may want to re-consider their weekend staffing or kitchen size moving forward.  Fortunately their coffee and food were excellent and the view is fantastic.

Baleen: Pulled Pork Eggs Benedict

This was seriously tasty.  Bella destroyed her standard of Egg’s Benedict.  JB loved the Hanger Steak & Eggs with chimichurri sauce.

Shirley, JB and Leo

Mr. Seal Snoring on Anchor Ball…

Apparently we’re not the only ones who enjoy the sun on our person’s now and then.

Redondo Beach: Water Activities…

It was a warm day today but eventually the breezes got going as the day went on.

Pier & Boardwalk: Stylish Gondola

Classic Car Show on the Pier

We checked this out after lunch.  I wish dad were here to enjoy it.

Pacific Fish Center: “Medium” Sashimi Plate

The highlights were the abalone sashimi (in shell on left) and the white fish on lower right side which had a typical texture on exterior but was more interesting on the inside with a “snapiness” to it.  It was sort of familiar but I couldn’t quite place it.  It may have been yellow tail but I’m really not sure.

Fresh Dungeness Crab

This is a saltier crab and not as sweet as Alaskan king crab legs.  Thus, not everyone loved this crab.  My dad as I recall hates all the work one must do for meat which easily disintegrates as you try and remove it.  “To each their own”, I suppose…

Mr. Pelican is “Smiling at Me”…

That is one photogenic “chicken”…

Mr. Pelican “Strikes a Pose”…

This kid wasn’t shy to say the least.

An Engine Clean Enough to Eat Off of…

Although given all the “rough and tough” real men owners…I strongly urge you to resist the temptation.

Pewter Gray Classic Car…

The ’30s and ’40s were the most popular models of cars shown.

This Electric Blue Gem was a Beaut…

I especially love the front end on this ride.

Whole Lot of “Woody” Goin’ On…

This is seriously “low riding” and I loved the chunky wood texture.

THE END!!!