South of Nick’s, the latest endeavor from Nick’s Restaurant Group, officially opened its doors to the public on Monday, June 22.
It marks the restaurant group’s 12th location in Southern California. Aside from South of Nick’s, the company also operates Nick’s on Second in Belmont Shore and other eateries in Manhattan Beach, Pasadena, Laguna Beach, San Clemente, Newport Beach, and more.
Owner Nick Nickoloff, a fourth generation restaurateur, shared with the crowd at the Monday ribbon cutting celebration that his grandparents enjoyed their first date in Belmont Shore at a restaurant called Hoefly’s — which today is Nick’s On Second.
Some of the cuisine at South of Nick’s. (Photo by Jo Murray).
Some of the cuisine at South of Nick’s. (Photo by Jo Murray).
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Some of the cuisine at South of Nick’s. (Photo by Jo Murray).
The new South of Nick’s offers California-style Mexican food. My husband and I enjoyed lunch there and tried the ahi ceviche, seafood enchiladas and the filet mignon ranchero. Every bite was delightful, and the service was outstanding.
South of Nick’s is located at 5354 E. 2nd St., in the historic former Coast Bank building. The building has great history, and at one time, was home to a law office of George Deukmejian Jr., the former California governor.
Reservations at South of Nick’s can be made via OpenTable. For details, go to nicksrestaurants.com/southofnicks/on-2nd/.
More caffeine
CoffeeDrunk quietly opened its new Belmont shore location last Friday, June 19. The business is located in the former Aroma di Roma space at 4708 E. 2nd St. in Belmont Shore.
They are best known for their cleverly named drinks, like the “Instigator,” a drink so popular that employee t-shirts remind customers what the shop is known for. The drink is an iced shaken espresso with maple, brown sugar, and a splash of milk.
Pastries at CoffeeDrunk in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Jo Murray).
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Pastries at CoffeeDrunk in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Jo Murray).
“Friends with Benefits,” another popular drink, is also an iced shaken espresso — finished with house-made vanilla and caramel syrup.
I was pleasantly surprised by CoffeeDrunk’s bakery offerings. Their chocolate croissant was stuffed with a Nutella-esque hazelnut chocolate, and was sinfully rich and delicious.
Happy hour
Second Owl, the Thai eatery, in Belmont Shore has some great happy hour deals.
The location is superb for people watching, and there’s no better time to indulge in that activity than during Second Owl’s 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. happy hour.
Happy hour offerings at Second Owl, a Thai eatery in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Jo Murray).
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Happy hour offerings at Second Owl, a Thai eatery in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Jo Murray).
Some deals include chicken and pork satay for $4 a skewer, egg rolls for $6 for an order, chicken wings for $11, and calamari for $13. Thai beers are also $5 each during happy hour.
Second Owl is located at 5272 E. 2nd St.
WWW-LBC
The local chapter of Women Who Whiskey is part of an international network of “like-minded whiskey nerds with a taste for curiosity and strong drinks,” according to their website.
Recently, the Long Beach chapter hosted a series of collaborative events, including a gathering on June 18 in collaboration with Olive & Rose — the latest endeavor of the Pretty siblings, best known for their Michelin-starred Heritage restaurant.
WWW club president Stacey Smith-Clark, in a recent social media post, said Olive & Rose is an “homage to everything good about California, from the seasonal produce-driven menu to the chic midcentury revival interior.”
During the evening, the exclusive Women Who Whiskey-LBC Whiskey Flight was available for purchase.
Olive & Rose in Long Beach delivers a casually extraordinary dining experience on the ground floor of a centrally located motel. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)
A summer menu item at Olive & Rose. (Photo by Jo Murray).
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Olive & Rose in Long Beach delivers a casually extraordinary dining experience on the ground floor of a centrally located motel. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)
Two highlights from the summer menu include fruits de mar, mirugai clam salad and kanpachi with kumquat, and a tomato (grown in their own garden) tart with ricotta and ramp pesto.
For dessert, they are serving a toasted marshmallow ice cream sundae with bruleed banana and peanuts.
Yesterday, Wednesday, June 24, the local Whiskey fans met up at Midnight Oil in the Hao Peng You Hand Laundry, located on the easternmost side of Midnight Oil. The group enjoyed guided whiskey flights of Japanese whiskeys paired with dim sum style bites.
If you want to sign up for future events, follow WWW-LBC at @womenwhowhiskeylbc on Instagram.
Prospector
The Prospector Family Steak House Cocktail Lounge, a favorite dive bar and restaurant that closed its doors for good in 2023, is officially back on the market, according to Coldwell Banker Commercial Blair.
The property has been listed for $1.5 million, according to Vachel McKeever, associate vice president with Coldwell.
The listing includes both the parking lot and restaurant, and according to McKeever, the interior has been demolished and is ready for a new build out. It is located at 2400 E. 7th St.
For details, see shorturl.at/Uh9lj.