The sun was out and the breeze was refreshing! Locals enjoyed their day off socializing about food, beer and life. Scents of seafood and hops surrounded the event. Tents lined the MBS Media Campus, distributing mouthwatering assortments to community members.
Saturday was the first annual Bite at the Beach presented by the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce. The event featured tasty offerings from over 40 local restaurants and breweries. It was the first big food and craft beer pairing event in South Bay, and it was memorable!
Upon arrival, everyone was given a Stella Artois (title sponsor) glass and a dish that latched on to it (see below). The first beer I tried was The Bruery’s sour beer. No, that doesn’t sound appealing, and I was skeptical, but it was by far my favorite beer of the day. It was paired with Simmzy’s shrimp cake (also delicious). My most favorite food offering was Salt Creek Grille: El Segundo’s life changing bacon wrapped shrimp. I say life changing because they had a sign that literally said “life changing,” and yes, it was indeed life changing. Shrimp could have been replaced by any word or food and I still would have tried it. C’mon, who doesn’t like life changing bacon wrapped goodness? Always count me in!
The atmosphere was electric. The event offered multiple panel sessions with chefs and brew masters. The first panel discussed beer pairing and how to pick the right beer to go with your next meal, while the second panel talked about different ways you can use beer other than to get a buzz.
The event had multiple interactive Enplug screens throughout the venue where guests posted their favorite food and beer pairings on social media using #biteatthebeach. Obviously, since I worked the event, I couldn’t test too many beers (because obviously).
It was great to meet and taste these amazing local offerings. Special thanks to the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce for putting on the event!