Feb-March Issue
New Kids on the Block - Watermans
» Places »» Hermosa Beach » Contributors »» Valerie Buck
Published: 07/07/2010 by Valerie Buck
A new face is in the lineup at the Hermosa Pier. Watermans opened its doors recently, slaying the ghost of the much maligned, troubled nightspot Dragon. Positivity flows with a “Safe House for Surfers” theme, pure California beach at its best. A wind free patio and fresh healthy fare lead the way with Waterman’s charging into the lunchtime and dinner trade.
The menu is solid, featuring lighter options, and a variety of choices for vegetarians - which are quite limited on the pier. The flavors and menu skew surf style. Menu items tote both surf titles such as “The Banzai Pipeline” burger, to the actual cuisine itself, with a fusion of island and California flavors. Sandwiches are paired with a spring salad side rather than the typical French fries. Ahi shows up in several places ranging from salads, to seared on a sandwich with a crisp arugula and cool cucumber chilling down the Serrano chili kiss. The burgers include a veggie burger offering in addition to chicken and tuna. The colorful hummus plate is a must have with grilled pita showing a new attention to detail, and the hummus itself adorned with feta crown.
Most notable is the crowd, which includes local families, and area lunchtime business people in addition to tourists enjoying Spring Break. The atmosphere is comfortable, casual, without the hard drinking party crowd that plagued the former spot. Striking a unique balance, this is now a great idea for out of town family and friends that want to try something local without torturing the local by dragging them to another tourist trap. The change is reflected in the ownership with addition of Dig 4 Kids founder, an Olympic gold medalist Eric Fonoimoana to the group.
“I’ve known Jeff (Bellandi, owner) for years. When he approached me and explained what he wanted to do and what direction he wanted to go, I thought it was a very positive thing for the community. I wanted it to be a place that I could bring my family, and I do, “explained Fonoimoana.
Taking the theme even further Bellandi approached local surf companies headquartered in the South Bay, giving them an opportunity to brand a space in the restaurant, contributing photos, video footage for the flat screens. That branding is creating a natural venue for special events sponsored by those very companies, and even their daily business. “it’s great, we had a client in town and took them to lunch over there, sitting at our branded table, watching our video playing on the tv’s… it was a nice touch,” said one rep. It’s rare when a location can change so radically, but it looks like this time, the Dragon has officially been slain and a new Safe House sits on the horizon.
Watermans is located at 22 Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach. They are open daily: Mon 12pm – 5pm Tue 12pm – 5pm Wed 12pm – 5pm Thu 12pm – 1am Fri 12pm – 1am Sat 12pm – 1am Sun Open
The menu is solid, featuring lighter options, and a variety of choices for vegetarians - which are quite limited on the pier. The flavors and menu skew surf style. Menu items tote both surf titles such as “The Banzai Pipeline” burger, to the actual cuisine itself, with a fusion of island and California flavors. Sandwiches are paired with a spring salad side rather than the typical French fries. Ahi shows up in several places ranging from salads, to seared on a sandwich with a crisp arugula and cool cucumber chilling down the Serrano chili kiss. The burgers include a veggie burger offering in addition to chicken and tuna. The colorful hummus plate is a must have with grilled pita showing a new attention to detail, and the hummus itself adorned with feta crown.
Most notable is the crowd, which includes local families, and area lunchtime business people in addition to tourists enjoying Spring Break. The atmosphere is comfortable, casual, without the hard drinking party crowd that plagued the former spot. Striking a unique balance, this is now a great idea for out of town family and friends that want to try something local without torturing the local by dragging them to another tourist trap. The change is reflected in the ownership with addition of Dig 4 Kids founder, an Olympic gold medalist Eric Fonoimoana to the group.
“I’ve known Jeff (Bellandi, owner) for years. When he approached me and explained what he wanted to do and what direction he wanted to go, I thought it was a very positive thing for the community. I wanted it to be a place that I could bring my family, and I do, “explained Fonoimoana.
Taking the theme even further Bellandi approached local surf companies headquartered in the South Bay, giving them an opportunity to brand a space in the restaurant, contributing photos, video footage for the flat screens. That branding is creating a natural venue for special events sponsored by those very companies, and even their daily business. “it’s great, we had a client in town and took them to lunch over there, sitting at our branded table, watching our video playing on the tv’s… it was a nice touch,” said one rep. It’s rare when a location can change so radically, but it looks like this time, the Dragon has officially been slain and a new Safe House sits on the horizon.
Watermans is located at 22 Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach. They are open daily: Mon 12pm – 5pm Tue 12pm – 5pm Wed 12pm – 5pm Thu 12pm – 1am Fri 12pm – 1am Sat 12pm – 1am Sun Open
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