Its name means “the second” in Spanish. But second to what? New York? Mexico City? Heaven? Occupying a neat, hilly square of near-coastal land tucked between LAX, a massive Chevron refinery and Manhattan Beach, El Segundo has a happy, healthy vibe. It’s not quite on the way to anything, but it is worth a trip to check out the surprisingly vibrant downtown and the squeaky-clean, leafy suburban streets.
This much-loved, Zagat-rated place describes its fare as “urban country food.” The architecture is playful and colorful, a cross between a country barn and a modern Venice design firm, and the menu is an ambitious, eclectic mix. It features substantial starters, gourmet burgers and sandwiches, pastas with a nouvelle twist, sophisticated takes on hearty American classics, some vegetarian offerings, and a small but decadent dessert menu. And unlike a real farm stand, you won’t have to sit on a bale of hay or swat away horseflies.
In a tough, unpredictable economy, maybe it’s time to take a tip from various primitive tribes, super-wealthy Beverly Hills matrons and gangsta rappers: Start keeping all your tangible wealth right on your body. This bright, comfortable store is a good place to begin redirecting your investments. A longtime family-owned business with an in-house shop that does repairs, Jewelry Source offers everything from artistic, modestly priced jewelry all the way up to dazzling, sculpted chunks of diamond that would have a comic book villain drooling.e
The undisputed king of old-school El Segundo eating joints, Wendy’s holds its own among throwback eateries all across the region. Like a pitch-perfect black-and-white movie set (complete with Norman Rockwell artwork), it goes way beyond “nostalgic” and beelines to “American cultural artifact.” This is a place where you can hang your fedora, grab a counter stool, order up a comforting breakfast or lunch, and enjoy debating the Dewey-Truman election with seasoned locals while catching up on your telegrams.
Even in this increasingly green, healthy world, vegetarian restaurants aren’t all that plentiful. Luckily, Papillon dishes up vegetarian versions of Filipino and Chinese classics—chicken adobo, escabeche, embutido, orange chicken, Mongolian beef, kung pao—all made with meat substitutes rather than real bits of beast.
F&R offers fashionable, stylish women’s clothing and jewelry in a split-level chateau-style structure. Prices are reasonable, and the owner is happy to assemble complete custom outits. Most of the clothing is organic, so if you happen to eat your sweater or blouse, you won’t harm yourself with nasty preservatives. Wear your new threads to nearby DeLuca Trattoria (225 Richmond St., 310-640-7600), which features live music in its piano bar.
A little-known culinary secret: Some of the best Italian delis are run by Asian-Americans. Upon what data is this theorem based? This fiercely popular shop, which serves up superior Boar’s Head-brand products on outstanding bread. The scrumptious hot and cold combos come with such creative names as the Airport Bergman, the Iron Man and the Genu-Flex. Rinaldi’s also uses ground turkey and egg whites in some sandwiches, in case you want to anger the deli gods by going low-fat.
