Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [213]
Park Bench Cafe ( 714-842-0775; 17732 Goldenwest St; mains $6-11; 7:30am-2pm Tue-Fri, 7:30am-3pm Sat & Sun; ) Sometimes Fido likes to order off the menu too. For an off-the-beaten-path meal in a dog-friendly setting, try this casual outdoor restaurant in Huntington Central Park. Order an omelette or burger for yourself and a juicy Hound Dog Heaven patty for your pooch. Kids welcome too.
Red Pearl Kitchen ( 714-969-0224; 412 Walnut Ave; mains $10-22; dinner) A pressed-tin ceiling and orange-and-red paper lanterns add style to this sexy industrial-chic Southeast Asian eatery off Main St, whose fiery, flavor-packed cooking draws inspiration from the cuisines of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Japan. Plan to share plates. Full bar available.
Spark Woodfire Grill ( 714-960-0996; 300 Pacific Coast Hwy; mains $18-36; dinner) Come before dark to this 2nd-floor Cal-Mediterranean restaurant and watch the sun set over the water while dining on hickory- and oak-fire-grilled steaks, chops and seafood, as well as crispy-thin pizza from the wood-fired oven. Try the grilled-chicken polenta with goat cheese.
Drinking
It’s easy to find a bar in HB. Walk up Main St and you’ll spot them all.
Huntington Beach Beer Co ( 714-960-5343; 201 Main St, 2nd fl; 11am-1am daily) This cavernous brew pub specializes in ales and has eight giant, stainless-steel kettles brewing all the time. There’s also good pub grub. DJs and bands play on weekend nights.
Hurricanes Bar & Grill ( 714-374-0500; 200 Main St, 2nd fl; 11am-2am daily) Two words: meat market. But then again, any strip of beach bars worth its sea salt needs at least one. Beach Party Sundays, ocean-view patios, 32 beer taps and loads of special cocktails – if you’re not slurping body shots by midnight, you have no one to blame but yourself.
Killarney Pub & Grill ( 714-536-7887; 209 Main St; 11am-1:30am Sun-Thu, 8am-1:30am Sat & Sun) It bills itself as an Irish pub, but the profusion of plasma TV screens makes it a sports bar with green-painted walls. Rollicking good fun for beer-drinking sports enthusiasts.
Java Point Coffee ( 714-374-9256; 300 Pacific Coast Hwy; 6am-8pm Sun-Thu, to 9pm Fri & Sat) It’s not a bar, but after all that drinking, you’ll need some coffee. Enter Huntington Surf & Sport off Main St, and you’ll find the counter next to the rows of surfboards. Look down after ordering, you might be standing on the concrete handprints of a surfing legend. Opens at 6am.
Entertainment
Pierside Surf City 6 ( 714-969-3151; 300 Pacific Coast Hwy; admission $7) First-run movies at the corner of Main St.
Shopping
Most stores stay open until 8pm, some until 10pm on weekends.
American Vintage Clothing ( 714-969-9670; 201c Main St) Thrift and vintage hounds should check out this small but jam-packed store. Boots, Jim Morrison T-shirts, earrings and loads of dresses arranged by decade. Enter off Walnut Ave.
Carmen Parks Boutique ( 714-374-9100; 201d Main St) If you grow weary of surf fashion, stop by this helpful high-end women’s boutique. Labels include Chip & Pepper, Tyler Malibu and Michael Stars.
Electric Chair ( 714-536-0784; 410 Main St) Get pierced at this subversive shop for f*@k-the-man accessories. You’ll find skull and vampire couture, fetish fashion and one lonely ‘I Love Elvis’ tee.
Huntington Beach Surf & Sport ( 714-841-4000; www.hsssurf.com; 300 Pacific Coast Hwy) Towering behind the statue of surf hero Duke Kahanamoku at the corner of PCH and Main St, this massive store supports the Surf City vibe with vintage surf photos, concrete handprints of surf legends and lots of tiki-themed decor. You’ll also find rows of surfboards,