After years of hoarding great restaurants, the South Bay is finally ready to show them off. Despite the concentration of eateries like Fishing With Dynamite and Little Sister, plus the proximity to great craft breweries like Strand, Monkish and El Segundo, Manhattan Beach has often been seen as a bridge too far for many Eastsiders, Valleyites and anyone who hates the 405 with a bleeding passion. But this year's first annual Bite at the Beach food and beer festival this weekend promises a concentration of some of the area's best eats, making the drive seem a little more worth it.
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Of course, no big festival is without its corporate sponsors, so attendees can expect plenty of Stella Artois to be poured on the MBS Media campus on Rosecrans near the 405, where the fete is being held on Saturday, May 17. A VIP hour runs from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and will set diners back a cool $200, with general admission taking over from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. for $100 a ticket. So what do attendees get for their hard-earned Benjamins – besides a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Surfrider Foundation?

On the beer front, everyone from the Central Coast's Firestone Walker and San Diego's Ballast Point will be on hand to pair their grog with the featured grub, while bigger operations like Shock Top and Samuel Adams will be present as well. Downtown's Angel City Brewing, Agoura Hills' Ladyface Ale Companie and celebrated Culver City homebrewers Pacific Gravity will also be on hand, along with the usual slew of high-end Torrance and El Segundo-based craft breweries. The event is meant as a beer and food pairing, so expect no shortage of drink.

Foodwise, Bite at the Beach is meant to be a celebration of all things South Bay, with a particular focus on Manhattan Beach. Local favorites like Simmzy's and Fishbar plan to sling plates of their more popular offerings, and chef David LeFevre, a local himself, plans a strong showing with both his Fishing with Dynamite and MB Post slinging food. Popular Inglewood spot Coni'Seafood will be on hand, alongside Pitfire Pizza, New York transplant Grimaldi's, Salt Creek Grille and the Manhattan Beach Creamery, to help beat the weekend sunlight.

Tickets are still available for the first annual Bite at the Beach, and can be found through the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce, which worked to organize the event.

Want more Squid Ink? Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook. Farley Elliott writes about food, drink and entertainment at OverOverUnder.com.

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