by Richard Foss
In the mid ‘70s I started hanging out at a little vegetarian café in Manhattan Beach called Sunny Skys. It was on a walk street around the corner from Uncle Bill’s Pancake House, and the tiny interior space was flanked by a patio with a great view of the beach. Sunny Skys served healthy, hippie fare, sandwiches, salads, and smoothies. I wasn’t there for the food, but for the entertainment, a solo guitarist from a surf band called The Bros of Manahatta. A teenager with no car and not much money could get a show for the price of a sandwich. I remember watching sunsets from the patio, listening to ethereal music, and feeling that all was right with the world.
In the late ‘80s, Sunny Skys transitioned to a more conventional breakfast and brunch spot called the Ocean View Café, and I practically forgot it was there. I hadn’t visited for at least 15 years when I was walking toward another restaurant with a friend, who demanded, “Tell me about that place.” I had to admit that I had no recent experiences but was willing to find out. We had a Mediterranean breakfast pita and an omelet, and I filed it in my memory as a useful place to know about.
Since then, I’ve been back twice, both times on weekends, and had a short wait compared to other downtown breakfast spots. Many people don’t realize it’s there – signage is minimal and from a distance it looks like it might be outdoor seating for Uncle Bill’s. It’s inevitable to compare them to their neighbor, and while there is some overlap between the two menus, there are obvious differences. The Ocean View Café’s selection is smaller but in some ways more varied, with vegetarian and Middle Eastern selections.
On my first visit I ordered an herb pizza sandwich – a flatbread called manaesh rolled with a filling of chicken breast, feta cheese, and both sundried and fresh tomatoes. Manaesh, also called makneesh, is pita bread topped with oil and a sesame and thyme-based seasoning called zataar. It’s baked so the bread is crisp and commonly referred to as an Arabic pizza. This one was not baked so was really a pita with seasonings, but the olive oil and herbs were a fine complement to the other ingredients in the sandwich. That sandwich was small, but a pasta salad or green salad are offered as a side, with a cup of soup available for three dollars extra. I chose the soup, which was a bit bland compared to the herb-laced version usually served in Arabic restaurants, but decent.
On my next visit I tried what turned out to be the star, their Mediterranean sampler. This plate of hummus, tabouli salad, makneesh, olives, mixed greens, pita bread, and pepperoncini is a fine variety of flavors and a good full meal. The one flawed item was the makneesh – when served by itself this should be baked crisp, but it came out soft and barely warm.
The other people at the table on that visit ordered the “Lunch with Dr. Bruce” vegetarian sandwich, along with pesto pasta and a bowl of oatmeal with fruit. There isn’t much to say about the oatmeal except that it was properly made but a small portion, an overgrown cup rather than a full-sized bowl, with two sliced strawberries, a few blueberries, and a couple banana slices. A more generous serving of these ingredients would not have hurt their bottom line. The Dr. Bruce sandwich of hummus, tabouli, cucumber, red onion, lettuce, and tomato was a nice set of flavors but also on the small side. The pesto pasta was enough to make a decently filling meal, so nobody left the table starved, but it would have been nice to have a few more bites of the sandwich.
On our next visit we had a Belgian waffle with fruit, a Mediterranean breakfast sandwich, and an ocean view omelet with hashed browns. This visit was on a busy Sunday morning, and the stress on their kitchen and staff showed – waters weren’t refilled, and our orders took a long time to come out of the kitchen. The seven-grain waffle was served hot and crisp, but the other orders had obviously been waiting, and the hashed browns and omelet arrived cool. The waffle was made in a Belgian iron but was the more dense American style rather than the traditional sourdough batter. It was good for the style, with a few slices of strawberry and a dusting of powdered sugar.
The Mediterranean breakfast sandwich was a croissant filled with scrambled eggs, feta cheese, tomato, kalamata olives, and herbs, and was one of the better items we had here. The person who ordered it chose fruit as a side, chunks of cantaloupe and watermelon, and enjoyed the combination. Unfortunately, the omelet was not as successful as those. I had asked for the hashed browns crisp, but they arrived soft, cool, and oily. They fry in olive oil, which is great for flavor but doesn’t give the best texture. I’m sure that if I had called the temperature to their attention they would have made another, but we had waited 40 minutes to get our food and didn’t have time to wait for a replacement. The omelet was simple, just bacon, cheese, and avocado, and I had ordered it only because it was named after the restaurant so is presumably a specialty. It needed something else – some grilled onion, fresh basil, or other herbs would have enlivened it.
One thing the Ocean View Café has over its neighbor is the availability of good coffee drinks and freshly made spiced chai tea that is not from a mix. Someone else at my table ordered a “dirty chai,” a mug of chai with a shot of espresso in it, and after my first sip of hers I ordered one for myself. It arrived with a cupid in chocolate dust for decoration, and was delicious.
The Ocean View Café has an unbeatable location, a pleasant atmosphere, and a staff that is trying hard to provide good service despite tight aisles. Some of the flaws we experienced were probably from trying to serve too many people from a small kitchen. Every restaurant wants to maximize the number of people they serve, but they should probably remove a few of the smaller tables so they can focus on getting everything out in a timely manner. Along with more generous portions, this would elevate the experience at a place that has served generations of locals healthy food, with or without music on the side.
The Ocean View Café is at 229 13th Street in Manhattan Beach. Open 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Mon. — Fri., 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sat. — Sun. Street parking. No alcohol. No reservations. (310) 545-6770. ER
