The Brief

There are few things that make us love L.A. quite like sipping a favorite beverage while taking in a view of the Pacific and scanning the horizon for dolphins. Even better when the surfers are out, or you've made it in time to catch the sunset.

LAist 89.3's AirTalk host Larry Mantle asked listeners to share their favorite places to eat and drink oceanside in and around L.A. The phone lines lit up, as they say, and those who didn't call clogged Mantle's inbox with recommendations. We've compiled many of them here and will continue gathering them in an evolving list.

Prepare to be shocked at how many Malibu suggestions show up.

Let me know if I missed your favorite: Email me at rlynch@scpr.org and I may add your suggestion to this list.

Malibu Farm Restaurant and Cafe

The ocean views are everywhere you look at The Malibu Farm restaurant, located at the Malibu Pier.

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The iconic Malibu Pier is the setting for these two restaurants, the cafe being the more casual of the two. Hit the cafe in the early hours for counter-service breakfast — Swedish mini pancakes, surfers rancheros and a fried egg sandwich. The restaurant is known for heartier fare, including pizzas, salads, lobster rolls, crab cake, oysters and bahn ‘bu tacos.

Malibu Seafood Fresh Fish Market & Patio Cafe

This spot is both a cafe and a fish market, so consider bringing a cooler with ice when you visit. “Every time we have visitors from out of town we take them to Malibu Seafood." says Kay Foster of North Hollywood. "In fact when people call and say they're coming to visit, they ask if we can take them there again.”

The cafe opens at 11 a.m. and boasts that the fish is uber fresh: “The reason we don’t serve breakfast is we’re out catching lunch,” says the menu. Located 1.5 miles north of Pepperdine University, the views are magnificent. The menu hits a variety of price points, including two fish tacos for $12.95 as well as a fried seafood combo of fish, shrimp, scallops, squid and fries, $24.95.

Belmont Brewing Company in Long Beach

Located at the foot of the Long Beach Pier, the Belmont Brewing Company lays claim to being the oldest brew pub in Los Angeles County. On tap: A strong stout called Long Beach Crude, an amber ale called Top Sail, and many others. Hand-crafted cocktails, too. For food, expect clam chowder, poke, ceviche, baja fish tacos (the batter's made with the house Marathon blonde ale), and also plenty of flat breads, burgers and sandwiches. If you like tomato soup, don't miss their take on it. Another favorite: The Belmont Burger, topped with onion strings, aioli and served on brioche.

Duke's in Malibu and Huntington Beach

"Recently drove to Malibu for a stolen weekday lunch at Duke’s. Lunch on the patio at the edge of the shore, lovely and reasonable," said Rick Teplitz of Westchester. There's also a Duke's in Huntington Beach, too. Reservations are recommended, unless you don't mind a wait. This place can get busy, but it's easy to see why: It's hard to beat the jaw-dropping coastal views. On Tuesday's, in Malibu, it's also hard to beat that view combined with their specials of the day: Two tacos (chicken, kalua pork, fish, or chef's special), plus chips and salsa, $14. Go ahead and tack on some house made guac ($7) and a margarita ($8) as long as someone else is driving. In Huntington Beach, it's Surf & Turf night, with specials on steak and seafood.

The Beach House in Seal Beach

Right on the sand. The menu at the Beach House in Seal Beach is tight, and hits all the favorites in beach dining, and then some. There are oysters, calamari, fish & chips, grilled salmon. But also loco moco, french onion soup and skillet corn bread made to order and served with butter, honeycomb and honey.

Captain Kidd's Fish Market & Restaurant in Redondo Beach

Captain Kidd's has an expansive menu — you choose the type of fish, how you want it prepared (charbroiled, sauteed, deep fried, tempura style), and even what spices you want. Specials include a crab cake sandwich, shrimp fajitas and the market priced lobster roll. There's New England chowder, Manhattan clam chowder, lobster bisque, seafood cioppino and chicken gumbo, and a variety of seafood kabobs. There are also burgers and steaks.

Bring a cooler and some ice. That way, after your meal, you can hit the fish market before you head home. The market menu encourages you to ask the staff about choosing the right type of fish, cooking methods and spices, so you can successfully experiment at home. The selection is huge — six varieties of crab, for example.

Neptune’s Net in Malibu

Neptune’s is half iconic Malibu beach shack, half biker bar (in the best possible way). “It's got wonderful fresh seafood … and a great beer selection,” said Jeff Willson of Playa del Rey. And so close to the beach, “You can watch the surfers.”

While many beach shacks go heavy on the deep fried, Neptune’s also goes heavy on the lighter fare, with several grilled fish salads. It sells its “world famous New England clam chowder” by the pint, starting at $8. There's also a seafood market, so consider bringing a cooler and some ice for your visit.

The Beachcomber at Crystal Cove

Located right on the beach at Crystal Cove, the Beachcomber is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Among the offerings: Breakfast beignets, omelettes, ranch skillets, coconut-macadamia pancakes; for lunch, clam chowder, grilled artichokes and Korean steak skewers, and for dinner, scallops and miso glazed butterfish. Be there to raise the flag and salute happy hour, with a cocktail at the Bootlegger Bar, serving margaritas, mojitos, martinis and more, with a bar menu that includes grilled artichokes, steak skewers and ahi nachos. If it's brunch, try one of the "big jar" cocktails, served in a big jar! A favorite is the Big Bad Bloody Mary, which is adorned with a crab claw and a jumbo shrimp, $21.

Terranea in Rancho Palos Verdes

There are several places to dine while watching the waves at the Terranea resort in Rancho Palos Verdes. Hillary Black of West Los Angeles recommends Nelson's, because it's "right on the beach," and offers SoCal favorites like chips and guac ($18), nachos ($28) and ceviche ($22) as well as housemade clam chowder ($20). But there's also Catalina Kitchen, where happy hour runs 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and includes poke nachos ($12) and Nashville hot chicken sliders ($10). For dinner, there's crab cakes, ahi tuna tartar, pizzas and a burger. For a higher-end experience elsewhere on the property there's also Mar'sel, (raw bar seafood selection $94, Chilean sea bass, $52), and you can sit alongside the garden growing the herbs and produce that end up on your plate.

Hot Dog on a Stick, Santa Monica Pier

Nothing says beach eats like corn dogs.

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"A deep fried, cornmeal-encrusted hot dog or cheese stick and lemonade, what more do you want??" asks Rob Takata of Valley Glen. A regular beef hot dog will set you back $6.25. You can also spring for the Cheetos Flamin' Hot version for an extra buck.

Geoffrey's in Malibu

Should you go to Geoffrey's at night, and dine beneath the fairy lights while listening to the crashing waves? Or go there for lunch, where you can actually see the crashing waves. Your choice. This place has everything seafood (and prices to match the view) including sauteed lump crap cakes, jumbo coconut shrimp, seafood paella, steamed lobster, brioche bread pudding and salted caramel butterscotch pot de crème.

Schooner Or Later in Long Beach

No reservations, Sundays and holidays are busy. Schooner or Later knows how to stay in its lane: They're only open until mid-afternoon. Nothing fancy, just solid breakfast and lunch fare, enjoyed while overlooking the marina. "Great for breakfast," said Dennis Atkinson of Los Alamitos. The menu is an expansive one, with omelettes, pancakes, waffles, burritos and no less than four different takes on eggs benedict. For heartier fare, there's burgers, soups, melts, salads and, of course, fish and chips. And schooners of beer!

The Reel Inn in Malibu

Casual dining, generous portions, a gorgeous view. That's the Reel Inn. "Fresh seafood, no frills, picnic tables inside and lovely patio seating where you can step down to the beach while you wait for your food," said Jordin Lang Johnson of Hollywood. "Amazing little place my Dad has been taking me (and everyone) to since I was a kid." If you want to keep it simple, you choose your seafood, you choose how you want it prepared — grilled sauteed or blackened — and then add on some sides and beverages. Done. Then, there's nothing left to do but sit down and enjoy the view. If you want more, there are chowders to choose from, crab cakes, tacos, a fish quesadilla, a variety of fried seafood platters and many grilled seafood specialities, too.

Beach House Tacos in Ventura

“Beach House Tacos on the pier in Ventura is always a favorite,” said Fern Zalin of Valencia. Just accept that there's gonna be a line. The stand is about an hour's drive from DTLA. Totally doable for lunch. Just accept that there will be a line for the tacos, burritos and bowls, and the don't miss street corn ($6). The crispy potato tacos ($7.50) are a favorite as is the spicy garlic shrimp burrito ($14). Get a cheesy grilled pasilla chile, too ($6.50). There's also 3 for $10 street tacos. On weekends, there's a beachside breakfast menu that includes breakfast tacos and churro donuts.

The Sea Chest Oyster Bar in Cambria

This is one of AirTalk host Larry Mantle’s favorites, in case you were wondering. The Sea Chest Oyster Bar overlooks Moonstone Beach, and is about a 4-hour drive from DTLA. So keep this one bookmarked for your next coastal trip. Dinner only. There’s often a line, and they don’t take reservations. But that’s part of the appeal, Mantle said, offering this pro tip: The restaurant is near several wineries, and guests are welcome to pull out folding chairs, and crack open a bottle or two in the parking lot while waiting for tables. (Just make sure someone else is doing the driving, of course.) So get there early, put your name on the list and get ready to watch the sunset. No takeout. Cash only. ATM on site. Offering all the seafood favorites: fresh oysters, steamer clams, seasonal fresh fish, clams linguini and a favorite, Gina’s Cioppino (previously known to faithful customers as Andy’s Ciop). No prices on the online menu.

BALEENkitchen at the Portofino Hotel & Marina in Redondo Beach

Check out the bar bites on the "Knotty Happy Hour Menu" at BALEENkitchen at the Portofino Hotel in Redondo Beach overlooking the marina: Hot crab dip, sliders and Korean-style chicken wings, daily 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. There’s plenty of seafood to be had elsewhere on the menu — the miso-glazed black cod is a favorite — but this is also a spot for those who want a burger with guac and an option to add on some candied bacon, or are in the mood for a roasted half chicken or coffee-rubbed, grilled rib-eye served with charred scallion chimichurri. Note that the online menu doesn't include prices.

West Toast Cafe in San Clemente

Serving all the toasts (Nutella, Avocado, $7-$12) as well as a breakfast burrito and bowls, smoothies and juices, burgers and salads. But the big surprise on the menu at West Toast Cafe in San Clemente is the Venezuelan Corner: Arepas! Cachapas! And Tequenos! ($8-$14) (The co-owners have Venezuelan roots.) At first, it was all a bit of an experiment. Now, "Believe it or not, we sell more arepas than burgers," said one of the co-owners and chef, Adrian Real, who worked in Miami before heading West. He says it's because of their signature green sauce, which they are about to start selling by the jar because it's such a hit with diners. Located near the popular surfing spot, T Street Beach, West Toast caters to the local crowd. Serving Panther Coffee, from Miami. IYKYK. Dine right on the beach, with your toes in the sand.

Brophy Bros. in Ventura

It's about an hour's drive from DTLA to Brophy Bros. in Ventura, known for its beer battered fish and chips, clam strips and clam chowder, cioppino, and ahi tuna poke. An hour is nothing for the way we drive in L.A., so Brophy's is the perfect excuse for a day trip to get away from the grind.

The Cliff in Laguna Beach

Boasts 180-degree whitewater views from the multi-level patio. “The Cliff in Laguna Beach sits above the water and has great, fresh food and live music in the evenings,” said Gena Hamamoto of Alhambra. House specialities include chicken and waffles for breakfast, clam chowder, mahi mahi fish tacos, halibut Laguna, and a fish and shrimp and chips combo.

The Marine Room in La Jolla

Are you overlooking the water? Or in the water? At The Marine Room in La Jolla, it's hard to say. One of the many draws of this that dates back to 1941 is that when the tides are right, the waves smash right into the window. Thrilling, or horrifying, depending upon your viewpoint. (There’s a tides chart on the website to help you time it either way.) A high-end lounge menu includes Moroccan lamb lollipops, $30, and cocktails such as the Oaxaca Night, $30, made with Ilegal Mezcal and St. Germain and the Kelp Martini, $19. Note that there’s a dress code: No beach or active wear, such as ball caps.

California clocked its second-worst snowpack on record Wednesday, a potentially troubling signal ahead for fire season.

It’s an alarming end to a winter that saw abnormally dry conditions briefly wiped from California’s drought map in January, for the first time in a quarter-century.

Though precipitation to date has been near average, much of it fell as rain rather than snow. Then March’s record-breaking heat melted most of the snow that remains. The state’s major reservoirs are nevertheless brimming above historic averages and are flirting with capacity, and a smattering of snow, rain and thunderstorms are dousing last month’s heat wave.

But experts now warn that California’s case of the missing snowpack could herald an early fire season in the mountains.

On Wednesday, state engineers conducting the symbolic April 1 snowpack measurement at Phillips Station south of Lake Tahoe found no measurable snow in patches of white dotting the grassy field.

“I want to welcome you call to probably one of the quickest snow surveys we’ve had — maybe one where people could actually use an umbrella,” joked Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources. “We’re getting a lot of questions about are we heading into a hydrologic drought? The answer is, I don’t know.”

State data reports that California’s snowpack is closing out the season at an alarming 18% of average statewide, and an even more abysmal 6% of average in the northern mountains that feed California’s major reservoirs.

Only the extreme drought year of 2015 beat this year’s snowpack for the worst on record, measuring in at just 5% of average on April 1st, when the snow historically is at its deepest.

“I think everyone's anticipating that it will be a long, busy fire season,” said Lenya Quinn-Davidson, director of the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network.

“Without a snowpack, and with an early spring, it just means that there’s much more time for something like that to happen.”

‘It’s pretty bizarre up here’ 

In the city of South Lake Tahoe, which survived the massive Caldor Fire in the fall of 2021 without losing any structures, fire chief Jim Drennan said his department is already ramping up prevention efforts.

“It's pretty bizarre up here right now. It really seems like June conditions more than March,” Drennan said. “People are already turning the sprinklers on for their lawns.”

Without more precipitation, an early spring may complicate prescribed burning efforts. But Drennan said fire agencies in the Tahoe basin can start mechanically clearing fuels from forest areas earlier than usual.

“That means we can get more work done,” he said.

It also means homeowners need to start hardening their homes now, said Martin Goldberg, battalion chief and fuels management officer for the Lake Valley Fire Protection District, which protects unincorporated communities in the Lake Tahoe Basin’s south shore.

Goldberg urges residents to scour their yards for burnable materials, create defensible space and reach out to local fire departments with questions. The risks are widespread — from firewood, wooden fences, gas cans, plants, pine needles — even lawn furniture stacked against a house.

“In years past, I wouldn't even think of raking and clearing until May,” Goldberg said. “But my yard's completely cleared of snowpack, and it has been for a couple weeks now.”

‘A haystack fire’

Battalion chief David Acuña, a spokesperson for Cal Fire, said fire season is shaped by more than just one year’s snowpack.

Climate change has been remaking California’s fire seasons into fire years. And California’s recent average to abundant water years have fueled what Acuña called “bumper crops of vegetation and brush.”

“Most of California is like a haystack. And if you’ve ever seen a haystack fire, they burn very intensely because there's layers of fuel,” Acuña said.

Like Quinn-Davidson, Acuña wasn’t ready to make specific predictions about fires to come.

But John Abatzoglou, a professor of climatology at UC Merced, said the temperatures and snowpack conditions this year offer a glimpse of California in the latter decades of this century, as fossil fuel use continues to drive global temperatures higher.

How this year’s fires will play out will depend on when, where and how wind, heat, fuel and ignitions combine. But it foreshadows the consequences of a warmer California for water and fire under climate change.

“This,” Abatzoglou said, “is yet another stress test for the future in the state.”

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

Thousands of immigrants who are lawfully in California are set to lose their food assistance benefits, known as CalFresh, starting this month.

The new restrictions stem from H.R. 1 — also known as the “Big Beautiful Bill” — which Congress passed last year.

The changes remove eligibility for certain noncitizens, including people with refugee status and victims of trafficking. It also applies to immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan who have special immigrant visas for helping the U.S. government overseas.

 ”These are folks … many of whom have large families that we have a commitment to as a country because we welcomed them and invited them here to find a place of refuge,” said Cambria Tortorelli, president of the International Institute of Los Angeles, a refugee resettlement agency. “They’re authorized to work and they’ve been brought here by the U.S. government.”

The federal spending bill, H.R. 1, made sweeping cuts to social safety net programs, including food assistance and Medicaid. In signing the bill, President Donald Trump said the changes were delivering on his campaign promises of “America first.”

Officials estimate 23,000 people in Los Angeles County will be affected. The state estimates about 72,000 immigrants with lawful presence will be affected across California.

CalFresh is the state’s version of the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Undocumented immigrants have not been eligible to receive CalFresh benefits.

State officials say noncitizens who are currently receiving benefits will continue to get them until it’s time to renew their benefits — adding that people might be able to receive benefits again if their legal status changes to lawful permanent residents.

Who the changes apply to:

• Asylees
• Refugees
• Parolees (unless they are Cuban and Haitian entrants)
• Individuals with deportation or removal withheld
• Conditional entrants
• Victims of trafficking
• Battered noncitizens
• Iraqi or Afghan with special immigrant visas (SIV) who are not lawful permanent residents (LPR)
• Certain Afghan Nationals granted parole between July 31, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2023
• Certain Ukrainian Nationals granted parole between Feb. 24, 2022, and Sep. 30, 2024

Nearly every student in the California State University system has used artificial intelligence tools, but most don’t trust the results, are worried about how AI will affect their future job security and want more say in systemwide AI policy.

That’s according to results of a 2025 survey of more than 80,000 students enrolled at CSU’s 22 campuses, plus faculty and staff — the largest and most comprehensive study of how higher education students and instructors perceive artificial intelligence.

Nationwide, university faculty struggle to reconcile the learning benefits of AI — hailed as a “transformative tool” for providing tutoring and personalized support to students — and the risks that students will depend on AI agents to do their thinking for them and, very possibly, get the wrong information. Educators want a say in how and which AI tools are used. Students across the CSU system want to be included in those discussions.

Some professors teach students how to use AI and encourage students to use it, while others forbid its use in the classroom, said Katie Karroum, vice president of systemwide affairs for the Cal State Student Association, representing more than 470,000 students.

“Both of these things are allowed to coexist right now without a policy,” she said.

Karroum said that faculty practices are too varied and that what students need are consistent and transparent rules developed in collaboration with students. “There are going to be students who are graduating with AI literacy and some that graduate without AI literacy.”

In February 2025, the CSU system announced an initiative to adopt AI technologies and an agreement with OpenAI to make ChatGPT available throughout the system. The system-wide survey released Wednesday confirms that ChatGPT is the most used AI tool across CSUs. The system will also work with Adobe, Google, IBM, Intel, LinkedIn, Microsoft and NVIDIA.

Campus leaders say the survey and accompanying dashboard provide much needed data on how the system continues to integrate AI into instruction and assessment.

“We need to have data to make data-informed decisions instead of just going by anecdote,” said Elisa Sobo, a professor of anthropology at San Diego State who was involved in interpreting the survey’s findings. “We have data that show high use, but we also have high levels of concern, very valid concern, to help people be responsible when they use it.”

Faculty at San Diego State designed the survey, which received more than 94,000 responses from students, faculty and staff. Among all responding CSU students, 95% reported using an AI tool; 84% said they used ChatGPT and 82% worry that AI will negatively impact their future job security. Others worry that they won’t be competitive if they don’t understand AI well enough.

“Even though I don’t want to use it, I HAVE TO!” wrote a computer science major. “Because if I don’t, then I’ll be left behind, and that is the last thing someone would want in this stupid job market.”

Faculty are divided about the impact of AI on teaching and research. Just over 55% reported a positive benefit, while 52% said AI has had a negative impact so far.

San Diego State conducted its first campuswide survey in 2023 in response to complaints from students about inconsistent rules about AI use in courses, said James Frazee, vice president for information technology at the campus.

“Students are facing this patchwork of expectations even within the same course taught by different instructors,” Frazee said. In one introductory course, the professor might encourage students to use AI, but another professor teaching the same course might forbid it, he said. “It was a hot mess.”

In that 2023 survey, one student made this request: “Please just tell us what to do and be clear about it.”

Following that survey, the San Diego State Academic Senate approved guidelines for the use of generative AI in instruction and assessments. In 2025, the Senate made it mandatory that faculty include language about AI use in course syllabi.

“It doesn’t say what your disposition has to be, whether it’s pro or con,” Frazee said. “It just says you have to be clear about your expectations. Without the 2023 survey data, that never would have happened.”

According to the 2025 systemwide survey, only 68% of teaching faculty include language about AI use in their syllabi.

Sobo and other faculty who helped develop the 2025 survey hope other CSU campuses will find the data helpful in informing policies about AI use. The dashboard allows users to search for specific campus and discipline data and view student responses by demographic group.

The 2025 survey shows that first-generation students are more interested in formal AI training and that Black, Hispanic and Latino students are more interested than white students. At San Diego State, students are required to earn a micro-credential in AI use during their first year — another change that was made after the 2023 survey.

Students in this year’s survey said they want training that will be relevant to their careers. “I want to learn AI tools that are actually used in my industry, not just generic chatbots,” a mechanical engineering student responded. “Show me what engineers are actually doing with AI on the job.”

The California Faculty Association, which represents about 29,000 educators in the CSU system, said in a February statement that faculty should be included in future systemwide decisions about AI, including whether the contract with OpenAI should be renewed in July.

“CFA members continue to advocate for ethical and enforceable safeguards governing the use of artificial intelligence,” the CFA said in the statement, asking for “protections for using or refusing to use the technology, professional development resources to adapt pedagogy to incorporate the technology, and further protections for faculty intellectual property.”