'Best Of Manhattan' Beach 2020 Award Winners Announced

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — It was a gala without a live audience but Kelly Stroman, Jill Brunkhardt and their cast of winners and helpful crew put together the first virtual awards party to announce the "Best of Manhattan" 2020 winners.

Screened last night for 30 minutes, the gala was a great nod to all of the winners and ended on a fitting final note: an aerial view of fireworks being shot off the Manhattan Beach Pier as they would have been last night were it not for the COVID-19 pandemic that has canceled many a live gathering, show, program, event, activity in 2020.

More than 1,800 people weighed in by voting in what was the public's opportunity to name who they think is best in six categories, with the chamber selecting and announcing two other category winners. This year, unlike past years in which there were three rounds of public voting, there was one round that determined the winners, though the top three in each category were named as finalists in the weeks leading up to the unveiling of the winners.

The 30-minute video is a cute presentation that begins with an exterior shot of the Westdrift, the hotel where the actual live ceremony is held. Stroman and Brunkhardt lead us in and Brunkhardt does the announcing of the winners. Before the actual awards presentation begins, viewers are treated to some nice views of scenic Manhattan Beach and downtown shop windows festively decorated for the holiday season. And then the show is off and running.

Stroman first honors the city's first responders and Manhattan Beach Police Chief Derrick Abell is on hand to accept the distinction on behalf of his department. Captain Tim Hafdell accepts the honor for the Manhattan Beach Fire Department.

Some of the biggest moments of the night went to women. Amber Caudle and Cindy Van Pelt, head chef and pastry chef, respectively, as well as owners of The Source Cafe, won for Best Woman-Owned Business. Their new cafe in Manhattan Beach just opened in mid July and has had to jump through all of the obstacles thrown at restaurants in Los Angeles County during the pandemic.

While accepting their award, Caudle and Van Pelt expressed heartfelt thanks to the Manhattan Beach community. Said Caudle, "We're so grateful to be a part of this community. We wanted to bring you nourishment and comforting food. We feel very honored."

The Source Cafe opened its first original location on Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach and has not yet had the chance to serve diners inside its swanky new chic Manhattan Beach location.

Said Caudle the mornign after the awards show, “Yes, Cindy, Beth, our CFO, and myself are so honored and proud to be recognized for Best Women Owned Business! We have worked so hard this year getting opened during COVID. And it feels good to be appreciated! It brings me continual joy to be able to provide nourishment during this time!”

Restaurateur and lifelong Manhattan Beach resident Sylvie Gabriele, who, when combined with her father Guy, has a total of 43 outstanding years of operating highly successful restaurants in Manhattan Beach, was extremely grateful to win the Dine MB award. She noted Love & Salt is celebrating its sixth anniversary this month.

Said Gabriele, "It's kind of a really big year for us to win because obviously it's our sixth year but this has been an interesting year, I'll say, so to receive the award on the year where I feel like we've been challenged to the limit to kind of shift, I guess, pivot into all sorts of business models. First, we're grab and go. Then, we're take out. And then we're closed. And then we're open for a minute, a week, two weeks. And then all of a sudden outdoor dining..."

"So this year has definitely challenged our stamina, our abilities, and I'm super proud of what we've done. Beyond proud. And I can't say that I did this by myself, because I didn't. I have probably the best team," said Gabriele. "Tracy [Harada] is here [standing on stage next to Gabriele accepting the Best of Manhattan Award] included. She's our chef that actually made it all happen. She pivoted us from essential offerings to pasta kits to outdoor creative options and kept the integrity of what Love & Salt is all about for this whole time.

"So Tracy, you are my hero. And I want to also recognize Jen and Nash because all of us together really had to dig in and shine. And not only doing it, but we needed to do it because we were so concerned about the community. We were concerned about ourselves but we were also concerned about the community, especially the first few months and we wanted to make sure everybody felt nurtured and could keep a positive outlook through this all and that's kinda why we put the flowers up cause we wanted to make downtown bright."

She later continued, "Yeah, amazing support from the community. Thank you all so very much. We love you all. I have never felt more connected to Manhattan Beach. I grew up in Manhattan Beach my whole life and I don't think I've ever felt more connected than this year and so it's a great year. Thank you."

The Healthy Living Award prompted an informative acceptance speech from winner South Bay Families Connected's Board of Directors President Ellen Rosenberg in which she gave a brief history of the organization's formation by concerned parents and educators in 2015 to help combat the area's "self-reporting higher use of alcohol and drugs" by youth.

Rosenberg, a Manhattan Beach resident, thanked the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, SBFC Creative Director, Laura Short McIntire, Beach Cities Health District, Parent Chat, Dr. Moe Gelbart, pages a bookstore, and others for aiding in the organization's efforts.

She closed by noting that South Bay Families Connected now has 92 partner schools across six South Bay school districts, four public charters and four independent schools, including American Martyrs in Manhattan Beach.

The show closed with Pete Moffett, who stages [and founded] the annual fireworks show on the second Sunday of December in Downtown Manhattan Beach [the show was canceled due to the pandemic and would have been held Sunday, Dec. 13, the night the MB Chamber selected to broadcast their awards show], explaining that the fireworks show began in 1989 when Moffett owned Manhattan Coolers, a popular restaurant in Downtown MB. He said, "2021 will be the best year yet. Happy Holidays."

And viewers were treated to an aerial capture of fireworks from the Manhattan Beach Pier.

The winners in each category are listed below.

Winners