Morning on Main Street

There's a Main Street that is smaller than one can imagine in Southern California's great expanse. Sandwiched between the bustling ports of Long Beach and the surfers of Huntington Beach is a small seaside community called Seal Beach. The short Main Street leads into a quiet Pacific Ocean pier, now bereft of seals except for the bronze sculpture town mascot, Slick the Seal, greeting pier walkers at its entrance. Daily surf and weather reports are handwritten in chalk and an old single-screen movie theatre, The Bay Theatre, on the opposite end plays classics, foreign films and indies making this beach city live up to its old town 'quaint' reputation.

In between Slick and The Bay is a great little cafe called Crema Cafe. I don't eat French toast that often, but when I do, I like it to be worth it. Crema Cafe bakes their bread in-house daily which makes their organic multi-grain thick-sliced French toast memorable: soft inside and perfectly browned on the outside and not too eggy. It is served with whipped cream, orange zest syrup and fruit. A foamy Illy cappuccino to sip in between bites makes me wish for more mornings on Main Street, when times are/were slower.

Crema Cafe
322 Main Street
Seal Beach, CA 90740
(562) 493-2501