Home Care In El Segundo, CA

Clocking in at just under 5.5 square miles and with a population hovering around 17,000, the quiet Los Angeles County coastal city of El Segundo can often be overshadowed by bougie Manhattan Beach, its glitzier South Bay neighbor to the south, and even by larger, more well-known beachside destinations such as Long Beach, Venice and Santa Monica.

For years, the compact city, in the shadow of Los Angeles International Airport, was known as the “Aerospace Capital of the World,” home to a massive Chevron refinery and the headquarters for the Lakers and the Los Angeles Times. In recent years, it’s become a major tech and startup hub; its draw for young families, meanwhile, is that it offers slightly more affordable homes than other SoCal beach cities. Wedged between the ocean, the traffic-clogged 405 freeway, LAX and the aforementioned refinery, the city still offers an Old West-style walkable downtown and wide, less crowded beaches. (And we’d be remiss not to mention the city’s 15 minutes of fame from the 1990 song “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo” by A Tribe Called Quest.)

El Segundo may not be a hidden gem (by broad California-wide standards, at least) for much longer, though, as restaurateurs are taking notice of its small-town charms and turning the sleepy city into a dining destination.

Take the bustling EZPZ, a casual, cheerful pizza and organic soft serve ice cream restaurant that opened downtown in June, steps away from longstanding local favorites such as The Original Rinaldi’s deli, pizza-and-beer hangout Slice & Pint, and old-school diner Wendy’s Place, as well as newer additions such as New Zealand soft serve specialists Creamy Boys.

The brainchild of husband-and-wife team Marley Shelton Flynn and Beau Flynn, an actress known for her roles as lifeguard Wendy Peffercorn in the seminal coming-of-age film “The Sandlot” and as Margaret in “Pleasantville” and a Hollywood producer, EZPZ is a slice shop focused on high-quality California ingredients. The pizza, developed by chef Scott Tremonti, is a slow-fermented, thin-crust style modeled after Brooklyn’s L’Industrie. The shop’s front patio tables are regularly filled with families eating slices with cheeky names and thoughtful toppings, such as the arugula-and-lemon-vinaigrette-adorned White Out white slice and the Notorious F.I.G. with aged white cheddar, mozzarella, applewood bacon, fig jam and arugula.

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Although the Flynns live on LA’s east side, they’ve been thrilled with the outpouring of support EZPZ has received from the El Segundo community.

“We were just so charmed by the town, and the location had all of the elements we were looking for,” Beau Flynn tells SFGATE. “We already have so many regulars, which is cool to see in such a short period of time.”

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The Flynns are already working on more EZPZ locations in the LA area, including one in Sherman Oaks.

A five-minute drive away in one of the city’s strip malls that line the Pacific Coast Highway, natural-wine-and-floral shop Blum’s founders, sommelier Julia Blyum and floral designer Dasha Simpson, recently debuted a new wine bar concept, Vinoteca, with small plates by chef Neal Hirtzel (think: crudo, a beautiful crudite platter with artichoke dip, a traditional jambon beurre sandwich). A few tables up near the front of the shop, which also sells a curated selection of artisanal food items and housewares, are now set up for customers to enjoy a glass of wine and a few bites.

“Natural wine was a little foreign for the South Bay, so we knew we needed a space for people to try all these interesting wines,” Blyum says.

Other new additions to the city’s restaurant scene include an outpost of beloved South Bay wine bar Barsha, a second location of Japanese pasta restaurant Unico, Mexican spot Cocina Victorias, and an outpost of HomeState, LA’s fast-growing breakfast taco specialist, which opened just weeks ago at outdoor mall The Point. LA’s popular Prime Pizza also planted a flag in El Segundo in 2023, opening in the same strip mall that houses Blum.

Even restaurant operators who have established themselves in El Segundo have noticed an uptick in the city’s dining scene. Chef Jackson Kalb opened his first Italian restaurant, Jame Enoteca, in El Segundo in 2018 before going on to open several restaurants under the Ospi name in locations such as Venice, Montecito and Costa Mesa. Kalb and his wife Melissa debuted a casual Mexican restaurant, Jaime Taqueria, a few blocks away from Jame last year.

“The way I see things, the more great food we have in town, everyone wins,” Kalb says of El Segundo’s recent restaurant boom. “We’re doing better every year, too. We’ve expanded our first restaurant three times since we moved in.”

The newer folks feel it, too.

“We’ve discovered that El Segundo is LA’s best-kept secret,” Beau Flynn says.

“I’m a born-and-bred Angelino, and I really had no idea what El Segundo was about,” Marley Shelton Flynn says. “It has this idyllic, Mayberry-inspired quality to it. It was built by oil tycoons who wanted to re-create Everytown, USA, so the downtown feels almost like a movie set.”

“I love that El Segundo is really the beginning of the South Bay. You see a lot of younger people here,” Blyum says. “It could become the next Silver Lake or Echo Park.”

The Chargers will hit the road for their final game before the bye week.

The Bolts will face the Chiefs in Week 6 at Arrowhead Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:25 p.m. (PT).

Here are three players to watch on Sunday against Kansas City:

The Chargers defense has been growing week to week, and the veteran defensive lineman has been in the middle of it.

Tart has been one of the many standouts along the strong defensive front the Bolts have had to start the year, leading the way on the interior.

"Teair is playing at a high level, competing at a high level," Harbaugh said. "He's been a force for good."

He's started in all five games to start the regular season and been a difference maker. Tart has tallied 10 total tackles, a tackle for loss and four quarterback hits.

Not to mention, he's also notched eight run stops in the first five games, according to Pro Football Focus.

Whether he's been making the play or opening up the opportunity for others on the defensive line, he's been setting he tone on the Bolts defense.

"He is the leader of playstyle as far as the violence and when you step between the white lines how aggressive are you, how angry are you as a player," Chargers Defensive Coordinator Chris O’Leary said. "All of that matters and he does that better than anybody. We love having him out there."

Tart will be a major key for this matchup doing just that, as the line of scrimmage will be an emphasis against a team that ranks top five in the league at running the ball.

Late in the third quarter with the game tied at 10, the running back took a hand off and raced 42 yards for a score while breaking a number of tackles along the way.

It was Vidal's second touchdown of the season after a receiving score the week prior in Seattle, as he is now up to 112 yards from scrimmage.

"Kimani is playing really good football … there's three outstanding backs," Harbaugh said. "Love them all."

Vidal has gotten involved more on offense over the last couple of weeks and will be one of the figures against this Kansas City front as well.

The Chiefs defense ranks as the seventh best rushing defense in the league so far entering Week 6 allowing just 92.8 rushing yards per game.

The Bolts, meanwhile, are top 10 in the NFL on the offensive side of the ball rushing for 128.2 yards a game.

It will be up to Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell and Vidal to make their most of their touches against a stout rushing defense as they try to control the game in a road environment.

The linebacker has been relied upon during the opening stretch of the season.

Phillips has gotten the start in all five games so far and is second on the team with 29 total tackles. He's also tacked on two quarterback hits as well.

But perhaps where he's been felt the most as the weeks pass has been against the run game.

According to PFF, Phillips led all Chargers last week with four run stops against the Broncos.

That brought his season total to 12, a mark that ties him for fifth among all linebackers in the NFL. He's also tied for sixth with five tackles for loss/no gain on run plays among his position.

He's helped the Chargers defense rank top 10 in the NFL allowing just 3.75 yards per carry, which is in the top 10 in NFL. The Bolts have the most run stops in NFL (94).

Phillips' run defense on the second level will be key this week going up against Kenneth Walker, who is off to a hot start.

Walker ranks second in the NFL with 537 rushing yards in just four games and leads the league with 6.2 yards per carry.

But where he's been the most dangerous has been breaking tackles, as he has a league-high 39 missed tackles forced and is averaging over four yards after contact.

The running back has been a tough player to bring down, and Phillips will be an integral part of making sure short gains don't turn into long ones.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh vowed to look at every aspect of his operation — including new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel — after a 22-6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday that sent Los Angeles winless into its bye.

The only other team without a victory is the Miami Dolphins (0-5) — the team McDaniel coached for four seasons before being fired in the offseason.

“We’re in a position of needing to look forward and evaluate every part of what we’re doing,” Harbaugh said. “The job I’m doing, the job the coaches are doing, the way we’re playing, the way we’re executing on offense. I mean, all those things we need to evaluate.”

None of them have been very good.

After back-to-back 11-win seasons, the Chargers (0-6) are off to their worst start since 2000, when they matched the 1975 team by dropping their first 11 games. Three of their losses have been by more than one possession, and only once have they eclipsed 17 points: a 30-23 loss to Seattle in which the Chargers trailed 30-13 in the fourth quarter.

Much of the criticism has landed at the feet of McDaniel, who many considered an upgrade over former offensive coordinator Greg Roman. But the Chargers continued to struggle in Kansas City on Sunday, with Justin Herbert throwing his league-leading eighth interception and the offense managing 259 yards of total offense.

“We’re going to look at everything,” Harbaugh said. “I mean, the job I’m doing — it starts with me. The plan is to watch this again with our offensive coaches. I see the effort. I see the work being put into the meetings, on the practice field, and you know, to get that to translate to the field is what’s necessary.”

Harbaugh refused to use injuries as an excuse, though nobody would think any less of him if he did.

The Chargers already have offensive linemen Rashawn Slater, Tyler Biadasz and Trey Pipkins on injured reserve, along with tight end David Njoku and linebacker Denzel Perryman. Right tackle Joe Alt (neck) and left guard Kayode Awosika (fibula), wide receiver Tre’ Harris (hamstring), cornerback Donte Jackson (hamstring) and safety Derwin James (hamstring) also were inactive Sunday.

Wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who had just returned from a foot injury, was lost in the first half to a concussion. Backup defensive back Deane Leonard joined him in the concussion protocol during the second half.

“That’s a tough thing they’re going through,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “That injury list is about as long of a list as I’ve seen.”

“There’s no justification. There’s nothing I would say that wouldn’t sound like an excuse. I’m opposed to that to the core, and pointing fingers,” Harbaugh said. “But I believe this is a team game. … We need to look at it all. Everything we’re doing, how we’re doing it.”

Herbert was just 22 of 37 for 204 yards with an inexplicable interception thrown directly into the hands of Chiefs linebacker Jack Cochrane, who nearly returned it for a touchdown. But in a stat that just might underscore the wide-ranging nature of the Chargers’ offensive woes, their quarterback also was their leading rusher, scrambling five times for 26 yards.

Kimani Vidal ran seven times for 21 yards. Omarion Hampton carried seven times for 18.

Asked whether he could have foreseen such a dismal start, Herbert replied: “I’m not much for hypotheticals.”

“The situation is what it is now, and we have to move forward and understand where we are, what we have to do, and do our best to get out of it,” he said. “We’ve got a bye week next week, and do everything we can, like I said earlier, and then whoever we play next after that, we’ll focus on them and do our best to to win that game. That’s all you can ask for.”