Hey, neighbor!

Remember when summer was just… summer?

You’d eat something frozen and probably neon, watch whatever show you were obsessed with, then head outside to see who was around. Maybe there was a sprinkler involved. Maybe bikes. Maybe you just wandered around until someone’s mom called everyone home for dinner.

No plans. No summer bucket list. Definitely no pressure to “make the most of it.”

And yet, somehow, those are the summers we remember.

So here’s your reminder: there’s still plenty of summer left.

Get the popsicle. Stay outside a little longer. Wander somewhere just because.

Here's your weekly wave.

In this issue:

🌊 Meet the family behind Wild Roots, where four generations have welcomed the South Bay

🌊 Cake picnics, ABBA in the park + a weekend worth stretching out

🌊 The July recap: favorite stories, tiny delights + what readers had to say

☀️ P.S. Hit reply and tell me: What's one ordinary thing you're hoping to savor before summer slips away?

Meet Andreanna and Sean Liguore, the husband-and-wife team behind Bettolino Kitchen and Wild Roots.

For Andreanna Liguore, restaurants have always felt a little like home.

Her great-grandparents opened Giuliano's in Gardena in the 1950s. Years later, her parents opened Gaetano's, where she spent much of her childhood. She remembers standing on an upside-down crate to help at the register, learning early that the people who walked through the doors weren’t simply customers.

"My mom said something that has stuck with us," Andreanna said. "'These people pay your bills. They need to be treated accordingly.' We're in this to serve."

Today, Andreanna and her husband, Sean, are carrying the family tradition forward with Bettolino Kitchen and, most recently, Wild Roots.

The idea started at home; this is the way they feed their own three kids, and they believed other South Bay families were looking for the same thing.

"We'd be driving home and say, 'Where do you want to go?'" Sean said. "We always wished this concept was here, for ourselves, for our family and for our friends."

So they created it.

Wild Roots grew out of two family histories: Andreanna's generations of hospitality and Sean's family roots in farming and fresh food. The recipes are developed by the two of them, tested at home, refined with their teams and, often, shaped by customer feedback before finding a permanent place on the menu.

And through every chapter of their story runs the same thread: community.

They’ve watched customers celebrate milestones, grow their families and return again and again. They’ve also watched South Bay businesses support one another and listened as customers helped shape what their own restaurants became.

"We hear all the time, 'We'd love to see this on the menu,' or 'We wish you had a space where we could celebrate,'" Sean said. "A lot of the stuff we've created over the years hasn't been from our minds. It's been from our communities."

It's one of the reasons they've continued building in the South Bay.

“There are so many companies and people that have been here for so long — and generations of families,” Sean said. “It’s such a small-town vibe.”

Whether you walk into Bettolino for a celebration or Wild Roots for lunch, Andreanna and Sean hope you feel the same thing.

"We hope people feel that warmth right off the bat... that this is still a family-owned business," Andreanna said.

More than most, they know a neighborhood restaurant can be more than a place to eat.

It can become part of family life.

Next week, meet Jackie Siegle and Kyle Wilson, who are bringing Frozen to life with the Torrance Theatre Company this summer.

Know someone quietly making Torrance better? Hit reply and tell us more.

SPONSORED ❄️ Let it go... to the theater. If you've been waiting for an excuse to see a show at the James Armstrong Theatre, this is a pretty magical one. The Torrance Theatre Company opens Disney's Frozen on Aug. 8, bringing the beloved story of Elsa, Anna and Olaf to the stage with Broadway-style sets, costumes and all the songs you'll be singing on the drive home. The production runs for eight performances through Aug. 22, making it a fun family outing or date night this August. Performance dates Aug. 8 at 7 p.m. Aug. 9 at 2 p.m. Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. Aug. 15 at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. Aug. 16 at 2 p.m. Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. Aug. 22 at 2 p.m. 📍James Armstrong Theatre (3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance) 🚗 Free parking 🎟️ Tickets are on sale now. Click below or call the box office at (310) 781-7171 to reserve your seats before opening weekend. Reserve Your Seats

​Suggest an event. | Feature your event.​

Wilson Park is about to become one giant singalong.

ABBA LA brings all the classics — "Dancing Queen," "Mamma Mia," "Take a Chance on Me" and plenty more — to the Summer Nights stage. Pack a picnic, bring a blanket or lawn chair, and settle in before the music starts. Between the golden-hour setting and a crowd that somehow always knows every word, it's one of those summer traditions that's hard not to love right here in Torrance.

Wilson Park Amphitheatre | Saturday, Aug. 1 at 5 p.m. | Free

Friday, July 31​
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Southeast Library – Family Storytime at 10:30 a.m. Stories, songs and movement for little readers and their grown-ups.

Bartlett Senior Center – Bingo Bonanza at 12 p.m. Aloha, bingo lovers. Bartlett kicks off its new Bingo Bonanza series with a Summer Luau edition, complete with prizes, raffles and friendly competition.

Katy Geissert Civic Center Library – Harry Potter Birthday Craft at 4 p.m. Celebrate Harry Potter’s birthday by creating a wizard-inspired wooden peg doll.

Victor E. Benstead Plunge – Swim-In Movie Night: Zootopia 2 at 7 p.m. Movie night, but from a pool float. Watch from the water or grab a chair on the deck.

Saturday, August 1​
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The Home Depot Torrance – Free Kids Workshop at 9 a.m. Little builders can make a Rocket Game to take home, along with a workshop apron, achievement pin and certificate.

Nearby: Esplanade at Avenue I – Saturday Sweep at 9 a.m. Give the beach a little love at this monthly community cleanup. Gloves, grabbers and bags are provided, and volunteers often head to Riviera Village for coffee or breakfast afterward.

Henderson Library – Solo Role-Playing Game Writing Workshop at 2 p.m. Write your own adventure while playing through a solo mystery role-playing game. Bring a notebook if you’re the type who gets ideas at inconvenient times.

Southeast Library – DJ Teetop’s Sounds of America at 2 p.m. DJ Teetop spins vinyl from the library’s collection while sharing the stories behind the music.

Near El Camino College – Rock Music Alliance Backyard Concert at 4 p.m. Live rock from The Sister Knot, tacos, drinks and a secret location shared with ticket holders. Like a backyard party, but with better planning.

Nearby: Alta Vista Park – Cake Picnic & Book Swap at 4 p.m. Honestly, “cake picnic” was enough to get our attention. Bring a cake to share, swap up to 10 books and stay for storytime with three local children’s authors.

Wilson Park Amphitheatre – ABBA LA at 5 p.m. Join the singalong.

Nearby: Dignity Health Sports Park – Galaxy Night at 7:30 p.m. The LA Galaxy take on FC Dallas, with discounted tickets available for Torrance residents in a reserved section. Twenty fans will also be selected for a post-game autograph opportunity.

Mom Said Yes Pizza – Skypark Ghetto Band at 8:30 p.m. Close out Saturday with a mix of classic rock favorites and modern hits — everything from "Stairway to Heaven" to "Santeria" — plus pizza and cold drinks.
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Sunday, August 2

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Wilson Park – Southern California Live Steamers at 11 a.m. Hop aboard the miniature trains for a free ride through Wilson Park. Donations are appreciated, and yes, grown-ups are allowed to be just as excited as the kids.

Hermosa Brewing Company – Mecha Mini Meet at 12 p.m. Anime, Transformers, model kits and die-cast collectibles take over the brewery, with buy-and-sell tables, custom builds, arcade games and pinball.

Nearby: Veterans Park – Petals + Pinot at 2 p.m. Make a seasonal bouquet by the ocean while enjoying a glass of wine and light bites.

Torrance Theatre Company – HOT TIP Improv at 7 p.m. No script. No plan. The cast builds the entire show from audience suggestions, which means anything can happen.

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Weather Forecast? Looks like another beautiful summer weekend.

☀️ Fri 67°/80° Mostly Sunny

☀️ Sat 68°/81° Mostly Sunny

☀️ Sun 67°/82° Sunny

⚠️ Beach plans? Keep an eye on the ocean this week. High surf, dangerous rip currents, and minor coastal flooding around evening high tides are expected through Saturday.

🍽️ Must Try Smog City | Smoke'm If Ya Got 'Em | Feels specifically designed for lingering near the grill. ​The Menu →

🎶 On Repeat "This Must Be the Place" by Sure Sure | Home is where I want to be. Is it just me, or does this feel like the soundtrack to The Tide itself? ​Hit Play →​

🏡 Eye Catching 23446 Kathryn Ave. | Those French doors onto the semi-enclosed patio caught our eye. ​Let's Go →

🃏 The easiest summer hack. Clip a deck of UNO Splash cards onto your beach bag and forget about them until you need them. The waterproof cards can handle sandy hands and pool days, but the real genius is the carabiner-style clip that keeps the whole deck together and ready to grab. One less thing to pack. One more way to turn "I'm bored" into game time.

🌮 Reader recommendation: "Our family is there every Tuesday," writes Tide reader Ed. Mezontle has quietly become his family's weekly tradition thanks to $2.50 tacos, $4 margaritas or beers, friendly owners, and the kind of neighborhood atmosphere that keeps people coming back. Sounds like we may have just found our next Tuesday dinner plan.

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🚀 Only in Torrance... A local workshop is giving retired airplanes—and even pieces of the Space Shuttle—a second life as beautiful keepsakes. It's the kind of hidden hometown story that reminds you how much aviation history quietly lives right here.

Found something delightfully Torrance this week? Hit reply and send it our way!

🏛️ District 4? Here's your chance to serve.
​If you live in Torrance's District 4, applications are now open to fill the vacant City Council seat through March 2028. Interested residents must be registered voters in the district and submit an application and supplemental questionnaire to the City Clerk's Office by 5 p.m. on Aug. 13. The City Council is expected to interview applicants and make an appointment before the city's Sept. 13 deadline.

🏠 A hopeful sign
​New homelessness data offers a bit of cautious encouragement for the South Bay. Torrance and its neighboring South Bay communities saw a slight decline in its overall unhoused population this year, making it one of only three service planning areas in Los Angeles County to report a decrease. Countywide, homelessness remains a significant challenge. But in the South Bay, local outreach efforts—including Torrance's temporary housing village and expanded support services—continue to connect more people with shelter, housing and long-term assistance.

📚 There's still time to Plant a Seed, Read
​Summer isn't over yet—and neither is the Torrance Public Library's Summer Reading Challenge. Through Aug. 15, readers of all ages can earn a certificate and a special prize by logging 16 hours of reading, completing library activities, or mixing the two. If you've been meaning to dive into that beach read or encourage a young reader at home, consider this your friendly nudge to get started before summer slips away.

🏈 New opponents are coming to Torrance football
​The city’s four high school football teams will find themselves in some new company this fall. Defending Pioneer League champion Torrance and North will now be joined by West, which moves up from the Ocean League, along with Santa Monica, Culver City and El Segundo. Meanwhile, South moves into the newly reshuffled Ocean League alongside Peninsula, Lawndale, Hawthorne and Beverly Hills. Fall Friday nights just got a little more interesting.

🌱 A greener South Bay is in the works
​A new $1.6 million regional effort is looking at how public spaces across the South Bay could better support native plants, pollinators and local wildlife. The plan looks at how parkways, medians and other public spaces could support more native plants while conserving water and reducing heat. Three pilot projects are starting in Carson, Inglewood and Lomita—but the larger plan could eventually help shape greener spaces throughout the region, including Torrance.

🏡 One minute could help solve a crime
​If you have a Ring doorbell or other security camera, Torrance Police has launched a voluntary registry to help investigators know where cameras are located when an incident happens nearby. The registry doesn't give police access to your footage—it simply lets them contact you if your camera may have captured something useful.

💌 Bonus reminder: Heading out of town? You can put your USPS mail on hold online for free in about a minute.

July gave us five weeks' worth of reasons to love the place we call home. Here's one last look before we head into August, including the neighbors we met, a few of our favorite finds, and how you said it best.

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​The Neighbors We Met

🚔 Officer Mathew Lassak: The Marine-turned-Torrance police officer who came home to serve the community that raised him — and still believes Torrance feels like "a big city with a small-town feel."
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📚 Cynthia Aguado: Torrance's new City Librarian, reminding us that libraries aren't just about books anymore — they're places where people find connection, curiosity, and community.

✍️ Christine Ma-Kellams: The novelist whose nationally acclaimed debut begins at H Mart and proves that everyday places in Torrance can become unforgettable settings.

🖼️ Max Presneill: The artist and curator helping turn Torrance into an international destination for contemporary art, and inviting the rest of us along for the ride.

Tiny Delights We Kept Thinking About

1 - Ko Ryu Ramen's Chicken Ramen: Some cravings don't go away. This has been ours all month—the rich broth, perfectly cooked noodles, and one of those bowls you keep thinking about days later.

2 - The $3 antique appraisals at the Antique Street Faire: Maybe Grandma's lamp isn't worth anything. Maybe it's worth a fortune. Either way, that's a pretty good Sunday story.

3 - The Torrance Library Summer Reading Challenge: A reminder that the library isn't just for kids. Read 16 hours, earn a prize, and rediscover one of Torrance's best free resources.
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4 - The World Cup Watch Parties: Lawn chairs, giant screens, neighbors cheering together — and proof that sometimes it's fun simply to care about the same thing. Plus seven visiting national teams making Torrance home!

You Said It Best

💌 "My favorite thing about The Tide is the upbeat attitude about all the events and places I've never heard about... I look forward to reading it each Thursday as a way to connect and plant ideas for local fun!" – Kathy

💌 "Thank you! I just read the current issue and it is very thorough!" – Keri

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💌 "My whole life! 67 years... Thanks for doing what you do!" – Roxanne, after telling us she's lived in Torrance for 67 years, attended Torrance schools, and now watches another generation do the same.

We never get tired of opening emails like these. ​
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Whether you've called Torrance home for 67 years or 67 days, thanks for spending a little time with us each week.

See you in August. 🌊