Huntington Beach marks the arrival of spring each year not just by the throngs of co-eds arriving for their annual college break or the wildflowers carpeting Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve and Huntington Central Park, but also by restauranter Alicia Cox reopening her seaside concessions. The CEO of Prjkt (pronounced Project) Restaurant Group, who oversees a handful of Huntington Beach beach-adjacent eateries in collaboration with California State Parks, recently reopened Sahara Sandbar & Pizza on March 1 with SeaLegs at the Beach to follow on Saturday, March 16.
Sahara’s Sandbar and Pizza
Opening its doors after a triumphant first year, Cox’s Sahara Sandbar and Pizza, named after her daughter, returns with a bigger menu. New dishes at the beach-based eatery include meatballs on a stick, which feature three house-made meatballs on a skewer intertwined with fluffy pizza dough that’s baked to golden perfection.
“Anything I can make from scratch, I will,” said Cox about Sahara’s version of meat on a stick. “When it comes to meatballs, I’m making these from scratch, the same ones that are on our pizza. Then we give you a big side of our marinara sauce. … It’s now one of my favorites.”
Cox, who comes up with her inventive eats while traveling the country during the fall and winter months, will also add pizza nachos to Sahara’s menu this year. “The idea is cutting up pizza dough, flash frying it and then topping it with mozzarella cheese, pepperoni crumbles and basil,” she said.
Cox will also add a Detroit-style pizza, wherein the pie is baked in a rectangular pan resulting in a thick chewy crust adorned at the edge with a crispy cheese exterior. The pizza, which has gained traction over the last few years, spreading everywhere from the West Coast to frozen food aisles, can prove…
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