The Miramar Restaurant opened during Prohibition as the Ocean Beach Hotel, one of many local speakeasies. Small rumrunners, laden with booze from large Canadian ships, prized the area's covert coves. While the Miramar served its thirsty patrons, automobiles sped the remaining booze to San Francisco. From 1918 to 1955, redheaded Madam Maymie Cowley, also known as "The Boss," ruled. When prying G-men called, "The Boss" hid the good stuff behind revolving kitchen cabinets and in other secret compartments. Equal agility protected Madam Cowley's prostitution and gambling from local officials. Today, the Miramar Beach Restaurant is one of the few Half Moon Bay coast establishments to remember that golden era.