WHY Upscale Mexican cuisine with a beautiful Long Beach view. WHAT A centerpiece of the redesigned and rebranded Hotel Maya, Fuego delivers a Mexican menu focused on coastal cooking. That translates to dishes like citric ceviches of shrimp and lobster scooped up with plantain chips, YucatÂn-style pork two ways (presented as an achiote-glazed fillet and [...]
December 3, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Lively suds and modernized pub grub. WHAT Congregation may take its religious shtick too far—stained glass windows, Catholic school uniforms, Monday ‘mass’—but it’s one of Long Beach’s essential beer bars, with a commendable list of Belgian and craft brews. The menu presents done-up pub classics like a pork and goat cheese sausage sandwich, grilled [...]
November 21, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Seal Beach’s legendary smokehouse and beer bar has finally crossed county lines. WHAT Many consider Beachwood to be the region’s top beer bar, a place where the craft movement gained legs and hopheads were born. Now there’s even more Beachwood to go around with its new downtown Long Beach location. The menu remains the [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Latin-inspired café cuisine with a marina breeze. WHAT This strip mall café satisfies at all hours. At breakfast, it’s a cup of spiced Mexican coffee with the coconut oatmeal or oven-baked french toast stuffed with mascarpone. A mother-daughter duo have transformed the family’s Latin American roots into a vast, vegetarian-friendly, pan-Latin menu. At lunch, [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Generous pours of good, modestly priced wines in a very cool Retro Row shop, with $3 glasses on Thursdays and often-terrific live music. WHAT Almost every afternoon and evening, bartender Evan mans the small, living-room-like wine bar in back of the store, and regulars stop in to ask him what he’s pouring and to [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Charming plates of Italian classics. WHAT Though it’s not completely unique to Long Beach (there’s a Claremont branch), La Parolaccia is as entrenched in local stomachs as any of the city’s famous greasy spoons. The reason is clear: Its osteria-style cooking stands well above the nearby red-sauce joints. Consider trying the fluffy gnocchi, rich [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY A decades-old centerpiece of Long Beach’s Cambodia Town. WHAT A lot of heat courses through Siem Reap. Sometimes it’s a subtle, slow burn, other times it’s a fully loaded assault. Although the menu is large enough to accommodate a few Thai and Chinese offerings, the Cambodian classics are what keep this place relevant after [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Hunger-killing tortas ahogadas. WHAT An unassuming place crammed into a corner strip mall that often goes unnoticed on this busy block, this place covers all the expected Mexican bases— but the real reason to visit is the Guadalajaran specialties. La Concha’s torta ahogada is the best around: slabs of crusty bread stuffed with crisp [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Upscaled Vietnamese cuisine with an eye for authenticity. WHAT Stashed in a strip mall that butts up against the Orange County border, Benley is one of Long Beach’s most consistent restaurants. That’s because it has a very clear handle on the kitchen, which turns out refined and thoughtful Vietnamese cuisine: great bowls of pho [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Simple Americana with refined flair. WHAT At Last may be tiny, but it has quickly become one of the most popular neighborhood spots in a city full of them. Behind its success is American cooking that capably twists the classics. At lunch, expect good sandwiches headlined by a charred burger and a vegetarian option [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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