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New Feature: Essential Eateries In Long Beach by Mark Taylor | Eating Out | 03.01.10 | | Text Size: +
 12:20am | In the small world of people who write about food, one man stands apart. Only one person has ever won a Pulitzer Prize for a food critic. But not the food writer for the New York or Los Angeles Times, or some fancy food magazine, but a free paper: the L.A. Weekly.Jonathan Gold has made the restaurant section of the LA Weekly the one place you need to go to find out where to eat anything in L.A. One of his recurring columns is his annual: Jonathan Gold’s 99 Essential Restaurants of LA. He changed it slightly this year to: 99 Places to Eat Before You Die. All are incredible compendiums of the greatest places – from holes in the wall, to those with Michelin Stars. I want to start a new feature at the LBPOST.com – the 19 Essential Eateries of Long Beach. We’re smaller than L.A. so 19 seems like a good place to start. This will be coming soon – so this is your chance to give me some suggestions for the list. What are your top eateries in Long Beach? Comments
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Julie J My favs are Lola's, Enriques, McKennas and Aroma di Roma. Food Lover LB 19 places is ambitious, but Long Beach does have plenty of good dining options. My favorites, in no particular order are: Tantalum, Yard House, daVinci, 555, Lasher's, Khoury's and Parker's. Kate K We hate cooking, so we eat out alla time. HEre's our vote: 1. Hof's Hut on the PCH. Great sunken bar, where we eat to soak up the atmosphere, enjoy one of Tom's tasty Bloody Marys, and avoid annoying children. Green faux leather booths and a sunken bar, in which bartender Tom looks to be of a normal height (he's over six feet tall.) A friend of mine used to call it the Hunter S. Thompson room when she was in college and smoking was still permitted there. 2. The Sky Room. This isn't one of our normal haunts because we couldn't afford it, but we indulge once or twice a year. The view is incredible--you're up so high and the decor is so Historical Society worthy that you can imagine that you're still in the 1930s and relax into that until you remember that racism, antisemitism and homophobia were still openly acceptable and that penicillin still wasn't developed. They have a square winding staircase (not used) to the bottom, and you're up on the upteenth floor and you get that Jimmy Stewart "Vertigo" sensation when you look down. Oh yeah--food is wonderful, best onion soup in town. 3. Lucille's on Second Street--portabello mushroom burgers. A dream dish for the vegetarian who misses meat. 4. Bono's--great service, great drinks, great food, great addition and contrast to the wild bar scene on Second Street. Casey Good idea, Mark..I am always looking for more places to eat... My favorite eateries in Long Beach are Schooner or Later,The Starling Diner, The Bitter Chef,....all good food and they don't cost alot! Judy C. P.F.Chang's, located at 340 South Pine Ave. They offer a great vegetarian menu as well as gluten free items! Judy C. P.S. For fast food, WOK-n-ROLL also offers vegetarian items.It's yummy and affordable! Molto Bene Best Real Italian Food: Vino & Cucina (across from Dale's Diner near LBCC). Best Mexican: Super Mex (Nuff said.) Best Cheap Pizza: Deli News (Los Altos Center) Best Breakfast Burrito: Nick's in Seal Beach Best Pub Grub: Auld Dubliner. dining My favorite, I go there at least once a week. The food is great and the servers do a great job. La Creperie Cafe. 5110 E 2nd St Long Beach, CA 90803 (562) 434-8499 http://www.lacreperiecafe.net/ Diane Wiley Long Beach is the hidden gem in LA county when it comes to food. Check out: Coco Reno's for margaritas, guacamole, and killer blackened fish tacos George's Greek Cafe for the grilled lamb chops. (Disclaimer: I may be biased since I was day manager for a while) Johnny Reb's for bar-be-que anything, and their biscuits and gravy. Babette's Feast for their rosemary/caper/chicken salad. Jon in 90808 For sure: Buonos Pizza. 2 locations in Long Beach, but my favorite is the one across from city hall. Not only do they have an awesome, affordable menu, they have a friendly staff and clean facilities. Hopefully this is not just a list of the large plate/tiny portions type places! Dennis In no particular order BakeNBroil Lasher's 555 Panvimarn Thai Johnny Reb's Dave's Burgers (the original in Exxon parking lot on LB Blvd & Wardlow) SuperMex Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles DaVinci's Catalano's Pizza (take out) Lozza Gladstone's hands down! GREAT food, awsome service and amazing view. The seafood dishes, warm, friendly service and sunny patio can not be beat. Sally Dee Utopia on 1st and Linden. The atmosphere is lovely day or night. The food is good and affordable. Tapas are especially amazing. Big artist hangout as the owners are committed to and involved in the LB arts community. Julie Whaley You have to include: Lola's, The Bitter Chef, George's Greek Cafe, Bake&Broil, Lasher's, Utopia, Bouchees Bistro, and Hof's Hut on PCH! DowntownRES This will be fun....please include Sky Room, Madison, Bake & Broil and Open Sesame. Dave in Alamitos Beach All these suggestions and no one has mentioned my favorite restaurant: At Last Cafe. I also like La Parolaccia, Star of Siam, Benley's, Belmont Brewing Company, The Factory, George's Greek, Starling Diner, Pho Hong Phat. I still haven't found that really great Mexican restaurant I crave. Loves Good Food Let's put together "Dining Out" field trips and take on Jonathan Gold's 99 and blog about it. Then maybe we can attract a first class restaurant or two to Long Beach. Laurie Belmont Brewing Company, best place to be July 4th. Tantalum, Open Sesame, Bono's, Coco Reno's, La Traviota, Skyroom, PF Changs... Tina B Great idea! Long Beach has some of the BEST restaurants around! Some of my favs: Tiny Thai - on Norse Way (the Beef Panang - yum), Poggio, Bake 'N Broil (known for their pies, but also have the best burgers in town), Baba Ganouj, Le Yen (the best chow mein) - these four are on Atlantic, At Last Cafe (just amazing) - downtown on Orange, Delius - on Cherry. GrumpyGuy Chuck's Cafe for breakfast, George's for Greek, Bouna Gente for Italian, New Paradise Cafe for Cambodian, Los Compadres for Mexican seafood, Chen's for Ok Chinese and a doggie bag good for 2 days. Tina My favorite places to eat: Bake N' Broil, Toorak, Yardhouse, La Creperie, Picarelli, Bai Plu, Phuket Thai, Lucille's, FreckleFace Oh, how I love Long Beach dining. My faves are almost anything at the Coffee Cup, Pork Shank at Enriques, Pulled Pork and Fried Chicken at Porky's/Muggies, Yellow Curry at Star of Siam, Orange Chicken at Chens (I know, I know. I love it anyway), Potato Tacos at Hole Mole, Au Bon Curry at La Creperie Cafe, Sopes al Pastor at King Taco. Damn, Now I'm hungry! Doc G Michael's Walt's (Seal Beach) Poggio Super Mex Bono's Maya Hotel Potholder Cafe Utopia Clair's at the Art Museum all have special features that make them essential. Jeff King King's Pine Avenue Fish House for seafood. 555 East for steak, continental,wines. Laura612 Super Mex, Open Sesame and best hidden gem of LB, Delightful Crepe Cafe on Studebaker and Anaheim rd. LBLiketoEat Some faves in random order - Enrique's, Star of Siam, Coffee Cup Cafe, Gladstone's, Number Nine (put that near the top), Open Sesame, Fora, Claire's at the Museum, Benley's. Gotta have tacos- either Chronic or HoleMole. Pamela Open Sesame, Number Nine, 555, Belmont Brewing Company, Arome di Roma, George's Peter I am astounded no one has mentioned Delius. Easily the best restaurant in Long Beach. Also very surprised to not see Fuego or Nico's. Let's please leave chains off the list and include restaurants you can only find in Long Beach. Really, people...Hof's Hut? Looking forward to seeing the results. Elvis Frenchy's Bistro (was there recently after a long hiatus - still superb!), At Last Cafe, Utopia, Open Sesame, Lashers, DaVinci, so many to choose from! Mark T Peter: You're on the right track! I will be focusing on unique LBC eateries. Everyone: thanks for the suggestions! Keep them coming. I will share my list shortly... ghettochild Utopia,Bouchees Bistro,Parker's Lighthousek,L'Opera,Star of Siam,Taqueria La Mexicana on 4th and Coronado,MVP Burgers,Cisco Burgers,Enrique's,Egg Heaven(let's not forget the most important meal of the day), Cafe Neo,La Muse,LB Cafe,Village Grind(the whole pig sandwich)and the hot dog man at the art walk in the east village arts district.So many choices...... GhettoChild A great hole in the wall, La Ceiba on 7th and Nebraska. Great Central American food especially the pupusas are some of the best around. GhettoChild Forgot Sunin over Open Sesame............just a preference Cal Heights Chris Trattoria Limone Guadalupe's Mexican Place dori George's Greek Cafe...for George, and some delicious Kleftiko DaVinci's for the most perfect Hendricks Martini At Last Cafe for anything they make Taco Loco #3 for tongue tacos and Rocco's for incredible New York Deli! WagsHerFeet Sunin in Belmont Shore, Rock Bottom in Downtown, Gypsy's by the pier, At Last Cafe in Alamitos Beach. Michael Born and raised in long beach, and hands down it's gotta be Hole Mole, Deli News, and Open Sesame for me. Kamal Palace in Marina pacifica mall is pretty great too. 90807 Resident Please be sure to include a new resturant on Atlantic called THE FACTORY. Great food and a wonderful staff. Enough Zenough Absolutely no shortage of great restaurants in Long Beach. My favorites, in no particular order: Parker's Lighthouse, Phuket Thai, Tantalum and Sushi of Naples. That_LB_Guy KAFE NEO! CHARLIE Well I've got to 2nd Kate K on The Sky Room in every way she described it, but my first choice will have to be Sam's Sea Food on PCH just past Seal Beach over the bridge,in fact they're the oldest restaurant in the Long Beach area, and by far the best "Bucket" drinks for the Happy Hour price in all of L.A & Orange Counties, and, they have a large banquette room for large private party's or business meetings with loads of parking!!! Sarah Love the local theme! With that in mind... Aroma di Roma for the breakfast pizza, Peking Wok for chow fun and Gladstone's for fish and seafood! Mr. Critical Parkers' Lighthouse is hands down my favorite! I hadn't been there in a while, but then I saw them on Best of LA and was quickly reminded of how good they are! Did you know they do sushi? YEP! Best sushi I've had in Long Beach, and the view is BY FAR the best... You must include them!!! WrigleyWriter I respect, almost revere, Mr. Gold and would remind you that he got a Pulizer for writing about food, not eating it. It happens that he's a wonderful writer with a strong point-of-view, a passion for food, and an interesting, adventurous palate. He's a great counterpoint to the LA Times critics who strive for "hip" over "delicious." I hope your column won't be a rehash of Chowhound or Yelp, where customers (and shills) of every taste and background leave their marks. Useful for learning about new eats, but not necessarily good eats. We don't need another poll about food, we need creativity and leadership. Eagle Eye You people are smoking crack. I know this town is ghetto, but dag your standards are low! As someone whom works in Santa Monica and actually experiences what REAL good eateries are, I can say pretty confidently after looking at 95% of the suggestions here, that you people really are deprived. Even on Yelp, your suggestions don't even get 3 stars! Eagle Eye Well why we're at it, throw in McDonald's, Denny's, Spires, and Casa (hold the flies) Sanchez!! Aye carrumba. double dee tracy's bar and grill for dinner, nicks deli for breakfast (hands down, no contest, best breakfast burritos i've ever had) Joyce 555, Sunnin and Bouchees are my faves! Jennifer 555, George's, Phuket Thai, BBC Carol So many favorites...we prefer little independent spots. So, my list would include: Chucks, Starling Diner and the Coffee Cup for breakfast; Los Compadres (best Mexican), Benleys (best Vietnamese fusion), Yummy Garden (really good, fresh Chinese), and Shillelagh’s for best burgers and all around food. For coffee and snacks, I go to Hot Java and the Portfolio annex. For wine and snacks, and a lovely outdoor environment, it is the Wine Crush. And, for that special occassion, it is daVinci and the Sky Room. mmmm...now I am hungry! mizo OLIVES on 2nd St. in Belmont Shore is the definition of an essential eatery! Flakey, buttery, large *fresh baked* croissants for breakfast (easily the best around, the scones are super yum, too!), hand crafted paninis, a hot bar in the back with tender chicken or a gourmet pizza 1/2, a salad bar that sometimes features a romaine wedge with blue cheese. Cumon! PDQ Mexican: Enrique's Steak/Prime Rib: Kelly's Breakfast: Small Cafe (Naples) Greek: George's Burger's: Hof's Hut PCH Pizza: Papalucci's Also Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles Utopia Cafe Piccolo Ryan ZumMallen I wouldn't have made it through college without the incredible quality you get from a $5 pizza at Deli News. These days I wouldn't make it through the daily grind without the baked ziti at Upper Crust NY in Belmont Shore. JH McKenna's on the Bay and Schooner or Later (great water views / patio and ample, free parking. Gladstone's and Yard House (great water views -- less parking. As to interior L.B. I vote for Kelley's and Frenchy's. lb res I LOVE how everyone ignores Eagle Eye (except me of course). You MUST be an authority on food since you work in SM. I've lived in NY, Chicago,and LA. I guess I MUST be an authority on food!!! Who knew? I guess living/working in bigger cities makes you have a great palate. BTW LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Wok N Roll vegetarian food. Can we get Native foods here? Ryan P Chuck's Coffe Shop, Nino's, At Last Cafe, La Creperie, 555 East GhettoChild Deli News for sure through college, Big E's as well and PizzaMania when I had a little more money. Does anyone have any good recommendations for WINGS??? Eagle Eye lb res, Never claimed to be "an expert". I'll leave that role to the liberal elitists. But when people are mentioning places that can barely get 3 stars on YELP, that should be a hint, even to the person lacking the most basic of common sense. Chen's as a "must visit" food place??? Or how about people listing places like Lucille's, PF Chang, Yardhouse............ those places are CHAINS! They aren't "unique" in any sense. If this is your list of "essential eateries" and you really stand by it, all I can do is pity you and anyone who reads "Hofs Hut" as a place that they "must visit" when coming to Long Beach. If that's the best Long Beach can do, then that's a deterrent not to waste time visiting here. Now you can ignore this (you read it though didn't you) and go back to your euphoric homerism. I'll just be reading and shaking my head. Gregg Real, inspired cooking at: Starling Diner Gypsy's Enrique's Limone Benley Dkannel Starling Diner on 3rd St. A must for any "best" list. Vanessa La Parolaccia on Broadway and Orizaba wins my #1. Closely followed by Linda's Mexican Delights on 10th and Redondo, and Starling Diner... also, La Traviata 3rd and Cedar and 555. knoxymama Michaels, Fora, Enriques, Coffee Cup, Starling... That about covers it for the best of LBC. Arymus Joongeward's Bake n Broil (American, breakfast), Sophy's (Cambodian), Los Compadres (Mexican), Enriques (Mexican), Long Beach Thai (Thai), Panvimarn (Thai) Iheartgoodfood Here's my list of several restaurants that actually "cook" food--not just open cans or use boily bags-- and offer something exceptional: Trattoria Limone- Canneloni Bake and Broil- Red Velvet Cake Gypsy's- Eggplant Dip & Lamb Shank Starling Diner- Stuffed French Toast and Scones Johnny Reb's- Cornmeal Catfish Peking Wok- Sesame Chicken Bouchee's- Turkey Burger Enrique's- Carnitas & Salsa Louis Burger- Hot Dog & Breakfast Burrito 555- Steak Salad Koi- Long Beach Roll Baugettes of Paris- Baugette Sand. Benley- Bun Heather Fuego's, Lola's, Fish Grille, Creme de le Crepe (1st and Elm), Number Nine, Wokano's, Bouchees Bistro Springer Delius Restaurant (on Cherry Ave) has extraordinary food and an extensive wine selection. Roberta A Starling Diner,La Parolaccia, Open Sesame, Cafe Piccolo, Bono's, Dominco's (love their special salad and special pizza), George's Greek, Tantalum,McKenna's on the Bay, Buona Gente, Bake n Broil, Lola's, Alegria, Sevilla, Delius, Parker's Lighthouse, Claire's, Belmont Brewing Company, Kelly's has great steaks, is that 19 yet? No more sams seafood! He Charlie, you are really living in the past. Sam's Seafood is long gone...has been gone for years. You must not eat out much! eubaldus The hidden gem; Cafe Gazelle in Belmont Shore... Bake 'n Broil's lemon lush and sour cream coffee cake; Starling's french toast; Coffee Cup's chile verde omlette... Best "burn-a-hole-through-you" street food, Tacos Chapala... All stand in the shadow of the memory of The House of Madame Jojo!!!
Eating Out
If you can eat it or drink it near Long Beach, and Mark Taylor really likes it, he’ll tell you about it here!
Mark was born and raised in So Cal. He learned to love “good” food from his family (especially his Uncle Cliff and Grandma Vera) and started cooking very young. He worked his way through school cooking professionally before spending most of the rest of his life working in an equally glamorous profession—politics. Mark, his wife Melissa, and his sons live in Long Beach.
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