Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe 2026 is upon us, food lovers. The bracket-style competition whose winner will be determined not by a judges’ panel but by the diners themselves returns. And it all kicks off on Aug. 24 at Partake Collective’s incredible R&D kitchen in DTLB.
As with last year’s sold-out affair, this is part of a partnership between Partake Collective, my husband, Samuel Cornejo, and me. We wanted to take chefs out of their own kitchens. Drop them into the amazing R&D kitchen of Partake. And have them cook side by side in an intimate setting. Even more, rather than a panel of professionals to determine the winners à la Master Chef or Top Chef, we want the patrons to decide who made the best three-course meal of the evening. Once those winners are determined, they move on to battle again until we achieve a Top Two to duke it out at the finale.
While Chef Maxwell Pfeiffer of Sky Room and Chef Luis Navarro of Lola’s/Dolores fought it out in the finale last year, with Chef Luis taking home the prize, none of those chefs will be returning this year. (We have something saved for them that will just have to wait.)
This year’s lineup is entirely new. And yes, we did try to find female chefs to represent—even took some out on a boat ride to talk about the potential of them joining—but the timing wasn’t right this year, as they have commitments they can’t step away from. We do, however, have a beautiful array of local talent that we cannot wait to highlight in ways you’ve likely never seen them.
What’s different about Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe 2026 versus last year?
For those who attended any of last year’s dinners, they will notice a marked difference.
Firstly, instead of one dinner per week, we will have two dinners per week, every Monday and Tuesday of the week. That means the first dinners of Bracket 1 will be on Monday, Aug. 24; Tuesday, Aug. 25; Monday, Aug. 31; and Tuesday, Sept. 1. Tickets for this bracket are currently on sale. The semifinals will take place on Monday, Sept. 7 and Tuesday, Sept. 8. And the finale will take place on Monday, Sept. 14.
There are three ticket options. VIP ($180) gets you a seat at the chef’s counter, which accommodates 6 people, to watch the action up close and interact with the chefs. Table-for-two date tables ($340). And GA ($160), which accommodates 10 people at a communal table.
There will also be only one seating at 6PM for each dinner, with a cocktail hang-out at 5:30PM thanks to our friends at The Wicked Wolf.
So who is competing in the Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe and how will seating work?
- Chef Eric Samaniego of Bungalow: Bringing decades of experience in French and Italian cooking, Chef Eric formally returns to the scene to show us exactly why we were devastated when Michael’s on Naples shuttered.
- Chef Yoya Takahashi of Homareya: The Kyoto native has brought Long Beach its first proper izakaya space—and will now showcase Japanese cuisine in a way that LBGPF has never seen.
- Chef Eduardo Chang of Sushi Nikkei: This Lima native knows both traditional Peruvian food and Nikkei-style sushi that has made his hometown one of the world’s most recognizable culinary destinations.
- Chef Danny Le of Chez Bacchus: Heading one of the few white-cloth dining spaces, Chef Danny is known for his high-end take on Californian cuisine.
- Chef Cesár Sánchez of Ruta 15: A native of Tijuana, Chef Cesár creates Long Beach’s most unique, most well-made mariscos—and we cannot wait to see him flex on this level.
- Chef Rob White of Liv’s/Hartland’s: This professional oyster shucker is far more than that, bringing the Shore a proper American seafood house with Liv’s and brunch on a different level with Hartland’s.
- Chef Jessie Franco of Zuzu’s Petals: He has made Zuzu’s Petals what it is—Long Beach’s only seasonally-focused, chef-driven breakfast spot—but has long desired to showcase what he can do for a dinner.
- Chef Jordan Domingo of Slao: He is no stranger to LBGPF: he was Chef Maxwell Pfeiffer’s sous throughout the competition last year.
What can we expect from the dinners?
There will be three brackets, culminating in the finale on Sept. 14. The first bracket, dubbed “Self,” asks the chefs to focus on what shapes their identity as culinary talents. Each competing chef will serve three courses—an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert—and will be judged based solely on the food. Wine will be poured, but guests will not be judging the wine pairing.
Following that will be “Sustainability.” Chefs will receive a box with often unwanted ingredients they must incorporate while also showcasing their own sustainability in the kitchen. And for the finale, we have “Seminal.” Pretty straightforward: We want the chefs to create a dinner that serves as their magnum opus.
Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe will kick off on Monday, Aug. 24, at Partake Collective, located at 456 Elm Ave. For tickets, click here.
