Mangiafoglie, Chef Paul Reese’s first dive into the world of restaurants after running a vegan pizza popup that grew with a mini-cult-like following, has officially opened its doors on 4th. Taking over a section of a building that has long hosted Ají Peruvian Cuisine and long missed the days of Portfolio, it replaces a space that was previously home to Scholb.
A handful of years in the making, the space reflects Chef Paul’s centeredness. In his food. In his comfort with exploration. And in the determination to make vegan cuisine break the gap that separates it from most of the world’s cuisine.
In a space that has been empty for years and initially opened with intentions of bringing quality pizza and pasta to Long Beach—P3 Artisan Pasta, which survived four years of service—it feels appropriate that Paul and his team liven up the space. And they do so with a sense of calm, joy, and a collective love of food.
The result? Some stellar examples of how plant-centric food can be warming and outright good. A showcase of some impressive innovation. And a welcomed addition to 4th Street already garnering a steady, lively patronage. With staples like Seabirds and V-Burger closing up shop, it also brings a fresh breath of air to a vegan scene that has seen more dwindling than growth.
Mangiafoglie is, firstly, a ragtag group of food lovers creating food. It’s, secondly, a vegan space.
Paul does not like being called a “chef,” though his kitchen respects the term when referring to one another. This is despite several years and a definitive passion toward creating vegan alternatives for diners. And, on top of it all, mainly directing and overseeing the entirety of the Mangiafoglie menu. He also doesn’t want to be seen as a “vegan restaurant;” he simply wants to be viewed as an Italian restaurant.
The ultimate thing is that he is creatively re-creating non-vegan things for his space. Joined by a crew that Paul happily describes as mötley—pastai and Sous Chef Giovanni Fernandez; saucier Marcel Carey; pizzaiolo Rasheed Wright; and business partner Daniel Vesely—he is showcasing innovation and determination in a way that few vegan spaces are.
There’s a lemon “bottarga” that he shaves atop his spaghettini limone. And it is a lengthy process that, clearly, avoids the use of actual roe. Take preserved lemon rinds and blend them with a mixture of nori, salt, and cayenne pepper. Dehydrate it for 30 hours and then preserve it in wax before use.
His house parmesan? Potato starch melds with refined coconut, lemon, salt, and a bit of fermented tofu. The result? Beautiful looking bits of white that absorb sauce while also giving each plate with it a slightly sweet, subtly funky kick.
Mangiafoglie shines best when the quality of its vegetables are allowed to shine bright.
Mangiafoglie’s eggless classic pastas—semolina, water, salt, and a “bit of love,” according to Chef Giovanni—sits by the side of a purple potato gnocchi layered with a truffle cream sauce and fried Fresno chiles. There are plenty of pizzas, of course, harkening to Paul’s past. One is a “meat lovers” pizza with house-made sausage, pepperoni, and meatballs atop a white pie with bits of a bright, green chimichurri-meets-pesto sauce… But Mangiafolie shines best when it lets the quality of the space’s vegetables shine bright on their own, be it through their pizza montanara or carciofi salad.
“Pizza montanara is an ode to Mount Vesuvius in Italy,” Chef Paul said. “And this version is our ode to that ode.”
A staple in Naples, this pizza’s dough disc is fried. In the case of Mangiafolie, it is fried to a wonderfully airy, crisp, thousands-of-bubbles-along-its-skin finish, all before being topped with tomatoes, salt, and fresh oregano. Quality tomatoes. Well-made dough. Grade greens and herbs. That house-made parm. It’s simply delicious.
There are olives warmed in the wood-fire oven and dusted with orange zest to give a wonderfully aromatic start to any meal at Mangiafoglie. There’s an artichoke salad—layered with arugula, house-soaked garbanzos, capers, and tomatoes—doused in a giddily garlicky, little lemony, obviously oily and herbed dressing that would happily be welcomed daily by my stomach.
In the end, Chef Paul and his crew are simply making food for their community in a space for their community. And that’s whether or not you want to box them in as vegan.
Mangiafoglie physically exudes what Chef Paul embodies. Warm colors—pinks, greens—sit with neutrals—greys, earth tones—in a space rife with texture. It’s something Chef Paul requests of patrons: Touch the walls. Touch the tables. Touch your chairs (one of which has a 70s shag green carpet quality to it in all the best ways possible).
And his team—from co-owner Daniel, seen swooning guests with wine, to pizzaiolo Rasheed, happily greeting guests with smiles and cheerful chatter—also exudes that. The space is for their community, especially the 4th Street community, in a building that saw two much-loved businesses—Portfolio and Scholb—pack up because of landlord squabbles. No matter how it is diced, it brings a sense of stability.
“I don’t want to be known as a vegan restaurant; I want to be known as an Italian restaurant,” Chef Paul said. “Sure, we cook vegan food because of a choice I made in 1999; I don’t think it’s necessary to use animals to create good food. And we’re accepting the challenge to do just that.
Mangiafoglie is located at 2306 E. 4th St.
And the beautiful mix of dishes and plates! All purchased at ALLB Thrift and Vintage Shop down the street on 4th, which benefits the community.