Saturday, October 5, 2024

Celebrating a decade, The Social List Havana Nights returns for one night only

Share

The Social List, the much-loved 4th Street restaurant, is turning 10. And with that, has decided to bring its equally loved Social List Havana Nights for one night only, come Friday, Sept. 27 at 6PM.

What to expect? Classic cars, afro-latin beats, grub, and plenty of drinks.

social list havana nights
The Social List Havana Nights have been a staple with the restaurant for years. Courtesy of business.

Why The Social List Havana Nights are inherently tied to the space

I have always celebrated The Social List for what it is: a neighborhood eatery and bar. It is the place you want to go to often, an increasingly endangered ideal in today’s food world. And coming in on its tenth birthday, the Retro Row staple has seen a seemingly endless amounts of varying menus while building up a legion that—unlike many other other restaurants—visits multiple times a month.

Taking over what used to be a custom framing shop, the wordplay on “socialism” was supposed to evoke a mixture of Eastern European aesthetics with contemporary European bars and bistros, where patrons can quickly bounce from joint to joint. They eat a little here and drink a bit more there. It was to be a part of a crawl of sorts for 4th Street.

In that sense, a Social List play on Cuban partying was befitting, whether you’re a dark fan of one of socialism’s largest figures, Fidel Castro, or at least someone with a sense of humor. The result? A Cuban band, dancing, and, of course, Cuban grub and cocktails that aimed to celebrate the island’s vibrant culture.

social list havana nights

This version of the celebration is important—here’s why

The first week of March in 2020, owners Luis Navarro and Brenda Riviera unveiled a plan to bring The Social List Havana Nights back on a regular basis. Meaning March 12 would be the launch and would have taken place on the second Thursday of the month through September of 2020. That clear didn’t happen—which makes this version a pretty sweet moment.

“The whole point was to have fun, like you’re actually having a night out in Havana, dancing on the streets, eating some good food,” Luis said. “And after everything we’ve all been through, this seemed like the perfect moment to return to that sense of freedom and escapism.”

social list havana nights
The Social List Havana Nights have been a longtime staple of the much-loved 4th Street restaurant. Courtesy of business.

As a result, the plan: Five-person Afro-Cuban band Kalifa Son on the live music. Caveman Leo (from The Social List’s wildly popular monthly series Good Luck Vinyl Club) on with the vinyl. Beef empanadas. The space’s locally famous Media Noche Cuban sandwich. Cocktails curated by the master himself, beverage director Erik Rios-Wentzky.

And it’s free to come out. So do it.

The Social List Havana Nights returns on Friday, Sept. 27, from 6PM to 9PM. The Social List is located at 2105 E. 4th St.

Brian Addison
Brian Addison
Brian Addison has been a writer, editor, and photographer for more than a decade, covering everything from food and culture to transportation and housing. In 2015, he was named Journalist of the Year by the Los Angeles Press Club and has since garnered 25 nominations and three additional wins. In 2019, he was awarded the Food/Culture Critic of the Year across any platform at the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Subscribe to The Insider

Get weekly updates on Long Beach's evolving culture, urban development, and food scene. Become a Longbeachize Insider today

By clicking "Subscribe," you agree to receive weekly newsletters from Longbeachize and accept our Privacy Policy posted on our website.

Read more

Popular Tags

More From Long Beach

The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.