Saturday, October 5, 2024

Chef Jason Witzl is back, Long Beach—and takes Ellie’s to a full return to form

Share

Chef Jason Witzl of Ellie’s has had one helluva 2024.

He opened up his Jolie’s space on Coronado Island in San Diego, he was lauded as Chef of the Year. This was on top of bouncing between that very space and his two Long Beach restaurants, his flagship Ellie’s and the neighboring Ginger’s. Even more, this was all after the strenuous years of the pandemic, where Chef Jason hit a triple hardship: The inability to move Ellie’s to the Compound in Zaferia; that, in turn, prompted the loss of his Ellie’s Deli concept; and then the permanent closure of his Lupe’s space in DTLB to make way for Toma.

Truthfully, 2024 is showcasing Chef Jason’s resilience far more than echoing the struggles he (and nearly every chef-owner) experienced over the past half-decade. And, well, another truth be told: it made us severely miss him here in Long Beach. Surely, his Ellie’s and Ginger’s spaces were running fine, especially under the watchful eye of culinary director Pedro Quintero. But Ellie’s still missed that, well, Jason-ness.

ellie's Long Beach
‘Oyster Hour’ has now become a staple, among many other food programs, at Ellie’s. Photos by Brian Addison.

With new menu, Ellie’s has full return to form in the best way possible.

There is a thing I call “happy food.” It’s something I distinctly mentioned the last time I wrote about Chef Jason nearly three years ago. It comes from a place where a chef has, to be frank, gone through some shit and come out the other side. Sometimes, it follows creative redundancy or the intense obsession with competitors. It can also follow a severe sense of self-doubt, of questioning whether it’s worth it all. But when it comes, it comes with full force.

Take a look at his wonderfully toothsome gnocchi lunghi.

I really hate to revert to the word sexy, but that is what the dish is and oozes. Perfectly produced, pillowy poles of potato gnocchi are rolled into lengthy bits. They are then slathered in a slightly spicy, heavily black pepper-ed vodka sauce before being topped with a fine shaving of black truffle and a dollop of burrata. It’s everything to expect from a Witzl pasta: acid, heat, umami, and savory.

ellie's Long Beach
Roasted corn and sausage with avocado crema from Ellie’s. Photo by Brian Addison.

Or Chef Jason’s full embracing of his lack of gravity—one of his most charming traits: the Peter Pan rarely leaves Neverland—with an spicy Italian sausage plate that is, for lack of a better term, utterly SoCal AF. Laid atop a spread of buttery avocado crema and dotted with bits of pickled red onion, cilantro, and cotija, the dish is about as deep of a handshake an Italian and Mexican can make with one another.

That same avocado crema is used in a salad that screams Witzl. Baby beets and pickled golden raisins are paired with corn, labneh, avocado crema, and salmon roe for an exercise in Chef Jason’s masterful way with vegetables.

Ellie’s in Alamitos Beach, Long Beach. Photos by Brian Addison.

The return of Chef Jason didn’t come without the thought of quitting.

This is some of the best food he’s created in years—but it didn’t come without struggles. “I was really beginning to question whether I should continue or not,” Chef Jason said.

It’s a conversation that is rarely had in the food industry. But it is that one Chef Jason, myself, and a handful of other chefs—from Chef Luis Navarro over at Lola’s and The Social List to the sadly passed Chef Art Gonzalez and Chef Janice Dig Cabaysa—had at a table shortly before the pandemic hit. From addiction and stress to the ruthlessness of some patrons and the small margins, the discussion of mental health is rare. And this is especially true in an industry whose outward sex appeal of sleekly concocted cocktail and perfectly prepared plates are indeed a façade.

And though Chef Jason saw many highs in the pandemic, there was still some very intense darkness that surrounded him as he built both a family and a thriving business. Even more admirable, as we watch Chef Jason look at his first baby—Ellie’s—with a different lens given the the arrival of his actual first babies—his sons, Aiden and Max—we see an open vulnerability with discussing the very things so many folks like him just cannot.

ellie's Long Beach
Assorted whipped butters from the bone marrow board at Ellie’s. Photo by Brian Addison.

Chef Jason Witzl opens up about how mental status and his food are inherently connected.

“I was almost at 300 pounds,” he said, pulling up a picture of himself without hesitation. “I was entirely unmotivated, didn’t care what I was putting into my body. It was dark and yeah, I thought I was ready to give up… But Jolie’s really infused something great into me and when I got back to Ellie’s, yeah, I admit: Something was missing. So we literally went plate by plate and if it wasn’t something the entire kitchen loved, it got nixed.”

This humility is knowing something wasn’t up to par—despite Ellie’s having its most successful year financially to date—echoes, on a different level, when Attic owner Steve Massis had to reconceptualize his entire space despite its success. Of course, Ellie’s didn’t need to be reconceptualized, just tweaked. And now, it is churning out its best food in years.

ellie's Long Beach
Burger Party at Ellie’s has brought back the return of lunch to the space. Photos by Brian Addison.

Ellie’s programming—from their Burger Party to Monday Suppers—have entered it into a renaissance.

And it has achieved this return to form this not just through a brand new menu. No, that would dismiss the brilliant programming the space has been enacting across 2024. One of Chef Jason’s most admirable, respected traits is his ability to adapt. And adaptation, ironically, oftentimes involves not a constant evolution but return to basics; an examination of where your space sits within the community’s wants.

- Advertisement -
Monday Suppers at Ellie’s are under the night sky and wondrous. Photos by Brian Addison.

Take his Monday Suppers, where guests can get down on a $38, four-course dinner with an awesome array of optional upgrades. (Like New York strips and damn near perfect wine pairings.)

Or the beautiful return of Ellie’s for lunch, as the space now opens daily at noon for their Burger Party, where an array of sandwiches and sides—all $15 or under—

”Let’s have fun—we deserve it,” Chef Jason said.

Here are some highlights from the new world of Ellie’s.

Witty but punctilious. Fun but not too basic. Here are some highlights from Ellie’s amazing new menu.


ellie's Long Beach
Roasted baby beets from Ellie’s. Photos by Brian Addison.

Roasted baby beets: Pickled golden raisins | Labneh | Avocado crema | Dill | Ikura | Poppy seed


ellie's long beach brian addison's favorite things
Gnocchi lunghi from Ellie’s Long Beach. Photo by Brian Addison.

Gnocchi lunghi: Spicy vodka sauce | Truffle | Burrata | Black pepper


ellie's Long Beach
Roasted corn and sausage with avocado crema from Ellie’s. Photo by Brian Addison.

Roasted corn and sausage: Spicy Italian sausage | Roasted corn | Avocado crema | Cotija | Pickled onion | Cilantro


ellie's Long Beach
Bone marrow and butter plates are definitively Chef Jason Witzl’s signature style. Photo by Brian Addison.

Bone marrow board: Bone marrow | Assorted whipped butters | Pickled veggies | Grilled sourdough


And what about those lunch items?

Ah, yes, the Burger Party. Check it.

ellie's Long Beach
The Backyard Burger from Ellie’s. Photo by Brian Addison.

The Backyard Burger: Secret sauce | Onion | Iceberg | Tomato | Cheddar


ellie's Long Beach
The Filet O Fish from Ellie’s. Photo by Brian Addison.

Filet O Fish: Tartar sauce | Spicy pickles | Cheddar | Iceberg | Onions


ellie's Long Beach
Onion rings from Ellie’s. Photo by Brian Addison.

Onion rings: Calabrian chile | Dill ranch | Poppy seeds


ellie's Long Beach
All the Things Fries. Photos by Brian Addison.

All the Things Fries: Secret sauce | Cheddar | Pepperoncini


ellie's Long Beach
Kale salad from Ellie’s. Photo by Brian Addison.

Kale salad: Ranch | Cheddar | Green Apple | Herbs | Crunchy quinoa

Ellie’s is located at 204 Orange Ave.

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.