2025 could largely be considered a banner year for the Long Beach food scene. (Though it was unquestionably one of its toughest—and yes, that includes a direct comparison with the pandemic.) The level of talent and investment from those in the restaurant and bar industry has been par none. Chefs take their work more seriously. Restaurateurs take their brands more seriously. Managers take their hospitality more seriously. We hosted our first chef competition. And we have an incredible restaurant week that hosted over 80 restaurants this year. We have Michelin stars and James Beard-recognized spaces and talent…
Admittedly, I am not a fan of rankings—and in that spirit, this list is not ranked. What I hope it does do is provide a sense of ownership amongst the chefs mentioned. Maybe a sense of achievement amongst the restaurateurs. And certainly a sense of pride amongst our denizens supporting these essential spaces. Our food scene is continually worthy of uplift—and these dishes, for me, exemplified just that.
In no particular order, here are stellar dishes from 2025, representing some of the best in Long Beach. Note that some of these dishes are no longer available due to seasons, menu changes, or them being solely at special events.
Shish Barak from Ammatoli
285 E. 3rd St.
The first time I had Chef Dima Habibeh’s shish barak was at her collaboration dinner with Chef Charbel Hayek. And I cannot tell you how happy I am that it is now permanently on the Ammatoli menu.
One of the Levant’s most comforting, quietly beautiful dishes, it begins with hand-formed dumplings. These tiny half-moons of dough are filled with seasoned ground lamb and beef mixture before being simmered in a warm, tangy labne sauce made from yogurt thickened with flour and egg, infused with garlic, mint, pine nuts, and drizzled with an Aleppo pepper oil. Bright. Creamy. Hint of heat. The result is a bowl that looks humble but feels deeply soulful. And Chef Dima’s version? Par none.
For Brian Addison’s latest feature on Ammatoli, click here.
Six-hour smoked pork from Heritage
2030 E. 7th St.
This year at Heritage was a star of a year.
And it was Chef Philip Pretty—with an unquestionably heavy lift from Lauren Michaelis and their team—at his finest. His kitchen is where the academics of technique coalesce with the creative energy of a culinary artist. And they’re finally exploring the space where the textbook and symposiums are put aside as a reference point rather than a guide. In favor? A deeper and comforting, if not outright spiritual, approach to the creation of food.
A stellar example of this is Heritage’s six-hour smoked bit of pork belly tucked into a lettuce wrap. Paired with a bright, brilliantly orange chile aioli, it feels more like you’re eating at a late-night Thai space more than a fine dining spot. Cured overnight with an array of seasonings and sugar, then placed in a 12-hour sous vide after its six-hour smoke and glazed with stone fruit, this dish feels playful in its presentation yet lands with the confidence of a chef who knows exactly where whimsy ends and execution begins.
For Brian Addison’s full feature on Heritage, click here.
Torta from Sonoratown
244 E. 3rd St.
One of my favorite dishes from this year’s Long Beach Food Scene Week celebrated, where I gathered over 80 of our city’s finest restaurants to celebrate our food scene in a year that felt more hefty and uncertain than the pandemic itself.
While many were hyped on the potential of a Sonoratown torta, one thing was for certain: fans of the rightfully lauded taqueria knew it wouldn’t be done without perfection. So one could imagine my excitement when Jennifer Faltham, co-owner of Sonoratown, texted me this: “We’re testing making pan Virginia this week for a LBFSW special. It’s a Sonoran bread used for tortas or dogos. I initially hoped to find a place to buy it but haven’t found it for sale anywhere—so we’re going to try to make it on our own.”
After multiple iterations—I would receive an image, nearly daily, of the Sonoran baked food—they landed on a pan Virginia that hit and with it, introduces the Sonoratown torta. Layers of mayo, cabbage, guacamole, jack cheese, and pickled jalapeño are paired with your choice of protein.
Yes, many are already requesting it to return. When and will that happen? I can’t provide the answer—but damn, it was good while it lasted.
Beef shank from Selva
3755 Anaheim St.
If there is one thing to say about 2025, it is that no talented chef in Long Beach is resting on their laurels. Case in point? Chef Carlos Jurado of Selva. He is introducing a regular tasting menu every other Wednesday that showcases the breadth of his interpretation of Colombian cuisine while also having some genuine wow moments.
In particular? A Selva-logo-engraved-on-the-bone beef shank. Surely, social media-worthy. Dry rubbed, aged across three days, smoked for hours on end, then braised for another two hours, it is served with mama’s rice, arepas, tostones, and sweet plantains. It’s a monster of a dish, showcasing skill, wonderful absurdity, and a layer of flavors that keeps hands reaching across the table to tug another tear of meat.
But even more, it’s a reflection on the chef’s determination to evolve, to connect people to the food of Selva on a different level. And, on a larger scale, uplift Long Beach as a culinary gem.
For Brian Addison’s latest feature on Selva, click here.
Lasagna di forno from Nonna Mercato
3722 Atlantic Ave.
There are many wonders of Chef Cameron Slaugh’s first take on winter dinners at Nonna Mercato. His tortellini en brodo, for one. A from-beginning-to-end handmade endeavor and a hyper-traditional take on the Emilia-Romagna legend. Rounds of pasta—topped with a mound of ground mortadella, prosciutto, and parmesan—whose edges are melded and inverted to create brilliant little pockets of meat-stuffed magic. Then it is laid in a capon, a beef broth that is shockingly soft but resolutely rich.
But, perhaps, the most surprising pasta of the evening (and one he shared at his warming collaboration dinner with Chef Philip Pretty at Olive & Rose): a Bologna-style lasagna partially deconstructed into long strips, folded, and thrown into a pizza oven. The result? A crispy-meets-soft creation where a pork ragù comingles with béchamel and pecorino. Crunch and richness folded into a splendid salt-bomb.
For Brian Addison’s latest feature on Nonna Mercato, click here.
Chanterelle panna cotta from Alder & Sage
366 Cherry Ave.
Unh, this dish. (Yes, the world of onomatopoeias has entered the world of food writing.) Just… Unh.
Chef Matthew Roberts—the newly minted head chef overseeing Alder & Sage in Long Beach’s treasured Retro Row neighborhood—is doing the hard part quietly. In his short tenure at Alder & Sage, he has impressed owner Kerstin Kansteiner to the extent that she doesn’t even pre-approve menus; she lets Chef Matt run freely. The kitchen staff has altered, both professionally and mentally. Employees want to come in earlier. They want to truly learn the ropes. And they even freely work the grueling brunch shifts with pride.
And his first wine dinner gave us a wonder of a dish: a chanterelle mushroom panna cotta. Yup, mushroom panna cotta. It was topped with a house-made cajeta layered with rosemary sea salt. It is one of the most gorgeously layered, savory-on-the-front desserts I’ve experienced—and a masterclass in melding Californian, Mexican, and Italian sensibilities seamlessly.
Chicken livers from Homareya
145 E. 4th St.
Homareya—taking the storefront right next to Milana’s New York Pizzeria—is a rarity for Long Beach after it opened earlier this month. It has truly traditional izakaya from one of our local masters: yakitori and sushi chef Yoya Takahashi. Everything here is Japanese in essence—and by that, I mean minimal, subtle, masterfully crafted. Do not expect salt-bombs or hefty spice. Expect quality ingredients highlighted by natural nuances.
Perhaps nothing more exemplifies Chef Yoya’s gorgeous restraint than his sous vide chicken livers. Insanely tender, cooked to pâté softness—layered with hyper-subtle hints of sesame and salt before being topped with translucent slivers of onion. It’s absolutely divine.
For Brian Addison’s full feature on Homareya, click here.
Crispy pork belly spring rolls from Pickle Banh Mi
1171 E. Anaheim St.
A suggestion from James Tir (aka @LBFoodComa), this spring roll from the city’s—and dare I say, region’s?—best bánh mì shop is a wonder to behold. Made to order in order to assure the crispiness of the pork belly, there is an additional strip of fried wonton laid in the middle. With each bite, a crispy chunk of wonton and pork skin, paired with the succulence of the meat and the freshness of herbs and veggies. Simultaneously warming and refreshing, it is a damn near perfect spring roll.
For Brian Addison’s full feature on Pickle Banh Mi, click here.
Papardelle al limone from Due Fiori
2708 E. 4th St.
The work of the man who once told me he “realized his hands were made for dough” is undeniable. Chef Waldo Stout—whose heritage stretches to the mightily gluten-centric Mexican state of Sonora—has worked with many doughs. Pasta at Bestia. Pita at Bavel. Bread at Lodge Bread. Pizza everywhere, from Little Coyote (who stole his dough) to Roberta’s in Culver City to Marlena in Naples to his own Waldo’s Pizza pop-up.
His love of wheat, rooted in Sonoran values as he watched his mom make tortillas sobaqueras—massive rounds that stretched from the wrist to the armpit—has flourished since taking on the kitchen at Due Fiori. A gorgeous cacio e pepe. Gnocchi wrapped in duck ragú….
But the star? The city’s best limone, where broad bands of papardelle are coated in a silky smooth, buttery as hell, happily licked-with-lemon sauce. It’s gorgeous pasta from an equally gorgeous spirit of a chef.
For Brian Addison’s latest feature on Due Fiori, click here.
24-hour braised short rib from Olive & Rose
255 Atlantic Ave.
Chef Cameron Slaugh—the man and myth behind Nonna Mercato and The Attic—had never done a collaboration dinner. Until last week. Partnering with Chef Philip Pretty—the man and myth behind the Michelin-starred Heritage and Olive & Rose. The dinner was a welcoming, warming, winter-wonder of a menu offering that spanned Italy and France with Californian sensibility.
There were many great things: a pita-like puffed focaccia slathered in colatura—the wonderfully oceanic Amalfi-birthed fish sauce—smoked prosciutto, and honey. A braised-and-grilled rectangle of cabbage, charred wonderfully before being drenched in an umami-packed crab butter. One of the most innovative vegetable dishes to see in Long Beach yet: parsnips hidden under a fried parsnip skin dome with liquid nitrogen-ed apple bits that create an apple sauce from the Arctic.
But the team’s 24-hour sous vide-d short rib was a wonder. Brightness with umami. Salt with garlic and earthiness. Slices of tart with pickled onion.
Oysters from Loquat Oysters
Various locations; check Instagram
Tucked under a bright orange umbrella at the Bixby Park Farmers Market, Loquat Oysters has become one of Long Beach’s most delightful weekend rituals. Run by locals Lucky and Liz Huon, the tiny truck isn’t just a place to grab a quick bite—it’s an oyster bar built out of passion and play. Their offerings shift weekly, from Canadian Beausoleils topped with caviar to Penn Coves finished with a Cambodian-inspired mignonette, each one balancing tradition with personal flair. The menu also branches out to scallops seared with chile oil, karaage-fried oysters drizzled with scallion oil, and an ever-changing lineup of raw and dressed bivalves sourced from top purveyors.
While the raw oysters sparkle with bright toppings, the real stars are the grilled versions, cooked over Japanese charcoal and finished with toppings like bone marrow, spicy miso, or garlic butter. What once baffled locals unfamiliar with hot oysters has now become a house specialty, winning over skeptics with bold, smoky flavors. For Lucky and Liz, this new chapter is as much about community as it is about food: creating a space where quality, culture, and creativity converge. As Liz put it with a smile while greeting a regular, “It still gets to me that we have regulars.” Loquat Oysters may have started as a passion project, but it’s quickly become one of Long Beach’s most joyful—and delicious—traditions.
For Brian Addison’s full feature on Loquat Oysters, click here.
Duck breast with onion rings from Bar Becky
3860 Worsham Ave.
Bar Becky—Chef Johnathan Benvenuti’s massively underrated space over at East Long Beach’s LBX retail complex—brought together a powerhouse of a “Hell’s Kitchen” alumni crew for a multi-course dinner. A genuinely happy spread that spanned summer vegetables to Iberico pork to witty plays on carbonara. Hosting Chef Ryan O’Sullivan—the Irish powerhouse from County Cook that took out Johnathan in the Season 22 finale—and Chef Sammi Tarantino—the charismatic fan-favorite of the season who ended in third place—the trio kept the dinner Bar Becky in spirit but highlighted each of their strengths.
And that is the fact that they were the proper chefs of their seasons. Collectively, they proved that Bar Becky, whether hosting guests for a collaboration dinner or focusing on something as simple as the farmers market for a tasting menu, is the city’s most underrated space.
One of the stars of the night? A duck breast topped with duck fat-fried onion rings. Drizzled with ramp oil and a black garlic aioli. Paired with rapini, its beautiful bitterness is sliced with lemon and complemented by the fat of the duck.
Pambazitos from Los Reyes del Taco Sabroso
2345 E. Anaheim St.
Tucked into a modest corner at Junipero and Anaheim sits what might be Long Beach’s most heartfelt and vibrant tribute to the rich regional cuisines of Mexico—centered squarely around the flavors of Mexico City: Los Reyes del Taco Sabroso. Sure, the menu covers the expected hits—carne asada, California burritos, quesabirria, and some of the best chilaquiles in town—but it’s in their deep dive into the food of CDMX where the Montesinos family really finds its rhythm.
Case in point: their incredible pambazo, a Long Beach Food Scene Week offering that has built up a cult-like following. A CDMX street staple that was once only available at the much-missed Villas Comida Mexicana (what is now La Esquinita), the pambazo is, in essence, a griddled take on the torta ahogada. You’ll find them everywhere from Veracruz to Mexico City, a staple of the street food culture that defines Mexico’s unrivaled culinary heartbeat.
And with the version Los Reyes—a pan de pambazo they garner from the only bakery they trust with the bread in Vernon that is dipped into a hyper-smooth concoction of guajillo and puya chiles—the result is nothing short of glorious. An aromatic, beautiful, charred, dunked sandwich stuffed with melty cheese and then balanced with crisp, cool toppings like shredded lettuce and a drizzle of crema. My personal suggestion? Papa con chorizo. The other stellar option? Tinga chicken.
For Brian Addison’s latest feature on Los Reyes, click here.
Sea bass with foie gras hummus from Chef Jason Witzl
Served during the Semifinals of the Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe on Oct. 6, 2025
Chef Jason Witzl doesn’t follow trends; he either bends them or outright ignores them in favor of his own style. Through Ellie’s, his cornerstone restaurant in Alamitos Beach that largely ushered in Long Beach’s current food renaissance, Chef Jason has carved out his own lane in the city’s dining landscape. Ingredient-driven. Elegantly chaotic. Unmistakably his.
The man has a knack for creating plates that hum with confidence and, I say this very lovingly, a mild sense of restraint. It’s the restraint that you can tell wanted to be way louder but still couldn’t help itself from being, well, vocal. The result? You always pause mid-bite because you know you’re eating a Witzl dish. His food is coastal and global in equal measure, Mediterranean at heart but filtered through Southern California’s rhythm—bright, layered, grounded in farmers’ market honesty.
That’s what makes this dish he served at the inaugural Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe competition so utterly gorgeous. Sea bass. Foie gras hummus. (Yes, you read that right. And yes, it was magical.) Green chickpea salad. Zhoug sauce. So undeniably him. It’s a study in controlled tension: the buttery richness of foie gras folded into hummus, tamed by the bite of green chickpeas, and electrified by zhoug’s herbal fire. All connected with a perfectly cooked sea bass. It’s surf meets soil, indulgence meets austerity, all framed by Chef Jason’s wild knack for balance amid seemingly endless layers.
Katsu burger from Tanuki Curry House
2201 E. Willow St. #G (in Signal Hill)
Tanuki Curry House is no exception to Chef Erwin Angeles’s dedication to traditional Japanese cuisine, which he first explored at Kihon. It brings the type of curry that is found on nearly every street corner in Japan—think CoCo Ichi or Hinoya—and, more locally, Gardena and Torrance. (Fun fact: Curry is Japan’s most consumed dish, surpassing sushi or ramen in Japan—and, more locally, in Gardena and Torrance.
Brought on as a special for this year’s Long Beach Food Scene Week, he created what could arguably be the perfect katsu burger. A golden, panko-crusted beef patty—juicy, medium-done inside, shatter-crisp outside—between a pillowy, lightly sweet milk bread bun. It’s dressed with tangy, bright tonkatsu sauce, a hint of mustard, and a drizzle of Kewpie mayo, then topped with a mound of finely shredded cabbage for freshness and crunch. Each bite delivers hot, tender meat, crackling breading, bright cabbage, and sweet-savory sauce in perfect balance. Indulgent yet clean, comforting yet refined.
And though it was initially just a LBFSW special, it is now a permanent offering on their menu.
For Brian Addison’s feature on Tanuki Curry House, click here.
Loaded potato custard with caviar from Sky Room
210 E. Ocean Blvd. (inside Fairmont Breakers)
Chef Maxwell Pfeiffer—overseeing Sky Room at Fairmont Breakers in DTLB under Executive Chef Jared Reeves—is truly finding his rhythm and beat at Sky Room. Surely, as with any new space, Sky Room faced minor criticisms about service and consistency; I didn’t experience this, though I understand I am often treated vastly differently than the typical customer. I can confidently say that, compared to its opening months, Sky Room’s kitchen has found both confidence and execution that are only growing in mastery.
Launching into their first set of prix fixe course dinners, Chef Max is flexing across proteins—yes, there is halibut and chicken, but they now sit next to squab, lamb, and venison—and vegetables. And that latter area is where he particularly excels. Stellar plates of asparagus, artichokes, and aubergine have already appeared, but his loaded potato custard? It is something gorgeous. Minuscule bits of bacon. Tiny dollops of crème fraiche. Topped with Tsar Nicoulai caviar. It is, simply, wondrous.
Mushroom tartine from Zuzu’s Petals
805 E. 3rd St.
Zuzu’s Petals—Long Beach’s (rightfully and) wildly popular brunch space on the easternmost edge of DTLB—is surely surrounded by beauty. Plates of wonderfully cooked omelettes—no browning, no rubberiness; just a soft pillow—stuffed with lobster and Boursin- are an homage to Chef Ludo Lefebvre’s locally famous version at Petit Trois. Plates of seasonal pancakes—like their sweet potato one featured in the fall—that are as Instagrammable as they are requested out of season. Outright sexy steak’n’eggs, with a ribeye cut and layered atop a hollandaise spread.
Their mushroom tartine, however, is a stellar umami dream. Chili crisp oil. Pipes of chèvre mousse. Hunks of maitake and shimeji mushrooms. Chives. And plenty of Parmesan. All atop toast.
Roasted chicken from Wood & Salt
4262 Atlantic Ave.
Hailing from Sylvester’s—the short-lived but highly praised Italian steakhouse in San Clemente that took over the former Lander’s bar—Chef Albert Lopez is the young but wildly talented chef now heading Wood & Salt. Echoing Chef Jason Witzl of Ellie’s when he first appeared in Alamitos Beach, Chef Albert’s food is gorgeously layered and unafraid of sauces, oils, herbs, accoutrements, and, just for the hell of it, yet another layer of something. And they aren’t absent-minded levels untidily stacked onto one another.
Take his spectacularly created fire-roasted chicken. Drying it above the burning timber of Wood & Salt—de
hydrating the sky so that it can satisfyingly crisp up to a Peking duck-like texture—this Cantonese-inspired dish is one of the most stellar fowl dishes in the city. Marinated in a Calabrian chile vinaigrette before being finished over the fire, it is then layered atop an astoundingly acidic mustard aioli—so bright it almost had a beurre blanc quality to it. Drizzled with Calabrian chile oil that has hints of burnt lemon, it is a wonderful example of Chef Albert’s ability to simply go bold.
Venison carpaccio from The Attic
3441 E. Broadway
I am very much obsessed with Chef Cameron Slaugh’s entire revamp of The Attic’s menu—and it is because it represents foods that have been truly and deeply American all along but have been overshadowed by our provocation toward the basics. Beef. Chicken. Only that kind of fish. Here, we have duck pâté. Fried quails. Grilled sardines. I am shocked he didn’t include rabbit, but alas, he did include deer.
Venison is a meat long loved by hunters and Southerners—my father one of them—and approached more trepidatiously by diners inexperienced with the lean meat; seeing its gorgeously red tint lined raw is Chef Cameron directly urging us to explore more. Beautifully creamy—far more than its beef counterpart—Chef Cameron lines the circles of deer meat with dried cherries. Dots of dijon and pickled golden raisins. Little leaves of thyme. Pieces of pistachio. Ribbons of rucola. It is a wonderfully fulfilling dish.
For Brian Addison’s latest feature on The Attic, click here.
Capellini al ricci di mare from Michael’s on Naples
5620 E. 2nd St.
I’ve long extolled the virtues of the tasting menus at Michael’s on Naples, where Chef Eric Samaniego and general manager Massimo Arrone worked together to create continually revolving foci on various Italian regions. It is also an odd thing to refer to this work in the past tense, as the long-loved Italian eatery shuttered to make way for Bacari. And it was their partnership, along with leading their teams, that made the space a gem that will be sorely missed, particularly by me.
One of this year’s tasting menus focused on Sicily, with dishes such as octopus carpaccio, tuna with caponata, chickpea fritters…
But the stand-out dish—and one I will likely be begging for him to make again—was his angel hair pasta dish. House-made cappellini is doused in a sea urchin pesto of olive oil and bits of basil before being topped with a chunk of pure uni. The result is an umami bomb that is comfortably tucked in a wonderfully full mouth of pasta given just how much cappellini one can wrap around a fork for one bite.
Pata from Gemmae Bake Shop
1356 W. Willow St.
It goes without saying that Gemmae is one of the city’s most cherished gems and has long been a steward in representing Filipino grub for over 30 years. It was then, three decades ago, Prescilla Tolentino decided to uproot herself from the Philippines in order to embark on a trip to the United States. With 13 Gemmae bake shops in the Philippines, she sold ten of them on a gamble to take on a different coast: Long Beach.
Come 1993, at the southwest corner of Willow Street and Easy Avenue in West Long Beach, Priscella opened the first (and only) American Gemmae in what was then a small but growing Filipino and Filipino-American community—and celebrating 30 years of business, has become the heart of Filipino food in Long Beach.
While the shop is known for its sweets, each year for Long Beach Food Scene Week, they create something special. And this year was no exception. The crispy pata from Gemmae for LBFSW is just outright awesome. That crisp with that sliver of an inner fat layer? Wondrous.
For Brian Addison’s full feature on Gemmae Bake Shop, click here.
Calamari French bean from Cali Chilli
4111 N. Viking Way
The constant evolution of Cali Chilli is one that is both understated and underrated: Upgrading to a full liquor license, they’ve fully dived into the world of cocktails. And under the guide of Michelin-level Chef Manjunath Mural since its opening, they have dabbled in chef’s tasting menus and a constant update of their menu (while holding onto staples like their butter chicken pot pie).
This most recent update is no exception, where lobster tails and chicken momos join tandoori seabass and dahi sev puri. But a particular is their calamari French bean, where strands of Korean squid and French green beans are fried and tossed with a lime aioli and a red pepper sauce that is as beautifully sweet as it is balanced.
For Brian Addison’s latest feature on Cali Chilli, click here.
Causa from Lima Cebicheria Peruana
3851 Atlantic Ave.
Lima Cebichería Peruana in Long Beach, the latest project from the team behind Sushi Nikkei, has officially bought traditional Peruvian seafood—particularly cebiche, or what many know as Ceviche-with-a-V—to Bixby Knolls. Beyond the cebiche, there is a plate of wok-fried rice, layered with bits of octopus, scallops, and shrimp. Arroz con mariscos, a more Peruvian-centric take on rice and seafood. A classic lomo saltado that distinctly differentiates itself from fellow Peruvian joints Ají and Casa Chaskis…
And, in all frankness, one of the finest causas in the region. A creamy seafood mix—highlighted by chunks of sweet, raw scallops—sit atop a bright, hyper-savory huancaina sauce before, tableside, noodle-like strands of starchy, deeply gold potato are sifted through a ricer.
Black bass and fennel potato purée by Chef Jason Winters
Served during Bracket One of the Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe on Sept. 29, 2025
One of the more beautiful aspects of the Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe competition was to see chefs out of their element—or, in the case of Chef Jason Winters, out of both his element and what he is known for. The owner of Speak Cheezy is rightfully respected for making stellar sourdough pies, but few, if any, in Long Beach know his food outside his pies.
What he proved is that he is a maximalist at heart, layering seemingly endless flavors and ingredients. This has its risks and rewards—and boy, did this dish serve us its rewards. Citrus butter for creamy and bright. Castelvetrano olives for earthy. A spectacular green harissa that brought subtle tang and heat. It was, kid you not, a Top 10 Fish Dish in my life.
And it only made me want to know what Chef Jason can do outside the walls of a pizzeria.
Empanadas from Black Pork
1916 W. Willow St.
Black Pork is West Long Beach’s hidden gem, smushed between two dive bars on Willow Street in what could easily be one of the Top 5 Most Long Beach Restaurants. Ran by wife-and-husband Veronica Lopez and Luis Mendiola, Black Pork’s menu happily sees no cultural boundary. Porchetta here. A Cuban sandwich there. A 45-day-aged steak over here. A stellar bowl of clam chowder over there.
There is really no bad order at Black Pork—you’re safe to explore everything—but their empanadas are outright magical.
You have a few options but I definitively suggest two. One is their chorizo con papas, and the other is their marinated pork. Heavily spiced, these savory bombs come in a happily fried pocket. And that pocket? A buttery, bubbly crust that eschews the smoothness of the baked empanadas over at OBRA and acts as the perfect carrier for both its filling and the chimichurri served on the side. (Pro tip? Ask for the salsa verde, a huancaina-gone-spicy-like concoction, and, particularly if you’re a fan of heat, their habanero salsa. You won’t regret it.)a slight fattiness that is quite nice—is a reminder of how often we can be removed from the beauties of Latin America below the Mexican border.
For Brian Addison’s full feature on Black Pork, click here.
Yukhoe (육회) with crispy rice from Sura Korean BBQ & Tofu House
621 Atlantic Ave.
I have a deep respect for restaurants that choose to evolve while also maintaining the loyalty of their patrons—and Sura Korean BBQ and Tofu House is a prime example of that. From offering vegan menus long before they were trendy to their most recent installation of table-top grills to their patio last year to hiring a new chef to hosting collaborations, owners Claire Kim and Brandon Su highlight traditional Korean food but also aren’t afraid of Californian sensibility or, in their latest update, hire a Korean chef who isn’t afraid to push boundaries in both offerings and presentation.
Take, for example, the space’s stellar take on yukhoe, or short rib tartare: Perfectly crisped rice cakes are topped with finely chopped Angus short rib that oozes with layers of sesame, soy, lemon, and a creaminess not from the drizzle but the quality of meat itself.
For Brian Addison’s latest feature on Sura, click here.
Coq au vin from Noble Bird
460 Pacific Coast Hwy., #125
Noble Rotisserie—the Long Beach restaurant who actually owns its moniker given its noble mission—has had its hand in nearly every part of the community. One of the few spaces at the 2nd & PCH retail complex that lacks a corporate feel, owners Sidney and Steve Price have hosted fundraisers. They’ve catered school and local functions. They have participated in food events like Long Beach Food Scene Week.
And while it sounds funny initially, there is a gravity to Steve’s phrase that they are “running the world’s tastiest nonprofit.” Like many restaurants, Noble Rotisserie has been on a roller coaster. But unlike most restaurants, Noble has been saturated in social instability from its birth: Opening just a few months before the world shut down for the pandemic, Noble has never really had the chance to see some sense of patterns, despite having genuinely stellar, gloriously un-heavy, happily healthy food.
And they hadn’t made this dish for years—until this year’s Long Beach Food Scene Week. It was the first dish I had there that made me say, “Wow.” It was the plate that Chef Andrew Bice served with perfect French flair. Chicken braised with veal stock. Bacon. Cipollini onions. Meyer lemon. Mushrooms. Carrots. Potatoes. White wine. It’s, simply put, a gorgeous take on a gorgeous classic.
For the latest feature on Noble Bird, click here.
Sea bass larb from Second Owl
5272 E. 2nd St.
I’ve long extolled the wonders of Second Owl, a Thai space like no other in the city. Chef Regan Chantrirak’s witty, playful takes on Thai dishes, while also nudging the boundaries of the cuisine, have created some of the most distinct Thai dishes in the region. One of my favorites that blends this line? The stellar, umami-bomb that is his sea bass larb.
Poached sea bass is layered with green onion, mint, cilantro, chili flakes, shallots, fish sauce, lime. The result? A savory, sour, salty concoction that, when placed onto prawn crackers, provide the perfect pass-around for the table. Light, comforting, fulfilling.
The soft-shell crab taco from Ruta 15
1436 E. 7th St.
Chef César Sánchez has brought a new, deeper, wonderfully complex style of mariscos to Long Beach. Lacking a taste for boxes, his style respects Mexico’s richest array of seafood-centric cooking styles, from Nayarit and Sinaloa to Jalisco and Yucatán. His masterful, downright put-it-in-a-museum worthy of a soft shell crab taco exemplifies this love of the ocean.
Using an aromatic, perfectly charred corn tortilla as its base, an entire battered’n’fried soft shell crab sits atop an acidic, bright slaw, with pipes of salsa de aguacate and chili aioli in between. Add to this two additional, beautiful sources of heat on the side—his marvellous salsa macha and his bright, grey-hued burnt habanero salsa—and you have yourself one of the finest tacos crafted in Long Beach.
It was an honor to see it represented for Long Beach Food Scene Week 2025.
For Brian Addison’s latest feature on Ruta 15, click here.
Prohok kteh (ប្រហុកខ្ទិះ) from Crystal Cambodian & Thai Cuisine
1165 E. 10th St.
Yes, of course, there is Phnom Penh Noodle Shack. Or Monoram. Or Sophy’s. But to experience the full depth of traditional Khmer cooking, Crystal Thai Cambodian is the space to go. (And for those confused about the “Thai” part—which I am so happy they moved to the latter part of their name on their signage outside—it’s because following the horrors of the Khmer Rouge genocide, where Long Beach saw an influx of Cambodian refugees, many people didn’t know what Cambodian cuisine was. Thai, however, was far more common—hence why you will often find Thai-tinged or Thai plates next to, say, nom p’jok at Crystal.)
The description of prohok kteh (ប្រហុកខ្ទិះ) has, at the heart of it, two things: ground pork and fermented fish paste known as prohok in Khmer. And for some, it might sound strange but in all frankness, it’s a salty wonder of a dish. Slap a scoop atop cabbage with bits of cucumber or African round eggplant, squeeze some lime, and it is worth passing around the table.
For Brian Addison’s full feature on Crystal Cambodian Thai, click here.
Chilled mussels from Liv’s
5327 E. 2nd St.
There are many warming options at Liv’s when it comes to their winter menu. Chef Kristine Schneider’s Tuscan clams dish is about as warming as they come. A massive bowl of The Manila clams—clean, meaty—with a classic salsa verde inspired by a trip to Italy and a sauce her mom would often cook when she worked at The Stinking Rose. (RIP to the permanent shuttering of its L.A. location.) Plenty of parsley. Copious garlic and olive oil. Chunks of sun-dried tomatoes. Or her roasted rockfish. Seared beautifully with little more than butter, it sits atop a mound of creamed spinach—done so with brown butter, shallots, and crème fraîche—paired with succulent, almost-too-cute-to-eat bunapi mushrooms sautéed with a little bit of wine.
But I am going to suggest a cold dish. Yes, a cold dish. Middle of winter. That will still warm you. And that’s their wildly good chilled Hollander mussels from Maine. Unlike the smaller, more common blue mussel farmed in Prince Edward Island, Canada, these mollusks are bigger, meatier, and cleaner. Steamed and then chilled, Nam Prik-style Thai sauce is built from fish sauce, lime, and a touch of mint.
For Brian Addison’s latest feature on Liv’s, click here.
Biscuits and gravy from Marlena
5854 E. Naples Plaza Dr.
Ah, this brunchy wonder of a dish. And, it should be noted: Never underestimate Chef Michael Flores’s brunch. His résumé spans from Rustic Canyon and Felix to Win Son and Faith & Flower—and, important in this conversation, first came to Long Beach with the transformation of the menu at Claire’s at the Museum. (Yes, he is why Claire’s became significantly better.) A longtime apprentice of Evan Funke, he leans into a Californian sensibility.
His biscuits and gravy are no exception.
– Advertisement –
Laminated biscuits—rosemary-tinged biscuits treated like croissants—slathered in a wonderfully meaty, Long Beach Mushrooms-filled gravy. This time, Chef Michael Flores is using blue oyster mushrooms; before, he’s used chanterelles or yellow oysters or… With a splash of sherry vinegar, the gravy is beautifully bright and, when combined with an egg and the biscuit, delightfully rich.
Shrimp toast with Cantonese curry by Chef Luis Navarro
Served during the Finale of the Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe on Oct. 20
Another entry from the Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe competition begins with the opinion of another chef. For those who know Chef Paul Buchanan, the sustainability-obsessed owner of Primal Alchemy Catering, you know he has plate obsessions as well. One of them is curry, a plate that he is often quick to dismiss if it does meet the top of the hundreds he has tasted across his career. If there were any way to showcase how beautiful Chef Luis Navarro’s Cantonese curry was, it was the fact that Chef Paul not only refused to have the plate taken away, he kept it throughout the dinner. With each additional course ended, he would swoop back in for a few spoonfuls until the end of the meal.
He literally wanted it to be his last bite.
Silky smooth. Superbly spicy. Succulently stratified. There are endless alliteration-centric descriptions to hold up Chef Luis’s curry. But none better than Chef Paul’s insistence upon keeping that plate. Or a patron asking if they can have a container to go.
Bread from Hey Brother Baker
210 E. 3rd St. Unit A.
It has been said and should be repeated: Hey Brother Baker has long been Long Beach’s most underrated bake space. Owners Jesse Hellen-Lloyd and wife Christina Wilson have finally opened their brick-and-mortar space after announcing they has secured a location on Anaheim Street in the Zaferia neighborhood. Jesse and Christina birthed Hey Brother out of their garage as a hobby back in 2016. With a brother working at Outerlands, the famed San Francisco eatery that garnered a name for its farm-centric offerings and famed house sourdough, Jesse was beyond impressed.
Yes, there are the mighty loaves: Perfect baguettes. Ciabatta. Fougasse. Alpine rye. Olive levain. Rose Street botard. Brioche. Jalapeño cheddar… All crafted across the past nine years via Jesse buying books and teaching himself through trial and error, Hey Brother Baker’s garage space scored a walk-in freezer and three stacked Rofco ovens.
But there are also glorious pastries: A coffee cake whose butteriness is par none in the city. A raisin roll where the raisins are soaked in rum and orange. Savory, laminated folds stuffed with Japanese curry and potato. Morning buns that are marvelously sticky and nutty. Paired with their Mad Lab Coffee Roasters-led coffee program—go for the Chemex; worth it—and you have yourself a perfect morning ritual.
For Brian Addison’s full feature on Hey Brother Baker, click here.
Smoked trout & soft egg from Buvons
1145 Loma Ave.
Ah, the brunch at Buvons, $45 for a four-courser…
In-house smoked Mt. Lassen trout. (The same rightfully used at Heritage.) A perfectly soft-cooked egg. A buttery, well-crafted potato pavé. And a perfectly executed beurre blanc layered thickly with dill. It’s French AF in the best way possible, melding the light of tartness with the heft of smokiness, the creaminess of butter with the umami quality of egg yolk. It is the plate where you want every single component in every bite, despite how strongly each stands on its own.
What owner and chef Alicia Kemper—alongside manager Luna Sallusti and newly minted kitchen manager Chef Ryan Calbay—has created is something not only special but deeply needed in Long Beach: market-driven French bistro food done well.
For Brian Addison’s latest feature on Buvons, click here.
‘The Carrot’ from Dilly’s Sandwiches
4144 N. Viking Way
Tucked along Viking Way in Lakewood Village, Dilly’s Sandwiches feels like the sandwich shop Long Beach has always needed. Dilly’s doesn’t focus on one culture or another. (We hear and see you, Olives, Angelo’s, Beach City, Santa Fe Importers… All of whom focus solely on Italian or barbecue or…). Dilly’s direct approach to sandwiches is for sandwich lovers. And, after a full year of operation, there’s no better extension of this dedication to the Sandwich Lover than their new menu items.
But perhaps no sandwich is more unique or wonderfully balanced than The Carrot. Whole carrots, dusted with salt and oil, are blasted until al dente in a roaster, paired with chunks of bright, umami-soaked kimchi and plenty of cheese in a talera roll. It is an unexpected ball of tart, plenty of salt, creaminess, and the tiniest bit of sweet. It is a wonder of a sandwich.
For Brian Addison’s latest feature on Dilly’s Sandwiches, click here.
The ‘Terrible Pizza’ from The 4th Horseman
121 W. 4th St.
Like it’s “impasta” sibling, there are things that shouldn’t work or perhaps, in the words of Mr. Goldblum, we asked ourselves if we could before thinking if we should. Call it a Frankenstein of a pizza or a work of art, the Terrible Pizza is a truly terrifying triumph of fine-tuned trash-as-treasure.
It is everything I love about the Horseman: Collaboration (this was done in partnership with Terrible Burger and harnesses the city’s growing love of such special offerings). Excessiveness (they use pizza as a canvas for gorgeously gaudy creations that always remain masterfully balanced). And, of course, taste. Their dough has never been better. The meat-stuffed crust—more meatball than burger—suddenly morphs into cheeseburger when rolled up like a meat lollipop. And the rollercoaster between pizza—they still douse the base with their classic red sauce—and burger—the pickles and Terrible sauce are wonderfully bright—is just one helluva ride. I absolutely love this.
For Brian Addison’s latest feature on The 4th Horseman, click here.
Baked shrimp with glass noodles from Manaow
3618 E. Broadway
In the world of Thai food, Long Beach has some genuinely great options—but we are just beginning to see spaces dive into the richer, more complex parts of Thai cuisine, like Chiang Rai. (Look for a full feature on them in the coming days.) But for the ones who stick to the safer, more common menus? We have a crop of restaurants that do it rather well—and that includes Manaow (which I’ve talked about before on a previous underrated restaurants list).
Their baked shrimp and glass noodles dish exemplifies that. A dish whose heat you can control depending on how spicy you ask for the plate’s accompanying garlic-lime sauce—I always order an additional side of Thai chiles because I love heat—this wonderful plate mixes the umami of shrimp with the salt-bomb that is pork belly. Stacked above sizzling glass noodles and packed with cilantro, it is a hidden dish that deserves much more love.
Greek lemon chicken from Pita Pitaki
3401 Cherry Ave.
The half Greek lemon chicken from Pita Pitaki. Photo by Brian Addison.
Pita Pitaki’s charming, absolutely awesome owner, Penelope Marangos, has indeed been the heart of this hidden Greek gem. As a result, it isn’t just a great Greek restaurant; it’s one of the most consistently quality, underrated Long Beach restaurants around. Casual. Unfussy. This little space—definitively the most underrated Greek restaurant in the city, if not the region—serves up delectable versions of the Greek classics you love (including, no joke, the city’s best Greek salad dressing).
Reasonably priced, substantially portioned.
And speaking of reasonably priced, their half Greek lemon chicken? It is $16. With your choice of two sides and grilled veggies.
Tortellini with Parmigiano sauce from The Italian Homemade Company
6460 E. Pacific Coast Hwy.
Italian Homemade Company—the San Francisco-founded casual eatery that prides itself on simple, straightforward, well-made pasta—is easily one of Long Beach’s most underrated spaces.
Humming with the kind of warmth that can’t be cheaply manufactured but doesn’t feel exclusive or pretentious. Their pasta—rolled, cut, and shaped by hand each day—is the soul of the space. Affordable enough to be a weekly indulgence, yet crafted with the kind of attention that betrays generations of Italian muscle memory. Its Italian owners and operators never want their restaurant to feel exclusive; they want to make fresh pasta accessible, something that doesn’t demand a reservation weeks in advance or a paycheck to match.
A new personal fave? The mortadella-filled tortellini bathed in a silkily smooth, MSG-packed Parmigiano sauce. This salt bomb of a dish is a Savory Lover’s dream.
For Brian Addison’s full feature on The Italian Homemade Company, click here.
Tomato carpaccio from Telefèric
6420 E. Pacific Coast Hwy. #160
There is no question that—especially since its opening—Telefèric has only grown in quality and execution. Their cockail menu is continually shifting. The now host monthly flamenco performances with a Californian legend. And their food, in particular, has grown in consistency and quality. Their paella? Unquestionably the best in Long Beach, especially their paella negra, where rice doused in squid ink is layered with bits of octopus, scallops, shrimp, and clams.
Of course, they have the hyper-traditional down—but where they’ve particularly shone is when they step outside the confines of tradition to create new ones. Like their spectacular tomato carpaccio. Massive rounds of heirloom tomatoes sit atop a hyper-savory, creamy tuna escabeche before being topped with fresh tuna slices. It is then finished off with onions, capers, mint, and hefty drizzles of basil and red wine vinegar. Umami. Salty. Tangy. Gorgeous. tenderized beef—and a beautiful ride of flavors that range from salty and spicy to acidic, this dish exemplifies why so many love Northern Cafe.
For Brian Addison’s latest feature on Telefèric, click here.
Pastrami banh mi from Gold Banh inside Loose Leaf
315 The Promenade N.
Owner Tommy Liu (who operates the space with Jasmine Yip) consistently asked his patrons one question as he expanded from a tea operation with Loose Leaf into the world of bánh mìs. (Gold Banh, which has a full brick-and-mortar in Glendora and is also located inside Loose Leaf). And that question is: Have you pastrami made from beef belly?
Stellarly salty and marvelously meaty, these hunks of beef belly are sliced with the brightness of cilantro, the creaminess of pâté and the acidity of pickled carrots and radishes while stuffed between a sliced Viet baguette. The result? Honestly, one of the best pastrami sandwiches I’ve yet to try. Shout-out to James Tir (aka @LBFoodComa on IG) for the wondrous recommendation.
