Let’s just get one thing out of the way, Long Beach: There is no need to lament The Social List when you have something like Dolores birthed out of it.
It is unquestionably the best food to be churned out of the space by Chef Luis Navarro, with wife and business partner Brenda Rivera’s “fingerprints all over the menu because she is so willing to step outside the comfort zone,” as Chef Luis puts it. Its menu reflects everything The Social List was: Comforting, if not outright nostalgic; just slightly elevated and better executed this round.
Gorgeous plates of house-made papardelle drenched in a tallegio-truffle cream sauce and dusted with a snowing of Parmesan. Steaks slathered with a peppercorn cream sauce and paired with fries. Yuzy-bathed chunks of tuna crudo topped with thinly sliced kiwi and Fresno chiles. Shrimp toast in one of the best curry sauces in town…
And the name change was essential. Not just to escape the seemingly endless amounts of internet trolls who thought the Navarro family was trying to make some type of political statement with “The Social List,” but also embody a newfound perspective
“This is Brenda and my next chapter—and our last chapter,” Chef Luis said. “If this is going to be our last hurrah, we wanted to do it right. This is the soul of what we do.”
How The Social List bled into Dolores becoming a Long Beach reality.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: The Social List had, for the better part of its past 12 years of existence, proudly advertised its neighborhood-ness. It has almost always avoided pretense, even as it became the first 4th Street bar to regularly carry quality beers (like Houblon Chouffe when it first opened, a rarity) and whiskeys (like Blanton’s, unheard of in the early 2010s in Long Beach), now the regular among any full bar establishment.
Within both the industry and neighborhood, The Social List was “our” place for the 4th Street crowd and residents. Comforting. Approachable. Hell, downright evocative within a few years of its existence, as if it had been there for decades.
“The Social List had its time,” Chef Luis said. “We were around for 12 years—and that’s a darn good run. We are super proud of that. But we also have to reflect our growth, as a family and a business.”
This makes beautiful sense when stepping back: The pair have celebrated nearly 20 years with Lola’s across the street. They opened a second Lola’s in Bixby Knolls. They attempted to champion the city’s first grain-to-glass distillery, Portuguese Bend. Their son, Isaak, has created one of the most significant music clubs/events with the Good Lucky Vinyl Club, a vibe that has inspired everyone from the folks at SALA in Bixby Knolls to record-heads across the city.
The plan to shift The Social List in Long Beach toward Dolores has been in the making for years…
The plan to shift The Social List toward a more personal, meaningful endeavor began all the way back in 2019. In fact, it was to be coordinated with the space’s eventual remodel, but that little thing that was the pandemic came, and its name had yet to be discovered.
“While on a chef’s trip in Spain in 2022 with my good friend Chef Susana Trilling, I woke up one morning while in the city of Cadaqués,” Chef Luis said. “And the name was there as if it had been planted in my sleep.
“I woke up, looked at Brenda, and said, ‘This is the new name. It’s gotta be my Mom’s name.’ Isaak, our so, got behind the idea and helped us create the design elements. We designed the new logos and deck in 2023. We’ve been working on this for three years. We slowly started trickling in the logo here and there… Until we were finally ready.”
Dolores isn’t just for 4th Street, but for Chef Luis’s mother.
For Chef Luis, Brenda, Isaak, and the entire family, “Dolores” holds a lot of weight. Maria Dolores Navarro—referred to by friends and family simply as “Lola”—came to Long Beach from Guadalajara in 1972 with nothing but fifty bucks, her recipes, and the dream of opening a restaurant. A dream that came true when Lola’s Mexican Cuisine opened on 4th Street in May of 2008.
She never saw the way Lola’s would eventually be sewn into Long Beach culture, passing away from cancer just a handful of years after she opened her doors.
“Our family and giving respect to the woman who started this and opened the door to allow us the opportunity to create. Beyond grateful, and why not show that respect and appreciation by naming our restaurant after her?”
The reality of burnout, the desire for inspiration, and the need for change: Dolores embodies the restaurant experience wholly.
On a personal note, I’ve known Chef Luis for nearly 20 years. To have witnessed his evolution has been an honor; to witness his struggles has been a different kind of privilege, one tinged with pain—it’s hard to watch any friend go through it—but filled with fulfillment once you see them return.
Culinary burnout is a reality—and it is more than a lack of imagination. It’s the burden of the day-to-day. The fact that owners act as therapists to employees, business advisors to other bourgeoning spaces, champions for the community, political personas when needed… It comes with a weight.
And Chef Luis was feeling that weight. Which is precisely why I included him in my first Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe chefs competition. And, in the most Long Beach ending ever (and something that gave me, personally, a deep sense of pride), he won.
“I had imagined my mom being there, dancing,” Chef Luis said. “Just dancing throughout the competition—she loved to dance to salsa. And I pictured her there with me during the competition rounds, seeing my cook perfect steaks and perfect scallops… Cooking that was, in all honesty, an out-of-body experience. Ultimately, after the Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe Chefs competition, I felt as though it had reignited my ability to have fun again. I started creating again and playing with flavors. R&D and just cook food-testing techniques with nothing more than a glass of Pinot, listening to records. That’s how the Dolores menu was born.”
Stop asking Dolores to go fine dining—it knows exactly who it is.
The angels in Dolores’s logo also carry weight, representing not just Dolores but also Brenda’s father, Ramon. And, in the words of Brenda, they “represent our ancestors. Protecting us. Creating a safe space for everyone.”
And with that, many have asked Chef Luis to “make Dolores fine dining.” And, in keeping with what The Social List created in the beginning, the simple answer is no.
“We’ve lived in our neighborhood, we’ve built our lives on this block, and we understand just how diverse 4th Street is,” Chef Luis said. “Take an afternoon walk and people-watch while the children from Burbank get out of school. See the diversity. The beauty. And, yeah, the ugly.
“We are and will always be a neighborhood spot. Why do some think we are expensive? Because we are full-service. We have waiters who take care of you. We have a space you’re meant to spend time in. And employees are expensive, plain and simple—and we believe they deserve work. Come support them. Have a glass of wine or a cocktail. I know my mom would have loved to see it.”
Let’s get into the menu of Dolores…
There’s a pasta that Chef Luis audaciously opted to make while competing against Chef Jason Witzl—one of the city’s finest pasta purveyors—and won. There are genuinely good alternative pasta plates. A wonderful Milanese…
Here are some main dish highlights…
Black Truffle Cream Pappardelle: Truffle cream | Shaved Parmesan
Chicken Milanese: Lemon sauce with Capote capers | Prosciutto | Wilted greens | Charred broccolini
Lemon Pesto Rigatoni: Pesto | Burrata | Toasted pine nuts | Olive oil | Basil
Steak Frites: Chef’s selection butcher cut | Peppercorn cream sauce | Chives | French fries
Italian Sausage Cavatappi: Italian sausage | Onion | Garlic | Broccolini | Shaved Parmesan
A look into the appetizers and shareables of the Dolores menu…
From two dishes he featured during the Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe competition to a variety of stellar stand-outs, there is plenty to share at Dolores.
Prawn Shrimp Toast: Ginger scallion shrimp | Crispy spinach | Japanese milk bread | Cantonese curry
Karobuta Pork & Napa Cabbage Dumplings: House-made dumplings | Ginger scallion broth
Yellowfin Crudo: Kiwi | Yuzu | Fresno chile | Cracked black pepper
Osaka Barbeque Skewers: Grilled chicken skewers | Homemade Japanese barbeque sauce | Lemon garlic dipping sauce
Lamb Lollipops: Grilled lamb chops | Lemon garlic dipping sauce
Blooming Onion: Classic battered blooming onion | Honey habanero dust | Ranch for dipping
Garlic Herb Butter Grilled Shrimp: Grilled colossal butterflied shrimp | Garlic herb butter | Baguette
Kung Pao Cauliflower: Crispy cauliflower | Homemade Kung Pao sauce | Peppers | Crushed peanuts
Dolores and its salads and stacked focaccias…
Lucca Focaccia: Fresh mozzarella | Prosciutto | Dressed arugula | Pesto | Whipped ricotta | Shaved pecorino
Little Gem Caesar Salad: Tender little gem greens | Housemade Caesar dressing | Shaved Parmesan | Spiced sourdough breadcrumbs
Fig & Bleu Salad: California figs | Baby arugula | Bleu cheese | Candied walnuts | Honey dijon vinaigrette
Asian Crisp Salad: Chopped romaine | Carrots | Edamame | Red cabbage | Mandarin | Toasted almonds | Crispy wontons | Toasted sesame dressing
…and the burgers and sandwiches of Dolores in Long Beach.
Chicken Milanese Sandwich: Crispy chicken Milanese | Pesto | Garlic aioli | Mozzarella | Prosciutto | Fire roasted bell peppers | Ciabatta
Fig & Bleu Burger: Handmade all beef patty | California Mission fig jam | Bleu cheese | Applewood bacon | Garlic aioli | Honey vinaigrette dressed arugula
French Onion Burger: Handmade all beef patty | French onion dip | Crispy onions | American cheese
Truffle Burger: Handmade all beef patty | Melted Swiss cheese | Garlic aioli | Dressed arugula | Truffle cream
Tokyo Giza Burger: Handmade all beef patty | American cheese | Ketchup | Mustard | Pickles | Face-down in skillet of white cheddar sauce
Dolores is located at 2015 E. 4th St.
