Missed out on Brian Addison’s Favorite Things of past? We got you covered—just click here.

Too many years back, I wrote a very self-indulgent listicle that was about so-called “essential” Long Beach dishes; dishes that I loved and could depend on as long as that place existed—and I wrote it because there’s something so elemental and useful about a specific great dish at a specific place. It was less about some grander proclamation than it was about, “This is just great food.”

And after a year of not doing such lists, I want to return to it: Hence Brian Addison’s Favorite Things. Not some grand list of “essential dishes”—that is too hard of a burden to put on a restaurant: You better have this and you better have it all the time. But for now, in this moment, I am happy to share some of my favorite things.

In other words: Why not just own the moment? Without further ado, and once again in the third person, Brian Addison’s favorite things he is eating across Long Beach…

Wasabi fries from Tokyo Noir

1731 E. 4th St. (inside El Barrio)

Long Beach’s French fries game is on point. From those found near a gas station—Dave Burger’s on Atlantic—to the high-end—Chef Philip Pretty’s pretty much perfect fried potato presentation. And Chef Ulises Pineda-Alfaro’s version—dusted with wasabi, served with wasabi mayo for dipping—is easily a consummate presentation of the humble set of fries. Pair this with the surroundings—master cocktail conoisseur Kevin Lee’s concoctions are creatively amongst the city’s best—and you have yourself the perfect late night snack.

For Brian Addison’s full feature on Tokyo Noir, click here.

Spaghetti nero di seppia from Nettuno

210 E. Ocean Blvd. (inside the Fairmont Breakers)

Oh, the mighty return of Chef Giuseppe Musso is a warm, welcomed one. Taking over Nettuno—the groundfloor space at the newly minted Fairmont Breakers hotel in Downtown Long Beach—Chef Giuseppe has brought back hyper-classic, no-fuss, traditional-as-hell Italian food in the best setting possible.

And this is perhaps no better reflected than in his his masterful squid ink spaghetti, a rather sexy dish where the whites of seafood contrast with the beautifully layered blacks exuding from strands of dyed spaghetti. Layered with cuttlefish, shrimp, mussels, and Calabrian chile, it is the perfect example on why uncomplicated Italian food is so widely respected. A lesson in layers of undressed umami, it lets two things speak loudly for themselves: the art of pasta and the power of food from the ocean.

For Brian Addison’s full feature on Nettuno, click here.

Tuna muchame from Sushi Nikkei

5020 2nd St. | 3819 Atlantic Ave.

Each year Sushi Nikkei celebrates its anniversary in the Shore, it has a special Peruvian menu that happily deviates from its staple sushi set of offerings. And while that deserves a more expanded piece later beyond the one I wrote last year—look for it in the coming days—one thing can be said: Chef Eduardo Chang Ogata’s talents are far beyond sushi.

His home country of Peru has one of the richest culinary traditions—but there was perhaps no better melding of Chef Eduardo’s ability to filet a fish and Peruvian traditions than his tuna machame. A play on tiradito muchame, a self-layered stack of tomato, tuna, and avocado are added onto saltines. Each layer dressed with an oregano-rich salsa, I could eat this all day, every day. Refreshing, simple, wonderfully creamy.

Vegan “fish’n’chips” from Sideburns

939 E. 4th St.

Yes, the burgers and sandwiches are what Sideburns is known for.

But this happy little treat is simplicity at its greatest: IPA-battered Portabella mushroom chunks. Kennebec fries dusted in dill and furikake. | Furikake A vegan tartar dipping sauce with malt vinegar. It’s awesome. Grab a cocktail from Stache Bar next door and you’re set.

Even cooler? The dish was kind of an accident: Owner Brett Gallo wanted traditional fish and chips but that would require an entirely separate frier given the fishy way in which fish finds its way to seep into every ounce of oil.

For Brian Addison’s full feature on Sideburns, click here.

Labne cheescake from Open Sesame

5215 E. 2nd. St.

25 years is a long time in the game—and it is safe to say that, after Long Beach had a brief Golden Age in Lebanese food, Open Sesame is responsible for bringing it back to the palates of Long Beach.

And they also brought one of the best desserts in the city, something I find myself shocked at having never included it in this very series: their labne cheescake. Light, beautifully tart and reflecting the yogurt it uses as its base, a fig compote is layered and drizzled atop before strands of the phyllo dough used in knafe and pistachios are thrown on top.

For Brian Addison’s full feature on Open Sesame, click here.

Missed out on Brian Addison’s Favorite Things of past? We got you covered—just click here.