Given we just ended the 10-day celebration that was Long Beach Food Scene Week, I wanted to share dishes I discovered that went beyond the suggestions I advertised as the week started.

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

The ‘B Addison’ Burger from Nonna Mercato

3722 Atlantic Ave.

I would be remiss not to include a dish that, well, beared my namesake for Long Beach Food Scene Week. And it was also one of the most fun and intriguing bits from the week. Chef Cameron Slaugh of Nonna Mercato (and The Attic) opted to have an off-the-menu item that would require patrons to order it aloud. While it certainly instilled instant anxiety when I heard this was his plan, I was happy to hear that, after a few days, the burger would consistently sell out.

I know it had my name on it. It was rather strange to hear a customer behind me say, “Is the B Addison Burger still sold out?” but also kinda cool. But more importantly, it also lived up to Chef Cam’s ability. It had a happy sesame bun (finally eschewing that odd brioche trend). The thing was stuffed with two patties. It had New School cheese (that’s a chef’s version of Kraft: the melty quality of Kraft with the depth of cheddar). There were Calabrian chiles (Chef Cam and I share Italian heritage). And then? Balsamic caramelized onions.

It was utterly delicious—and I remain just as utterly humbled.

Spinach Rotolo from Bar Becky

3860 Worsham Ave. #330

On this one, I give you something that you can continue to order off the regular menu. (Because it would be a bit unfair just to showcase dishes that weren’t.) I know, it is kind of cheating, but it was also a friend of mine’s first time at Bar Becky. And this masterful pasta dish exemplifies just why I love Chef Johnathan Benvenuti so much.

House-made spinach pasta and ricotta are melded with brown butter and sage, with earthy hazelnut and tangy, if not slightly fruity, taleggio cheese. Creamy and umami meet outright savory in this stellar example of how pasta remains one of Chef Johnathan’s strongest outings.

Bánh Mì burger from The Wild Chive

2650 E. Broadway

I heard many loud and clear about what to do for next year’s Long Beach Food Scene Week: Include more vegan and vegetarian options across the offerings. Given that much of this year’s slate of menus was largely driven by proteins and dairy, I wanted to highlight one of my personal favorites when it came to the vegan offerings.

Chef Soozee Nguyen of The Wild Chive has always been wildly creative, pushing the limits of what vegan food can not just represent but taste like—and this burger is a prime example of that. Eschewing the it-tastes-like-“real”-meat sodium bombs that are Impossible and Beyond patties, Chef Soozee makes a mushroom patty that harkens to when veggie burgers actually tasted like veggie burgers. And to top it all off, aligns it with the beautifully clean flavors of a classic bánh mì. A bit of heat’n’sweet, plenty of umami, and deliciousness, this was an underrated gem of the Long Beach Food Scene Week.

With the recent closure of Seabirds Kitchen slowly approaching, The Wild Chive holds the torch for representing Long Beach vegan food and the heights it can reach.

New York strip from Michael’s on Naples

5620 E. 2nd St.

I included them on my list of personal favorites to visit for Long Beach Food Scene Week. But they just deserve more love. Chef Eric Samaniego and General Manager Massimo Arrone over at Michael’s on Naples have never failed me. Their prix fixe menu and wine pairing for LBFSW deserved more attention. And one dish in particular proved that.

There were plenty of beautiful notes throughout the prix fixe, but Chef Eric’s ode to the Florentine-style way of cooking steak—olive oil, salt, over coals? Using a dry-aged New York strip and a brushing of olive oil with a rosemary stick, it was nearing what could be called a perfect steak.

And Massimo? What can I say other than he is the best sommelier in the city? His knowledge of Italian vinos is par none—and his pairings are nothing short of impeccable.

Halibut tiradito from Ají Peruvian Cuisine

2308 E. 4th St.

This year, I’ve tried to focus on what I call legacy restaurants. Long Beach is experiencing a food renaissance—from pasta and pizza to coffee and cocktails—and that means a lot of newbies moving in and impressing palates. This also means that many of the OGs can be left behind without as much acknowledgment for paving the way.

Ají Peruvian Cuisine is one such place, celebrating ten years of serving 4th Street (and a place I last wrote about ten years ago as well). This Peruvian staple steered away from the casualness that defined El Pollo Imperial and brought with it the idea that Peruvian food deserved to be served with a sense of elevation. 

Chef Mitto Barriga’s Long Beach Food Scene offerings were no exception. Especially his stellar halibut Tiradito set in a bowl of crema de ají Amarillo. Chunks of crudo, delicately rolled before being placed in a bath of acid and an ever-small bit of heat, are the stars of this clean appetizer. 

Read the full story on Ají here.

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