When it comes to cultural and urban happenings in the city, 2025 was a banner year. Vans Warped Tour made its inaugural showing in Long Beach, forever cementing itself as one of the most significant music events in SoCal. (And something I was honored to be a part of when it came to partnering with the Tour for a food angle.) The food scene—despite facing one of the most difficult years in decades, even over the pandemic—has never been more wrought with talent. Developmentally, our city is shifting: more housing, more spatial re-arranging, more green space…

There was a lot to cover—and it took 402 articles across 2025 to do so.

So how, exactly, did I rank the stories? In all frankness, the easiest way to do so was by the number of views and reads. However, in the interest of cultural importance and your time, I am leaving off every listicles. That means my most anticipated restaurants, underrated restaurants, pizza, burger, brunch, coffee, pasta, and Mexican restaurants lists, which all garnered high readership, aren’t on here.

Here are the Longbeachize stories about food, culture, history, development, and controversy the readers of Long Beach were glued to…

15. Rejoice, seafood lovers: Legendary Walt’s Wharf to re-open Sept. 8

The blunt reality is that news surrounding our adjacent communities—Carson, Wilmington, Lakewood, and, in this case, Seal Beach to the south—often gets overshadowed by Long Beach’s ongoings. (Much like what happens to us due to our much bigger sister to the north.) But there are gems of stories to be found.

It had been over a year since the beloved Walt’s Wharf space in Seal Beach caught fire. And it’s been over a year since they’ve opened their doors—but that is about to change. The restaurant reopened on Sept. 8. Even more, this isn’t the first time the seafood space has caught fire. In 1993, the restaurant took on a fire shortly before that year’s Christmas parade along Main Street.

14. After community outrage over ICE snatching, a loved immigrant restauranteur returns home in Long Beach

The story was first shared in the Long Beach Food Scene group. After that, Congressman Robert Garcis became involved. And a story that, at first, captivated the Long Beach food community, then caught the world’s attention. From the Los Angeles Timesto the Times of India.

And now, Babbljit “Bubbly” Kaur, the charming woman who founded Natraj in Belmont Shore and is currently working to open Royal Indian Curry House in DTLB, has been returned home after being detained by ICE during an immigration appointment.

13. For the love of Long Beach, do not name our upcoming baseball team the *^&!ing Coast or Parrots

At first, I never thought I would be so passionate about this. Then, I didn’t realize how equally passionate—across all opinions—others were about this. With a team that is returning professional baseball to Long Beach for the first time in quite a while, the duty of its name was handed off to Long Beach denizens to discuss. And discuss they did.

12. CoffeeDrunk acquires Belmont Shore location from Aroma di Roma

2025 is proving to be the year for evolution and self-expansion—and nothing reflects this more than the acquisition of Aroma di Roma’s Belmont Shore location by CoffeeDrunk.

Before the calls for “another one bites the dust” come about, Aroma di Roma’s shift out of Belmont Shore doesn’t reflect a lack of business or success, nor is CoffeeDrunk coming into poach a long-loved space that has served the Shore for over 20 years. In the words of Matthew Church, owner of CoffeeDrunk, “We are not buying Aroma di Roma the business; we’re buying the assets of this specific location: the lease, the parklet, and the space itself, to allow Tim and Aroma a successful exit and for him to pursue growth in the areas he’s more focused on.”

11. Demolition work begins for on-the-water, 281-unit development on PCH in Alamitos Bay

I’m always intrigued as to which development stories truly take off—last year, it was the Colorado Lagoon project, which is still very much in development, to the ire of nearly everyone in the city at this point. This year? The alteration of Long Beach’s gateway entrance from the south, where Pacific Coast Highway crosses the San Gabrile into L.A. County, drew the most eyes.

The 281-unit housing development coming to 6700 Pacific Coast Hwy. is officially underway. And it is one of three major housing projects that will alter the highway’s gateway into Alamitos Bay.

10. Long Beach Food Scene Week has 80+ restaurants participating

This year’s Long Beach Food Scene Week—my annual celebration of local restaurants, where chefs and owners are tasked with creating distinctly unique offerings that eschew simple discounts—was truly something great to witness. With over 80 restaurants participating, a partnership with Vans Warped Tour preceding the kick-off, and tens of thousands of patrons participating across the ten days, I couldn’t be more elated that is also translated into people seeking what to eat for it right here on Longbeachize.

9. On July 27, Viento y Agua to shutter after 20-plus years of serving Long Beach

Viento y Agua will be closed its doors on Sunday, July 27, having served the Belmont Heights community for over 20 years and becoming an essential part of the solid coffee scene here in the city. The coffeeshop shared the news on social media. Owner Jenny La Force did not want to publicly discuss the situation, allowing her the space to process it. Jenny has openly discussed her need to exit the business due to fatigue and a desire to move on. Others in the community, however, are not so clear on Jenny’s or the landlord’s decision.

Steelhead and Salud are taking over the space.

8. The real tragedy behind George’s Greek Cafe in DTLB being forced to vacate and close

George’s Greek Cafe on Pine Avenue in Downtown Long Beach—the definitive space that was sold to new owners nearly two years ago so the Loizides family can focus solely on their Belmont Shore location—was been told by the county sheriff to vacate, meaning the space permanently shuttered on May 1.

Even amid salacious and disheartening allegations—from employees, who had been there for decades, having checks bounce to a backlog of some $80,000 in rent unpaid to vendors no longer doing business with them for months… Even amidst this, there sits an even deeper tragedy behind its closure. And that is that its current owners care to have zero reflection of the spirit and communal care George and Romoula Loizides had for Downtown, especially Pine Avenue.

7. Restaurateurs and community members speak out in support of upping Long Beach efforts in quality of life issues

Scars from assaults. Births happening on sidewalks. Urine being thrown at people. Constantly picking up human feces… Words were not minced when over 20 restaurateurs, small business owners, residents, and community leaders waited patiently to speak in support of an agenda item set to examine and increase the efforts of various city agencies to amp up public safety and the quality of life.

6. After 15-year presence in Downtown Long Beach, Fingerprints Music to move to Bixby Knolls

After a 15-year presence in Downtown, famed music and record shop Fingerprints moved to a new location near Atlantic Avenue and Bixby Road in Bixby Knolls. The perks? Far more accessibility with more parking, more space for potential events, and “the incredible potential to be cool,” according to owner Rand Foster.

5. Nigel’s—Long Beach’s floating-seats, on-the-water, rent-a-duffy bar and restaurant—is now open

Floating tables. Pink cabanas. Pink duffys to rent. Plenty of gold. Even more pink. Plenty of champagne. Miami madness and excessiveness meet California chill. Nigel’s at Anchors Away has big plans for Long Beach—and the city’s first look into the space drew tens of thousands of eyes on its when this piece was published.

4. Michael’s on Naples to close following sale to Bacari chain; last day of service this month

It was the most disheartening food story I had to write this year: After a mangled offer from a local buyer who wanted to change nothing fell through, Michael Dene—longtime owner of the rightfully lauded Michael’s on Naples—had already begun moving essential pieces to make way for the sale. That meant Michael’s on Naples needed to be sold—whether or not it would be altered. Enter Bacari, the quickly expanding chain.

Harder to write? An ode to its people—and to be entirely frank, I was unsure I captured exactly what I wanted to when it came to the closure of Michael’s on Naples. But I can say this: Massimo Aronne and Chef Eric Samaniego made our city a better place.

3. Remembering Isa Rached: Long Beach queer advocate dead at 38

This was not, by any means, easy to write—but I am so honored that I had the chance to talk about the effortlessly kind soul that was Isa Rached. We lost a bright one, Long Beach, but rather than compound that loss, I am quite sure he would want us to exude the very warmth he offered every day of his life.

2. One of California’s best Vietnamese restaurants is opening in Long Beach in 2026

Huge food news now the cat is outta the bag: Brodard—the famed Fountain Valley Vietnamese restaurant that has been named one of the best restaurants in the state—will be opening a location in Long Beach at the 2nd & PCH retail complex.

1. A new generation: Joe Jost’s sells to Long Beach native, former employee

Save the best for last—in this case literally: Published on Dec. 29 of this year, the story about Long Beach native and former Joe Jost’s employee Jon Sweeney taking over the bar after it has been removed from family hands for the first time since its inception drew in tens of thousands of readers—35,000 and counting across the past three days alone.

And of course it did: A century of operation under the founding family. 30,000 t-shirts sold every year. And it goes through 450 pickled eggs every day. Joe Jost’s isn’t just an old bar; it’s a rightful Long Beach institution.