Here’s what’s going on in the Long Beach food scene:
- Popcorn World officially opened in Bixby Knolls on Oct. 1 with—you guessed it, a popcorn heaven. Here’s a preview from LB Food Scene member Shawnta Smith. Look for the full feature here on Longbeachize in the coming days.
- Zuzu’s Petals, the space that took over the former Steamed restaurant at the northwest corner of 3rd Street and Alamitos, will have a November opening, according to owner Evan Papadakis. The casual, Californian fare concept will focus on breakfast and lunch (think Ubuntu Cafe for the Downtown area). Look for more details in the coming days.
- The Traffic Circle Polly’s location, situated at the corner of Los Coyotes Diagonal and Ximeno Avenue, could become a 3,300-square-foot alcohol and grocery market, according to proposed documents from the city’s Planning Commission. The representative, Stephen Jamieson of Equity One LLC, is likely to be representing a larger vendor (think BevMo!, Total Wine & More, or the like but that is not certain). But honestly, with a place like The Wine Country on Redondo nearby, there is little reason to go elsewhere.
- Speaking of the Traffic Circle, the space where Smart & Final used to be is now an officially opened Simply Salad, a Los Angeles-based concept by Bruce Teichman and Cameron Lewis. The casual to-go concept is much along the lines of Tendergreens or Sweet Greens—a much-needed concept in the area.
- Retro Row’s beloved cheese shop (and one of my 2022 selections for Underrated Long Beach Restaurants) Oh La Vache is applying for a permit to sell wine; this proposal is likely to face success when it comes up against the Planning Commission Oct. 6.
