Missed previous Long Beach Food Scene Intel updates? We got you covered, boo: Click here for the full archive.
Long Beach Food Scene Intel is a series from Brian Addison that will recap food news throughout the city. This is news that needs just a quick mention, is developing, or repeated news where you might have missed the full features.
Masa y Taza to take over former #9 Pho space on 4th Street
Masa y Taza is coming—and they’re bringing Mexican breakfast with them.
While they have posted notes throughout the 4th Street corridor that they are hiring, according to more formal hiring material, Masa y Taza will be a “chef-driven Mexican breakfast restaurant and coffee shop offering a simple, welcoming atmosphere with modern finishes. We serve handmade Chihuahua-style tortillas, house-made red and green chorizo, salsas, and craft coffee.”
Bring it.
Afternoon Tea at the Village opens
In a cluster of businesses that could be one of Long Beach’s most charming little stretches of street—Lakewood Village is a stretch that includes Cali Chilli, Tuttle, Dilly’s, Village Cafe…—Afternoon Tea at the Village has officially opened. Joining the ranks of places like Chez Bacchus in the world of afternoon tea (though afternoon tea is their sole point of service), this spot looks genuinely cute, warming, and a welcomed addition to the small stretch of small business
Panxa Cocina to host dinner introducing new chef
Chef Richie Ramirez’s debut as the head chef at Panxa will be unveiled at a chef’s dinner on November 4, where he plans to showcase both his Southwestern foundation and his personal heritage. Think juniper-roasted venison. Diver scallops. And pork belly adovada.
“I’m Mexican and Persian,” Chef Richie said proudly. “So I’m starting the dinner with a little nod to that—a Persian-inspired first course, just to say, ‘Hey, this is also me.’”
One of his featured dishes already garnering buzz? A Basque cheesecake topped with hatch chile jam, paired with sopapillas. “It’s creamy, rich, and spicy in the best way,” he says. “I made a big batch of the jam for Bryce to use in cocktails—it’s that good.”
For the full feature on Chef Richie, click here.
Adalberto’s closes Long Beach location
Adalberto’s, the original San Diego-birthed fast Mexican chain that is a staple down south, has shuttered its only Long Beach location after three years. Adalberto’s is not necessarily the original ‘Berto’s—though it is one of the oldest. And for Adrian Davila, son of the man who founded Adalberto’s, the now-killed hopes of Long Beach success feels bittersweet when the space has reached it in nearly every part of Southern California.
“We closed last Thursday,” he said. “And I just want to tell Long Beach thank you for the three years we had.”
Green Onion to close later this month after serving San Pedro for four decades
For more than four decades, The Green Onion stood as a beloved fixture in San Pedro’s limited dining scene, becoming a neighborhood institution known as much for its warm hospitality as for its comforting, very old-school Mexican fare and legendary margaritas. Family-run and deeply woven into the community’s fabric, the restaurant witnessed generations of locals celebrating milestones, sharing meals, and building memories within its colorful, cozy walls.
They announced their closure via signage on their restaurant:
“After more than four decades in San Pedro, with experiences that could fill a novel…the time has come to close teh Green Onion book. Gentrification is here…and we are getting older…Bob is over 90 (yet still going strong)! Many of us started out as “babies” in our 20’s and we are now bubbies in our 60’s. Our chef began working at 16…and he’s 50! Our final day should be around November 18. We’ve been blessed with great employees and customers…who’ve become real friends to all of us. We sincerely thank you for being here throughout the years.
“It’s been a pleasure, and we’re going to miss you! The Green Onion in Moreno Valley is now owned and operated by our original Chef Rodolfo’s daughter Diana…where you can still get the same food & our great margaritas! We don’t know what the future will bring, but it’s always possible someone just might find another location for Green Onion round 2!”
ICYMI: Long Beach’s Nonna Mercato brings back dinner series with Northern Lights
Nonna Mercato’s wildly popular summer dinner series, Summer Nights, rightfully sold out shortly after being announced. And now, Chef Cameron Slaugh wants to provide the same treatment for the upcoming winter weeks with an ode to the alpine heart of Italy.
For December, Northern Nights will be a seasonal tasting at Nonna Mercato that pulls from the kitchens and valleys of Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli, and Trentino–Alto Adige.
For the full feature, click here.
ICYMI: The Wild Chive, Long Beach’s innovative vegan staple, to permanently close
Such disheartening news from such an innovative space: The Wild Chive, Chef Soozee Nguyen’s wildly wonderful vegan space, will be permanently closing.
While no specific date has been set, patrons are encouraged to go while the doors remain open.
For the full feature, click here.
ICYMI: This monthly brunch at Buvons is Long Beach’s best hymn to bistro French food
To say I am obsessed with the monthly brunch service at Buvons is an understatement. Fabulously French AF. Carefully crafted and curated. Wonderfully warm and welcoming.
