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Long Beach Food Scene Intel is a series from Brian Addison that will recap food news throughout the city, both news that needs just a quick mention or repeated news where you might have missed the full features.
Cambodian Cowboy joins the DTLA Smorgasburg gang
The past year has proven fruitful for Long Beach’s Cambodian Cowboy, Chef Chad Phuong of Battambong BBQ. He was honored by the API SBC, otherwise known as the Asian/Pacific Islander Small Business Collective, in DTLA back in October. He did two beer collabs: One with Three Weavers in Inglewood and another with Ten Mile Brewing. And he headed multiple dinner collabs and parties, including a partnership with El Barrio and participated in Ten Mile’s Cajun food festival.
Now, joining wing master Hawk Tea of Shlap Muan, he will be joining the Smorgasburg team in DTLA with a permanent stall.
Bottlecraft in The Hangar at LBX has alcohol license suspended
Bottelcraft, the massive beer taproom inside The Hangar at the Long Beach Exchange retail complex, had their license suspended Friday, Jan. 5, after the space stopped serving its small amount of food offerings. Per their 41 license, they are considered an eating place—thus allowing children around their premises—and to accommodate this, Bottlecraft has always offered small bites like hot dogs and potato chips. Their license resumes function on Jan. 12.
See’s Candy open in Bixby Knolls; grand opening Jan. 13
See’s Candy has officially opened its doors to the public at 4270 Long Beach Blvd. in the Trader Joe’s complex in Bixby Knolls. Come Jan. 13, the candy shop will host its grand opening at 9:30AM, with gifts going to the first 50 guests along with a raffle to potentially win lollipops for an entire year.
Wide Eyes Open Palms to close until Jan. 18
Wide Eyes Open Palms—called “WeOp” amongst regulars—will be closed until Jan. 18 for a much-needed winter break for owners Chef Kat McIver and master barista Angie Evans.
“We wanted to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support and patronage throughout this year,” they posted to social media. “To give our fantastic, hardworking team a chance to rest and recharge, WEOP will be taking a short winter break. We will be closed next week from Monday, Jan. 8 to Wednesday, Jan. 17. But no worries, we’ll be back in action, ready to brew up all your faves on Thursday, Jan. 18.”
For Brian Addison’s full feature on Wide Eyes Open Palms, click here.
ISM Brewing to host grand opening event (drinks and food tickets included)
ISM Brewing, the brewery which took over the former Beachwood space on The Promenade in DTLB, will be having its formal grand opening this Thursday, Jan. 11, at 3PM—and yes, drinks and food tickets are included. Just click the link below.
To register for drink and food tickets, click here.
Promenade restaurants coalesce to be open seven days a week
Speaking of ISM and The Promenade… While I had briefly mentioned it in my piece on ISM Brewing’s (awesome) lunch specials, it deserves recognition again that, beginning today, ISM Brewing, The Ordinarie, and Michael’s Downtown will be open seven days a week. This marks an important return to full lunch schedules for restaurants in DTLB, where many places are closed Mondays, some even extending that closure into Tuesdays.
ICYMI: The ‘great reset’? Multiple Long Beach restaurants up for sale seeking new owners
Some of our city’s biggest restaurant names—Seabirds, Little Coyote, Saltwater Deck, V-Burger, Steel Cup Cafe…—are up for sale.
“When we’re specifically talking about Long Beach, 2023 has been the hardest year of our 15-year operation in regard to costs, ingredients availability, staffing, wage increases and the list goes on,” Luis Navarro said. “The ultimate killer has been inflation and the skyrocketing cost of operating. We really need our politicians to wake up; we need help.”
To read the full article, click here.
ICYMI: Chinitos Tacos continues to represent a distinctly Long Beach and Cambodian perspective on the almighty taco
It is safe to say that Chinitos Tacos—the Cambodian-American-owned taco shop headed by Chef Beeline Krouch—is about as Long Beach as it gets. And in all frankness, there has been a continual frustration on my end, as both a writer and steward for the food community, by the lack of love Chinitos gets.
And it’s about damn time we remind the city of his story and why Chinitos is a particularly special cog in the Long Beach Food Scene.
To read the full story, click here.
ICYMI: Black History Month farm dinner returns Feb. 18
This is easily one of my favorite food events—and if you haven’t been, you must: Chef Rod Dodd, the man behind the tucked-under-a-freeway farm and garden space that is North Long Beach’s Organic Harvest Gardens, is returning with one of his most beloved and popular annual events: the Black History Month farm-to-table dinner, returning to the green space on Feb. 18.
For the full article, click here.
ICYMI: Famed Napoli pizzeria L’Antica da Michele opens in Belmont Shore
As everyone and their mother reported in Long Beach, L’Antica da Michele, the extension of the famed Napoli pizzeria, will opened in Belmont Shore following a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Been talking with owner Francesco Zimone for two years about the project and it’s rather cool to see the final result—which is nothing short of gorgeous as he ‘wanted to give an ode to the mid-century vibe of Palm Springs.’
