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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.
Monty’s Dog Beach & Bar opens at Granada Beach
Beers and pizzas for dogs, along with some for humans? Yes, that is the main gist of Monty’s Dog Beach & Bar, Croatian businessman Igor Montanari-Knez’s newest iteration of what has officially become an international chain of dog-friendly drinking and snacking areas on the beach. (His other two are in Crikvenica and Rab in Croatia, with plans to open two more in Slovenia and Portorose). This marks the third of four improvements for concessions along the coastline of Long Beach: Gaucho Beach over at Alamitos Beach; Saltwater Deck at Junipero; Monty’s at Granada; and Grill ‘Em All at Bayshore.
Golden Burger to become Eat Fantastic
Eat Fantastic—the mini chain that currently has seven locations across Arcadia, El Segundo, Lomita, Tustin, North Torrance, Norco, and yes, Long Beach already—will take over Golden Burgers at Junipero Avenue and 4th Street along Retro Row, according to What Now. This marks the first formal change of the space in nearly four decades and just as sad, an entire removal of the space’s nods to its previously Greek and Mexican owners since Eat Fantastic serves neither (unless you count their breakfast burritos). Golden Burger had built up a reputation for decent menudo on the weekends and solid gyro burritos over the years—and it is rumored that the family which ran it experienced a death in the family and stepped away from the business; this wasn’t confirmed as Eat Fantastic applied for a business license back in October and has been slowly shifting the joint toward its regular menu.
Recreational Coffee broken into; GoFundMe launched
Recreational Coffee—one of Long Beach’s longest-running and beloved roasters and coffee shops—was broken into on the morning of April 23, prompting the shop to close for the day while figuring out to quickly replace both the broken glass and equipment stolen.
“It is debilitating and demoralizing to see how rough things have become downtown and how easily our sense of safety in the community can be shattered and violated,” said co-owner Ted Seiving in a post in the Long Beach Food Scene. “Most small businesses operate with razor thin margins these days. Please support those who help keep our community buzzing on delicious locally roasted coffee and vibrant with their passion instead of being just another corporate coffee shop.”
To support their GoFundMe, click here.
More Starbucks.
Speaking of corporate coffee, a new Starbucks will be built in Central Long Beach just south of Chittick Field. The 1,800-square-foot coffee shop and drive-thru will occupy two spaces—1601 and 1629 E. Pacific Coast Highway—and will likely not include the very expensive car coming through as shown in the rendering in its 11-car drive-through queue.
Two new parklets approved in Belmont Shore
The City Council has formally approved the designs of two new parklets after granting them permits to build—one at Aroma di Roma, announced in November, and another at Open Sesame. Aroma di Roma will build a 98-square-foot parklet in front of its location at 4708 E. Second St. while Open Sesame will have a permanent 250-square foot outdoor dining space in front of its t 5215 E. Second St. location.
Owners of The Green Olive to open Mexican restaurant Ancestros
The owners of The Green Olive space on Long Beach Boulevard in Bixby Knolls were handing out free… Tortas. You read that correct: And these tortas were part of an announcement that they would be opening Ancestros, their Mexican concept, in the former Pan space which was vacated last year so the Pan could open in the former Bebe’s Diner.
ICYMI: The Fairmont Breakers in Long Beach to open in fall; multiple food and bar spaces (like The Sky Room) included
After many false starts and tentative opening dates, the Fairmont Breakers is set to open this fall.
Yes, The Sky Room is returning (hopefully with table-side flambé desserts like cherries jubilee and bananas foster) and an Italian concept set to “redefine casual dining” dubbed Nettuno will serve as the hotel’s breakfast, lunch, and brunch space headed by Fairmont Sonoma Chef Jared Reeves.
Three bar concepts—Alter Ego, a jazz club; La Sala, a coffee-tea-cocktail bar; and Halo, the rooftop nightclub—are set to join.
Click here to read the full article.
ICYMI: Baby Gee Bar named in prestigious Spirited Awards as top 10 bar in the U.S. West
After scoring a nod as one of the best new bars last year, Baby Gee Bar has now scored an even more prestigious standing at the bar world’s coveted Spirited Awards: It has been named one of the top 10 bars in the country’s west region, joining bars from Alberquerque to Seattle
Click here to read the full article.
ICYMI: ISM Brewing launches ‘tacotarian’ menu with massive, over-the-top tacos diverting from the basics
ISM Brewing has a new menu dedicated to tacos—and they are awesome.
For example, the ‘Carnefornia’ burrito that is an ode to the mighty California burrito: layers of carne asada chunks gone guisado-style, French fries, guacamole, and queso fresco sit atop a quesadilla that has a corn tortilla on the bottom and a flour tortilla on top with melted cheese in between. Excessive and excessively awesome, this hefty bad boy joins, well, a whole buncha other hefty bad boys.
Click here to read the full article.
ICYMI: IN PICTURES: Hundreds boogie on down aboard The Queen Mary for Longbeachize’s free disco party
500 people reveled and boogied aboard The Queen Mary back in March with a free disco dance event hosted by Longbeachize—and once again, in conjunction with myself and the amazing team at Visit Long Beach, we allowed Long Beach denizens to get down with a free disco’n’funk party inside the ship’s famed Art Deco masterpiece that is the Observation Observation Bar this past Thursday.
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