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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.
La Parolaccia opens up fourth expansion area; completely takes over building
Last year, they began being open seven days a week. This year, chefs and father-and-son team Stefano and Michael Procaccini joined Chef Dima Habibeh of Ammatolí in being semifinalists for the James Beard Awards. And now, La Parolaccia has officially taken over the entirety of the building it leases, opening their fourth and final expansion on the westernmost side of their space. The Roman gem of Bluff Heights has been one of Long Beach’s leaders in Italian food for over 25 years—and while the space was intended to potentially be a new concept, the fact is that La Parolaccia is popular enough to warrant the extra space.
Taquito chain Roll ‘Em Up opens Lakewood location
Roll ‘Em Up, the hype-food-meets-‘Bertos-rolled-tacos-wannabe concept that has pseudo-flourished across the past five years, has yet to live up to its goal of opening “500 Californian locations”—but it has opened up its closest location to Long Beach with its Lakewood space at 5001 Candlewood St.
The company’s CEO Ryan Usrey announced a massive expansion into Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties back in 2022 when the brand had zero presence in any of them: Upcoming sites included Long Beach, Lakewood, Downey, Whittier, Glendale, and Covina in Los Angeles County; none of those locations have opened though one in Bell Gardens did open and Glendale (along with Northridge), remain in development. Beyond Los Angeles County, restaurant group The Aurora Group planned to open locations in Corona, Eastvale, Riverside, Temecula, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, Hemet, Murrieta, Moreno Valley, Perris, and El Cerrito; none have opened despite promises to open its first location two years ago.
Bixby Classic Burgers owners open up ice cream shop-on-wheels, Bixby Creamery
The owners of Bixby Classic Burger have taken an Airstream trailer and converted it into an ice cream shop on wheels. Dubbed Bixby Creamery, the space is open daily from 10AM to 6PM (minus Sundays, where it ventures to Downtown Long Beach to find a rotating spot in the neighborhood to serve from).
Signage for second Flamin’ Curry location goes up
Flamin’ Curry, the lauded fast casual Indian space in Belmont Heights, is opening a second location in Cal Heights (just south of Bixby Knolls) at the former Mustard’s space (which closed over a decade ago so for those that are searching for other surrounding food landmarks: Across the street from Dave’s Burgers and the gas station and next to Bamboo Teri House). And its signage has officially gone up, getting it one step closer to opening.
Sheila Baby Carryout nearing opening; releases menu
The American Steak shack at the northeast corner of Pine Avenue and 7th Street will become a turkey leg shack by the name of Sheila Baby Carryout. While signage went back up in May, the space has released their inaugural menu, featuring a nice assortment of soul food, from collards and stuffed turkey legs to mac’n’cheese and chicken wings.
ICYMI: Essential Long Beach coffee shops
Long Beach is a very well caffeinated city. Here are 20 of our best coffee shops that give us our daily brew.
Click here for the full feature.
ICYMI: Liv’s is Belmont Shore’s underrated seafood gem—and it goes beyond the oysters
Liv’s, the oyster bar-meets-full-on seafood restaurant in the Shore, has brought something to Long Beach that has long been needed. Sexy oysters. Good wine. Solid seafood. But it is oh so much more than that.
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ICYMI: Ruta 15 brings a new level of mariscos to Long Beach
Unquestionably my favorite new restaurant in Long Beach.
Ruta 15 is extremely new, having been opened only a few weeks—but it is bringing a level of mariscos to Long Beach that echoes some of the region’s best spots. It also harbors the essence of a culinary tradition in Mexico that is as precious as corn itself, where seafood becomes a representation of not just its people’s gastronomical talent but the way in which Mexican people come together.
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