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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, is developing, or repeated news where you might have missed the full features.
Rosemallows to host last days of service before new ownership changes concept
After closing Beer Belly and converting the space into Rosemallows, owner Jimmy Han has opted to hand over the reins to a new operator. (More on that in the coming days; expect a full profile.) Its last days of service will be Sunday, Dec. 29 and Monday, Dec. 30. Jimmy has rest assured that the bartenders will retain their jobs as the space switches over ownership to Orange County-based outfit The Alchemists.
Amorcito permanently shutters; Taqueria Brand takes over
Chef Thomas Ortega has officially wiped his entire Long Beach presence from existence: After shuttering his much-lauded Playa Amor space back in May—which is now home to women sports-focused Watch Me! Sports Bar—Amorcito, his equally lauded East Long Beach taqueria inside The Hangar at LBX, has also shuttered.
Taking over the space is the popular 7th Street-based La Taqueria Brand, officially offering its fourth location in Long Beach.
Carmen’s Coffee Company inches toward opening in DTLB
After announcing their presence back in June, Elisa Margoni-Bertone and John Bertone are inching toward opening their first brick-and-mortar for their Carmen’s Coffee Company concept. Elisa said they are hoping “within two months” while they jump through city and permitting hoops.
Taking over the former Pop’s Java space at 449 E. Broadway at Linden Avenue, this marks a turn away from their loved coffee truck. They’re the founders of a vagabond-inspired concept, which is currently housed in a rolling Chevy P32-turned-espresso truck that’s usually sits outside Naples Island Car Wash.
Sushi Nikkei in Belmont Shore has a full-bar officially.
Pisco cocktails? Not a problem with Sushi Nikkei’s Belmont Shore location. Photos by Brian Addison.
As part of their second-anniversary celebration earlier this month, Sushi Nikkei’s Belmont Shore location has unveiled that they have scored a full liquor license. While they have to wait to build out a formal bar and have extended hours due to tenative license prohibitions, one can now order pisco sours with their sushi. And that is unquestionably awesome.
Nova Bakery celebrates grand opening in Downtown Long Beach
After a handful of months in a soft-opening run, Nova Bakery is now ready to fully operate at 865 E. 7th St. in Downtown Long Beach. This Venezuelan bakery-meets-cafe offers Venezuelan dishes. cachapas, pastelitos, and even pabellon, a common Venezuelan beef bowl with black beans and fried plantains.
ICYMI: A farewell to Congregation Ale House—and a history of Long Beach’s long support of independent beer
Congregation Ale House, Downtown Long Beach’s staple independent beer pourer and pub, is officially no longer. Its owners, who purchased the brand during the pandemic, are converting the space to an entirely different concept. Its signage? Removed. Its outdoor awning? Wholly uninstalled. And now, new signage for “El Viejón” has gone up, with workers on site saying it will be a sushi and seafood concept. (And it is not to be confused with the small chain in San Diego with the same name.)
While we patiently await for an opening—some are saying as soon as early next year—it is worth looking back on Congregation’s influence on Downtown and the entirety of the city’s beer scene.
For the full feature, click here.
ICYMI: Always taste the menu at the annual Sushi Nikkei anniversary in Belmont Shore
The annual Sushi Nikkei anniversary celebration came for the second time in Belmont Shore, with Chef Eduardo Chang Ogata and his wife Daiwa Wong offering patrons a menu that heavily diverted from the space’s staple sushi offerings. With it, it expressed what a gem Sushi Nikkei is, reflecting the love of the Peruvian community and its diversity when it comes to cuisine.
For the full feature, click here.
ICYMI: 20 years in, Auld Dubliner is an immigrant’s social and spacial sonnet to both Long Beach and Ireland
Long Beach’s best and most proper Irish pub turned 20—and the story behind it is one of immigrant love, Irish kindness, and Long Beach pride.
In order to fully grasp The Dub, one must know Irish history and the beautiful story behind its owners.
Click here to read the full article.
