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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.
Vans Warped Tour? Good for the food business.
With 84,000 attendees and cementing itself into Long Beach culture, the Vans Warped Tour didn’t just bring the music—it brought business. And it wasn’t just the restaurants we partnered bands with in order to offer some affordable eats outside the tour. Recreational Coffee and 4th Horseman had some of their biggest sales while Sonoratown sales were up nearly a tenth—all through late night sales alone. The Ordinaire, Broken Spirits, Beach Hut Deli, The Auld Dubliner… All reporting incredibly busy days.
Clare LaBras, the GM from The Ordinarie ,said she felt like she was in “The Bear—fantastic. It was brilliant.”
Wine Cheese Etc. permanently closes
“Thank you all for your support over the last three-and-a-half years—grateful for every moment. We can’t wait to see the next version of the space by Pizza Parlor.”
These were the words of Steve Murray, the affable, kind owner of Wine Cheese Etc. as he signed off from his small business. The pandemic-birthed space was a gold mine for affordable wine seekers—rarely did a bottle push above $40 while most averaged below $30—and cheese lovers, along with those in the neighborhood who just wanted an alternative to Trader Joe’s and Ralph’s.
The silver lining? It will be making way for Pizza Parlor’s expansion.
Sky Room at Fairmont Breakers named one of the top 10 hotel restaurants in the nation
Sky Room at Fairmont Breakers—which opened in November and has since cemented tself as one of Long Beach’s finest—is garnering national recognition from OpenTable. It was named the tenth best hotel restaurant in the nation, in a Top 10 that was dominated by California (which held eight of the Top 10 spots).
This is your last chance for discounted tickets to Sake Day
Long Beach Sake Day returns to the city for its third iteration on Saturday, Sept. 6. And July 30 marks the last day to score discounted tickets. The event? it brings the largest selection of sake that any festival in SoCal sees. Dozens of craft sake breweries will be on hand for the event, stretching from 1PM to 5PM at Ranchos Los Cerritos. Upon entry, everyone over the age of 21 will get to taste unlimited pours of sake with your one-of-kind LB Sake Day commemorative O-Choko (traditional ceramic sake cup) featuring their mascot, Kanpai.
It is the most underrated food-and-drink festival in the city—so I deeply suggest attending it.
Happy Thai on Pacific Avenue to close in September
Happy Thai Restaurant—formerly Khun Dom Chinese take-out—will be closing in September, according to a note from owners. The space, which opened in 2016, has been a popular haunt amongst Pacific Avenue locals.
5th Ave. Bagelry opens second “Long Beach” location
While technically in Lakewood, 5th Ave. Bagelry—which birthed its first Long Beach location in DTLB over a decade ago—has opened it second local location at 4214 Woodruff Ave., just above Carson.
Saint & Second officially opens second location in Manhattan Beach
Saint & Second—the Hof family’s contemporary spin-off that was part of replacing its slowly-dying-much-missed Hof’s Hut chain that made it what it is—has officially opened their (admittedly beautiful) new location in Manhattan Beach. This follows their flagship in Belmont Shore and their second location in Woodland Hills.
ICYMI: Michelin-recognized HiroNori Craft Ramen to open second Long Beach location
HiroNori Craft Ramen will be opening its second location in the former and short-lived Mad Dumplings space that opened in 2023. Though the business license has been granted, it is unclear when the space will open in Bixby Village Plaza. (Though with the popularity of Luna and the closure of multiple spaces to make way for its upgraded plaza and massive California Fish Grill, the space is a warm welcome.)
For the full feature, click here.
ICYMI: Wild Fork Foods—the exotic meat purveyor—reached out to this Long Beach cooking class for a collab
Yes, Wild Fork Foods uses ChatGPT. And yes, they used it to find the Long Beach-based cooking class organization, Locali Seasoned.
“Wild Fork reached out to us after finding us via a Chat GPT search for best cooking classes in Long Beach,” said Locali founder Abbey Metcalf, laughing. “They felt our website and classes aligned with their desire to help inspire customers in the Long Beach area to cook delicious meals.”
Along with business partner Nicole Nguyen—who operates The Cave Prime Steak out of Partake Collective with partner Juan Sanchez—they will offer three courses focusing on different proteins.
For the full feature, click here.
ICYMI: Broken Spirits (subtly) rebrands, leaning into its lead as an affordable barbecue space
Broken Spirits Distillery—soon to be “Broken Spirits Barbecue & Distillery,” but more on that in a bit—continues to be a beacon for affordable barbecue. With a brand-new lunch menu featuring plates under $10 and hearty bowls at $15, it remains a space that caters to those who can’t afford the now-common $30 lunch. Even more, for Long Beach Food Scene Week, they’ll offer a $35, four-course dinner menu. (More on both of those offerings below.)
