Ever since his takeover of the much-missed Michael’s Downtown—which now sits empty following a short stint by Ubuntu Cafe—and his tenure at Nettuno at Fairmont Breakers, Chef Giuseppe Musso has become a deeply connected part of the Long Beach food legacy.
Old-school in style, traditional in spirit, Chef Giuseppe’s gregarious, affable personality is now the front-facing force of Salt & Grove, Courtyard by Marriott’s formal attempt to return to James Republic-like status within the food community.
Its first menu, headed by then-Executive Chef Courtney Beavers and released late last year, fell short: Wildly eclectic but middling in execution, it didn’t quite reach the highs James Republic became known for at its peak. Shifting quickly, Chef Giuseppe comes in with a forthright Italian offering—the hotel plans on formally changing the name to reflect “Italian kitchen” and Chef’s name.
“My guests know who I am,” Chef Giuseppe said. “I loved my time at the Fairmont, but here, I can bring things back to what I do best. I have an incredible kitchen, an incredible team I am training, and plenty of pasta.”
For dinner at Salt & Grove in Long Beach, it is all about the pastas…
Unquestionably, Chef Giuseppe’s most formidable strength lies in his pastas. Always made by hand, wonderfully textured, never hefty, shapes like papardelle, tagliatelle, and lasagna are wrapped and layered in traditional Italian sauces.
Dishes not shown include a classic Romagnola lasagna and rigatoni al pomodoro—two dishes former patrons of Michael’s Downtown will undoubtedly recognize—but there are three other stand-outs as well. A perfectly crafted papardelle, where the ribbons of pasta are layered with thick cuts of prosciutto de Parma and a silky white balsamic sauce. A wonderful tortellacci layered with copious amounts of pistachio and sage. And his classic bolognese.
Papardelle Al Prosciutto: Prosciutto | cherry tomato | sage | pappardelle pasta | white balsamic sauce
Spinach Tortellacci: Spinach | ricotta | butter | sage | pistachio
Tagliatelle Bolognese: Slow cooked meat ragu | tagliatelle pasta
More from Chef Giuseppe’s inaugural dinner menu at Salt & Grove…
From antipasti to branzino, with all breads made in-house, here is a deeper look at what you can expect from dinner at Salt & Grove.
Branzino Alla Piastra: Branzino | lemon capers | cherry tomato sauce | broccolini
Filetto Di Manzo: Filet mignon | forest mushroom sauce | asparagus | fingerling potatoes
Salt & Grove Burger: Double patties | smoked cheddar | Cali sauce | lettuce | tomato | brioche bun
Beef Carpaccio: Thinly sliced beef | mustard sauce | capers | arugula | grana padano cheese
Fiori Di Zucca: Squash blossoms | ricotta | parmesan | honey drizzle
Pizza Fritta: Fried pizza dough | parmesan | garlic
Bruschetta Miste: Tomato | basil | forest mushrooms | fresh mozzarella | bread
Polpette In Umido: Housemade meatballs | bread
Burrata e Pear: Burrata cheese | caramelized pear | crostini | optional prosciutto
Cali Brussel Sprouts: Crispy sprouts | bacon | Modena balsamic reduction
A look into the breakfast menu of Salt & Grove…
Yup, there’s breakfast, too.
Benedict Alla Florentina: Italian ham | spinach | poached free range eggs | hollandaise | house made focaccia | spring mix
Chicken Club Panino: Grilled chicken | free range egg | bacon | lettuce | tomato | Cali sauce | ciabatta | spring mix
Avocado Toast: Whole grain toast | avocado | cherry tomato | sesame seeds | arugula
Acai Bowl: Bananas | blueberries | strawberries | house granola | honey
Signature S&G Breakfast: Free range eggs | bacon or sausage | potatoes O’Brien | juice or coffee
Breakfast Burrito: Free range eggs | tots | bacon | cheddar cheese | pasilla peppers | salsa | avocado
Sunshine Pancakes: Lemon | ricotta | blueberry sauce | creme fresh
French Toast con Fruit: Brioche French toast | whipped cream | fresh berries
And yes, there is a happy hour menu.
Wings. Burgers. Hummus plate. Simple, to the point, 4:30PM to 6PM Monday through Friday.
Salt & Grove, located inside the Courtyard by Marriott at 500 E. 1st St., will debut Chef Giuseppe Musso’s inaugural menu on Thursday, April 30.
