Michael’s Downtown to permanently shutter; Ubuntu Cafe to take over

Michael’s Downtown—the DTLB extension from the Michael’s Restaurant Group—will be permanently shuttering. Its last day of service will be July 14 as Ubuntu Cafe preps the space as its second location.

Ubuntu will officially open on The Promenade come Saturday, July for brunch from 6AM until 3PM and on Sunday, July 21, from 6AM to 3PM. Following that, regular service that is experienced at its Colorado Lagoon location will take place on Monday, July 22.

Ubuntu owners ‘believe in Downtown Long Beach’ while sending Michael’s Downtown off to pasture

Martin Howard might be known as the head behind one of Long Beach’s most influential construction and development firms, Howard CDM—but he is also extremely connected to the restaurant world because of that very firm. His company has been associated with the some of the most lauded regional food spaces. We’re talking everyone from Chef Jordan Kahn’s lauded Vespertine and Chef Enrique Olvera’s Damian to Long Beach’s own Michael’s on Naples and Chianina (RIP).

“Martin and myself are working together on this location,” Ubuntu Cafe co-owner Fellippe Esteves, who noted that Martin approached his wife and fellow co-owner, Danielle Soldati, with the project. His proposal? To bring the much-loved Colorado Lagoon neighborhood cafe to The Promenade. He was formally sold the space from Michael’s Downtown owner Carl Dene three weeks ago.

“We fell in love with the location and Downtown is amazing,” Fellippe said. “We are not ready to give up on Downtown Long Beach— despite all of the serious issues it faces. To counter that, we want to bring more great food to the area and make more friends. It’s that simple: We believe in Downtown Long Beach. And hopefully, people will believe in us in return.”

DTLB—despite uphill battles—is going through a much-needed cultural renaissance

Yes, there is unquestionably a concern with the growing number of unhoused people in nearly every part of the city—especially Downtown Long Beach. And despite all this, there are those that helping take the neighborhood where it needs to go.

With hopes to have his second Ubuntu location re-opened before summer’s end, Fellippe is joining the charge in reinvigorating Downtown. And for those laughing, I mean it: Downtown is having a straight-up renaissance—we just need the community to show up and the city to, well, frankly make it feel safer for those who are rightfully concern.

There’s The Promenade collectively joining together to be open seven days a week. Ammatolí’s Chef Dima Habibeh scoring a semifinalist nod from the James Beard Foundation. Chef Philip Pretty of Heritage opening Olive and Rose. Altar Society joining the amazing beer scene. Jay and Michel Krymis taking on the former Lupe’s space with Toma. Broken Spirits opening with some of the city’s finest spirits. Even Studio One Eleven wants to designate a portion of DTLB as a design district—which is awesome. The owner of Rosemallows is having cocktail maestros James Squire and Sherwood Souzankari to revamp the entirety of their beverage menu…

An ode to Chef Giuseppe Musso and the food of Michael’s Downtown

Originally, it was an extension of Michael’s Pizzeria, the much-lauded Neapolitan pie space of Micheal’s on Naples. When restaurateur Michael Dene created his first pizzeria—in the space that now houses Michael’s Market—he expanded with his second location on the then-newly minted Promenade space in DTLB. Completing the block with Congregation Ale House and Beachwood Brewing (before it became ISM Brewing), Michael’s Pizzeria was a hit.

But when Michael’s son, Carl, was handed the keys to the DTLB space, Carl saw something different: Rebranding it as Michael’s Downtown, definitively darkening the space aesthetically, and focusing more on the elevated and less no the casual, he brought on Chef Giuseppe Musso to oversee it all as Executive Chef.

Chef Giuseppe soon because the face of Michael’s Downtown, where plate after plate of handmade pasta—one which helped define Long Beach’s pasta renaissance—and pizza after pizza came out of the pans and wood-fire oven. It was classic, refined Italian at its most comforting and uncomplicated.

“Who sent this out, Brian?” he said once, glancing at a plate of pappardelle strands interlinked with shaved bits of black of truffle. “No, no,” he said, grabbing a large black truffle—easily hundreds of dollars in his fist—and returning. “There’s no point in having truffle if you’re not going to have the truffle.” And with that, began shaving a jealous-inducing-to-other-tables, absurdly beautiful pile of truffle onto my pasta.

It was but one bit of his excessive charm and kindness—something that will be sorely missed.

Ubuntu’s second location in Downtown Long Beach will be at 210 E. 3rd St.