Mother’s Day marked the return of Michael’s on Naples’ much-loved rooftop brunch. This round, however, marks a distinct turn from brunches of past. Surely, you will find their olandesa, their take on a Dutch baby pancake. And yes, the mighty Michael’s burger returns—more on that in a bit—as does their n’duja toast and one-dollar mimosa they’ve been offering since 2020 (singular, with an entree purchase).
But the new menu is all in the details, where Chef Eric Samaniego exercises a new confidence in an area of food Italians aren’t too keen on. Breakfast in Italy? No. A pastry and espresso? Sure. And, in the process, sitting on a rooftop, creates one of Long Beach’s most unique and valuable brunches around.
After brief hiatus, Michael’s on Naples brunch is back on the rooftop. (And Sunday dinner is returning.)
Let’s just be honest: A lot of people were asking about the return of rooftop brunch, so both General Manager Massimo Arrone and Chef Eric felt it necessary to bring it back.
Despite Italians not being keen on breakfast, they are keen on brunch, Massimo said—and the menu reflects that in witty ways. A hashbrown puck is layered with herbed ricotta and soft boiled eggs in their potato rosti. Chunks of fragrant, fennel-doused sausage sit among sweet peppadew peppers and potatoes for their hash. The short ribs and eggs of past have been replaced with a ribeye and eggs. There’s a chèvre-meets-asparagus fritatta that is as light as it is comforting…
“It’s a welcomed return for our guests,” Massimo said. “Dinner service at 5PM will also return on Sundays come Father’s Day—along with a potential happy hour. I don’t know if it will be right away or at all, but we are also thinking of returning our Sunday happy hour,” Massimo said, noting the super popular between-brunch-and-Sunday-dinner happy hour that became wildly popular. “Jocelyn [Jolly, Michael’s beverage director] led it, and it was awesome.”
The happiness that is the Michael’s burger.
The return of a Michael’s burger is always welcomed. And if it is solely on the brunch menu, we shall take it.
When the Michael’s Restaurant Group still operated and owned Chianina—the rightfully lauded steakhouse which was the sole proprietor of Italy’s famed Chianina cattle in the States at the time—they had an offshoot space dubbed Working Class Kitchen where Good Time currently is. There, any part of the cow not used would be turned into sausage, ground beef, and take-home bits so as to maintain Michael’s longtime heralding of sustainability and snout-to-tail philosophy. There, they had the Chianina burger, a magical wonder that, at the time, was unquestionably the best burger in Long Beach. (That Best Of list has wonderfully grown since 2017.)
While not necessarily a replica, it is hard not to feel like the Sunday-brunch-only Michael’s burger isn’t some hidden ode to this Michael’s burger roots. Wonderfully simple—beef, cheddar, lettuce, onion—but fantastically crafted, it is a beautiful burger to behold on an equally beautiful rooftop.
Michael’s on Naples has a happy hour routine that returns to full form.
While the return of their mid-Sunday happy hour migth be considered, Michael’s on Naples has come back with its happy hour in full form. Wednesday through Friday weekly, from 5PM to 7PM, the ground-floor bar and dining room host a happy hour. And on Tuesdays? 5PM to close anywhere in the restaurant, including the rooftop.
“It’s not necessarily about people looking for deals but looking for comfort—that’s how I view it,” Massimo said. “And we can help provide that right now.”
We’re talking 50% off select wine by the glass or bottle. $8 well drinks. $11 well martinis and Manhattans. Plus food. For the full menu, click here.
What’s on the Michael’s on Naples brunch menu.
Potato Rosti: Shredded potatoes | Herbed ricotta | Smoked salmon | Soft boiled egg | Pickled onion | Arugula
Sausage Hash: Fennel sausage | Yukon potato | Torpedo onion | Peppadew peppers | Sunny side-up egg
N’duja Toast: Avocado | Soft-scrambled eggs | N’duja | Grilled Campagna bread | Arugula
Michael’s Burger: Prime ground beef | Cheddar cheese | Shredded lettuce | Raw onions | Brioche bun | Hand-cut fries | Garlic aioli
Olandese: Dutch baby pancake | Strawberries | Whipped ricotta | Butter
Michael’s on Naples is located at 5620 E. 2nd St.
It looks like the last paragraph of this article was pasted over from feature on Baby Gee’s?
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