Panxa in Long Beach—fresh off of celebrating a decade of service in Belmont Heights—introduced Chef Richie Ramirez late last year. Over the past six months, Chef Richie has been exploring every aspect of the space—especially tightening the kitchen.
“A lot of my time here has honestly been spent creating systems,” Chef Richie said. “Making sure we’re not wasting food, making sure mise en place is right… Creating actual direction in the kitchen. I had to make sure the basics were in place before we could move on to the food. The guys here know how to cook; it wasn’t about that. It was more about not having direction: Giving them recipes. Giving them structure. And they’ve been really happy about that.”
That has allowed him to explore the other parts of his new culinary home. Panxa’s tether to Chef Arthur Gonzalez and Vanessa Auclair, and their roots in New Mexico’s food. His own exploration of Levantine, Southwest, Mexican, and SoCal food traditions…
“I’m not sticking to Southwestern cuisine as tightly as before—but I am still using Southwestern ingredients,” Chef Richie said. “I’m using what I know about Mexican food, hatch chile—things like that—and applying them to flavors I’m learning from Persian and Levantine cooking. I think it makes sense while moving Panxa forward.”
The space’s upcoming mezcal dinner with Vago shows off Panxa’s future path…
Outside the menu itself, nothing showcases this more than the fact that Chef Richie is hosting his first pairing menu. Partnering with respected mezcalería Vago, the five-course dinner allows Chef Richie to introduce himself to the community beyond the basic menu. For tickets, click here.
Here’s what to expect:
- Hamachi Crudo: salsa seca | pickled apricot | avocado-verdolaga mousse | burnt chili oil | paired with Vago Mezcal Pechuga
- Shrimp Tostada: hoja santa | pickled red onion | charred corn salsa | queso cotija | paired with Vago Mezcal Elote
- Tamal de Pato en Mole Verde: duck confit | cinnamon-plum | banana leaf | paired with Vago Mezcal El Mamanatial
- Corn Cake with Crispy Pork Belly in Adobo: pickled carrots and onions | salsa macha | paired with Vago Mezcal Barrigo Espadín
- Tarta de Chocolaté y Pasilla: mezcal-spiked whipped cream | cocoa nibs | candied pepitas | paired with Vago Mezcal Arroqueño
Panxa breaks the Southwestern mold while still honoring its foundation in the restaurant’s history.
The new menu at Panxa feels simultaneously rooted in the Southwest while refusing to be boxed in by it. Instead, he is pulling from the deep culinary well of our neighbor, Mexico. The warmth and tang of Levantine flavors. And the earthy, chile-driven backbone of Southwestern.
“I’m not trying to steer too far away from what Panxa is,” Chef Richie said. “But the ingredients are too good not to explore.”
The result is a menu that doesn’t abandon Panxa’s identity so much as expand it—one where hatch chiles, tahini, pipián, pomegranate, masa, dukkah, and barbacoa all exist in the same conversation.
Take the passionfruit leche de tigre that brings a tart, tropical sharpness to his ceviche—but then is sliced with tahini to add a creamy, nutty depth that subtly nudges the dish toward the Levant. Or the mushroom al pastor tacos, where oyster mushrooms are marinated in pineapple and guajillo in a clear nod to Mexico’s trompo tradition, then finished with, like his ceviche, a tahini crema.
New dishes are proving surprisingly popular…
One of his most comforting dishes—a vegan “tamale pie” that stacks squares of fried blue masa in between layers of squash, beans, and a cashew cheese sauce—is also one of its most popular. And it joins others climbing the popularity list, alongside staples like Panxa’s much-loved stacked enchiladas and charred queso.
His fesenjan duck carnitas might be one of the clearest examples of his voice on the menu: a Persian walnut-pomegranate sauce recast as a kind of “mole”—and giving nods to the classic chile en nogada—wrapped around duck carnitas and grounded with saffron rice, crispy kale, and bursts of fresh pomegranate. It is both rich and bright, familiar and surprising.
The charred broccolini works in a similar register, using pipián verde as its base while layering on sumac-pistachio dukkah and pomegranate—building a dish that moves from Mexico to the Eastern Mediterranean and back again in a single bite.
That same balance appears in seafood dishes that feel especially tuned to California, where the overall feel of the space is heading. The seared diver scallops, served with nopales succotash, sweet corn velouté, fried capers, and cilantro, pull together desert ingredients, coastal elegance, and a subtle French touch.
This is exactly what a legacy restaurant in Long Beach should do…
What makes all of this compelling is that Chef Richie is not chasing fusion for fusion’s sake. He is building new Panxa classics by recognizing how naturally Mexican, Levantine, and Southwestern flavors can speak to one another. He is letting it evolve in a way that comforts patrons but provides a much-needed step toward something different.
The result is a Panxa that feels more expansive, more confident, and more willing to trust that its future lies not in standing still, but in deepening the conversation between the flavors that define it.
And yes, there are still classics on the menu that have defined the space…
A part of Chef Art’s legacy, these dishes put Panxa on the map—and are very much still available. Chips and dips? There. Hatch chile cornbread? Always. And more…
Charred Queso Oaxaca: hatch green chile | cilantro pistou | house chips | grillbread
Steak & Frites: 8oz. skirt steak | hatch chile chimichurri | house fries
Stacked Enchiladas: layered corn tortillas | queso oaxaca | cotija | cilantro | choice: chicken | short rib | pork | veggies | choice: hatch green | chimayo red | christmas (red & green)
Fry Bread Taco: native fry bread | chimayo red chile | crema | black beans | cabbage | pico | cotija | choice of: pork | short rib | chicken | veggie
Chimayo Posole: chimayo red chile broth | cabbage | hominy | radish | grilled bread | choice of: chicken | short rib | pork | veggie
New Mexican Pizza: hatch chile ground beef | fried flour tortillas | asiago | black bean puree | chimayo red chile | pico | cotija
And never forget the cocktails, as Panxa has one of the best bar programs in the city.
Led by Bryce Kaesman, Panxa has always been one of the city’s defining cocktail spaces. With revolving, seasonal menus across the year, Bryce’s menus always offer the full array of drinks. From porch pounders and effervescent creations to booze-forward and experimental concoctions, there is never really a bad time to drink at Panxa.
Here’s the spring cocktail menu:
Baby Girl Coded: Patron Blanco Tequila | strawberry | lychee | Lillet Rosé | lime
Elotero Colada: Vago Eloté Mezcal | Nixta corn liquor | heirloom pineapple amaro | jalapeño | coconut | lime | chicharron
Run From the Sun: Illegal Caribbean Cask Mezcal | Luxardo Bitter Bianco | Pechuga Mezcal Mist | pomegranate | house-made fesenjän molë bitters
Matcha Business: Yoshi Matcha Liqueur | Haku Vodka | Gabriel Boudier Nori | citrus
Panxa Cocina is located at 3937 E. Broadway.
