Missed out on Brian Addison’s Favorite Things of past? We got you covered—just click here.

Too many years back, I wrote a very self-indulgent listicle that was about so-called “essential” Long Beach dishes; dishes that I loved and could depend on as long as that place existed—and I wrote it because there’s something so elemental and useful about a specific great dish at a specific place. It was less about some grander proclamation than it was about, “This is just great food.” (I’ve done a much more comprehensive, similar list since then.)

I want to return to that. Not some grand list of “essential dishes”—that is too hard a burden to put on a restaurant: You better have this, and you better have it all the time. But for now, I am happy to share some of my favorite things.

In other words: Why not just own the moment? Without further ado, here are the favorite things I’m eating right now…

The entire menu from Lucky Cat

4137 E. Anaheim St. [inside Panxa]

The most exciting food coming out of Long Beach right now is at a pop-up inside Panxa, Lucky Cat.

The food shows no trends or obvious mirrors of the culinary zeitgeist. Its lines, layers, and complexities are ultimately a signature. What Chef Vasili Tavernakis—partnering with his wife, Allison—is churning out of their kitchen is wildly deep, wonderfully personal, and downright distinct.

Karaage-style fried maitakes drizzled with a toasted sesame salsa macha, layered with celery leaves, and sitting atop a charred negi aioli. A steak marinated in koji and laid into a pool of bright, wonderfully acidic rouille that is blasted with koji and red chiles. An array of perfect yakitori—the kind that meets the standard of Chef Yoya Takahashi at Homareya—where each cut offers its own distinct flavor adventure…

Go, go, go.

Shrimp risotto from Massimo’s

1611 Atlantic Ave.

Massimo’s is such a gem of a space. And if you ever listen to the specials and one piques your interest, just go with your guy and get it. For example, an item that should be permanently on the menu: his shrimp risotto.

An ode to the end of summer, this wonder of a dish is layered with squash blossoms, zucchini, tomatoes and, of course, shrimp. But the magic—mascarpone for some creamy tartness, Massimo’s touch—is where the heart of the dish sits. Straddling summer and fall, it is a warm welcome toward (hopefully) some chiller days.

‘Il Fungo’ pizza from Due Fiori

2030 E. 7th St.

With Chef Michael Rudolph at the helm—he hails from Palm Springs’s lauded Bar Issi as well as previous stints in the region, including a role in Il Pesce Cucina, Chef Michael Cimarusti’s former space inside Eataly—Due Fiori’s fall menu shines.

A personal fave that might or might not be on the menu still? His mushroom pizza, where the boldness of taleggio cheese, balsamic agrodolce, and sage is met with the subtlety of chanterelles. Definitively savory, nicely tart, and ever so slightly sweet, this pie is magical.

Wild mushroom farro from The Attic

3929 E. Anaheim St.

If there’s ever a tasting menu at one of Chef Cameron Slaugh’s restaurants—be it The Attic or Nonna Mercato—go for it. At $55, the Fridays-and-Saturdays-only October menu dubbed “Southern Nights” moved through four courses, beginning with snacks for the table and ending with a choice of supper.

With it came a dreamy bowl of cracked farro. Layered with an array of wild mushrooms, that aforementioned chanterelle mousse, a hint of sherry, and plenty of bright, almost yogurt-like tartness. It’s a savory lover’s reverie of a dish—and it belongs permanently on the menu.

Phở from Mama Quach’s Kitchen

320 W. Willow St.

With the downgrading of Pho Hong Phat in Zaferia with its new owners and a general it’s-fine-ness to the overall status of phở quality in Long Beach outside of Sesame Dinette, Mama Quach’s is a warm, warm welcome, especially for the Westside. (If phở is ever brought up in my food group, people are often told to just make the trek to Westminster.)

It’s a wonderfully rich broth for being so clean, and I deeply suggest tasting it before adding the standard sauces (including a wonderful, in-house chili oil). After all, we’re talking about a recipe that has now been handed down to three generations of Vietnamese women, from mother to Hang Quach and now onto her daughter, Linn.

For the full feature on Mama Quach’s Kitchen and its recent opening, click here.

Missed out on Brian Addison’s Favorite Things of past? We got you covered—just click here.