Praise the evening gods, Nonna Mercato is back with dinner service via its Summer Nights—which debuted in 2024 to merited applause—running June 19 through Aug. 29.
Yes, unfortunately, a month has been shaved off this year as they expand the bakery side of Nonna. And that means reservations will be even harder to snag. But if one is lucky enough, do not skip out on what Chef Cameron Slaugh—joined by his wife, Stephanie, heading front-of-house—has created: A multi-course dinner that explores the Italian regions of Campania, Puglia, Calabria, and Sicily.
Even more (and very much like the sunset hours at Alder & Sage’s weekend dinners), there is something quite magical about the space during the summer evening months. A golden glow sets upon the patio as the sun lingers until setting, providing quite the perfect space for what is, indeed, Long Beach’s finest purveyor of handmade pasta.
How the Nonna Mercato Summer Nights menu works.
The table gets every part of the opener: fried summer long beans—both green and golden—served with a Calabrian chile aioli along with chunks of focaccia and the best damn mozzarella di bufala and olive oil you’ll have this side of Italy.
You have a choice of antipasti to share for every two people: his stellar panzanella with heirloom tomatoes and peaches; a basic but delicious argula salad; or albacore crudo.
I suggest the crudo or the panzanella—the former having salt-cured (not brined) capers and Sicilian pistachios that are otherworldly.
With an ever-expanding wine menu that keeps its largely Italian and French—including solid versions of Fruili, Vermentino, Montepulciano, and even rarities like a sublime Alto Adige—it’s a marvelous way to kick off summer.
And then, the bigger courses…
For the bigger courses, you first have your individual choice of pasta. There’s a really beautiful casarecce—one of my favorite shapes—layered with a southern beef ragù. And another shape fave: paccheri, whose giant tubes are coated with lemon, rampini, and anchovy. There’s a genuinely gorgeous lobster fra diavolo for a $12 upcharge. A classic chittara for those that want to keep it light, smothered in lemon, Italian fish sauce (Colatura di Alici), and breadcrumbs.
But his cannelloni is on a different level. Delicate, smooth pipes of pasta are stuffed with a goat milk-based ricotta—creamy as ever but sturdy enough not to be outright runny when warm. Beneath it, a pool of the Sicilian wonder that is pesto alla trapanese, easily the city’s best version served yet. The kicker? A chili crisp oil that makes it feel like Chef Cameron’s most SoCal-ified pasta to date.
For the final courses, you have an option between his slow’n’low beef short rib, paired with an excellent squash caponata and balsamic drizzle. His meaty mussels, layered in a warm tomato sauce and paired with fries. (Yes, you should extract all the mussels from their shells, set the shells aside, and toss the fries in à la moules frites.) Or you can keep it vegetarian, going for his melazane alla Nonna, a play on the Sicilian classic that is eggplant alla norma.
The cost? $60 per person. Therefore: Go.
And a look into the dishes…
Spuntini (for the table)
- Mozzarella di Bufala: Buffalo mozzarella | olio verde of the region | sea salt
- Focaccia: Fennel pollen | olive oil
- Summer Beans: Calabrian aioli | lemon
Antipasti for the Table (Choice Of)
Tomato Panzanella: Nonna vinaigrette | peaches | rucola
Rucola: Parmigiano Reggiano | cracked pepper
Sicilian Crudo: Albacore | capers | Meyer lemon | Sicilian pistachio
Primi (Choice Of)
Casarecce: Southern beef ragù | tomato | olive oil [not pictured]
Paccheri: Anchovy | Meyer lemon | rapini | pecorino
Cannelloni: Fresh goat ricotta | pesto alla Trapanese | chili oil
Chittara: Lemon | colatura | bread crumbs [not pictured]
Spaghettini (+$12): Lobster fra diavolo | Calabrian chili | oregano
Secondi (Choice Of)
Beef Short Rib (+$15): Squash caponata | aged balsamic
Cozze alla Patatine: Mussels | frites | white wine | crushed tomato
Melanzane alla Nonna: Pomodoro | caciocavallo | burrata [not pictured]
Why Chef Cameron Slaugh of Nonna Mercato is Long Beach’s ‘Dean of Pasta’
With Nonna Mercato now doing two dinner series—one in the summer and one in the winter—Chef Cameron is able to explore the depths of Italian cuisine, hinted with dots of Californian and French influence, on a scale unlike the space has seen since opening. With it, he proves he is the most innovative pasta maker in Long Beach. I’ve called him the “proudly anointed Dean of Pasta” and I still stand by that: His play on shapes alone earn him that title, let alone his ability to have a thoroughly academic conversation about mattarello- versus machine-rolled pastas. (Nonna Mercato has no sheeters; just mattarellos.)
You have a kitchen that deeply respects him. And a staff that grasps the depths of his food, delightfully advertising Chef Cam’s rightful melding of Californian, French, and especially Italian techniques and flavors. With it, you have yourself an experience you wish were available year-round. Unquestionably. But also an experience that feels appropriately saved for summer nights.
He often eschews the common, though when on his menu, it often reflects some of the best versions in the region—like this summer menu’s take on fra diavolo and beef ragù. Or his regular offering of carbonara. When he explores the esoteric, it is outright magical—like last year’s magical lasagna di forno.
Nonna Mercato is located at 3722 Atlantic Ave. Summer nights will provide dinner every Friday and Saturday from June 19 to Aug. 29. For reservations, which open up for each weekend 30 days ahead of time, click here.
