Video by Sarynelli Valerin.
For many (including those here at the Post), the gastronomical goodness of Long Beach—or just the world in general—is its best feature. Food and drink do more than nourish our bodies; they connect us socially and make the neurons in the pleasure centers of our brains do a little happy dance.
Long Beach is home to a unique and ever-growing food scene. From old world favorites to new, experimental concepts, there is no shortage of spots to get down and grub.
We asked you, the reader, to tell us what’s great about Long Beach, and you delivered; well over 60,000 of you joined in to root for your favorites in each category. Some of your top picks won by a landslide, while others were hotly contested, but the one thing they all have in common is that they all make Long Beach a unique, special, and beloved place to live.
The Rosarito Taco at Holé Molé. Photo by Asia Morris.
Holé Molé
Best Non-Traditional Take on the Taco in Long Beach – for the Rosarito Taco
Best Lunch Special in Long Beach
Best Place to Cure the Midnight Munchies in Long Beach
Best Fast Food in Long Beach
Best Chain Restaurant in Long Beach
By Jason Ruiz
Long Beach is home to a King Taco franchise, but after completing a near clean sweep of the food section of this year’s Best of Long Beach, it’s clear who our readers think is the true king of tacos around here.
After the dust settled, Holé Molé was the winner for best non-traditional take on the taco for their Rosarito Taco, best fast food, best chain, best lunch special and the best place to cure the midnight munchies. Owner Scott Bascon, who opened the first location on Obispo, has four other locations throughout the city in addition to one in Carson and another in Tustin. Bascon said with so many other great chains in the city, for his to be voted number one is truly an honor.
“I’m psyched that we beat In-N-Out,” Bascon said. “I think that’s pretty awesome. In-N-Out is the highest standard in the quick-service chain industry. I’m really humbled on that one.”
Although, they don’t have a true lunch special, Bascon pointed out that they have daily specials and their Taco Tuesday promotion runs all day, every Tuesday. “I think that because of the price and the quality of our food people continue to come,” Bascon said.
They offer a variety of options for both carnivores and vegetarians alike. The Rosarito, which was voted best non-traditional taco this year, is a hybrid of sorts; Bascon says it was designed to be messy, with toppings—a boat-load of melted cheese, whole beans, guacamole, onions and cilantro with your choice of asada, chicken, carnitas or al pastor—dropping off of the slightly-crisped flour tortilla onto the bed of chips it’s served over, creating an accidental side of nachos.
For those not seeking meat-filled Mexican-style tacos and burritos, Holé Molé has an entire section of their menu dedicated to vegetarian items, with delicious and affordable potato or bean tacos and an array of veggie-friendly burritos. And let’s not forget their famous fish tacos, available for just a dollar each every Tuesday.
“I think the fact is that our food is just priced right at all times,” Bascon said of being voted best lunch special. “We don’t per se have a lunch special, but we do have daily specials.”
Holé Molé has two locations to serve the late-night crowd. The PCH location is open until midnight, while the locally-famous 4th street location, conveniently situated walking distance from several Long Beach bar-staples like The Pike, Stache Bar and Fern’s, is open until 2:00AM. Being a successful chain comes down to a combination of things, and the people of Long Beach voting Holé Molé as the Best Of, well, pretty much everything this year is proof that Bascon and his wife Lisa have that “it” factor.
“We just have a good team, good people and a vision of where the company wants to be,” Bascon said. “I think we have people that have bought into that and want to serve and want to be in this industry. That’s what it comes down to. Good food, and good people and the right price.”
Holé Molé has five locations in Long Beach; 421 Obispo Avenue, 5109 East PCH, 1327 East 4th Street, 2125 N Bellflower Blvd., and 1200 E Wardlow Rd.
Beachwood BBQ & Brewing
Best Tap List in Long Beach
By Jason Ruiz
It seems like Beachwood BBQ & Brewing has been putting out award-winning beers since the moment it decided to start brewing its own instead of just curating a list of quality guest beers. Together, owner Gabe Gordon and co-owner and head brewer Julian Shrago have assembled what was voted the best tap list in Long Beach in 2014. For Gordon, their tap list goes much further than featuring just Beachwood’s own award-winning beers. A great tap list needs depth and breadth.
“We treat the list as a whole,” Gordon said. “We might have rad beers of our own but having eight of your own beers doesn’t make for a great tap list. I think it’s a very complimentary thing. Our beers are great but there are a lot of other great beers out there and what we try to do is put together an amazing list of great beer that compliments our own beer and our beer compliments those other beers.”
The ability to do that comes from the relationships that Gordon and Shrago have formed in the craft beer industry, and from their decision to go for a well-rounded selection as opposed to the most exotic.
“We have a long-standing relationships with a lot of prominent breweries, so that give us access,” Gordon said. “But the way we approach a tap list isn’t based off what’s the hype-iest beer. A good tap list should really reflect a wide breadth of styles and really allow you to move through your drinking experience.”
The experience is something that Beachwood prides itself on. The knowledge and know-how in serving it is just as important to the quality of the beer as the ordering of kegs. That’s why the two insist on serving all the beers they serve out of the 36 available taps at Beachwood at the right temperature and out of the right glassware. The experience and quality is what keeps people flocking to the establishment located on the Promenade. And that’s the biggest compliment, says Gordon.
“I think that that’s the ultimate compliment in the service industry is when the people that come into your restaurant are the same people all the time,” Gordon said. “That means what you’re doing is a good thing and they like it and they want to return.”
Beachwood BBQ & Brewing is located at 210 East 3rd Street, on the Promenade.
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Photo by Jason Ruiz.
Restauration
Best Veggie Burger in Long Beach
By Jason Ruiz
With Restauration still several months away from celebrating its first birthday, it was a huge surprise to Dana Robertson when one of her staff members informed her the restaurant was nominated for Best of Long Beach. Then, when Robertson learned Restauration was voted best veggie burger in Long Beach, she was ecstatic.
But to be fair, the burger—composed of a chickpea patty, pickled red onions, cucumbers, tzatziki and a homemade harissa ketchup all piled on a fresh brioche bun—truly is the best in Long Beach. It’s unique, delicious and can be made vegan-friendly. The inspiration behind the Mediterranean-style burger came out of Robertson’s want to provide a quality veggie burger using fresh, local ingredients, while allowing her chef creative license.
“Our chef likes to play with a lot of different textures and whatnot,” Robertson said. “Sometimes those burgers can tend to be a little bit dry, so I think the tzatziki adds a nice creaminess to it and the harissa adds that sweet and savory. The crisp, crunchiness of the cukes on there lends a little bit of texture. And the brioche bun is all-around goodness.”
The restaurant offers up a variety of veggie, vegan and omnivore-friendly dishes. From their heirloom tomato salad with avocado, feta and kalamata olives to their brussels sprouts prepared with basil, tarragon, roasted corn and peppers and micro greens, Restauration is dishing out much more than just the 4th Street Burger to its vegetarian customers. The reasoning for the menu layout was simple to Roberson; she wants to provide a quality meal for everyone that walks through Restauration’s doors.
“Not everyone that goes out all together is going to be all the same,” Robertson said. “You’re going to have a guy that eats meat and his girlfriend is strictly vegetarian or vegan and vice versa. You need to make sure there’s something that’s awesome for everyone, not just something that’s a side thought.”
Restauration is located at 2708 East 4th Street.
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Photo by Asia Morris.
Lola’s Mexican Cuisine
Best Tamales in Long Beach
By Asia Morris
Lola’s Mexican Cuisine is the place to go for homemade style, delicious Guadalajaran-inspired Mexican food on Retro Row. And while they have an overwhelming array of dishes nearly impossible to choose from, their seasonal tamales are something of a Holiday miracle. Luis Navarro, owner of Lola’s, says it’s the fresh ingredients and respect for tradition that makes the tamales so good.
“We’ll play with different recipes some years, but this year we decided to go with our old traditional way, which are the chicken, pork, sweet corn and queso con rajas,” he said. “We literally hand make them, but we don’t make our masa in-house because we actually get freshly ground corn masa instead of using corn flour, but we do get the masa sourced locally and I think that’s what really makes the tamale, that we’re using actual ground corn masa.”
Lola’s most popular tamale is the queso con rajas, said Navarro, the cheese with the roasted poblano pepper, but if you take the opportunity to try all three types, it’s impossible to leave disappointed.
Lola’s Mexican Cuisine is located at 2030 East 4th Street.
Alyssa Van De Vort with mother Gina Van De Vort.
With Love Bakery
Best Cottage Business in Long Beach
By Asia Morris
With Love Bakery was founded by Pastry Chef Alyssa Van De Vort and her mother Gina Van De Vort in April of this year. Alyssa, who has been baking with her mother and father since she was three, graduated from the New England Culinary Institute and began her career working for some of the best chefs in the industry. She then opened her own business, With Love Bakery, and on August 29, she sold her first baked goods as the owner of her own business.
“I am unbelievably excited to have won Best Cottage Business. Opening a bakery has been my dream since I was 12, and since then I’ve been working so incredibly hard to get there,” she said. “From culinary school, to working such long hours in hotel and restaurant kitchens, and then finally taking the plunge to start With Love Bakery this past April. The amount of support from the community has been immeasurable, and I cannot wait until I can bring Long Beach a With Love Bakery store front!”
With Love Bakery’s cookies, cupcakes, blondies, pineapple upside-down cakes, dark chocolate whoopie pies with peanut butter frosting, and much, much more can be found locally at the Bixby Park Farmers Market on Tuesdays from 3:00PM to 7:00PM. Check out their Facebook and website for updates.
Right: With Love Bakery’s Peppermint Bark Cupcake, a dark chocolate cupcake with white chocolate buttercream and a candy cane garnish.
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Roxanne’s Cocktail Lounge and Latin Grill
Best Happy Hour in Long Beach
By Jason Ruiz
There are countless bars in Long Beach, most of which offer happy hour specials for those dipping out of work early or just simply called out to day-drink. But what sets Roxanne’s Cocktail Lounge and Latin Grill’s happy hour apart from the rest? Well, let’s start with the fact that they’re not just serving up your typical dollar-off beers or well-and-soda combinations. Or the fact that the same signature food items they offer during regular service, like their pupusas and empanadas, are offered during happy hour, but at happy hour prices.
Jimmy Torres, director of social media at Roxanne’s, says quality was key to Roxanne’s being voted best happy hour in the city for 2014.
“Besides the food being delicious and the drinks being awesome, we put out really good quality at a happy hour price,” Torres said. “Just because it’s happy doesn’t mean you have to lower its quality. So we put out premium batch of small sprits and serve the same food that we serve during regular hours and it’s made fresh every day.”
Did we mention that Roxanne’s happy hour lasts all day on Thursdays?
Torres said that one of the favorites off of the happy hour menu is the Jack Rose, a tequila-based drink with lime and grenadine. Put simply, it’s basic and delicious, Torres said. And for the whisky fans out there, the Whisky Buck, which incorporates simple syrup, ginger beer and lemon, is the answer to your happy hour needs. They also offer up a list of nearly 30 craft beers either on tap or by the bottle.
Roxanne’s has been in operation for 4 years and recently opened a speakeasy to add a little 20s charm to their establishment. The lounge hosts an open mic night for local musicians in addition to free pool, Taco Tuesday and of course, the epic day-long happy hour every Thursday.
Roxanne’s is located at 1115 E. Wardlow Rd. in Bixby Knolls.
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Trader Joe’s
Best Local Market in Long Beach
By Asia Morris
Whether you’re searching for Trader Ming’s Peanut Satay or picking up a fresh stalk of brussel sprouts for the next three dinners of the week, Trader Joe’s is the best local market for finding fresh flowers, affordable wine, Trader Joe’s infamous Triple Ginger Brew and some of the healthiest, most delicious food available.
Not only are Trader Joes’ food products extremely desirable, but their employees always find a way to put a smile on your frustrated face, especially on a Sunday when the register lines are incomprehensibly long.
It’s also the best place to run into everyone you’ve ever met in Long Beach, whether you like it or not, not to mention it’s the prime location to grab your ironic lunch at In n’ Out, post-healthy food shopping spree.
Trader Joe’s has three locations in Long Beach; 4121 Atlantic Avenue, 2222 North Bellflower Boulevard, and 6451 East Pacific Coast Highway.
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Photos by Brittany Woolsey.
Gladstone’s
Best Seafood in Long Beach
By Brittany Woolsey
Pete Lehmar, executive chef at Gladstone’s, is a culinary genius when it comes to seafood.
Lehmar, who opened the restaurant at the Pike at Rainbow Harbor in November 1994, clearly takes pride in the savory, original dishes he prepares. What sets Gladstone’s apart from other fish restaurants is its food’s freshness, Lehmar said.
“I do work with a couple local wholesalers, but for a lot of the time, I do have fish flown in directly from Hawaii that was literally caught yesterday afternoon,” he said. “I work with some fishermen in Alaska, and I even have a tuna coming to me this afternoon from Newport Beach. We spend a tremendous amount of time making sure that we’re getting the freshest seafood we can.”
And it shows. The succulent oysters, served with horseradish sauce and lemon, are a must. The popular delicacy that goes down easy is frequently ordered by customers again and again.
Thai calamari, lobster deviled eggs, pan soy-seared ahi with mushrooms and a Parmesan-crusted halibut are also among the most popular (and delicious) dishes Gladstone’s serves.
Gladstone’s is located at 330 South Pine Avenue. For a complete menu and specials, click here.
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