Welcome to Foodie Friday, our biweekly report on the latest neighborhood nosh and local libation news in Long Beach, where every other week we’ll feature what’s happening in the scene and the latest buzz in the blogosphere about the best places to eat, drink and be merry.
Tonight, Black Ring Coffee will host a latte art competition and a Stranger Peaks-themed art show, with Modern Times brews available and the Shake Ramen truck on site. Check out our last Foodie Friday here for more info.
Inaugural LBC Food Truck Crawl to Kick Off Sunday, North Long Beach Gets its First Brewery
Also on Friday, Compton Vegan, a start-up catering service offering affordable and healthy alternatives to the everyday processed foods that are often so difficult to avoid, will host a pop-up at 4th Street Vine during We’re Science, a night of 80s music on vinyl. Compton Vegan offers jackfruit vegan rib and and wing plates, tacos and more.
The Pie Bar officially opens its second location in Glendale today at 109 East Broadway in the city’s downtown area. It’s been great to see the growth of Laurie Gray’s Long Beach-based business, who left the banking world three years ago to realize her dream of opening “a pie shop on the beach.”
Rendering from Mother’s Market & Kitchen.
Although technically in Signal Hill, Long Beach fans of Mother’s Market & Kitchen will be happy to hear the Orange County-based business is expanding into the area. Now located where Fresh & Easy once had a store, Mother’s offers a wide selection for those with specialized diets, local and organic produce and a large selection of supplements. The grand opening celebration takes place this Saturday at 10:00AM, although the market officially opens at 7:00AM with the first 100 customers to receive a $50 gift card and a recyclable grocery bag.
Flyer courtesy of Sydney Richardson.
The Bicycle Stand and local cyclist Sydney Richardson are partnering to bring foodies a new way to experience Long Beach restaurants. The inaugural Ride and Dine kicks off Tuesday at 7:00PM from the bike shop and rides to SteelCraft in Bixby Knolls. For those familiar with established group rides in the area, the pace will be slower than a Hump Day Special, but faster than a Moonlight Mash. See the flyer above for more details.
On Saturday, February 24, all are invited to a free Chef’s Cooking + Tasting Kick-Off at Friedman’s Home Experience to celebrate the start of Dine Out Long Beach Restaurant Week 2.0. For more information about the event and for a little assistance choosing from the 50-plus restaurants to try, check out our staff picks here and pet-friendly eateries here.
A new certified farmers market will land at Houghton Park on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Harding Street on Monday, February 26. The grand opening will take place from 2:00PM to 6:00PM with the market to occur weekly on Mondays. Check out the Facebook page here for more information. Long Beach Fresh also has a list of all the farmers markets in the Long Beach area. With the addition of the Houghton Park farmers market, there’s now one every day of the week.
Rendering of SteelCraft Garden Grove courtesy of Studio One Eleven.
The tenants for SteelCraft’s second location in Garden Grove were released by the city’s mayor at their 2018 State of the City Address, SteelCraft announced earlier this month. The shipping container concept will house Dark Horse Coffee Roasters, Renegade Taco, and Cauldron Ice Cream among others, and bring with it a taste of Long Beach with Beachwood Brewing Co. expected to open alongside nine others. The groundbreaking will take place on March 5.
We sent our intern to the inaugural LBC Food Truck Crawl in Victory Park, who reported back that the Sunday soiree of mobile fare turned out be less entertaining than promised, but the food was still drool-worthy. Belly BombZ hosted an LBC Food Truck & Art Crawl the following weekend and will continue to do so every Sunday from here on out.
“Our vision is to build a boardwalk style gather up in Long Beach with Food Trucks and Artists,” Belly Bombz posted on the event page for last week’s crawl. “We are starting small to reduce risk for our trucks but we look forward to bringing you bigger things to LBC!”
First LBC Food Truck Crawl Didn’t Go As Planned but the Food Was Still Good
Long Beach, and apparently Las Vegas, are the places to be if you’re seeking out affordable food options, according to personal finance resource GOBankingRates. Long Beach ranks second on the company’s list of 20 Most Affordable Cities for Foodies. Their report seems to be aimed at those intent on joining the “foodie revolution.”
The Social List and 4th Street’s Retro Row area are about to receive some welcomed improvements, thanks to the restaurant’s owners and the City of Long Beach. More patio seating, added greenery and safety for pedestrians are just a couple of the benefits of the new bulb-out and crosswalk expected to be completed around the end of this month.
http://staging-live.lbpost.com/place/design/4th-street-corridor-alterations-on-the-way-to-improve-pedestrian-safety-beautify-the-area/
Another coffee shop is on its way to joining the downtown business of caffeination, a la Confidential Coffee & Tea, LONGBEACHIZE posted this week. Confidential’s owners said they plan on carrying local roasters Black Ring Coffee (to bring this post full circle) as well as other regional and national brands. Currently under construction, you can find the new shop at 145 West 6th Street in downtown.