May 31, 2012 | By Chris Livingston | Recently, Simmzy’s reached out to the Post and asked if a few of us would like to come in for dinner. We gladly accepted the invite and went in last Monday night. We were greeted at the door by the manager and a few others. I proudly introduced myself as “one of the folks from LB Food Review and the Post” and the gentleman replied “Yeah, you’re Chris”. Admittedly, this was a first for me, and I was impressed that he had done his homework on us. We had the choice to sit at a private table or at the long communal tables that spans the middle of the bar area; we opted for the communal table as I thought that this would be the best way to check out other peoples’ food.

As soon as the four of us were seated we were asked what we wanted to drink and directed to the beer menu located above the bar on handwritten chalkboards. While we were looking the manager showed up with a beer flight, ranging from a light German Wizen to a wonderful, full bodied stout. We all decided that we wanted to have the Cismontane 2nd Anniversary, a wonderful Belgian Style IPA that from the very first sip was a true delight. No sooner did we get the beers when an order of the Caramelized Brussels Sprouts was placed in front of us. We were told this is one of their specialties, and I can see why. The sprouts were just slightly crispy on the outside, but still very tender underneath. The butter and garlic mingling with capers and anchovie, paired with perfectly done sprouts resting on bruschetta made for a VERY clean plate.

Now it was time to order dinner and I had fried chicken on the brain. I had seen two or three different orders around the room and it looked tantalizing. Buttermilk Fried Chicken is the Monday Nightly Feature and is portioned to serve two people, so I ordered it thinking that I would do some damage since Dennis is a vegetarian, and Dez and Dianne wanted pizza. They ordered up the Margarita, mostly for Dennis, and an MSG (mushroom, sausage, and garlic) for the ladies. The meal was quick to the table and made for a delicious feast. The chicken was rightly breaded and not greasy in the least with crunchy skin that flaked off and revealed moist, flavorful meat which fell off the bone with little persuasion. The accompaniment of napa slaw and mashed potatoes with gravy put the comfort in this Comfort Food dish. The pizza was also pleasing as the toppings were generous and the dough was thin with a light crust and soft center. The sauce was tangy and well balanced, with perfectly partnered cheese.

Even with full bellies and beers left to drink, we debated for all of about three seconds before ordering both desserts on the menu. The Chocolate S’mores Pudding is fantastic and unique, but the Apple Filled Donut is to die for. What looks like a round glazed donut, is filled with apple pie filling and then served hot with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream. One of the best desserts I have ever had.

We would like to thank Simmzy’s for giving us the opportunity to come in and check out what they are doing. We all truly enjoyed our visit and look forward to the next one.

Until next time, keep eating Long Beach,
Cliv