The Brief

As someone who travels around Los Angeles eating for a living, I've come to a conclusion that might be surprising to some.

I think Long Beach is one of Southern California’s most exciting food cities right now.

Full disclosure: I’ve lived here for just over seven years, so that might make me a little biased. Still, in my time here, I’ve witnessed a sea change of sorts. There are now locally run establishments bursting at the seams with creativity in almost every corner of the city.

When I talk about the magic of Long Beach's food scene, I’m often met with complaints about how far it is from L.A., with folks saying they might as well venture into deep Orange County or even San Diego, given the time it can take to get there during peak drivetime hours.

To which I say, so what?

Long Beach has a strong, independent spirit; with blue-collar roots and a rich music scene, from '70s funk and soul to '90s punk and reggae, it's never truly needed the approval of outsiders.

It's not interested in the current trends you might see in Silver Lake or Highland Park; instead, it carves out its own lane.

That may be one reason why the city has beckoned back Long Beach-born chefs and restaurateurs, who return to showcase their creativity after training at some of the best restaurants in the country.

There’s also the affordable rent, meaning there’s less pressure to get it all right immediately. And unlike L.A., it’s easy to get around.

OK, enough of my Long Beach boosterism. Instead, let me highlight some of my favorite establishments. They range from a Michelin-starred restaurant to a hole in the wall shack and everything in between. Which is another reason why I love the food scene here so much.

Selva

Chef Carlos Jurado, along with partner Geoff Rau, offers unique interpretations of Colombian cuisine, offering touches of creativity that are like watching a painter layer different colors to create a new hue.

Selva, which means jungle or rainforest in Spanish, nods to the dense jungle surrounding the Colombian city of Cali, Jurado's birthplace.

Chef Carlos Juardo is the Willy Wonka of Colombian cooking.

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Courtesy Selva

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The chef grew up in Long Beach and attended the nearby high school. He's sort of a local Willy Wonka, playfully blending Colombian food with different styles, from the American South (he worked with renowned chef Sean Brock of HUSK in Nashville) to SoCal (he worked with Thomas Keller at Bouchon in Beverly Hills).

It’s a perfect fit for a city that prides itself on its diversity and a sense of whimsy.

Earlier this year, I sampled a dish designed as a DIY sandwich platter, interactive and fun to assemble. A smoked Cornish game hen, rubbed with his Hot Chicken signature spice rub, was served with a sweet potato camote, freshly picked Biquinho peppers (small teardrop-shaped fruits referencing his South American roots), pickled green beans and onions, and finely shredded slaw.

Crispy smoked lamb belly laid over black rice, cut with purple onions and a pop of golden beet tang.

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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I also tried a crispy smoked lamb belly, similar to pork belly but with a lighter, game-forward taste. It was served over a bed of forbidden black rice, with a heap of purple spring onions and a thick triangle of pickled golden beets, adding a zing of acidity. It was a perfect seasonal dish, viewed through the lens of a chef who isn’t afraid to take chances.

Heritage

The exterior of Heritage Restaurant

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Julie Leopo

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LAist

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Going to a Michelin-starred restaurant would usually put your wallet on high alert. But not in Long Beach. Here, you can dine in a place that has not one but two stars (more on that later) for a $175-per-person tasting menu, a steal compared to similar high-end restaurants.

The establishment is Heritage, housed in a craftsman-style home on 7th Street, one of Long Beach’s busiest thoroughfares. It has a quaint yet upscale feel, with a sleek, modernist kitchen and dining area, making you feel as though you are in someone's dining room.

It’s owned and operated by siblings Lauren and Phil Pretty, who have a passion not just for food but also for zero-waste cooking. Which brings us to the second award.

They’ve been recognized with a Michelin Green Star three years in a row, given to restaurants that demonstrate exceptional sustainability practices. Currently, there are fewer than 500 in the world who have received the honor.

The philosophy is illustrated in almost every aspect of their kitchen — from food to packaging — meaning nothing should be thrown away.

According to Phil Pretty, who has worked with some of L.A.’s top chefs, it’s all about creativity.

Siblings Lauren (left) and Phill Pretty at their restaurant, Heritage

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Julie Leopo

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LAist

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He uses the example of a pork set, which typically contains an array of cuts. The pork shoulder is roasted whole to ensure no excess meat is wasted. The pork belly is cured and smoked. The pork belly trimmings are then cooked with chopped onions to make jam, while a second batch of onions is cooked using the sous vide method. That causes them to curl inward, making a perfect casing in which to stuff the jam.

Heritage's sustainable footprint goes far beyond the restaurant. The Prettys also founded Heritage Farm, a small plot of land up the street, where they grow large quantities of herbs for the kitchen, along with seasonal crops such as 1,500-year-old cave beans, an heirloom bean native to the southwest of the U.S.

A&J Seafood Shack

The idea of a seafood shack may not appeal to everyone, but it may simply mean you haven’t had the pleasure of visiting A&J Seafood Shack.

A window walk-up at the busy corner of Anaheim and Obispo avenues, A&J Seafood Shack offers a menu you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the Los Angeles region, incorporating a variety of Southeast Asian cuisines, including Cambodian and Thai, as well as Hawaiian.

It features a range of seafood and meat dishes, like the a delectable garlic shrimp plate inspired by Oahu’s North Shore shrimp trucks, as well as whole lobster and crab plates fried to perfection with aromatic spices.

Walk up to the window at A&J Seafood Shack in Long Beach.

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Brian Feinzimer

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LAist

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The beef stick sandwich at A&J Seafood Shack

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Brian Feinzimer

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LAist

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The beef stick sandwich, known in Cambodia as num pang, is a cousin of the Vietnamese banh mi. It’s made with skewered, grilled beef, seasoned with lemongrass, on a French roll, and packed with a pickled green papaya salad-like slaw, spears of cucumber, and slices of jalapeño, all dressed with sriracha mayo. It delivers a bite that’s equal parts sweet, spicy, and a bit funky, thanks to the dried shrimp and fish sauce in the slaw.

Traffic along busy Anaheim will be whizzing by, but once it’s just you and the beef stick sandwich, all will feel right with the world.

Gusto Bread

An al fresco dining setup outside Gusto Bread on 4th Street in Long Beach.

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Brian Feinzimer

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LAist

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Long Beach doesn’t just boast Michelin stars. It’s also got James Beard finalists making its bread.

Arturo Enciso and Ana Belén Salatino are owners of Gusto Bread, twice reaching the finals for Best Bakery.

The couple opened their panadería orgánica in August 2020 with a small storefront on Long Beach's Retro Row. During busy weekends, the line of people queuing up for their game-changing, ultra-soft pan dulce and sourdough loaves still stretches out the door and down the block.

A concha from Gusto Bread

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Brian Feinzimer

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LAist

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"The ingredients we use have integrity, and their quality shines through in our products. In their taste, textures, and healthfulness," Enciso said.

It's also their combination of Mexican and European techniques, seen in items like the Nixtamal Queen, their take on the kouign amann, a buttery Breton pastry. Enciso makes it with heirloom blue corn masa and sugar that's baked until caramelized, resulting in a perfect balance of crisp and chewy textures.

The sourdough concha is another example of Enciso’s handiwork. It feels quite dense and heavy in your hand, due in part to the three days it takes to make it. Yet when you take a bite, you’re transfixed by the light airiness of the dough, with an added crunchy topping of cacao encapsulating the bulbous pastry.

For me, it’s one of the best bites in the area.

Got Your Back

We’ve had the Michelin-starred restaurant and the seafood shack. Now — how about a community dinner series?

Brennan Villarreal and Sasha Schoen are two restaurant industry veterans who, in the summer of 2023, began hosting an ongoing dinner series in their backyard.

The couple started inviting fellow chefs from L.A. and Long Beach to showcase their talents in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere, charging a $10 entry fee and offering à la carte items with nothing higher than $15. The food was served family style, accompanied by a curated wine list from Schoen.

Tuna kinilaw crudo dish with coconut milk vinaigrette, nectarine, cosmic carrots from Weiser farms, and watermelon radish made by chef Brennan Villarreal.

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Joseph Lopez

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Courtesy Got Your Back

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The name Got Your Back originates from using their backyard as the setting and fostering community support by bringing together similarly minded chefs and other creatives. Since then, word spread around town after each dinner series, which has at times drawn more than 200 attendees.

Villarreal, of Filipino descent, built a reputation working at Lasa, which later became Lasita in Chinatown, known for offering a modern take on Filipino cuisine. The series became so successful that he’s been able to transition to a full-time cooking role with Got Your Back, with Minnesota-born Schoen handling all front-of-house responsibilities.

Villarreal says his cuisine is a blend of his Filipino background viewed through the lens of a lifelong Long Beach resident, with Mexican, Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Thai influences, among others.

Brennan Villarreal and Sasha Schoen raise their glasses to community and creativity as part of the ongoing dinner series, "Got Your Back."

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Joseph Lopez

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Courtesy Got Your Back

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“ It's not that I'm not making Filipino dishes. I'm creating dishes that resonate with me,” Villarreal said.

The dinner series has expanded to include collaborative dinners with Villarreal cooking alongside guest chefs. Past collaborations feature Jairo Bogarin of Hamburgers Nice, a breakfast burger pop-up; Sherwood Souzankari, co-owner of Midnight Oil, a dim sum bar in downtown Long Beach; and Patrick Claytor, chef de cuisine at Olive and Rose.

Not your average backyard hang — dinners with Got Your Back hum with flavor, creativity, and the buzz of community.

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Natalia Miranda

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Courtesy Got Your Back

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“ Our favorite thing about the ability to start this business is collaborating and creating something with other people. [It] always has such a better outcome than you could ever do by yourself,” Schoen said.

In October, Got Your Back will kick off a month-long residency at Selva on Mondays and Tuesdays, where they’ll serve their own menu along with a guest California winemaker series curated by Schoen. Guests can make reservations through Selva’s Yelp page to attend.

Check Got Your Back Instagram to stay up to date on their upcoming events. 

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.