Why I think Long Beach is the most exciting food city in Southern California right now

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.