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NatureWurks
Dining Tips
NatureWurk's staff is always
being asked about our favorite places to dine, we are happy to share with you
some of our experiences.
If you have any comments,
please
contact us
Below we hope you will find some
helpful advice for dining & traveling
in
Long Beach, California 
L'Opera Ristorante
101 Pine Ave., Long Beach 90802. 562/491-0066; fax
562/436-1108.
Open
Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday 11:30
a.m.-midnight; Saturday 5 p.m.-midnight; Sunday 5-10 p.m.
Elegant restaurant, classic and modern Italian cuisine,
including pasta, veal, lamb, steak, fresh fish and
innovative dessert creations. Extensive wine list, full bar.
Inside the historic 1906 bank building with its magnificent
marble columns and luminous hardwood floors and oil
paintings produced especially for the locale is the maison
of L'Opera. The original bank amenities such as the massive
vaults with open doors and curly antique crown molding are
visual highlights of an era gone by. Dimly lit and romantic
the green and faded beige interior gives way to its high
Italian classic cuisine. L'Opera is one of the best-looking
restaurants in Long Beach. The Northern Italian starters
range from smoked goose prosciutto paired with fresh
mozzarella, to pastas like the duck-and-mascarpone ravioli
in a satiny walnut sauce. Lobster ravioli and beef filets
are hands down favorites. Salads are tossed with a zesty
balsamic vinaigrette, and among the entrees, we recommend
the loin of grilled pork sautéed with grapes, brandy and
balsamic vinegar served on a cushion of polenta. The dessert
collection is heavy on special-occasion sweets. And the
modern Italian cuisine has received numerous awards: "Wine
Spectator’s Award of Excellence" - 1995-1999, the "Golden
Sceptre" - 1990-2000 and the "Bacchus Award" - 1998-2000.
There are private dining rooms available.
Madison
110 Pine Avenue `Long Beach, California 90802-4430 Ph:
562.628.8866
Is a knockout - a former bank building with 32-foot-high
ceilings and an owner who's always on duty, meeting and
greeting. His name is Enzo, and he's straight from Naples
and a gracious host from the old school. The Madison was the
perfect place to wind up a visit to Long Beach. The Boodles
martini was dry and cold, the filet mignon was seared and
rare, and the chanteuse - Barbara Morrison - was sheer
velvet purring "All of You," "Georgia on My Mind" and "I've
Grown Accustomed to Your Face." Now I've grown accustomed to
Long Beach. This upscale steakhouse has an elegant 1940's
style décor aglow via chandelier light. Typical items are
roughly $20 to $30, and you'll be appropriate if dressed
casual. The restaurant is spacious with high ceilings. It is
cozy and comfortable and calm. You'll be able to take in the
people watching view from many seats within this restaurant.
Enjoy sounds of the blues live as a part of this dining
experience. Madison is appropriate (if not ideal) for
entertaining clients, anniversaries and other romantic
evenings.
Stefano Il Ristorante
655 Anton Blvd.
(Bristol St.) Costa Mesa, CA, 92626-1919 Phone Number: (714)
850-9399 .
Hours of Operation:
Lunch: Monday - Friday: 11:00am -2:30pm; Dinner: Monday -
Thursday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm, Friday: 5:00pm - 11:00pm,
Saturday: 5:00pm - 11:30pm, Sunday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm.
Executive Chefs Stefano and Alessandro Colaicamo are making
a culinary statement in Costa Mesa where they opened their
flagship restaurant. You sure remember Stefano & Alessandro
from L'Opera ! No other chef in the area is better suited to
successfully address the challenges of a prominent Italian
Restaurant. A top rated chef in Rome before coming to
California, for four years, Stefano served as the chef for
"Ferrari Racing Team", traveling to races worldwide. For the
race weekend, he will have a car service to pick up his
customers. Stop by and taste for yourself the New Edge
Italian cuisine that has placed Stefano Il Ristorante on the
road to distinction. Offers: Banquet / Private Rooms,
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Dancing, Full Bar, Late Night,
Non-smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wine .
Entertainment: Friday & Saturday: Latin Guitar. Tuesday &
Wednesday: Accordion. Parking: Valet .
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, Carte
Blanche
Cuisine: Italian Dining Style: Fine Dining
Mum's Restaurant
144 Pine Ave., Long Beach 90802. 562/437-7700; fax
562/983-1949.
Located in the heart of historic Long Beach just minutes
from the convention center. Chef Joshua Bynum creates
California cuisine with an Euro- Asian influence. Mum's
black marble sushi bar presentations include everything from
California rolls to spicy tuna hand rolls. Martini lounge,
cigar and billiard room, live entertainment. Serving lunch
and dinner daily. Reservations recommended. Banquet
facilities available. Wank and sexy Mum's sits in the
upscale interior of Long Beach. Italian offerings with
international overtones understate the menu. A granite
marble-faced building with windows cut into it offering
views of the walk and drive city life. Inside is exquisite
and trendy with a line of palm trees running the center
through. Black marble tables accompany blue wooden chairs
outside the exhibition kitchen where all your culinary
dreams can be viewed for the price of the meal. A new and
very popular sushi bar has been introduced into these flashy
digs that is the darling of the local martini crowd. Chili &
sea bass and sushi, and specialty-grilled items are made to
order in an 1800 degree oven.
AE, MC, V.
Alegria
115 Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA (Near First Street)
Phone: 562-436-3388
The word for "fun" in Spanish, Alegria lives
up to its given name. The Long Beach restaurant row yields
up this Spanish bistro in a brick on brick building on Pine
Avenue. Neon signs mark the spot of animated atmospheric
multi-colored signature tiled family foodery. Tropically
colored artwork and bright south of the border colors liven
up the pallid wood tabled dinning room. Explosions of
empanadas de pollo and paella are positioned with other hot
and humid favorites on menu. Located in lively downtown Long
Beach, this is the place to see and be seen. The popular
indoor/outdoor cafe is frequented by a mostly thirty
something yuppie crowd who show up for the twice-nightly
Flamenco show. Here Spanish and Latin American tapas (little
bites) and entrees meant to share highlight the menu. There
is live music nightly and no cover charge for the full bar.
By all means try the sangría, a mix of red wine and fruit.
Street parking is hard to find, but there is a multilevel
lot behind the restaurant, or valet parking at the adjacent
L'Opera restaurant. -
Adiamo's Ristorante
6509 East Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach, California
90803-4202 Ph: 562.493.5529.
This upscale restaurant concentrates on an Italian cuisine.
Expect the average entrée to cost $12 to $20. Open for lunch
and dinner. . Reservations are suggested. The restaurant has
arranged parking for customers. Andiamo's is somewhat
difficult to find, but worth looking for. The upscale eatery
is located in the heart of the Long Beach Marketplace,
nestled in between lagoons that create a peaceful ambience
for the patio. Here you'll find Northern Italian cuisine
with California attitude. The complimentary appetizer is a
soft cheese in marinara sauce served with home-style bread.
It is addictive, but try not to overindulge. A feast awaits.
The restaurant is fancy enough for special occasions, but
reasonable enough to make it a regular destination.
Queen Mary
1126 Queen's
Highway, Pier J Long Beach 90802 Phone:(562) 435-3511.
On the historic Queen Mary ocean liner, it's full
steam ahead when it comes to family fun, fine dining and
hospitality. Maritime history buffs and fans of Hollywood's
golden age alike will find the mood aboard the British ocean
liner absolutely unsinkable. When they step aboard, visitors
join the ranks of some of the regal ship's most famous
guests, like Winston Churchill, Greta Garbo and Clark Gable
Check out the ocean liner's charming Shipwalk Tour, on-board
shopping, award-winning restaurants (everything from
Denny's-style eats to juicy filet mignon) and an impressive
on-board art gallery. Why not tie the knot surrounded by the
ship's romantic ambiance? You won't get cold feet in the
warm, cozy Royal Wedding Chapel. Be sure to get there early
to navigate through the expensive maze of a parking lot. --
For a grown-up city, Long Beach doesn't seem like a pressure
cooker. I didn't feel the stress, probably because of the
spectacular ocean views on two sides. Dominating one view is
the majestic luxury liner christened in the mid-1930s - the
Queen Mary. Millions of words have been penned in
praise of the Queen with its three crimson-tipped stacks and
broad wooden decks ideal for strolling, but you need to go
aboard to savor its well-preserved charms.
The Queen Mary is anchored here permanently. You can
visit the ship, and dine aboard in deco splendor on
surprisingly good food served by tuxedoed waiters. Try Sir
Winston's for dinner. You can sip, gaze and dance to live
music in the forward Observation Bar where Clark Gable used
to perch with his lady of the moment. But to experience the
luxury of a bygone era, live aboard. Although it has been a
hotel for almost three decades, not everyone has made the
discovery. True, the Queen Mary is not a sleek
Italiante "Love Boat" with over hyped cruise directors
exhorting passengers to "turn around and make a new friend."
It is the genuine article. The walls are fashioned of 50
woods, and the wide passageways look as if they extend for
miles. here are no bleating foghorns or champagne-guzzling
guests crowding the rail throwing bon voyage streamers to
friends left behind. Indeed, the 1,019-foot liner, bigger
than the Titanic, seems a bit lonely compared with
the day when 2,000 travelers clamored up the gangplank,
steamer trunks in tow, to make the weeklong crossing from
New York to Southampton.
King's Pine Avenue Fish House
Long Beach 100 W.
Broadway Long Beach 90802 Phone: (562) 432-7463.
Jeff and Sam King -- the very same King cousins who own
555 East and several other Long Beach establishments --
run this uptown-style fish house. Here the pair meld a
seafood menu with an atmosphere of old-fashioned elegance.
From the black-and-white tile floors to the dark wood tables
and cozy booths, the feel is both crisp and clubby. The
popular outside patio adds to the ambience. King's Fish
House is usually packed for lunch and dinner, especially
before and after local theater performances. The fish and
shellfish menu changes daily, and an expansive oyster bar is
filled with a host of offerings. Try the seafood salads and
pastas for a change of pace from grilled fish. Street and
lot parking available behind the building. --
555 East
555 E. Ocean Blvd. Long Beach 90802 Phone:562) 437-0626
Owned by Jeff and Sam King, cousins who run several
successful eateries in the Los Angeles-South Bay area, this
slick New York City-style restaurant is a hangout for
residents and nearby office workers who populate the crowded
front bar. In addition to steak and prime rib, the menu at
555 East also offers an assortment of Italian dishes.
Outside dining is available on a heated and protected patio.
Street and valet parking. --
Frenchy's Bistro
Anaheim Street
It's the real thing and their sand dabs are authentic!
Shenandoah Café
2nd St.
In the Shore serves regional cuisine from around the
country. Their apple fritters are locally world-famous and
doled out on a regular basis by a little lady who roams the
restaurant's floor. They also boast a wonderful wine list.
Lasher's
3441 E. Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90803. Phone Number:
(562) 433-0153 .
Hours of Operation:
Dinner: Tuesday – Thursday: 5:00pm – 9:30pm, Friday –
Saturday: 5:00pm – 10:30pm, Sunday: 5:00pm – 9:30pm; Sunday
Brunch: 10:30am - 3:00pm
Casual Elegant. Lasher’s is a charming and
beautifully restored craftsman Bungalow built in 1920,
featuring a fireplace, mahogany wood trim, and an elegant
garden patio. It is the perfect setting for a diverse
American menu with regional specialties, prime steaks, and
fresh fish.
Executive Chef: Lynae Gurnsey/Ray Lasher.
Cuisine: American Dining Style:
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club,
Discover, Carte Blanche
Enjoy
Your Dining
& Safe Travels
 
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