{"id":13333,"date":"2020-03-01T15:00:26","date_gmt":"2020-03-01T23:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=30000007800"},"modified":"2020-03-02T22:16:20","modified_gmt":"2020-03-03T06:16:20","slug":"addison-favorite-things-februrary-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/addison-favorite-things-februrary-2020","title":{"rendered":"Favorite things I am eating right now in Long Beach: February 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

Missed one or two of these monthly lists? Click here for the full archive of Favorite Things I\u2019m Eating<\/a>. Looking for other food listicles?\u00a0Click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\r\n

****<\/p>\r\n

A few years back, I wrote an\u00a0Essential Long Beach Dishes listicle<\/a>. I wrote it because there\u2019s something so elemental and useful about a specific great dish at a specific place. It was less about some grander proclamation than it was about, \u201cThis is just great food.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

And I wanted to return to that, but the reality of that list is that some restaurants went out of business, some ingredients aren\u2019t around, moods shift, seasons alter, food changes. Constantly. So why not just own the moment?<\/p>\r\n

Without further ado, here are the favorite things I\u2019m eating right now\u2014and this month, I felt like going a little breakfast-centric because I’ve had some amazing pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and more.<\/p>\r\n

And it’s not like I haven’t had breakfast items before\u2014The Coffee Cup Cafe’s stellar chicken chile verde I featured them back in October<\/a>. And both the amazing breakfast pasta at Ellie’s and the shakshuka at Ammatol\u00ed were featured in my inaugural post in the column<\/a>. So here are some more awesome options.<\/p>\r\n

****<\/p>\r\n

\"Tito's<\/a>
Tito’s Bakery on 4th Street in Long Beach offers some of the city’s best burritos. Here, their chile verde [left] and chicharrones [right] burritos. Photo by Brian Addison.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n

Breakfast burritos at Tito’s Bakery<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n

1107 E. Fourth St., Alamitos Beach<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

I will never stop praising this burrito, period, because it is home to the best breakfast burrito in town. Nope, this isn\u2019t your heavy-cheese-and-egg concoction that placates the American palate preference, this is a hot-damned taqueria rolled into a tortilla for $6. <\/em><\/p>\r\n

One of the few places that isn\u2019t afraid of refried beans, one gets a slather of those delicious kernels of protein (and surely lard, considering how smooth and delectable they are) paired with potatoes, eggs, onions, cilantro and your choice of chorizo, chicharrones, bacon (chopped fresh and cooked right there, so request crispy if that\u2019s your preference), shredded beef, or chicken (though the pollo is not listed).<\/p>\r\n

Wrapped, tossed into a small paper bag with a grilled jalape\u00f1o and your choice of red or green salsa\u2014get both, FYI\u2014this is the kind of breakfast burrito that by its end will be soaked, hard to hold, and bring a sense of sadness when the last bite is consumed. But that\u2019s OK, because you can always order another if you dare\u2014or you can just go full beached-whale status and have some pan dulce.<\/p>\r\n

****<\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/a>
An array of carb-y, sugar-y, breakfast goodness courtesy of Happy Cow Kitchen. Photo by Brian Addison.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n

Carbs and sugar at Happy Cow Kitchen<\/h3>\r\n

371 Redondo Ave., Bluff Heights<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n

Happy Cow Kitchen is trying to keep it old-school simple: no wifi, no complex menu and seemingly eschewing a hipster vibe on every level, owner and baker Claudette Pentz offers up incredible baked goods every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.<\/p>\r\n

You can find little wonders\u2014her cream horns are cream cheese-y stuffed little wonders while decadent offerings like her buttery strawberry and almond croissant put most others to shame\u2014or you can go full sit down and have a genuinely solid breakfast or lunch.<\/p>\r\n

Housemade pretzel buns and brioches are stuffed with drool-worthy combinations: slices of prosciutto are paired with plum jam and brie cheese on a pretzel bun while heirloom tomatoes and pesto sit with a thick slice of sheep’s milk cheese on brioche.<\/p>\r\n

And then there are her quiches: open pockets of buttery crust filled with chunks of egg, cheese, bacon, and milk\u2014arguably the city’s best.<\/p>\r\n

****<\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/a>
The cheddar biscuit breakfast sandwich at Wide Eyes Open Palms. Photo by Brian Addison.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n

The biscuit breakfast sandwich at Wide Eyes Open Palms<\/h3>\r\n

416 Cherry Ave., Fourth Street Corridor<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n

I’ve long said that there something special about Wide Eyes Open Palms, the cafe that has become a Retro Row staple thanks to couple\/team Kat McIver and Angie Evans.<\/p>\r\n

It’s not only their incredibly humble origin story\u2014beginning in the farmers markets that have both disappeared (Downtown’s at the southwest corner of Third Street and Pacific Avenue) and still go strong (Alamitos Bay) only to have expanded to a full-on, brick-and-mortar\u2014but the birth of a truly queer-centric food space that churns out consistently quality food.<\/p>\r\n

And their breakfast biscuit sandwich is a prime example of how well they create morning food. A cheddar biscuit sandwich, slathered on its sides with a herbed ch\u00e8vre that is paired well with a slightly bitter leaf of red radicchio, all stuffed with silky, deep-yellow scrambled eggs that, once again, makes you wonder why we ever tried to one-up the French on eggs.<\/p>\r\n

****<\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/a>
The ricotta and fig toast at the Coffee Parlor. Courtesy of the Coffee Parlor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n

Ricotta and fig toast at the Coffee Parlor<\/h3>\r\n

2944 Clark Ave., East Long Beach<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n

Situated next to golden taco-staple Baja Sonora<\/a> and the mini-offshoot of L.A.’s famed Yang Chow<\/a>, sits Coffee Parlor, or CoPa to its East Long Beach patrons.<\/p>\r\n

The coffeeshop-meets-mini bistro is precisely what is needed for the neighborhood, one that has yet to see the specialty coffee scene that has exploded in Downtown even approach its borders. With it, they are introducing specialty coffee that focuses on medium and light roasts along with some special tricks, including a stellar caffeine-on-caffeine concoction that combines a Mexican Coke with espresso.<\/p>\r\n

But perhaps the best part hidden within this little jewel is its food menu. Stellar breakfast sandwiches (and I suggest you add bacon) meet occasional specials like short rib sandwiches along with a full-on toast menu.<\/p>\r\n

The avocado toast? Beautiful, but not basic. And the ricotta and fig toast? A tip-of-the-hat to the quality of ricotta toasts found at Wide Eyes Open Palms in Alamitos Beach and Republique in L.A.<\/p>\r\n

****<\/p>\r\n

\"Vibes'<\/a>
Vibes’ Breakfast Pizza, topped with prosciutto and eggs. Photo by Brian Addison.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n

The breakfast pizza at Vibes Cafe<\/h3>\r\n

76 1\/2 62nd Pl., Peninsula.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n

Vibes Cafe aims for, well, good vibes.<\/p>\r\n

The space is clean and minimal, with grays and warm whites, intimate seating, and a patio that feels like a mini-bungalow with a water fountain wall that complements the serene quietness of the Peninsula. (Not to mention that the patio is the perfect place to start off your morning while sipping a long black pour.)<\/p>\r\n

Fresh off celebrating its first year anniversary and given Berlin\u2019s distance all the way in Downtown, a cafe that operates more as a restaurant than a coffee shop is not only a smart move business-wise, but alleviates the lack of American bistro offerings in the city\u2019s culinary scene while connecting the rest of the city to one of its most beautiful neighborhoods.<\/p>\r\n

And the food is genuinely solid\u2014especially their breakfast pizza, layered with slices of prosciutto and cheese while being topped with eggs.<\/p>\r\n

****<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

But, if I had to pick just one to live with for the rest of the month\u2014just one\u2014it would definitely be Tito’s burritos like any true Californian would.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Brian Addison is a columnist and editor for the Long Beach Post.\u00a0<\/em>Reach him at\u00a0brian@lbpost.com\u00a0or on social media at\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>, and\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Food changes. So why not just own the moment? Without further ado, here are my favorite things I am eating right now\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":211,"featured_media":70893,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[8260],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[2691],"class_list":["post-13333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hi-lo","tag-favorite-things-im-eating","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/211"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13333"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13333\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13333"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=13333"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=13333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}