{"id":27,"date":"2019-05-30T11:20:32","date_gmt":"2019-05-30T18:20:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/?p=999951083"},"modified":"2019-10-01T08:10:48","modified_gmt":"2019-10-01T15:10:48","slug":"addison-favorite-things-may-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/food\/addison-favorite-things-may-2019","title":{"rendered":"Favorite things I am eating right now in Long Beach: May 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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A few years back, I wrote an Essential Long Beach Dishes listicle<\/a>. I wrote it because there’s 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, “This is just great food.”<\/p>\n

And I want to return to that, but\u00a0the reality of that list is that some restaurants went out of business, some ingredients aren’t around, moods shift… Food changes. Constantly. So why not just own the moment? Without further ado, here are the favorite things I’m eating right now…<\/p>\n

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of\u00a0 Ammatoli’s shakshuka, served every weekend during brunch. Photo by Dima Habibeh.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shakshuka at Ammatol\u00ed (285 E. Third St.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The food of Chef Dima Habibeh remains, ever since I first reviewed it<\/a>, some of the best Levantine food in the region. Consistent, layered, and wonderfully aromatic: the smell of her shawarma with its hints of cloves and cardamom give my jaws little pains when I am particularly hungry; I salivate that much.<\/p>\n

But on weekends, there is something particularly special coming from her talented hands: the almighty shakshuka, a North African dish that has become a breakfast staple throughout the Levant. Tomatoes are stewed with harissa, a paste-like concoction of blended chiles, garlic and other spices and then eggs are poached in said sauce. Dima’s version\u2014topped with a beautifully charred Serrano pepper, layered with veggies, and served with perfectly hearty, toasted bread\u2014is one of the most stellar examples of shakshuka in the region.<\/p>\n

Think of it as Levantine huevos rancheros or eggs in purgatory\u2014only, at least in my humble opinion, Dima’s version surpasses both.<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

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The Lomo Saltado at Casa Chaskis. Photo by Brian Addison.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lomo saltado at Casa Chaskis (2380 Santa Fe Ave.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sometimes, you just want the classics\u2014especially when the classics are done superbly. Enter Casa Chaskis, giving El Pollo Imperial, which has long held the title of Long Beach’s best Peruvian food, a run for its\u00a0huacatey<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Chef Agustin Romo started in his endeavor on Instagram, delivering plates of\u00a0t<\/em>allarines<\/em>\u00a0v<\/em>erdes\u00a0<\/em>and empanadas to those who would place an order through his social media account. Saving penny by penny, Romo opened his brick-and-mortar on the Westside and now serves up some of the best Peruvian food in the city.<\/p>\n

A stellar example of his craft is his\u00a0lomo saltado<\/em>, the dish which epitomizes Peruvian cuisine: French fries and tomatoes are tossed with tender slivers of beef and red onion, sitting atop an addictive\u00a0au jus\u00a0<\/em>of sorts made with vinegar, soy, and love. The result? An ode to Peru by way of Long Beach.<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

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The Shittake Shrooms bowl at Bamboo Club. Photo by Brian Addison.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shiitake Shrooms at Bamboo Club (3522 E. Anaheim St.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This publication has already extolled the qualities of the food at The Bamboo Club,<\/a> but allow me to elaborate on the greatness of one dish.<\/p>\n

For one, it is unexpected; perhaps that’s the quality I most love about the food cooked up by Chef Melissa Oritz: It supersedes any expectation while it fits perfectly within the excess of the surrounding decorations when you visit.<\/p>\n

Hidden amongst the offerings of a stellar burger<\/a>\u2014the burger at Ellie’s<\/a> might have a run for its money\u2014and the even more stellar chicken sandwich<\/a>\u2014why, oh why, has this thing never existed in Long Beach?\u2014is a vegan, gluten-free dish that is masterfully executed.<\/p>\n

No joke, Ortiz’s re-hydrated, potato flour-ed, fried shiitakes sitting atop a bowl of tea-brewed rice\u2014paired with some warm Japanese pickles, dotted with red pepper, covered with some fresh scallion\u2014is one of the most addicting, surprising, and genuinely great things I’ve had in a while.<\/p>\n

And I’ll keep coming back for more.<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

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The Breakfast Rigatoni served during brunch at Ellie’s. Photo by Brian Addison.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Breakfast Rigatoni at Ellie’s (204 Orange Ave.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chef Jason Witzl read our minds before we even realized it: Breakfast pasta.<\/p>\n

Think about it. The simultaneous shamelessness and wonder, the fact that you’ve wanted it before but just wouldn’t admit it… even after countless morning consumptions of cold spaghetti.<\/p>\n

The plate is one of many brunch specials and it brings with it a special quality that makes it not only delicious but distinct.<\/p>\n

Handmade rigatoni is tossed in a creamy, pancetta-laced sauce and topped with buttery bread crumbles, chives, and a perfectly poached egg. Witty and downright addicting, this poem to Carbs All Day, Everyday will have you dreaming about your next Sunday.<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

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The carrot cake at Susie Cakes inside the Long Beach Exchange complex.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Carrot Cake at Susie Cakes (4201 McGowen St., Suite 220)<\/strong><\/p>\n

SusieCakes, overseen by L.A.-by-way-of-Chicago baker Susan Sarich, has become a small business phenomenon. Having celebrated its 12th anniversary this year with its flagship shop in Brentwood, SusieCakes now operates over 20 bakeries in California and Texas.<\/p>\n

And what makes the work of Sarich so popular isn’t her odd approach to baking\u2014she’s not pushing the baking envelope\u2014but her\u00a0heavenly take on the classics: vanilla cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, etc. Here is where she shines, and there is no better example of this than her carrot cake.<\/p>\n

Four layers, alternately layered with a praline frosting and a cream cheese frosting, are packed with slivers of carrot, chunks of walnut, and a mixture of both golden and classic raisins. The result is a perfect dessert.<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

But, if I had to pick just one to live with for the rest of the month\u2014just one\u2014it would be Dima’s shakshuka at Ammatol\u00ed.<\/p>\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>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Food changes. Constantly. So why not just own the moment? Without further ado and in no particular order, here are my favorite things I am eating right now…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":211,"featured_media":65560,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","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":[8],"tags":[8260],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[2691],"class_list":["post-27","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food","tag-favorite-things-im-eating","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27","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=27"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=27"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=27"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}