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VOTING HAS BEEN EXTENDED! All polls will now be open until Friday, January 8 at 11:59PM.
As we continue our quest to find the things that make Long Beach so awesome, we look now to the places that keep our stomachs happy and our glasses full. Long Beach’s rich and diverse culinary landscape, and its ever-expanding beer and cocktail scene, mean there’s no shortage of delicious food and libations to choose from. But we’re not looking for just any old meal; we want to know what you think is the very best.
Vote for your favorites below, or if you don’t see your choice, add it. Please double-check that your choice is not already on the list before adding a new option. Businesses must be within the Long Beach city limits to qualify. Happy voting, and good luck to all of our nominees!
Best Brunch in Long Beach
Doctors have been telling us for years that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That may be true, but we prefer brunch. Nothing powers your Sunday Funday activities quite like that perfect combination of breakfast and lunch, topped off with a bloody mary or a couple (few) mimosas. Where do you go to find the best boozy brunch in Long Beach?
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Best Burger in Long Beach
Here’s another old favorite we’re reviving for a rematch. A couple of years ago we crowned the Factory Burger from Bixby Knolls’ The Factory the Best Burger in Long Beach, but with the unfortunate closing of the Knolls’ original gastropub, it’s time to find a successor to the throne. So, where did you go this year in Long Beach to find the very best of this most American of foods?
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Best Brussels Sprouts in Long Beach
The humble mini-cabbage has gotten a She’s All That-level makeover in the past few years, transformed from the stinky, bland, boiled bane of your childhood into something delightfully crispy and addictively flavorful. Roasted or pan-fried, with pancetta or without, bathed in a balsamic reduction or a citrus marinade, it seems now no menu is complete without a creative take on the Brassica oleracea. Where do you go to get the best Brussels sprouts in Long Beach?
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Best Doughnuts in Long Beach
National Doughnut Day may not be until June, but we’ll gladly celebrate this poor excuse for a healthy breakfast any day of the year. Give ’em to us old-fashioned or jelly-filled, glazed or dipped, with sprinkles or coconut shavings; we love it all. This fried treat has a long history in Long Beach, but we want to know where you go to get the best the city has to offer.
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Best Mac and Cheese in Long Beach
You’re stuck on a deserted island for the rest of your life, and can only choose one food to sustain you. If you said mac and cheese, you are as one of us. But what makes it the perfect food? Elbows or shells? Gooey shredded cheese or a creamy Mornay sauce? With bread crumbs or without? Where do you go to indulge in a bowl in Long Beach?
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Best Healthy Spot in Long Beach
All of this talk of fatty foods has got us thinking about our health. Maybe a nice green salad or a fresh-squeezed juice will counteract all of this delicious fried, cheesy fare. Where do you go in Long Beach to get your fix of healthy goodness?
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Best Ice Cream in Long Beach
An old-fashioned desert has made a comeback recently, and unlike that interloping fro-yo it’s richer, denser, and fresher than ever. Small batch, nitro-frozen or served on a pastry, so long as it’s cold and creamy, we’re in. I scream, you scream, who makes Long Beach’s best ice cream?
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Best Whiskey Cocktails in Long Beach
Whiskey consumption in the U.S. is at an all-time high—in fact, we’re drinking it faster than they can distill it. While a good whiskey is great neat or on the rocks, mixing up a fine rye or bourbon in a well-crafted cocktail can bring out subtle flavors and notes you never knew the brown stuff had in it. Where do you go to get the best whiskey cocktails in Long Beach—before it’s all gone?
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Best Bar to Watch Sports in Long Beach
Football and beer. Baseball and beer. Even soccer and beer. Nothing goes better with kicking back and watching your favorite sports team dominate—or be dominated—quite like an ice cold beer. When your team’s chances at victory rely on you being there to cheer them on, where do you go to channel your good karma at the screen?
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Best Coffee Shop in Long Beach
Here’s another one we’ve asked before, but with new coffee shops popping up in Long Beach faster than you can say “skinny latte,” it’s time to take another look at whose bean reigns supreme. Where do you go to get the best coffee in Long Beach?
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Previously: Best of Long Beach 2015: Shopping & Services
Next: Best of Long Beach 2015: Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Votes will be verified at the discretion of the Long Beach Post. Results not final until all votes are verified, and an official winner is announced.