The 2nd Annual Eat LBC starts this Sunday, March 22 so we wanted to give you a preview of some of the delectable meals Long Beach Restaurant Week participants have to look forward to. And while yes, this “article” is basically just a glorified menu, we could barely keep ourselves from drooling all over our keyboards when thinking about Kihon Sushi’s Crispy Soft Shell Crab with Tomato Caper Ponzu Sauce or Berlin Bistro’s espresso rubbed sirloin steak or L’Opera’s… well you get the picture.

So dig in, Long Beach, and let your City’s wide range of cuisines take you for a ride down an inevitable-food-coma lane. Here are just a few of the menu items up to be greedily enjoyed.

Michael’s on Naples presents their “Buona sera, per due,” or “Good evening, for two,” a fine dining experience that will feature a three-course menu with dishes like Pesce Spada (confit swordfish belly, taggiasche olives and artichokes), Maiale alla Milanese (Devil’s Gulch pork shoulder, grilled asparagus and forest mushrooms) and Chitarra Pasta all’uovo (Nettle pasta, poached egg and pea tendril pesto) among other choices for $50 a person.

L’Opera will feature their Tagliatelle al Sugo d’Anatra with tagliatelle Pasta, roasted duck, chanterelle mushrooms, green onion, spinach, demi glace and crispy goat cheese. Other choices will include the Pesce Bianco with pan seared sturgeon, watercress, wild arugula pesto, spaghetti squash or the Osso Buco di Maiale, a pork osso buco braised in vegetables, herbs, white wine with a wild mushroom risotto.

An Amuse Shot with uni, scallop, quail egg, ikura and hot sauce, topped with creme fraiche is just one of the mouthwatering items White Wasabi will be serving as an appetizer. Mango-wrapped salmon, yellowtail on top of an orange or the Albacore Fish Plate, a fried wonton topped with spicy tuna, seared albacore, jalapeno and crispy onion,

The Auld Dubliner will offer appetizers like their Potato Goat Cheese Crostini, Burren Smoked Salmon or their Ploughman’s Plate with dubliner cheddar, cashel blue, ham, corned beef and brown bread. And you can’t go wrong with an entree like Poached Salmon and Haddock in a rich cream sauce with potatoes all for $20.

Michael’s Pizzeria will offer a three-course menu at $30 a person with a complimentary glass of featured wine or beer. Items like Insalata Riccia (kale salad, Farmer’s Market berries and gorgonzola cheese) Lasagna Napoletana (layered pasta, house-made mozzarella and meat sauce) and all their delicious pizza selections will be available to order.

Fried Mac n’ Cheese Balls, Deep Fried Pickles or the gargantuan Queen Mary burger at Paradise are up for Restaurant Week grabs. The Federal will feature their Diver Scallops, Polenta Lasagna among other items and a to-die-for Elvis Pie, a chocolate peanut butter pie with peanuts, banana and whipped cream. Callaloo Caribbean Kitchen’s Jerk Chicken, which was a huge hit at the “Eats of March,” will be served with a side of Macaroni Pie or Fried Plantains and sweetly concluded with Sweet Potato Pone, a mixture of grated white sweet potato and coconut blended and baked, served with a side coconut ice cream. 

Attendees can also enter a competition to win a trip for two to San Francisco, courtesy of JetBlue, Kimpton Hotels and CityPASS, by taking a photo of an Eat LBC meal, taking a selfie or a picture of the Eat LBC menu, hashtagging #EatLBC alongside the name the restaurant, then posting the pic to Eat LBC Official Contest Page here.

Eat LBC, Long Beach Restaurant is a non-ticketed event where participating restaurants offer three-course meals, an appetizer, entrée and dessert, for $20, $30 or $40 plus tax and gratuity depending on the restaurant. Fine dining options will feature a Chef’s Tasting menu for $50 with optional wine pairings. For more information about Eat LBC and the over 75 participating restaurants, click here.

Photos by Brian Addison from last year’s inaugural Eat LBC.