Gladstone’s Crispy Calamari. Photo by Brittany Woolsey.
Long Beach foodies, get ready to stuff your faces with some of the best grub in the City at the “Eats of March,” Eat LBC’s launch party to its second annual Long Beach Restaurant Week starting March 22 and ending March 28. A limited number of tickets are available to sample samplings from 10 Long Beach restaurants, while you can bring out your inner wine connoisseur at a wine tasting courtesy of Celebrity Cruises, not to mention indulge in a biergarten hosted by Stella Artois.
The launch party will be held at the Hyatt the Pike in Downtown Long Beach on Sunday, March 15 from 2:00PM to 5:00PM. Head on over and grab a flavorful preview of what Eat LBC goers can expect from the week. Gladstone’s, Kihon Sushi, La Strada, Callaloo Caribbean Kitchen, Buono’s Pizzeria, Honduras Kitchen, L’Opera, Auld Dubliner, Panxa Cocina and Bay Street Bistro will be providing samples. L’Opera will be providing Sacchetto Di Cioccolata, a dark chocolate cup with chilled zabaione and fresh fruit, while Auld Dubliner will be offering their Shrimp Cocktail with a Marie Rose Sauce, a classic Irish dish.
Gladstone’s will be serving their Lobster Mac n’ Cheese and Buono’s Pizzeria will offer their Eggplant Rolls, consisting of thin slices of lightly battered eggplant, stuffed with goat cheese then baked with a spicy marinara sauce and mozzarella. If you’re not drooling right now there may be something seriously amiss with your palate.
Partial proceeds from the $35 ticket price will benefit the local non-profit partner Food Finders, a community-based food rescue organization that serves a connecter for food, education and awareness between donors, volunteers, agencies and people in need. Guests will be able to enter opportunity drawings for several prizes, of which the entire proceeds will go toward Food Finders.
Celebrity Cruises will be serving a number of wines found on board their food-centric cruises and will give each guest a stemless wine glass to take home. Stella Artois will also be giving biergarten frequenters a keepsake chalice along with a complimentary draft beer. Satisfied guests, wobbling out of the Hyatt with full bellies and imminent food comas will also go home with at tote bag designed by artist Paul Barnicki of Bixby Knolls, full of goodies while supplies last.
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 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, click here.
“We have more than 50 restaurants participating,” said Terri Henry, Eat LBC co-founder, in a statement. “And we have an array of fabulous cuisines, settings and price points to suit every taste and budget. It’s going to be a fabulous week for foodies.”
To purchase tickets for the launch party, which are going fast, visit the Groupon page here. Guests must be 21 and older.
Hyatt The Pike in Downtown Long Beach is located at 285 Bayside Ave.
{FG_GEOMAP [33.7649615,-118.19482909999999] FG_GEOMAP}