Welcome to Foodie Fridays, our biweekly report on the latest neighborhood nosh and local libation news in Long Beach, where every other week we feature what’s happening in the scene and the latest buzz in the blogosphere about the best places to eat, drink and be merry.
E.J. Malloy’s announced on Wednesday that after 26 years serving the Belmont Heights community, the Irish sports pub will be closing its doors on Sunday, July 29. A sign taped to a wall invited community members to celebrate the closing on July 27, 28 and 29. It’s sure to be a raucous farewell with a limited food menu available, but plenty of kegs to finish. The pub’s Los Altos location and Bixby Knolls location on Atlantic Ave. will remain open, while The Firkin Pub & Grill is set to take over the Belmont Heights space, keeping E.J. Malloy’s staff and cooks employed.
Now open and serving aguas frescas made from scratch, tortas, plates and bowls, Organic Fork is a recent addition to Bixby Village Plaza, right across the street from Cal State Long Beach. With a focus on “fast casual” and “health-conscious eats,” Organic Fork is the project of Ivan Flores, who founded The Buffalo Spot, now a 15-location chain in three states. The same growth is projected for this healthier concept.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlOdE1cFTIA/
Try out the bread of Hey Brother Baker during a pop-up at Commodity Coffee this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. while checking out the coffee shop’s new space (designed by local outfit Amigo Modern). Recent menus have included $5 sweet and savory toasts, made from generously thick slices of the cottage bakers’ country white. Try the bread without a spread and just butter for $3.
The Little Brass Cafe Express, the latest iteration of the now-closed Brass Lamp Book Bar & Lounge in dowtown, celebrated its grand opening earlier this month at the Long Beach Airport. The coffee shop is located right across from the Jetblue check-in counter and before security, so if you’ve been hankering for a Brass Lamp Classic grilled cheese from the original location (smoked gouda, bacon and jalapenos on Texas Toast) you don’t have to buy a domestic flight to eat one. New additions include the Daugherty Spicy Flyer, a sandwich and a nod to the airport’s history.
More than 60 representatives from kitchens throughout Mexico will visit the Museum of Latin American Art in August for the World Forum on Mexican Gastronomy. For the first time the forum will be taking place outside of Mexico and will be free to attend.
“The ultimate goal is to host a celebration of Mexican food,” said forum representative Blanca Arroyo during a press conference Tuesday. “From tacos to pozole, the past and the current, the forum will be a stage that shines light on the influence of Mexican cuisine not only in its home country, but particularly here in the United States.”
Table 301 in Downtown Long Beach releases full menu as opening moves forward
Table 301, a downtown restaurant which officially opened last weekend, marks the first “non-super casual dining space” of The Streets, the ongoing development formerly known as City Place. The menu, a range of fusion food, includes Tiger corn Dogs, Chichareetos, Beef brisket, Lamb ribs and a Po-boy Sandwich, as well as wood-fired white pizzas.
Susie Cakes is the most recent confection-centric business planned for Long Beach Exchange. Officials announced this week that the “all-American” bakery—which boasts 18 locations throughout the state—is slated to open in November. The founder, Susan Sarich, stated the company is excited to “bring something new and unique to the area.”
On Saturday, July 28, Farm Lot 59 is hosting a Farm Roast with Phantom Carriage beers, ice cream from Long Beach Creamery and the main dish, barbecue by Chef Art Gonzalez of Roe Seafood and Panza Cocina. It’s $20 a plate with the beer and ice cream available for purchase on site. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs to sit on. For more information check out the Facebook event page here.
OC Weekly dives into what Black, the Broadway Corridor’s newest straight bar catering to the nearby skateboarding scene, has to offer on the food front, and it’s more than just your typical veggie burger.
“Just as the Social List started doing in March and Ruby’s Diner has done since April, Black is serving the coveted Impossible Burger—a plant-based patty only sold to a limited number of restaurant accounts that looks, tastes and even “bleeds” as if it were a medium-rare hunk of ground beef,” writes Sarah Bennett.