“Is a business allowed to take a stance?” Anne Conness, Head Chef at Simmzy’s new location in Belmont Shore, asked her partner-in-crime, Mike Simms.
This was the question that had pervaded Conness’s head while she messed with the idea of how she wanted to give back to the Long Beach community—a community, she felt, that had both provided her success and blessings in their almost-first year of operations.
“I simply believe in giving back,” Conness said, with the same exuberance and curiosity as she does with almost everything she talks about. “And I wanted to give back to everyone. I wanted to give back to Long Beach.”
Of course, she knew food and beer had to be involved particularly given that “beer dinners are what I do best.” Conness says that wine dinners are all-too-common and oftentimes stuffy, due to both the food and the libation itself since wine is volatile and difficult to pair. But her previous beer bashes with popular craft breweries like Allagash, Stone, Strand and others have proven themselves to be more accessible, more communal and “so convivial.”
“Take especially dessert,” she said. “There’s only a certain level of sugar you can get away with when working with wine,” slightly scoffing at the usual ports and Moscats that are paired with desserts at wine dinners. “But beer—it was a revelation. It is so permitting and wonderful.”
But that question of giving back to all of Long Beach continued to pervade—and particularly whether Simmzy’s, as a business, could take a stance on something such as the breakwater and sustainability. In both Simms and Coness’ eyes, the answer was an astounding yes—and became the reason as to why all the proceeds of her first Long Beach beer dinner will go to the Long Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation to further studies regarding the removal of the breakwater.
And so the “Save the Waves” beer dinner was born.
If one talks to Conness about food and ethics, it is easy to see how the breakwater-takedown battle is one she supports. She attempts to be, within the reach she has as a business owner, responsible with her food choices and will easily show the complexities of being an ethical chef. Beyond simple prices, take as an example her fishing for salmon: she points out that if she buys Scottish salmon—despite it being organic, lacking dyes, in a flowing estuary and being sustainable within the fish market culture—she still has to contemplate the jet fuels used to transport it across the world.
Sustainability can oftentimes overshadow locality and one is often forced to choose their battles while giving into others. And this dilemma is spoken with such a deep sense of humility on Conness’s behalf.
“It’s—simply put—really hard,” she said. “I would love to use farm-to-table and all organic, but I simply can’t afford it. So while I can’t fight every battle, I try to pick the ones I feel are important.”
Take one of her menu’s smaller items—the chevre tapas appetizer—has an ingredient she refuses to let go of: Drakes Farms goat cheese. And in true Long Beach fashion, it’s because she visited the farm, talked to the owners, saw the place in action and developed a relationship that superseded their business dealings. It is about mutual support.
Which explains how her beer dinner isn’t just her showing off her culinary tastes, but a variety of local chefs that are (for free) contributing a course each as well as local breweries also donating their beer. Chefs include David Lefevre & Ray Hayashi of Manhattan Beach Post, Chris Krajacic of Pier 76 Fish Grill, Omar Gonzales of Nick’s on 2nd, Arthur Gonzalez of Belmont Shore eatery Roe, Deborah Hirt of Scratch Baked Goods and of course, Conness with her right-hand kitchen man Justin Lewis.
Being served for one’s thirst includes Smog City’s L.A. Saison, El Segundo Brewing’s Blue House Citra Pale Ale, Monkish’s Feminist Trippel, Strand’s Black Sand Imperial IPA, and Golden Road’s Tumbledown Shack Special Release Barleywine. For any beer geek or someone who just appreciates the beauty of gastronomical wonders, this selection of beer is not just solid but flat-out mouthwatering.
So in the end: can and should businesses really take a stand?
“Long Beach deserves more,” Conness said. “We deserve good food, we deserve good beer, and we deserve clean water.”
Save the Waves beer dinner will occur on January 30 at 6:30PM at Simmzy’s, located 5271 E 2nd Street in Belmont Shore. Reservations are still being accepted for the Save the Waves beer dinner. The cost is $55 per person or $100 per couple. The majority of spots have already been filled so it is suggested you make your reservation as soon as possible. Email [email protected] to reserve your spot.
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