I’ll be forthright: I am skeptical of all-inclusive, festival-style fare where a handful of tickets act as money in exchange for limited offerings from a collective of restaurants.
This is me being simultaneously pretentious and humble with the dining experience. Pretentious in that I assume that the given restaurant will only offer their cheapest or easiest plate in order to cash in on the cows grazing the fodder and humble in the sense that one is given a limited version of what the restaurant is capable of, leaving an incomplete feeling in my stomach (literally and metaphorically).
However, I was pleasantly surprised by the gastronomical goodness that pervaded the most recent Taste of Downtown, which was a two-day fete in the East Village Arts District. Not only did I get plenty for my $12 (even a glass of wine), I proudly admit that the food scene is finally upping its game in Long Beach.
The Long Beach Caravan Trio provided the music for both evenings. All photos by Brian Addison.
Surrounding the East Village Arts District, the event brought forth a plethora of restaurants–from the Reef opposite the south shore to Buono’s Pizza on Ocean–in a singular location for locals to grub down. The crowd was not only large with a few hundred people perusing 1st Street in hopes of scoring a new regular place to dine, but lively as well: they chatted, discussed the food, were critical as well as praising, and in general seemed to simply be having a good time.
It reminded me of L.A. — gone L.B.
We opted to go for Rocco’s first, whose downtown location–only second to its Signal Hill locale–just opened earlier this month. This is New York-style Italian deli done right: forward, simple ingredients with forward, simple folks from the Bronx. Their meatball sandwich was quintessential with an Italian white loaf, all-beef meatball, a slice of provolone, and light sauce, causing my partner in crime for the evening claimed “I don’t even like meatballs and I can do this.” And I wouldn’t suggest asking for additional sauce and cheese on your sandwich. They have a term for it–say you want your sandwich “rooned”–because they feel that’s exactly what you just did: ruined it. Italians do apparently know how to do it better.
After a pitstop at District Wine for my inner oenophile (red only, please), we headed to another relatively new EVA restaurant and a current fave of mine, Asha. Offering what is arguably the best Mediterranean in Long Beach, this Moroccan-influenced spot offered its signature chicken tawook dish–skewered chunks of chicken breast marinated in a garlic-allspice concoction–along with healthy servings of their hummus, mint salad, and lentils.
Some chains managed to sneak in… Hooters failed to offer their bafflingly popular wings but instead offered a (just as baffling considering, after all, it is Hooters) a shrimp and spinach salad that was actually decent while Coldstone, though delectable, couldn’t manage to beat local Shortnin’ Bread’s perfected talent at sweet offerings.
In fact, when it came down to it, it was the truly local fare that won out. This should not be underestimated.
I could go on and on (I don’t suggest getting the bangers and mash from one of my favorite watering holes, The Auld Dubliner: curry with sausage just ain’t part of my palate; nor did Utopia live up to their moniker with their strangely bland curry pasta and salmon dishes), but the idea for food has always been to experience it, not talk too much about it.
The next Taste of Downtown will be on Pine Ave. and takes place August 22 and 23. For more information, visit www.downtownlongbeach.org.