Photos by Brian Addison. Full gallery below.
If there is anything Chef Victor Lopez wants to emphasize with his updated menu at The Federal Bar, it is the fact that he loves good food that pairs with good beer and he loves cocktails that speak beyond basics. In other words, for those looking to avoid additional inches on the waistline, he sternly but humbly encourages you to return to your rabbit food.
We are talking spice. Spice as in pickled Serrano peppers and onions layered between housemade potato chips, drizzled with avocado and bleu cheese crèmes, and then topped with bacon, bleu cheese, and green onions. This dish [pictured below] thereby makes tangible one of the most awesomely Mexican-meets-American creations this side of the somewhat perturbing Doritos taco shell.
We are talking craft. Craft as in their new Piedmont Sour cocktail, one of the best sours this side of James Republic and Roxanne’s. Buffalo Trace is shaken with fresh lemon, cane syrup, and egg white before a float of Barolo chinato wine is put on top—proof that their altered cocktail menu is taking a large note from Long Beach’s growing obsession with craft cocktails (not to mention the competition from the newly opened Bo-Beau’s and their previously weak cocktail menu).
We are talking buttery. Buttery as in tiger prawns wrapped in apple bacon and sitting atop a red jalapeño jam and cilantro-infused oil and paired with a mango salsa.
We are talking bitter. Bitter as in Ford’s gin mixed with the sip-alone-worthy sweet vermouth that is Carpano Antica and the minty Italian Fernet Branca, double-strained into a glass and garnished with a orange peel. The finest of gentlemen and most sophisticated ladies alike will happily sip on this treasure.
We are talking downright decadent. Decadent as in IPA-braised short ribs sliders topped with PBR cheese (which brings a whole new sensation to the mouth with the flavor of this Velveeta-like creamy goodness) and a fried shallot, shoved in between pretzel buns.
“I love good beer,” Lopez said. “And for me, that means shameless food, food that makes me want to keep on to drinking and eating. Beer is a comfort drink, with craft beer just upping it up. This is comfort food—we’ve just upped it a bit.”
The Piedmont Sour.
This is not to say that all of Lopez’s new creations are for fatty-lovers alone. His olive and cheese plate is simple but with a hint of decadence: a gorgeous bowl of Italian Castelvetrano, Cerignola, and Carli olives lathered in a creamy herb sauce and paired with cherry tomatoes and rosemary-infused feta. On the side, some crostini, a bleu cheese spread, and quite possibly the best pickled cauliflower (inspired and tested by his loving wife) in Long Beach, with its array of purples, greens, and creams that offer the perfect mixture of sweet, sour, and spice.
Or, as another example, the grilled salmon salad. Though the fish is beautifully seared on its skin side (which could compete head on with any salmon skin roll) and pairs deliciously with the salad, it’s what underneath that is the gem. Red potatoes and arugula combine together for a bitter ’n’ creamy warm salad tossed with a wonderfully sour (but not sweet) citrus vinaigrette.
In the end, it is a mixture of keeping it Fed while keeping it fresh—sometimes literally: their steak sauce, with some 48 ingredients, is made in house daily and makes the ribeye dish alone worth every penny.
“We’re unapologetic about our food going well with beer,” Lopez said. “But that doesn’t mean that beer food has to be greasy, thoughtless food. And we understand that not all people want to eat when they visit, especially with the Underground being open now—which is why we’ve created a cocktail menu that we feel shows off our ability to turn drinks into culinary treats.”
Surely it bears repeating that their cocktail menu, served in The Parlour, will make bored palates happy. The Holiday Blues [pictured left], for example, is sure to turn any summertime frown upside down: Aylesbury Duck vodka, St. Germain, lemon juice, and simple syrup is shaken with muddled blueberries and mint and topped with soda water.
Times to say, “Salud!” to summer in more ways than one.
More images can be found in the gallery below.
The Federal Bar is located at 102 Pine Ave.
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