Photos on opening day by Sarah Bennett
Following a soft-opening as well as family and friends previews, famed Italian restaurant Michael’s Pizzeria is now open for daily business on the Promenade just north of Congregation Ale House and Beachwood BBQ & Brewery.
The restaurant shocked the culinary world when last year, Zagat called its Naples locale the best Italian restaurant as well as the best pizza in the Los Angeles region. It’s formal opening in essence caps of what is turning out to be a renaissance within downtown Long Beach, particularly after Beachwood was just recognized as the best brewpub in Southern California and the Promenade itself celebrated the completion of the $11.7 million development.
This marks the restaurant’s third location, with its original in the aforementioned Naples as well as a pizzeria in Rancho Mirage just outside of Palm Springs.
There is reason for the hype: Michael’s offers what is becoming an enormously increasing trend—Neapolitan-style, wood oven, unsliced pizza—but on a level that reminds one of the simpler things. Here, they make in house their own mozzarella, pesto, sausage, salsiccia, and stracciatella. Here, you won’t find five toppings on a cheese pizza but perhaps a few, like the prosciutto and arugula pizza or the clam and pepperoncino pizza. Here, one is reminded that great food is not overtly complicated (and can be found at even the most casual of places).
Michael’s Pizzeria is located at 210 E. Third St. For more information, call 562-491-2100.
Read more:
- Michael’s Earns Top Spots In Zagat 2013 Survey: Best Italian Food, Best Pizzeria
- Promenade Transformation Celebrated; DLBA To Host Free Public Event
- Beachwood BBQ and Brewing Named Top Brewpub in SoCal
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