CINCO DE MAYO: Los Compadres The Long Beach Titan of Mexican Food

         As we are all looking to celebrate cinco de Mayo, the search for the perfect Mexican restaurant begins. The thing I have noticed about Mexican food in southern California is The best tasting places, are never the cleanest nor do they have even moderately good service. On the other hand, the cleanest Mexican restaurants with the best service, are never as authentic or delicious as we all hope.

CHEERS! by: Joshua Bentrem

         For those of you who have had this problem, i have just the solution for you. Los Compadres Mexican Restaurant has the most authentic Mexican food with the best service and cleanliness that i have ever experienced.

        I took a group of my friends and made them try a little of everything. My friend Kelly tried the carne asada soft tacos, which have fresh handmade tortillas, carne asada (chopped marinated skirt steak), onions, cilantro and salsa. When i asked Kelly how they tasted, it sounded like the word "delicious!" came out of her mouth, but i wasn't exactly positive because she had her mouth full.

Top left: fresh chips and salsa, Top right: homemade guacamole, Bottom left: Shrimp Ceviche, Bottom right: Carne asada tacos

        Los Compadres actually has three locations:

 Downtown Long Beach: 1144 Pine Avenue

East Long Beach: 3229 E. Anaheim Street (the location i suggest)

Norwalk location: 11600 Rosecrans Avenue

websites:

Los Compadres official website

YELP

May's Thai Kitchen: A Great Place To Take A Date

      Are you balling on a budget but need to take a date out for a romantic dinner? I know just the place... May's Thai Kitchen is the perfect place if you're looking for a quaint, mellow, casual and delicious place to make a great impression.
  
     My favorite part of May's aside from the food, is May... May is almost always present somewhere in the restaurant. She is sweet, personable and always helpful with making selections.

top left: Thai-boat noodle, Top right: Pad See Eaw with beef, Bottom left: Tom Kah soup (spicy coconut soup) bottom right: front of the restaurant

     Most days that i go to May's is to get the Thai-boat Noodle which is a beef broth soup with noodles (similar to pho) meatballs and this cuts of fresh beef. The soup has a delicious garlic and ginger taste which i cannot find a match for it.


    When I'm not in the mood for soup, my next go to is the Pad See Eaw with beef. It comes with flat rice noodles, broccoli, egg and your choice of meat. It has a slight garlic taste to it which isn't overbearing.

     The service is overall friendly; the ambiance is mellow and great for an intimate dinner or just a friendly lunch date. Not to mention it is fairly priced for the quality of food and portions.

Location:

3832 E Anaheim St
Long Beach, CA 90804


Websites:
Official site
YELP

Nick's on Second: a new LB Hotspot?

      Now this is a place that I had not tried before, but i heard a ton of great things about the place, so i thought I should give it a shot. upon first impressions, the decor is a little fancier than I am used to. Once we got to our table, i started to feel like my attire wasn't exactly proper; So be warned, this place isn't as casual as the places i normally talk about on here. One thing i noticed about this place that i didnt care for, was the fact that they stopped serving breakfast at noon. For most normal communities that is acceptable, but Long Beach is anything but normal; it's a largely brunch eating community

Top left: Spinach omelet with wheat toast and has browns, Top right: California omelet with fruit and Sourdough toast, Bottom: Belgian waffle with toppings on the side

        The breakfast menu at Nick's on Second is really simple, only three omelets which are pretty high priced at twelve dollars each and they have a list of about eight or nine simple and pricey breakfast items. My girlfriend got the Spinach omelet and was pleased with it.

        "The Omelet is great, I just don't know if I would pay twelve dollars for an omelet regularly"

     I had the California omelet and though it was good, I just don't see myself paying that much for any single breakfast plate.

     The Waffle was a plate that we decided to try out and share. Normally it comes with a whipped cream and a mix of berries, but we asked for those on the side. The waffles were fluffy, crispy and had a nice golden look to them. They were pretty good, but again the topic of price comes up; nine dollars just sounds like a little much for one big waffle.

        Nick's is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner but i don't think i would be going again for breakfast anytime soon... maybe next time ill try out their lunch or dinner and revise this section.

Websites:

Nick's on Second

YELP

The LB Breakfast you have to try... Schooner Or Later

 



Delicious Italian Omlete Photo: Josh Bentrem

           Summer time is on the way and nothing beats day drinking with your friends, overlooking the bay and enjoying a delicious breakfast out in the sunshine of southern California. All these things can be attained at Schooner Or Later in Long beach on any beautiful morning or afternoon. Schooner or Later is located in the Marina Pacifica area of Long Beach, near the bridge to Belmont Shores and Second Street. Aside from their schooners of beer, Mimosas and bloody marys, they have delicious breakfast, brunch and lunch plates.







front of Menu and Pabst Blue Ribbon in schooners: Josh Bentrem

      I took my Mom, Jamie Bentrem, along with some friends out for a nice Mother/ Son and friends breakfast. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon (because of work I do breakfast when most people do lunch). For breakfast I decided on the Italian Omelet which has mildly spiced Italian sausage and Swiss cheese topped with zesty Italian sauce and  sour cream. normally it comes with hash browns and toast.






Enjoyment of day drinking at Schooner or later: Josh Bentrem

      Their house specialty is called "The Mess" and comes with a blend of chopped ham, onion, and bell pepper grilled with hash browns and eggs.  It is topped with melted Cheddar cheese and served with sourdough toast













Websites:
Schooner Or Later 
YELP

Lola's Mexican Cuisine: A New Look for Mexican Food.

 

          For quite a while I would drive down Fourth Street in the art district of Long Beach and I would pass this bright neon sign that simply read "Lola's". Not knowing what it was or what kind of food they served I would continuously drive by, afraid to stop and try it out. One day, a friend of mine named Lorri, challenged me to give it a try. She just started working there and mentioned that it was a delicious Mexican food place and I had to try it. One look at the menu and I realized it wasnt just your typical Mexican food joint; they had traditional Mexican food with more modern style and Touches. Lorri, who I have worked with in the past, was my server and something seemed different about her. She had a genuine enjoyment for her job and truly seemed like she was excited about the food they were serving there. She said, "The food here is always freshly made from scratch and delicious, unlike any other restaurant I have ever worked for."



Top: Lola's Cuetes (bacon wrapped jalapeno filled with cheese) bottom left:homemade sopes, Bottom right: Lola's green salad with chicken

My friend Anthony and I started with the Cuetas, which are basically bacon wrapped jalapenos stuffed with cheese (anything bacon wrapped has to be good.) for the Main course, I went with another appetizer, the Homemade Sopes and man they were delicious, fresh and filling. Anthony had the Green salad with Chicken because he was dieting, but he enjoyed it.

Lola's Mexican Restaurant is a delicious change of pace for the average Mexican food lover. They are moderately priced and the service is friendly and knowledgeable. CHECK THEM OUT!

Lola's Mexican Cuisine is located at:

 2030 East 4th Street
Long Beach, Ca 90814

websites:

Official Lola's Mexican Cuisine website

YELP

Blackbird Cafe: The Reason I Don't Hate Soyrizo

     After a long night at work, there are to things that come to mind when I wake up Sunday Afternoon, "darn I have to pee!" and "What's is for breakfast?" Being Part of the former fat kid club, the latter is usually the first oddly enough... Normally pho is the first thing I crave, but if my girlfriend has any say (which women usually do, right guys?) we will go to Blackbird Cafe in the California Heights district of Long Beach; and I don't complain because it is delicious!

Top Left: Peanut Butta' Hunny pancakes Top Right: Dos Caballeros

       I have never been a fan of soy, tofu, boca, veggie anything. It's not that I have a genuine reason to dislike those things, they just seem strange to me and we are all afraid of things that are strange. this place has a few items on the menu that actually have soyrizo and trying those items has changed my life (not really, but more changed my mind on soy)
  
      My two favorite items on the menu are the Dos Caballeros which is picture and the Spicy Mexican Omelet. Both dishes contain soyrizo and both are mind-blowingly good. The Dos Caballeros is a Mexican Influenced eggs Benedict, but instead of being on an english muffin, they put them on fresh Mexican sopes (like thick, soft corn tortillas). the Spicy Mexican comes with the soyrizo, fresh jalapenos, onions, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream and avocado.


       Blackbird Cafe, doesn't have the best location (as a matter of fact, when i mention the streets, people have no idea where i mean) but it has a great menu with good service! This is another one of those breakfast places i love so much, that serve breakfast the entire day and are only open for breakfast and brunch.




Located at:

3405 Orange Ave
Long Beach, CA 90807

Websites: 
YELP
Facebook
Menu

A CUP ABOVE THE REST: A Look at Royal Cup Cafe

      In terms of ambiance, royal cup cafe has a very casual set up... the walls are filled with paintings and drawings from local artists that are up for sale. the chairs and tables aren't exactly organized in any fashion that makes sense but it kind of adds a homey feel to the room, a couple of couches with coffee tables and also some dining room tables adds a real urban vibe.

      Service is friendly and dressed casual. The young lady that served me was showing off her tattoos and wearing jean shorts and a plain black top. Her name was Sammy and she was very friendly and again casual in her service. The mug they served my chai latte in was just like one you would find in someones home warn and used and comfortable. i also got a water which was served in a small mason jar with a mint sprig in it.



Italian Classic Panini and picture from table of the interior, Photo: Josh Bentrem

       I happened to catch a small piece of conversation between Sammy and a gentleman trying to order food to go for a young lady who was across the street at the dentist office. She was very helpful even though the guy was an odd character. When the guy left, I mentioned to her that he seemed like a weirdo and she simply responded with, "I work on 10th and redondo, I've seen weirder."

The menu I really like because they have a mix of hot and cold drinks that range from esspresso style drinks to French and Italian sodas. As for food in the menu, they have mainly breakfast items, salads and gourmet panini sandwhiches. They also have a soup of the day menu and an interesting menu of desserts. Food itmes range from $3.25 for a simple bagel with crema cheese to $9.00 which is the average price for paninis on the menu.

     
      Seeing as I grew up wih a strongly Italian upbringing I love sandwhiches (especially Italian style)  I ordered the Italian classic which has Coto, Genoa and hard salamis, black forrest ham, fire-roasted sweet peppers, tomato, onion, provolone, and mayo, modestly priced at $7.25. the sandwhich also come with a small side of potato chips.

This is a great placefor a quick lunch with a friend or a pleasent lunch alone while you do homework.

hours:

mon-sat 7am-10pm sunday 7am- 9pm

 

Locations:

994 redondo ave. Long Beach, CA 90804 (the one i went to)
 

194 marina dr. #101 Long Beach, CA 90803

Websites:

royalcupcafe.com

YELP 

 

Big E's Pizza: Not for a Mediocre Pizza Lover

         One day I was chatting with some students and the Topic of pizza came into the conversation. One student was mentioning Little Caesars Pizza and the other was saying That Domino's was better. "They're Both Crap" I yelled with a Passionate outburst. Now, these fellow students were both fairly younger than me (one was 21, the other was 20), both full time students, with no solid cash flow except for monthly checks from their parents. One of the guys said, "Little Caesar's only charges five dollars." The other Proclaimed, "Yeah, and Domino's is delicious and only charges about seven dollars a pizza." I knew i had to take these kinds under my wing. 

 

       





 I invited the guys to my house and ordered my personal favorite (Pepperoni and Jalapeno) for delivery, the wait time is always an agonizing 30-45 minutes, but well worth the wait. 

One of the guys, Justin Wilson said, "Best pizza I've ever had!"

Pepperoni Jalapeno pizza: By Josh Bentrem

The ingredients are always fresh and the pizza is always hot even though the wait time is a little long. They have a great menu aside from pizza as well including delicious wings (my personal favorite are the BBQ wings) and you can also order beer and wine to go, so you don't even have to leave the house.

 

 

 

 

 Big E's Pizza is located at: 

3225 E Pacific Coast Hwy

Signal Hill, CA 90755

They also have a sister company called BIG NICK'S in San Pedro which is located at:

 

1110 N Gaffey St
Ste G

San Pedro, CA 90731

websites: 

Big E's Pizza

YELP!

Video



Most Valuable Burgers: MVPs the Long Beach Gem

Front of original MVPs location on 4th St.

iPhone picture: Josh bentrem

      If you were to ask any Californian where to get the best burger in town, most would respond resoundingly, "In n Out!" But, for most Long Beach natives that might not be as resounding of an answer... MVPs Grill and Patio in Long Beach is an obscure, yet delicious, change for any burger lover. MVPs has 2 locations, both located in Long Beach. The thing that makes MVPs different is their varying styles of sandwiches and burgers that are named after famous athletes of the Past and the present. They have a sandwiches and burgers that range in names the Michael Jordan to 5 named after George Foreman. On my visit with my roommates, I had the Myke Tyson which comes with Pastrami, grilled onions, avocado, double burger patties, jalapenos swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and their special cajunasie dressing. My roommate Andrew, who originally introduced me to MVPS, compares every other burger to the burger that MVPs prepares. "It's not just a burger, eating a burger from MVPs, is an event." Andrew said. Andrew ordered the Christiano Ronaldo, which is a sandwich with chicken breast, pastrami, avocado, lettuce, tomato, mozzarella cheese and their signature cajunaise dressing. and it comes on Squa bread.unfortunately you cant just make any burger or sandwich a combo, but you can add a side of cajun fries. the cajun fries are to die for.




Top Left: "Shaq" Top Right: Cajun Fries

Bottom Left: "Myke Tyson"

Bottom Right: "Christiano Ronaldo"

iPhone Picture: Josh Bentrem

The original MVPs is located at 3701 E 4th St. Long Beach, CA 90803 and the second one is at 5484 E Stearns St, Long Beach, CA 90815. Unfortunately for people who don't carry cash, both locations are cash only, but have an ATM machine on site. also keep in mind that you're walking up to a window to order and its an outside patio style seating so if you go during a hot day wear sunscreen and if youre going on a cold night wear a coat.



Websites:

YELP!

I'm Out Here Tryin' to PHOunction

      Lets talk about Pho. Pho is basically a Vietnamese noodle soup traditionally eaten in the earlier part of the day. What a lot of people these days are realizing, is that Pho is an amazing hangover cure; not to mention, its delicious. This afternoon before class, I figured I would catch a quick bowl. The first thing you will notice is the staff. The staff is really friendly, very efficient and make every attempt to connect with guests. Starting with the Soup, they quite possibly have the best broth, i have ever tasted. Prices of the soup range between six dollars for a small to seven and a half dollars for an extra large. As for condiments for the soup, they have the freshest limes, bean sprouts and Thai basil. For those who like a little spice in their life, i recommend you try the "Homemade Garlic Chili Paste." The chili paste adds just an amazing flavor to the soup; it is to die for. When it comes to beverages, they carry the usual suspects of soda, iced tea and water. Along with carrying the usual drinks, they also have a delicious Thai Iced Tea and a Vietnamese Iced Coffee that will not only knock your socks off and get you ready for the day, but it tastes simply amazing. They're open 6 days a week from 8am to 5pm, closed on Wednesdays.

Just another PHO PHRIDAY: Josh Bentrem

      I had a chance to speak with Ryan Kroll, the Mayor (on foursquare) of Pho Hong Phat. "I am usually here four or five days a week." Kroll says of his Pho eating habits. "I enjoy using the Homemade Garlic Chili Paste to "master my broth.' I have had Pho from other restaurants, but no one else measures up to Pho Hong Phat." A word to the wise, be sure to take cash with you because it is a cash only establishment.

Check out Pho Hong Phat, you won't be disappointed

 Small #16 (beef meatball soup) i added Thai Basil, Chili Paste and lime, Photo by: Josh Bentrem

Pho Hong Phat is located at: 3243 E Anaheim St, Long Beach, CA 90804

websites:
YELP!