Leading into Black History Month with Long Beach Food and Beverage’s Black Restaurant Week just makes sense. And with this year’s inaugural event series featuring 13 businesses, there’s a lot of great food to discover.
At Long Beach Fresh, we work to raise awareness of local BIPOC food businesses year-round, while supporting policy change, convening and funding – in part because of the tremendous talent that exists, but also because of some stark economic inequities that have persisted throughout modern history.
There are a lot of ways to tap in year-round as well. Shop Black LB has maintained a list of food businesses in the Greater Long Beach area, LB Post listed their picks, and Yelp has even started to categorize black-owned businesses. Our specialty foods list showcases micro-businesses, over a dozen of which are black-owned. And, of course, The Black Restaurant Week website lists participating businesses to support. All that being said, here are some highlights from this week’s tastes!
Tuesday, January 25th at Trademark Brewing, Northtown Bistro is offering an incredible dinner menu that includes Moroccan kefta rolls, peri peri chicken skewers with jollof rice, and Moroccan spiced shrimp skewers with saffron rice pilaf. Chef Ronnie’s menu will repeat on Friday and Saturday at Liberation Brewing in Bixby Knolls from 6pm ’till sell out.
Also on Tuesday, a crème brûlée pop-up from A Pinch of Salt includes savory (roasted garlic, blue cheese and leek, or mushroom, onion and parm) and sweet (cardamom vanilla coffee, lavender, or red velvet) flavors. Even more artisan desserts from Kat’s Gourmet Cookies, Smokin’ Crackers, and Filthy Rich Banana Pudding round things out.
The chefs also started off the week serving meals at the Long Beach Rescue mission. KTLA did a round-up / preview as well. Chef Qui of A Pinch of Salt offered breakfast pick-ups in the Drake Park neighborhood on Monday via Instagram ordering. Pictured below is her shrimp and grits eggs bennie, the flavors were tremendous!
Another unique and dynamic taste opportunity can be discovered throughout the week with the newly re-launched Gone Loco Spicy Food Truck, created by Vida Virgillito (known across the country for her Locolito’s hot sauce line, which can be found on our specialty foods list)
Vida typically pops up in a few locations around town, so follow her Instagram to track her down! Her dishes are laced with ingredients infused with different hot pepper-derived sauces of her making. She’s recently added some vegan dishes that feature ingredients like the #prayformercy aoli, and vegan asada fries, alongside “fiyah fish tacos,” and of course a hot chicken sandwich.
We would be amiss not to also mention the range of specials being offered this week from Little Fries Man, Smokin’ Crackers, Gone Loco, Kat’s Gourmet Cookies, Devi’s Donuts, The Bougie Crab and more – you can preview the specials, and link to the makers at blackrestaurantweeklb.com.