Travel

Places to eat in Long Beach California

 in Travel  tagged long beach / restaurants by

Pictured: Bruschetta from Utopia

Our trip to Long Beach was short and sweet, but that does not mean we didn’t find plenty of yummy places to eat during our stay. We usually try to stay away from chain restaurants we can eat at home. So, we scour the internet and read the reviews of places we want to try. I was able to find a few fabulous restaurants which I am featuring here and are worthy of your time! Next time you are in Long Beach, be sure to try these restaurants! In my opinion, these are the best restaurants in Long Beach, California.

Best Breakfast: East Village Cafe

The coffee always tastes better at independent coffee shops, and the East Village Cafe is no different. They had the freshest brew and many different types of coffee drinks to choose from. I enjoyed a classic latte while my oldest is a vanilla latte kind of girl and my middle child enjoys getting something new and different every day. She loved everything she ordered! Do you know what else we loved? The food! They make the fluffiest, freshest, most delicious eggs! Love! East Village Cafe is a must-try next time you are in Long Beach.

Also want to add: love the local vibe and friendly faces who work there.

Best Lunch: Long Beach Taco Company

Tacos! This place has delicious food in every category. My favorite were the seasoned pork tacos. Long Beach Taco Company is a must-try next time you are in Long Beach. My daughter also loved the Jalapeno Poppers. Yum!

Best Dinner: Thai District

Thai District is tucked around the corner from its’ address, so while slightly tricky to find for tourists like us, it was worth the confusion. The food was SO GOOD! I highly recommend adding toasted tofu and getting your spice level to at least a two. In addition to delicious food, the service was amazing. Everyone was so nice and helpful! The waiter talked us into moving the spice level to a two and I am so happy he did. The rice was perfect, as was everything else. We also enjoyed a chicken curry dish which isn’t pictured. This is a must-eat-at place in Long Beach! Love!

Also Loved: Utopia

Feeling fancy yet chill? Utopia is your place! I would definitely eat dinner here again. The mushroom risotto was to-die-for, and my daughter’s tiramisu was amazing. I highly recommend enjoying your dinner on the patio under the vine canopy. It was relaxing and chill.

Also Loved: Parker Lighthouse

You have to have dinner on the pier at least once! Parker Lighthouse is the best place for both a delicious meal and waterfront views. My daughter had the cauliflower steak and she told me it was absolutely delicious. She would love to have it again! I enjoyed clam chowder and sushi, which were both tasty. I highly recommend indulging one night at Parkers Lighthouse.

Well, there’s my list! We ate at several additional restaurants, but these were our favorites, and the ones we would visit again. I hope you enjoy your trip to Long Beach!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

pictured below: dessert at Utopia

Long Beach trip recap

 in Travel  tagged art / beach / long beach / travel by

Things to do in Long Beach California

pictured: Alamitos Beach in Long Beach, California

We took a really quick road trip down to Long Beach, California over the 4th of July week. It has been difficult to plan a big vacation because my daughter is taking a summer school class and my other two kids have sports commitments throughout the summer. So, we took an opportunity to take a quick road trip when we saw there was a break in the schedule.

My middle child is looking at colleges to apply to, and Long Beach State University has a program she is interested in, so we decided to take a quick road trip to Long Beach. We spent a full day at the University touring around and eating on campus. It looks like a nice school to put on her list! Of course, in addition to checking out schools, we found a few fun things to do in Long Beach, California while staying in town.

Long Beach is home to a pier which offers delicious restaurants, candy shops, and fun little shops. We enjoyed spending some time there and getting candy apples. Stay tuned for my restaurant recap which will post tomorrow! We also went to a couple of museums and the beach. Here are a few fabulous things to do in Long Beach, California if you are ever in this part of Los Angeles.

Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum

The Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum is a small celebration of artwork and culture from the islands in the Pacific, and Oceana in general. We enjoyed seeing and learning about a few traditions from the islands, such as the personalized love sticks young men would stick into the home of a young lady they were courting as a proposal of marriage.

This museum is a must-see when you are in the Long Beach area! You can learn more at their website at pieam.org.

Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)

pictured: work by Fernando Botero and an outdoor sculpture from the events garden

The Museum of Latin American Art is across the street from the Pacific Islands Ethnic Art Museum, so you can visit both museums in the same day! Love that!

This museum showcases a few collections from Latin American Artists. We enjoyed seeing collections from Yolanda Gonzalez and Fernando Botero. Botero was my favorite. The MOLAA also has special events, and the exhibitions rotate. You can learn more about the MOLAA at MOLAA.org.

Alamitos Beach

Of course, how can you visit Long Beach without going to the beach?! The word “beach” is literally in the name! haha

Near the pier you will find a beautiful beach, which isn’t too crowded, named Alamitos Beach. It is a nice escape from the city, which still has a city view on the backside.

You know I will always plug a great handbag! This tote bag turned out to be perfect for a road trip! It is really comfortable to wear while stuffed with random items, and it can double as a great beach bag. The seams must be pretty tight because I didn’t get one grain of sand inside. Love that!

What was packed in my Long Beach suitcase:

It was a quick trip for only two days, but we enjoyed the attractions we were able to see while visiting Long Beach. Stay tuned for my restaurant recap, which will post on the blog tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

pictured below: work by Yolanda Gonzalez from the MOLAA

Places to eat in Chinatown

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged family / outfits / restaurants / san francisco / staycation by

wearing: statement earrings / sweater (sold out, similar here) / black handbag / bracelets (local designer) / summer nail polish / black belt / jeans (sold out, also love these) / sneakers /

It is always a fun day in Chinatown with our family. We tend to gravitate towards the same restaurants when we visit, but this time we decided to try a new place, and we are so glad we did!

Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company

We started our day by visiting the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company. While an obvious tourist destination, us locals love going there too! They have really yummy chocolate dipped fortune cookies. If you visit the city, be sure to pop in and pick up some cookies!

Far East Cafe

On KTVU Amber Lee filmed a segment where she highlighted her favorite places to go in Chinatown. She mentioned Far East Cafe and how it has been in the city for over one hundred years. How did I not know about this restaurant? So, of course, we had to try it!

Far East Cafe has a large menu and we ordered just enough for the five us to enjoy for lunch. The decor inside the restaurant is traditional and the overall vibe is old school San Francisco. Love that! We will definitely go back in the future!

Another recommendation by Amber Lee was to try the mango cake and mango desserts at AA Bakery. Unfortunately, I forgot to snap pictures, but take my word, it is delicious! We tried mango pudding as well as other breads and pastries which we took home. We will be back there too! The food is delicious and next time we want to pick up a full mango cake. Yum!

Hi Sweetie Tea and Treats

What day is complete without boba? We found the cutest boba place with squishies for sale, and games you can play while enjoying your afternoon boba. Hi Sweetie Tea and Treats was a fun place to pop into for tea and few games. The Creme Brulee boba is my favorite. yum!

Our family also loves the moon cakes at Eastern Bakery. So, we picked up a box to bring home, as well as an order of their sesame balls. Seriously, they have the best sesame balls; and they are huge! I highly recommend enjoying one while they are warm. So yummy!

Locations:

Far East Cafe is located at 631 Grant Ave., San Francisco.

Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory is located at 56 Ross Alley in San Francisco.

AA Bakery is located at 1068 Stockton Street in San Francisco.

Hi Sweetie Tea and Treats is located at 775 Jackson Street in San Francisco.

Eastern Bakery is located at 720 Grant Ave., in San Francisco.

I hope you have a chance to try at least one of these yummy locations!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy