Suppertime in the LBC

Popups and food trucks often provide communities and cities with food they would otherwise have not experienced. Some popup owners have no interest in expanding to a full brick-and-mortar and food trucks are much more affordable ways for business owners to serve their food. Brian Addison and Sarah Bennett sit down with Jairo Bogarín of Hamburgers Nice, a breakfast burger popup at Zaferia's Commodity space, to discuss this, along with the intimate ties this type of food has in Wilmington, San Pedro, and SoCal as a whole.

What do we _really_ mean when we call a dish 'authentic'? The fact of the matter is that every single food we eat is a fusion of some sort—and no place exemplifies that more than SoCal and its seemingly endless spectrum of cuisines. Brian Addison and Sarah Bennett sit down with a master of fusion, Chef Beeline Krouch of Chinitos Tacos, to talk about his Mexican-meets-Asian grub, growing up in Long Beach, and stepping into the wild suburb of Lakewood.

Brian Addison and Sarah Bennett sit down with Wade Windsor, founder and roaster for Lord Windsor Coffee, Long Beach's first third-wave coffeeshop and roaster. Wade talks about the learning curve with specialty coffee, keeping up with the times, and when Costco called because they wanted his canned cold brew on their shelves.

Brian Addison and Sarah Bennett sit down with two-thirds of the trio behind Long Beach's massively popular pizzeria, The 4th Horseman. Ryan Hughes and Martin Svab, along with Chef Adam Schmalz, have carved out a space that, even though it hasn't been open a year, feels like it has been a part of the community forever. Add to the fact that they became the unofficial hub for the CA Craft Beer Summit, and you'll begin to see how The 4th is quickly becoming its own drunk pizza institution.

Brian Addison and Sarah Bennett sit down with Chef Philip Pretty, co-owner and executive chef of Restauration, following the catastrophic fire that has left the space closed for nearly a year. Long Beach's first contemporary California bistro, Restauration represents one of the initial cogs that spurred a food renaissance in the city—and with months of exploring a food scene he was once too busy to do before the fire, Pretty shares his thoughts on existing staples, his hopes for the re-opening of Restauration, and how he plans on reconnecting chefs and citizens with their farmers market.

After exploring Mexico on their own trips, Brian and Sarah (along with guest speaker and co-traveler Areli Morales) discuss the complexity of Mexican cuisine, which shifts state by state in Mexico, and how that has both complicated and transformed what Californians view as Mexican food.

Cities often have restaurant and cuisine deserts—and Long Beach is no exception. East Long Beach has long been relegated to chains and fast food joints but the addition of the Long Beach Exchange has introduced the neighborhood to a new type of dining experience. Eastsider Jason Ruiz joins us to talk about why the development couldn’t work elsewhere, the implications of importing an OC-like food scene and what the whole city could use in terms of trends.

It's time to get a little trashy, Long Beach.

As half of Suppertime's crew (the lovely Ms. Sarah Bennett) takes a vacation in the woods, Brian Addison is joined by The Hi-lo's head honcho Steve Lowery to talk about low-brow food—How _dare_ Portuguese Bend put American cheese on a sandwich!?—and the way in which classism reveals itself by way of food in childhood, culture, and beyond.

With the closing of Lasher's Kitchen in Belmont Shore—one of several over the past year—the area once known as Long Beach's prime destination is now facing an identity crisis as other neighborhoods like Retro Row and Downtown flourish.

Sarah Bennett and Brian Addison sit down with veteran Chef Raquel 'Roq' Jubran, who has not only been the chef at both Lasher locations but has also proved to be one of the most resilient people in Long Beach's ever-changing food scene.

While alcohol may seem part of our everyday culture, the history of booze has been one that is rife with controversy—and its connection to Long Beach is a rich one. Portuguese Bend, Long Beach's first distillery, is a unique example of what the world of spirits has had to go through in order to make something like this specific distillery a reality.

In this episode, Sarah and Brian sat down with Master Distiller Simon Haxton to talk about the history of booze, Long Beach's love affair with booze, and, well, booze.