LA and Orange County’s popular mobile eateries will once again roll into scenic Rainbow Lagoon Park for a third Long Beach Street Food Fest.

Gourmet food trucks are returning to Long Beach by popular demand. It was clear with the overwhelming success of last year’s two Long Beach Street Food Fests that participants and attendees alike wanted another helping. On Saturday, July 9, LA and Orange County’s preeminent mobile eateries will once again roll into scenic Rainbow Lagoon Park with doors up from 10:30am to 5:30pm.
The Long Beach Street Food Festival “Truckin’ back to the LBC” will feature 30 of Southern California’s favorite gourmet food trucks, a beer & wine garden and live entertainment by the local bands Blue Steel and Blue Breeze.
Many of these trucks attract “rock star” followings, thanks in part to the latest Food Network hit The Great Food Truck Race. The Nom Nom Truck will make an appearance along with Crepes Bonaparte, The Lime Truck and Seabirds.
Attendees may want to try a crisp and gooey “Smoky Melt” with gouda, bacon and tomatoes from the number-one truck in LA– The Grilled Cheese Truck. Or they may want a Banh Mi sandwich from the Nom Nom Truck. Or a fresh Italian salad with proscuitto, mortadella, garbanzos and homemade balsamic vinaigrette from Greenz on Wheelz?
Palates may lean toward a pizza slice from the Slice Truck or “Korean pub grub” from the Ahn-Joo Truck inspired by chef/owner Debbie Lee. For dessert, there’s Chunk-n-Chip’s “Boo-Yah!” ice cream sandwiches, the Sweets Truck red velvet cupcakes, and cinnamon & honey specialties from Auntie’s Fry Bread.
The Festival is organized by the Long Beach Junior Chamber of Commerce Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit organization. Net ticket proceeds from the event will benefit the Adopt-A-Teacher program, which provides grants to local teachers to pay for unreimbursed classroom supplies and various educational scholarships.  
Tickets are $7 per person in advance or $9 at the gate. Attendees who bring a non-perishable food item for AIDS Food Store-Long Beach will receive $1 off at the gate.   For more information and to purchase tickets, visit LBStreetFoodFest.com.

Jack Witherspoon, a patient at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach who is publishing a cookbook, will serve as a judge for this year’s Cooking for Kids competition.

The “Profiles of Courage” Gala has put a new twist on a 25-year-old recipe. The fundraising event that benefits the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center (JJCCC) at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach is in its second year of having a live cooking competition, with locally renowned “celebrity” chefs at the Hyatt Regency in Long Beach.
The Cooking for Kids competition lets chefs prepare their very own family recipes at the competition, or have the Hyatt provide a recipe, to which chefs can add their own “flare.” Chefs include Mike Duree, Gary & Dawna DeLong, Rory DeJohn, Commander Laura Farinelli, Randy Gordon & Nancy Becker, Jake Hooper and Dede Rossi.
Mike Duree works for the Long Beach Fire Department and drives a department-owned mobile grill to transport food to community events. The emcee for the gala will be Katy Clark, winner of the 2011 Mrs. Long Beach title and a finalist on The Next Food Network Star.
Celebrity chefs can garner votes before the event through online fundraising and through tastings of their appetizers at the event by judges– such as former patient Jack Witherspoon, who has written his own cookbook– and through votes from the crowd. Each dollar donated is equivalent to one vote. The chefs are judged on presentation, quality and taste, and they strive to win as the “ultimate chef,” the chef who receives the most votes from the crowd, the community and the judges. 
In addition, the “Profiles of Courage” gala will honor four patients from JJCCC– Nydia Ahumada, Aaron Cheng, Susan Ing and Kayleigh Scott– and three additional honorees–KV Mark, Payless Foods and a Torch Run team: Team Matt Johnson.
Nydia Ahumada has leukemia and has a dream to attend UCLA.
Aaron Cheng, who was born with Cooley’s Anemia, will be going to Harvard in the fall.
Susan Ing has been a patient at Miller Children’s for her entire life and juggles her monthly blood transfusions between her community college courses.
Kayleigh Scott is undergoing chemotherapy for the second time and stays positive by focusing on her family and passion for music.
Team Matt Johnson is this year’s Torch Run team honoree. Ten years ago, at the age of 14, Matt Johnson, who was a Manhattan Beach native, lost his two-year battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). ALL is the most common form of pediatric leukemia. Today his parents and family are actively involved in JJCCC through events and board membership and as philanthropic friends.
Those interested in joining in the fun and supporting these patients and patients like them can purchase tickets for the Cooking for Kids competition, the cost for which is $175 per person. For tickets or to vote for a chef online now, visit millerchildrens.org/cancer. 

More Information
(562) 933-8600

Choosing a sushi roll at Suba is not easy since the list of “signature” creations is extensive and awe-inspiring.

By Vicki Paris Goodman
Culture Writer

There is something so inviting about Suba, the hip new sushi and tapas restaurant in Bixby Knolls. Maybe it’s the friendly greeting you receive on entering, or the trendy décor that is distinctly casual at the same time. Or perhaps it’s seeing your neighbors gathered at tables munching on creative sushi rolls and empanadas. Even the fun wall art seems to beckon. And certainly the smiles and easy chit-chat from the sushi chefs hint at accessibility and seem to say, “We’re glad you’re here.”
After admiring the prominent sushi bar and the wall of wines strikingly backlit in neon magenta, we decided on a table under one of the big-screen TVs that was tuned to the basketball game. Sound was either off or low; there was no distraction. We were also pleased to find that, although there were quite a few other diners, the ambient noise level permitted easy conversation.
Now I’ve always been a little leery of fusion restaurants. When an establishment claims to do more than one cuisine well, I fear mediocrity on all counts. In the case of Suba, however, such apprehension is definitely not warranted. Everything we ordered was fabulous.
To start, our server, Melina, offered us tastes of the restaurant’s homemade sangria. Suba’s version is lush and fruity with just a touch of sweetness. We had to have more. I’m ashamed to admit I even used my fork to finish off the bits of wine-marinated fruit that had floated merrily in the drink. (And I would do it again!)
Choosing a sushi roll was not easy, as the list of Suba “signature” creations was extensive and awe-inspiring. But choose we did, and the verdict was “The Bixby,” an ample spicy tuna roll topped with a slice of halibut and a dab of spicy mayo. What made this roll pop was a sliver of fresh lemon tucked under the halibut. Fantastic.
Neighbors Karen Weiss and Laura Sanders stopped by our table to say hello. They were raving about the sushi roll they’d just devoured– “The Closer”– an eclectic creation of shrimp tempura, crab, eel, avocado, cream cheese, and eel sauce. We inquired as to the bottom line and were told: “It was the best roll I’ve ever had.” High praise indeed.
After enjoying the Aguacata Y Camaron (avocado and shrimp), a tapas of large grilled shrimp atop a bed of guacamole and red salsa served with French bread slices, we moved on to the Empanada de Res. Wow, was it delish! Two large piping hot savory pastry turnovers filled with perfectly seasoned ground beef, the empanadas were a hit.
But the best thing of all was the Datilas con Cabrales– a tapas plate of whole dates stuffed with Cabrales blue cheese and a whole almond, all wrapped in bacon. OMG. The sweetness of the date, pungency of the cheese, crunch of the almond, and savory salty goodness of the Applewood smoked bacon were almost more than mere earthlings deserve.
And we barely scratched the surface of Suba’s abundant offerings. The menu could easily cover ten visits without the two of us ordering the same thing twice. (Although, I can’t imagine a meal at Suba without those stuffed dates!)
Apart from tapas, sushi, sashimi, and the various sushi rolls, both standard offering and “signature,” Suba offers not one but six– yes, six!– varieties of ceviche made out of ahi tuna, scallops, shrimp, lobster, and salmon. Can’t wait to try those.
There are also a few “large plate” items, for instance, the Paella Suba containing pretty much everything but the kitchen sink, as well as the Spanish-style Toro Burger and the Pasta Con Queso, an intriguing version of macaroni and cheese.
Alas, it will all have to wait for a future visit, which will likely occur sooner, not later. Something to look forward to!
Suba Sushi & Tapas Lounge, located at 3550 Long Beach Blvd. in Bixby Knolls, can be reached at (562) 595-1959. Beer and an extensive list of wines are available. Restaurant hours are Tuesday–Sunday, noon–10pm. Closed Monday. (Starting April 3, Suba will be closed Sundays and open Mondays). Special $7.95 lunch menu available weekdays. Happy-hour food and beverage specials offered 4pm to 7pm weekdays, noon to 4pm Saturdays and Sundays.

More Information
subasushi.com

California Heights residents Jerry Schuman and Caryn Baumgartner (left) were on hand for cocktails and food at last Friday evening’s opening of Roxanne’s Lounge/Bar/Grill at 1115 E. Wardlow Rd. The new establishment, located at the former site of Green Dog Grill, serves lunch and dinner as well as sporting a full bar, pool table, music and big-screen televisions. Contact the restaurant by calling (562) 426-4777 or see them online at roxanneslounge.com.

Pictured right is Sylvia Molina with young Penelope “Roxanne” Molina– the inspiration for the name of the restaurant.

Animal lovers, vegetarians, vegans and “foodies” in general celebrated International Vegetarian Day at the 5th annual Compassionate Cuisine last Friday at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at Cal State Long Beach. The event is a benefit for Animal Acres farmed-animal sanctuary to support its animal care and public education programs. Melissa Witul created and developed Compassionate Cuisine to raise funds for Animal Acres’ direct rescue efforts and to inspire people to adopt a vegan diet. “This was our most successful Compassionate Cuisine,” Witul said. “We had probably close to 500 attendees. We’re thrilled with the turnout.”
Attendees strolled the illuminated Japanese garden as they sampled gourmet vegan food from a wide variety of local restaurants and foodservice companies. “We’re very grateful to all the people who buy tickets and attend, and many do each year. The vendors really outdid themselves this year, and it was presented just beautifully.”

Melissa Witul (right, with her husband Steve Steinberg) created and developed the Compassionate Cuisine event to raise funds for Animal Acres’ direct rescue efforts and inspire people to adopt a vegan diet. Witul will receive the Gandhi Award at the Animal Acres Gala on Saturday, Sept. 11, for creating the vegan event.

The community is invited to celebrate International Vegetarian Day at the 5th annual Compassionate Cuisine, Friday, Oct. 1, from 7pm to 11pm at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at Cal State Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd. All proceeds benefit Animal Acres farmed animal sanctuary to support its animal care and public education programs.
Attendees may stroll the illuminated Japanese Garden as they sample gourmet vegan food from a wide array of local restaurants and foodservice companies, including Long Beach-based Whole Foods, Zephyr, and Viento y Agua. New to the event this year is Seabirds vegan street food truck.
Guests will be able to meet: Lorri Houston, founder of Animal Acres Sanctuary, who has been honored as a Lifetime Television Network “Remarkable Woman;” Tanya Petrovna, founder and chef of the popular chain Native Foods and author of The Native Foods Restaurant Cookbook; and Sarah Taylor, founder of the company The Vegan Next Door and author of Vegan in 30 Days, which provides step-by-step, practical advice on how to go vegan.
Live music will be performed by Makena and jazz-influenced pianist Scott Sorrentino, who donates a portion of every gig to animal causes.
“Compassionate Cuisine is a delicious and fun event for people of all ages and provides food for our farmed animal friends, too,” said Houston. “It raises badly needed funding for our rescue and refuge efforts, so we can keep our doors open for many more suffering farmed animals who desperately need sanctuary.”  
Melissa Witul, a local community activist and business owner, is the Compassionate Cuisine chairperson. “We are so grateful to the generous food and beverage companies that make this fun and informative event possible,” she said. “Some of our vendors have been with us since the first Compassionate Cuisine four years ago, and more come on board every year, offering attendees the opportunity to sample the diverse array of wonderful vegan food available in the Long Beach area. Not surprisingly, attendance at this event grows significantly every year, and our new location at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden will allow Compassionate Cuisine to continue to grow and introduce many more people to the great work being done at Animal Acres.”
 Admission is a $35 donation online at compassionatecuisine.net or $45 at the door.

More Information
animalacres.org

After 22 years of teaching for Long Beach Unified School District’s (LBUSD) culinary arts Regional Occupational Program (ROP), chef Monica Morgan six weeks ago opened her own cooking class center– Culinary Enterprises at 937 E. 27th St. in Signal Hill. Morgan, a Seal Beach resident, aims to help her students achieve success at cooking techniques that provide an accessible, affordable, healthy, and organic lifestyle.

Kenia Shelton teaches a class to make appetizers and drinks that are served in her native Acapulco.

Culinary Enterprises’ roster of classes includes a juniors course (for junior-high students), a vegetarian class, a farmers market course, a couples cooking seminar, and several more classes for different food genres and demographics. Each class comes with five sessions broken into breakfast, lunch, dinner, baking and desserts.
The couples cooking class offers different themes for each session, such as how to put together a picnic or dinner and a movie. “People can come [as] a couple, bring a bottle of wine, and enjoy themselves in this comfortable and inviting facility,” said Kenia Shelton, a former student of Morgan’s who is now independently contracted by Culinary Enterprises to give cooking demon-
strations that emphasize appetizers and desserts. “[Shelton] brings different ideas to the table in her demonstrations,” said Morgan. “Her dishes are cutting-edge with eye-appealing artistic presentation.”
Sybil Davis, another former student of Morgan’s, instructs a course for up-and-coming caterers. Davis’s classes help her students to license their business, establish a prototype ­food product and to package it, cost it out, and market it.

Sybil Davis, Monica Morgan, Renato Batuhan and Kenia Shelton are all instructors at Signal Hill’s new Culinary Enterprises.

With the help of assistant Renato Batuhan, Culinary Enterprises has successfully promoted their classes at Taste of the Coast, the Anaheim White House Bridal Show, and the Long Beach Street Food Festival. Morgan was quite pleased with the interest from hundreds of possible future students that those events provided.
Morgan assures prospective students that her classes will enrich them since cooking techniques are emphasized over the recipes themselves. In addition, the recipes offered for each class feature experimental ideas such as the one in her couples cooking class last Friday– the stovetop chocolate cake baked by students involved zucchini as an ingredient.
Morgan’s culinary résumé includes a bachelor’s degree in food science, culinary training in France, and pastry cooking at the Florida Culinary Institute. Morgan also fronted her own catering company for nine years– Breakfast by Design. In her time as an ROP instructor for LBUSD, Morgan taught students culinary skills and then aided them with internship opportunities at restaurants and hotels. On starting her own company, Morgan said, “this company is straight from my heart. I feel like I’ve been let out of a cage and now have the freedom I always wanted.”
Morgan also hopes to inspire her students through her classes. “My other goal is to promote women in business to possibly pursue culinary-related careers or to find a culinary angle at their current career,” she said.
Culinary Enterprises’ cooking classes cost $175 for five classes. Students are encouraged to choose classes that interest them most and do not have to be consistent (combinations such as three couples cooking classes and two vegetarian classes are allowed). The company also offers sanitization certification. For more information, call (562) 427-2118 or visit foodiscool.com.

Trattoria Limone Chef Henry Santos and owner John Huson

Trattoria Limone closed last weekend. I shed a tear for this one. Couldn’t help it. I’ll just come out and say it– I loved the place.
Finding out about the closing by sheer serendipity, my husband Sam and I made a final visit with our friends for a farewell Limone dinner. I had to have the Pappardelle Benevento (a luscious pasta with lamb in cream sauce) one last time.
In a discussion with our friend Roberta Friedman as to what made Limone’s end so distressing, she and I couldn’t put our (collective) finger on it. Something made the attractive and friendly little neighborhood pasta house at Orange and Wardlow special– an “it” factor, the two of us finally surmised.
Owner and executive chef John Huson, appearing saddened but not at all bitter, simply said, “There were no villains. I had to pay a lot of rent up front while waiting for the planning department’s approval. But the fact is, we were busy each night from 6:30 to 8, and an hour and a half’s business each day just wasn’t enough to cover the costs. I just want to thank our customers from Bixby Knolls, Cal Heights, Virginia Country Club and Wrigley for their loyal patronage.
Goodbye, Limone, I’ll miss you. I really will.

In the last few years, food trucks have seen a vast increase in popularity among teens and adults alike. Capitalizing on the recent boom, several food trucks are coming together for Long Beach’s first Street Food Fest on Saturday, July 24 at Rainbow Lagoon Park (on the northern side of Shoreline Drive). The participating trucks will set up their stations side-by-side to serve the city’s diverse eaters from 10:30am to 5pm.
The event is being promoted through social networking on Facebook and Twitter, and through word of mouth from fans of each involved food truck. The goal of the festival is to raise funds for the Jaycee Foundation’s Adopt-a-Teacher program, which provides local teachers with funds for classroom supplies which normally must be purchased with the educators’ own money. A percentage of the funds raised will also be donated to Long Beach City College’s student scholarship programs.
Twenty-two vendors are scheduled to appear at the festival: Border Grill, a chain of Mexican restaurants with locations in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Las Vegas, in addition to its truck (Border Grill’s chef, Susan Feniger, recently finished Bravo’s second season of Top Chef Masters in fifth place.); Buttermilk, a truck specializing in breakfast foods; Calbi, serving Korean influences on Mexican dishes; Cool Haus, selling ice cream sandwiches; Del’s, a frozen lemonade truck; Don Chow, a Chinese/Mexican fusion truck that appeared on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; Fresh Fries, serving several varieties of French fries; the Greasy Weiner, bringing New Jersey-style hot dogs to the west coast; Great Balls on Tires, with their meatball menu items in tow; the Grilled Cheese Truck, whose name speaks for itself; Kabob and Roll, bringing Mediterranean dishes; King Cone, an ice cream parlor on wheels; the Knockout Taco Truck, another Mexican taco truck; Lomo Arigato, a Japanese/Peruvian fusion truck; Louks, Greek gourmet to-go; LudoBites, a guerilla-style pop-up restaurant event created by Chef Ludo Lefebvre; Reggae Chicken, a Jamaican-American fusion truck; SliceTruck, pizza on wheels; Sweets Truck, taking sweets to the street; Uncle Lau’s Island BBQ, a taste of Hawaii; World Fare, the first double-decker bus to enter the world of food trucks; and Yatta, taking sushi on the road.
In addition to the food trucks, arts-and-crafts vendors and live music will be included at the event. The groups performing are rock band Blue Steel and funk band Delta Nove.
Tickets for the festival are available at the event’s website, lbstreetfoodfest.com, for $6 pre-sale and $8 at the gate.