Michael Mina and Brent Bolthouse’s Long Beach Restaurant Opens in Early 2021

Michael Mina and Brent Bolthouse have announced an opening date in early 2021 for their upcoming Long Beach restaurant the Bungalow Kitchen, which was originally slated to debut in summer but got pushed back due to the pandemic. With the Bungalow’s typical relaxed boho atmosphere and a flexible California menu, the Santa Monica version of the place has always been a see-and-be-seen type of place on the Westside. When originally announced for Long Beach, it wasn’t going to be a full-on restaurant but plans changed during the past few months to build out a fuller dining experience.

Now those vibes will come to Long Beach’s Belmont Shore, with an expansive 10,000 square foot indoor-outdoor space that nods to the area’s punk rock heritage but honestly feels more like an upscale home design catalog. It’s not a bad thing, and once the pandemic is over it’ll feel right at place with the rest of Belmont Shore’s party-leaning approach. The menu highlights include a lobster pot pie, short rib “pop-tart” and carbonara pizza. Mina and Bolthouse also have a place slated to open in Northern California at Tiburon in Marin County some time in 2021.

In other news:

• BCD Tofu House will join seven other Koreatown restaurants, including Jookhyang, Hanchic, Brothers Sandwich, Aca Grill, KTown Pho, Egg Bomb, and Love Hour in December to provide 300 meals to LA Mission as a part of program called “KTown Cares.” LA Mission provides 300 meals to Downtown LA’s Skid Row, three times a day, seven days a week. The set of Koreatown restaurants will cook everything from bulgogi and tofu stew combo meals to breakfast sandwiches.
• Langer’s Deli announced they’ll be closed temporarily closed due to an employee testing positive, according to the restaurant’s website. The closure will last until at least Thanksgiving, which means fans won’t be able to get any pastrami sandwiches or deli favorites for at least a week. Langer’s says they’re taking every precaution to ensure the safety of workers and diners with cleaning and distancing protocols. Langer’s is only open for takeout and delivery at the moment.
• Scratch Bar is back cooking not at their typical Encino location but instead at iPic theaters in Westwood with a new outdoor “Wine & Dine series” on the patio beginning in December. The first weekend serves seven courses plus paired wines from Cade & Plumpjack wines, though the dinner with Louis Roederer will cost $495 a person with caviar in every course. Check Tock to make a reservation.
• Son of a Gun has a Puerto Rican food pop-up from chef Edwin Robles for $65 per person available on the premises or through takeout. Dishes include rabbit stew empanadas, carne de cerdo (fried pork chunks) and abuelita’s flan for dessert. Make reservations on Resy.