Long Beach’s Historic Queen Mary Ship Reopens Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge

After three years of restoration and repair, Long Beach’s Queen Mary is finally open to the public. The nearly 90-year-old attraction and hotel reopened last month, but there are two refreshed dining and cocktail options that christened the docked vessel last week with the Observation Bar and the Chelsea Chowder House & Bar.

The Press-Telegram reports the Observation Bar — which used to be a first-class lounge — is now a pure cocktail lounge that removed TVs or any resemblance of modernity and emphasizes Art Deco details and a panoramic view of the Long Beach coastline. The Chelsea Chowder House & Bar also went through restoration efforts, and both reopened on Friday, May 12.

The hotel started hosting guests in April as well as providing tours. The ship — which is operated by the City of Long Beach — began reopening at a gradual pace after making critical repairs. The Queen Mary began sailing in 1936, only to dock at Long Beach in 1967. The boat’s restoration continues, and the fine dining restaurant Sir Winston’s is due to reopen in 2024.

The Horses saga continues

If you need a refresher on the situation around Horses, start here. The latest — which is now a full-on battle for the popular restaurant — comes from a Los Angeles Superior Court complaint filed Friday, May 19 by Will Aghajanian against his wife Elizabeth Johnson, reports the Hollywood Reporter. Filed Friday, May 19, the Los Angeles Superior Court complaint accuses Johnson of fabricating her allegations of Aghajanian’s animal abuse and assault in an attempt to eliminate him from the forthcoming restaurant Yu Bo & Friends. Johnson and Aghajanian partnered with acclaimed chef Yu Bo, owner of Yu’s Family Kitchen.

Another lawsuit, this time at West Hollywood’s Pump

Reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump, her husband Kenneth Todd, and Pump restaurant are being sued over liability insurance. This is the latest in a string of problems for the 10-year-old restaurant, which closes on July 5. The Blast obtained new court documents that focus on Pump which allegedly owes premiums and fees to the Employer’s Compensation Insurance Company.

Want to get in at Funke? There are 1,500 people ahead of you

The hype surrounding Evan Funke and Kurt Rappaport’s latest restaurant Funke is real with a 1,500-person waitlist for reservations. Meanwhile, Keeping Up With The Kardashians matriarch Kris Jenner, with mega entertainment executives David Geffen and Barry Diller are early supporters, writes the Hollywood Reporter.

Wonho Frank Lee

Westfield Century City’s casual new pizza joint

Westfield Century City’s incredibly busy food court has a new option, with O’Gusto Pizza & Pasta offering traditional wood-fired pizzas and pastas, writes Toddrickallen.

North Hollywood strippers officially unionize

Dancers at North Hollywood’s Star Garden Topless Dive Bar became the country’s first unionized strippers, joining the Actors’ Equity Association labor union.

Angler Dinner with NBA legend Dwayne Wade

Angler is partnering with former NBA player and Wade Cellars founder Dwyane Wade to host a May 30 dinner featuring Saison Hospitality Culinary Director Paul Chung. This is Wade’s West Coast start of his second When We Gather dinner series that features BIPOC chefs and sommeliers. The meal is served family-style with four Wade wines. The seating starts at 6:30 p.m. and costs $195 per person. Book a seat on Opentable.