Robert C. Shea The Restaurant Guy’s A 30 year restaurant veteran as owner, operator and writer. OF Bringing you the best in So Cal THE cuisine every week in the REVIEW WEEK Cheers restaurant review. Call Robert at (562) 499-1227 For daily restaurant specials, follow me on Twitter @PTRestaurantGuy DOWNLOAD MY FREE APP FROM THE APP STORE!

Mushroom & Fig Coca Café Sevilla Fine Spanish cuisine and live entertainment in Downtown Long Beach By Ryan Riley es, ranging from $21 to $30. Brochetas (meat entrées other than Tapas) range from $18 to $22. Desserts bout a year ago, my wife Michele accepted range from $8 to $11. a management position at her place of work. In a change of pace for us, Michele and I placed ASince then her work schedule has been all all of our food order at once, and had it brought out in over the place, and she hasn’t really had as many no particular order. On the vegetarian side of things opportunities to accompany me whenever I visit a (Michele’s realm), we ordered some Sevilla’s Daily restaurant for this publication. Baked Bread ($6), a Mushroom Fig Flatbread ($12), There are, however, a few restaurants in our area Ahi Tuna Tartare Patatas Bravas ($8), Garlic Manchego Mashed Pota- Tower Crudo that are able to entice her into shaking the workahol- toes ($7) and Brussel Sprouts a la Barcelona ($6). For ic monkey off her back. When I informed her that I food with some meat in them (literally and fgurative- would be making a return visit to Café Sevilla, her ly), we ordered Datiles Rellenos ($8), Riojas Short response was just what I had hoped for:“Don’t you Ribs ($14) and a Traditional Paella Valenciana ($27). dare go there without me!” Lunch has become more popular at Café Sevilla Located on Pine Ave. in Downtown Long Beach than ever before, with their improved lunch menu (between 1st St. and Broadway), Café Sevilla has featuring 5 Tapas Bites and a green salad for $14.50. been a locus for both fne Spanish cuisine and live There are over 20 different varieties of Tapas Bites on entertainment in the downtown area for over a the lunch menu, so the selection is extensive. decade. Michele and I frst experienced Café Sevilla Being married to a vegetarian (as I am) has both almost fve years ago and fell in love with the place. its perks and limitations. One of the perks that I abuse I’m happy to say that it has only become even more regularly is being able to nosh on food off her plate sublime with age. while she wants nothing to do with anything on mine. The ambiance of Café Sevilla has remained virtu- So I pretty much got to try a bite of everything! ally unchanged since our last visit, with its low-light- The frst round of dishes that came out were the ing, dark, rich color scheme and matador-centric wall Baked Bread, Riojas Short Ribs and Garlic Manche- art. The centerpiece of the room, a huge metallic go Mashed Potatoes. Michele’s heritage is mostly sculpture of a bull, is suspended in the center of the Italian, so it’s no surprise that she gravitated toward bar area, caged in a metal rack that holds various the bread immediately. It was fawlessly baked, with bottles of wine and spirits. a crisp outer layer and a warm, soft middle. It was Scallops a la Spanish cuisine is renowned for Tapas, which is a served with homemade aioli and Andalusian tomato Plancha broad term referring to appetizers and smaller entrées sauce, but it was so delicious on its own that it didn’t that are usually paired with beer, wine or spirits. need either. The short ribs were slathered in a red Michele was defnitely in the mood for some wine wine sauce, and each bite was tender perfection. The after a stressful workday, and I was in the mood to try mashed potatoes had just the perfect amount of garlic a wide variety of dishes, so this arrangement worked favor and cheesy tang. perfectly. The next round of food consisted of the Datiles The tapas at Café Sevilla are separated into differ- Rellenos and the Brussel Sprouts. The Datiles Relle- ent categories, beginning with their appetizers. Their nos, which are dates flled with Manchego cheese and Tapas Ceviche dishes range in price from $10 to $14. wrapped in Applewood Smoked Bacon, are pure sin The Tapas Empanadas are priced at $9 each. The served on toothpick skewers. The Brussel Sprouts, Tapas Classicas, a wide range of traditional Spanish which are sautéed with a drizzled balsalmic reduc- appetizers, range from $6 to $35. They also offer tion and garlic aioli, surprised me with their smoky, fatbreads ranging from $12 to $14. hearty favor. They also have larger Tapas that serve as dinner The last round of entrées included the paella, the entrées, which range from $8 to $42. Their other fatbread and the Patatas Bravas. The paella, which main courses include traditional Spanish Paella dish- had a mix of mussels, clams, calamari, shrimp, scal- SEVILLA/4 SEVILLA Café Sevilla FROM PAGE 3 Where: 140 Pine Ave. (between 1st St. and Broadway) Long Beach, CA 90802 lops, chicken and a variety Phone: (562) 495-1111 of sausages served on a Web: www.cafesevilla.com/long-beach bed of Spanish rice, was Hours: Sunday–Thursday: 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. the textbook defnition of substantial. The fabread, Friday–Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. topped with manchego Parking: Valet parking available cheese, was equal parts Wheelchair Access: Yes warm and subtle. The Patatas Bravas, which are potatoes that are drenched mous for. Their renowned of you that worship at the in a rich pimenton tomato Flamenco Dinner Show, altar of the happy hour, sauce, were savory and featuring skilled Flamenco spicy perfection. they offer what is probably dancers, live music along the best deal you are ever For dessert we sam- with a three-course dinner, pled a trio of offerings, likely to fnd. Available consisting of the Crema takes place every Saturday daily from 3 p.m. to 6 night at 7 p.m. Catalana ($8), Flourless p.m., their“Dollar for Chocolate Cake ($11) They also have live music in their Tapas Bar Dollar”Happy Hour allows and Orange Scented Flan you to order free food ($7). Michele attacked the every Thursday through rich chocolate cake like a Sunday, featuring bands equal to whatever amount woman possessed, while and performers that en- you spend on drinks. I’m I reveled in the slightly compass a wide variety of not talking about a limited sweet taste and wonder- musical genres. Bachata selection of entrées either; fully frm texture of the dance lessons are offered any food entrée, large or fan. We both enjoyed the every Wednesday night at small, is fair game. They creamy consistency and 8:30 p.m. in the nightclub also have a $10 Carafe area. chocolate & coffee favor special Sundays through of the Crema Catalana. Café Sevilla is one of I’ve spent so long the most unique restau- Thursdays from opening to describing the food that I rants that Long Beach has 5 p.m., featuring cocktails almost forgot to mention to offer. It is a dining and such as Mimosas, Mojitos, the live entertainment that entertainment experience Sangria, Bloody Marys Café Sevilla is equally fa- like none other. For those and Micheladas.