Having grown up in the area, I was very familiar with Alegria Cocina Latina on Pine Street. It has been one of the most successful restaurants in the area for years and is a staple of the vibrant downtown area.
Now, Adrian Amosa and Miguel Baeza, owners of Gaucho Grill, Agaves Kitchen & Tequila, and Sevilla have remodeled the restaurant and bar, introduced an extensive new beverage list, and revamped the menu to include more South American and Spanish influenced fare.
The outside is as inviting as ever, facing the bustling Pine Avenue, and a couple of signs outside announce the World Cup viewing parties and the new Sangria Brunch. I’m game for both!
The new remodel is absolutely lovely! The colors and woods are absolutely gorgeous, and the perfect backdrop for a fun time with friends and food. The television in the corner was broadcasting the flamenco dancer and guitarists, but we’ll get there in a minute…
First, I picked up a couple of the sangrias at the bar to try. The red wine, brandy, sweet vermouth, fresh pears, apples, and oranges are aged for two weeks and available in both white wine and red wine. The one in the middle is a seasonal variety, which was also delicious! For those of you who are indecisive, they offer a Sangria Flight so you can sample all three!
I enjoyed the flamenco dancer and the guitarists, who were all wonderful. The dancer (Karina Carmen Velasco) and both guitarists (Jose Manuel Prieto and Victor Torres) are all Spanish-born musicians that give such a lively atmosphere to the restaurant. Before you correct me, flamenco dancers are definitely musicians considering the blindingly fast rhythms that they add to the music with their clicking heels!
And now, to the food!
Cuban style braised flank steak, fried corn tortillas, refried pinto beans, crumbled feta cheese
Sautéed calamari, spicy sofrito sauce, wilted arugula
Shrimp, citrus mojo, mango jalapeño relish, fried corn tortilla chips, and mariquitas
All three of the above were wonderful! Gorgeous, colorful dishes that I would order again and again and again. I particularly loved the Ropita Vieja and went back for seconds, but I knew that we still had a whole dinner ahead of us!
Fresh made sweet corn tamale sautéed shrimp, pepper cream sauce, chives
This dish was beautiful and delicious, and the agreed upon favorite on our way back home! No doubt, I will be returning and ordering this dish soon. 🙂
Jumbo gulf shrimp, manila clams, mussels, calamari, daily fish
There are three different types of paella, and this one was gorgeous and tasty! We may go for the vegetarian version next time, just to mix things up, but you really can’t go wrong with a massive pan of paella.
Shredded braised duck legs, pan-roasted with chipotle tomato sauce, sweet fried plantains, baby arugula salad, feta crumbled cheese
Besides the rustic presentation of this dish, I just loved it!
10 Cane Rum, Fresh strawberries, Raw Mexican sugar, fresh lemon juice, Carpano Antica
One of the drinks off of their extensive cocktail menu!
Grilled skirt steak, citrus scented chimichurri sauce, fried steak potatoes, herbed sautéed vegetables of the day
Once this dish made its way in from tot me, I thought I was too full to even make a dent in this steak. (Note: This is just half of the steak, so the full order is even bigger!) However, I ate every last bite of it, along with the spinach and the potatoes. Even if the meat wasn’t cooked perfectly (which it was), the chimichurri sauce would have made any dish amazing!
A delicious platter of mixed bite size Alegria desserts perfect for any celebration!
Vanilla flavored flan topped with caramel sauce drizzled with honey and powdered sugar. Topped fresh fruit.
Rich and creamy bread pudding baked with apple and Banana slices, pecans and raisins, drenched with Vanilla cream and whipped cream, garnished with strawberry slices
A very moist chocolate cake, topped with a velvety chocolate mousse and drizzled with a wild raspberry sauce.
What a better way to end a meal than a lovely dessert plate!
Or maybe you would want to have an after-dinner drink at the bar while watching the flamenco show or watching the game? Either way, the bar is pretty awesome (this is only half of it) and they have some great Happy Hour deals that I definitely want to come back for!
Personally, I’m partial to the dessert, but I love the lively atmosphere and the sangria is calling out my name…
Alegria Cocina Latina
115 Pine Ave
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 436-3388
alegriacocinalatina.com/
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