Dining Long Beach Style

This seaside harbor restaurant has a vast and diverse menu that is sure to please even the most finicky diner. From fresh seafood to prime steaks, pasta or salads, Parkers' Lighthouse is a great choice for lunch or dinner!

The first day we were here was for a day of meetings in their private dining area. Overlooking the water with the Queen Mary in port was a wonderful way to spend a day working. For lunch our group had the roasted half-chicken with Yukon mashed potatoes. The sauteed veggies were the perfect side dish. The warm sourdough bread served in abundance was also magnificent.

Because we enjoyed our lunch so much, a couple of us returned later in the week for dinner. Several in our group had the seafood pasta, but I opted for the mesquite grilled swordfish. Served with a light white wine sauce over roasted potatoes, it was outstanding!!

Parkers' Lighthouse offers a full-service bar with a nice wine selection. The desserts looked heavenly, but nobody had room after the meal, so we had to take a pass on the sweets.

Parkers' Lighthouse is in the Shoreline Village, about a 10-minute walk from the Hyatt (our home base in Long Beach). If you are staying farther from the harbor, they do have a complimentary shuttle that will pick you up and return you to your hotel.

Additional information (including menus) can be found at their website: http://www.selectrestaurants.com/parkerslight/index.html

Jax Grill is inside Gameworks, the popular game arcade and bowling center located at The Pike at Rainbow Harbor.

The food is an outstanding value, served piping hot. We started with a nacho-platter appetizer, along with an order of buffalo style wings. For dinner, several in our group had the ribs or burgers. Slathered with a Kansas City style sauce, the ribs were meaty and moist. I had the chicken strip basket, which was equally good with BBQ sauce for dipping. The carrot cake or a chocolate mountain made for the perfect close on this outstanding dining experience.

If you are planning an outing that includes young adults, this is also a great location for a party or other social event. We brought over 100 undergrad students here for their "business meeting." After the meeting was completed, all were treated to a buffet from Jax Grill (nachos, wings, potato skins, Tex-Mex rolls, and soft drinks), an hour of bowling, and an hour of arcade game play for just $29.95! We felt it was an outstanding alternative to the typical "meeting" in a stuffy hotel room with overpriced banquet-style food.

More information may be found on their website: http://www.gameworks.com/locations/long_beach.php#rests or http://www.gameworks.com/pdf/menus/New!%20Arena%20Sports%20Bar_2_06.pdf

This early 20th-century bank was converted into The Madison Restaurant in 1995. You have that turn-of-the-century "bank feel" as you enter from Pine Avenue. The vaulted ceilings (at least 30 feet high!) and dark-wood paneling makes this restaurant very elegant. The grand piano sets the stage for the ambiance of the evening.

The menu offered all items a la carte, making for a rather expensive dining experience. For our group of 15, the tab (excluding bar) was over $1,000! The steaks were outstanding, fish and seafood dishes superb! Side dishes were large enough to share, so don't make the mistake as some in our group did of ordering too much in the way of accompaniments.

While I couldn't imagine having dessert, several in our group did. The most interesting item was a small baby grand piano made out of dark chocolate with white chocolate keys. Inside the piano was an assortment of seasonal berries and whipped cream. One of the others dining near me had the cream brulee which he said was outstanding.

Full-service bar and wine cellar round out the offerings of this fine-dining establishment. If you have a larger group, as we did, they do have a nice mezzanine loft that can accommodate you. While we only used approximately one-half of the space, as they could easily seat for 30 to 35 in this area.

This was a jewel of a find, right near the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. Located directly across the street, a couple of us dropped in just to catch a brew and a burger. Much to our delight, we were treated to a vast menu of Irish delights!

Starting with a potato and goat cheese crostini, we knew we were going to be in for a dining experience. While my dining companion chose the lamb chops, I opted for a more traditional shepherd's pie. The sauce was rich and robust, with just the right blend of seasonings and flavor.

What would an Irish pub be without great beer?? The vast selection of draught and bottled beer could satisfy even the most select of drinkers. While Miller Lite is my normal beer of choice, how would one dare to order such an ordinary drink when offered the choice of some rather exquisite brews? At the suggestion of our server, I had the Newcastle Brown Ale, which wasn't as dark or heavy as I feared it might be. It was the perfect beverage for my meal!

To our surprise, an Irish band arrived to play around 9pm. While they were outstanding, it made discussion inside nearly impossible. They also have a small patio area, but it seemed to be very crowded, with lots of people standing and chatting. We actually enjoyed our corner booth, allowing for private conversation away from others.

More information may be found on their website: http://www.aulddubliner.com/logo.html

On our last night in town, the staff went out for a night of celebration. While many were looking forward to a night of burgers and adult beverages, by the time the night arrived, we were simply too tired for any alcoholic beverages. Water seemed much more appropriate given our physical and mental exhaustion!

With that being said, I should comment on the vast menu of island type frozen adult beverages. I think you can find just about any rum concoction you wish on their bar menu.

We did start with some appetizer snacks that included buffalo and teriyaki style wings and chips & salsa. Islands is known for their burgers, so we all made choices with exotic combinations of toppings and add-ons. The flavor of the burger meat was very delicious, with that "grilled in your backyard" flavor. For me, mustard, mayo, and dill pickle was all I needed!!

Side dishes of onion rings or french fries were also available. Large enough to share, we ordered four baskets to share among eight of us.

Dessert was a real treat, too! The Chocolate Lava was an indulgence of chocolate on a dark-fudge brownie. Others had the Kona Pie, which included mocha ice cream layered with rich fudge and caramel on a chocolate cookie-crumb crust. I was glad to have made this my only dessert choice during my week in Long Beach!!

The Tides Restaurant is inside the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Long Beach. With all of the great dining opportunities in and around the Hyatt, I strongly encourage you to venture out and dine outside of the hotel for lunch and dinner! While the menu looked very good, and I did enjoy a great California club sandwich on my day of arrival, there is just too much other great dining experiences to be had during your visit.

The Tides does have a nice breakfast buffet every morning. Fresh fruits, breads, and pastries are available, as well as hot items such as scrambled eggs, sausage or bacon and biscuits & gravy. For the price ($14.95), I was a bit surprised that they didn't offer a "cook-to-order" egg or omelet station.

The breakfast buffet does include fresh-squeezed orange juice, as well as other juice choices and a bottomless cup of coffee, so perhaps $14.95 isn't too steep. I don't know...I just wish I could have had something other than scrambled eggs.