Brunch at Michael's Pizzeria in Downtown Long Beach

I got to enjoy a heavenly Sunday brunch at Michael's Pizzeria in Downtown Long Beach last weekend. Curated by Chris, the general manager, I was taken through a journey of indulgent breakfast dishes, Napoli-style pizzas, and desserts. The mozzarella is made daily, all the pizzas are wood-fired and made of the freshest and tastiest ingredients that are either made in-house or at the Working Class Kitchen with no artificial coloring or flavoring. What stood out for me during the tasting was the quality taste of all the ingredients used in each dish. Read more about each dish that I tasted by scrolling through, and visit Michael's Pizzeria in Downtown Long Beach for weekend brunch on Saturday 11:30a-2:30p or Sunday 10:30a-2:30p; enjoy $3 mimosas, delicious food that not only feeds your tummy but your soul (at a great price point), and live music.

Michael's Pizzeria - Downtown Promenade in Long Beach
210 E 3rd St
Long Beach, CA 90802
562-491-2100

Regular Hours (Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays)
Mon-Thu: 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
Fri-Sat: 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
Sun: 10:30 am - 10:00 pm
Parking: Metered Street Parking, Public Parking Lots and Structures. The Public Structure across from Michael's Pizzeria on 3rd St next to the Harvey Milk Park provides 2 hours of free parking.

French Brioche Toast - Served with strawberries and cream or Nutella

This was the best French Brioche Toast I ever tasted. I usually don't eat french toast because it is dense, but this french toast was very moist on the inside with the perfect amount of egg; and with the brioche bread created an almost bread pudding consistency. The homemade strawberry jam was on another level and perfectly complemented the cream and french brioche toast. It wasn't messy to eat, and can easily be shared amongst 2-4 people. A MUST when visiting Michael's Pizzeria.

Guanciale Pizza - Working Class Kitchen guanciale (pork cheek), mozzarella, goat cheese, stone fruit, and honey

I've had sweet, savory pizzas before, but this has to take the cake on balancing the goat cheese and meat flavors with the sweetness of the peach and apricot slices. With the variety of fruit, the sweet flavors don't become redundant while eating, and along with honey drizzle, are also not overly sweet. If you are feeling adventurous and want to try a pizza other than margherita or all meat pizza, this one is for you. 

Porchetta Pizza - Pesto, smoked mozzarella, roasted peppers, and Working Class Kitchen porchetta

The porchetta pizza was very hearty (but not overwhelming) with the melted, smoked mozzarella, peppers and porchetta and I enjoyed the flavors combined with the pesto (I've never had a pesto pizza before). The cheese is concentrated in specific places on the pizza, so if you like more cheese distribution, this one isn't for you.

Margherita Pizza - Tomato, mozzarella, basil, and extra virgin olive oil

This has to be one of the best Margherita pizzas I've ever eaten. All the ingredients are cooked just right and proportionate to each other, so I'm not eating too much sauce or too much cheese.  A classic, and done very well.

Lasagna Napoletana - White pasta layered with mozzarella, meat sauce, and Parmesan

Holy cow, now this is a Lasagna. I enjoyed it so much I wanted to eat it all, but had to save some room for dessert. It just tastes homemade, but the presentation, especially in the cast iron, is impeccable. All the ingredients and flavors don't get lost, you taste each pasta layer perfectly balanced by the mozzarella and meat sauce. Aside from the French Brioche Toast, this is a favorite dish!

Fiori Di Zucca - Ricotta stuffed squash blossoms with basil honey pesto

A seasonal dish, these crispy squash blossoms were surprisingly delightful. I was thinking the Ricotta might be a mouth full, but the creaminess of the cheese is balanced by the basil honey pesto, and the outside shell adds the perfect crunch.

Dessert - Tiramisu, Salted Caramel and Mint Chocolate Gelato

I don't know how I made it to dessert, but I'm glad I did. The tiramisu is light in texture and taste, but also has more coffee flavors than the overwhelming rum flavors. The Salted Caramel gelato perfectly encapsulated the salty and caramel flavors, but the Mint Chocolate gelato is the winner. It tasted exactly as if the mint had been plucked from a garden and was complementary to the ribbons of chocolate within the creaminess of the gelato.