L’Opera  
A Meal in Italy

As you stroll down Pine Avenue on any given day in Long Beach, you could easily escape briefly to Italy.  Brace yourselves, it’s going to be a great and delicious experience.

As you walk in, you are greeted promptly by such a helpful and friendly staff. L’Opera has the perfect setting and ambiance for any occasion, especially in the evenings when it is dimly lit. The high ceilings and white pillars give it that nice Italian feel as well as the beautiful paintings that are hanging on the walls. Those large bouquets of flowers in the main dining room are very festive with colors of the season.

After being seated, you might find yourself taking a look through the wine list, which includes wine from all over the world. I’m sure anybody, especially a wine connoisseur, would greatly appreciate the lengthy list.  You can look through the list, and I assure you that you’ll find a gem. There are wines for every palate imaginable. If you need help with choosing a wine, no problem—there are plenty of employees with wine knowledge who can help you out. If you’re lucky enough, you might have one of the wine connoisseurs giving you a hand.

I have taken the time to learn as much as I could about L’Opera. It blew me away to find out that all the desserts and all the pastas and breads are made from scratch. This brings the homemade taste to shame, given the fact that the food IS homemade. If you would like to be blown away, try the light yet extremely delicious Cappelacci di Zucca, a specialty of L’Opera. This butternut squash stuffed ravioli with brown sage butter sauce and marinara is sure to satisfy your taste buds. This will keep you coming back for more! You must try the Tagliata piemontese (flat iron steak) or any of the scaloppini dishes, maybe even the homemade Lasagna. Don’t forget to look at the daily specials the chef comes up with—I hear they are quite popular. Make sure to ask about the 3-course lunch and dinner menu, which are $18 for lunch and $29 for dinner. This includes a salad as a starter, a choice of one of three main courses and a choice of one of two desserts. You can’t beat that!

Now, for my sweet tooth’s favorite part, the desserts. If you’re a chocolate lover, the Maria is sure to be a hit! This warm spiced chocolate cake with a scoop of vanilla Gelato on top is irresistible. My personal favorite is the Soffice e Leggera. This reminds me of an upside down pineapple cake, but it definitely one-upped it; they added caramel sauce and crème anglaise. All I can say is, to die for! I will have to keep coming back to taste all the desserts. I’m sure all the desserts are just as scrumptious. Remember, they are homemade.

L’Opera has been recognized as one of the best Italian restaurants in Los Angeles County. No surprise there—at least not for me. I’m sure most would agree with me. The restaurant has received numerous awards and medals. Such awards include Restaurant of the Year, Chef of the Year and Pastry Chef of the Year. These are such great accomplishments. L’Opera recently celebrated 19 years of great service and phenomenal food; it’s no wonder this restaurant is being recognized time and time again. 

As we all know, the holiday season is nearly upon us. L’Opera can easily accommodate large banquets and large parties in the lower level. There are two very large elegant rooms with beautiful murals painted on the walls. These rooms are ideal for holiday parties as well as private parties. Special pre-set menus can be made to accommodate your needs. Feel free to swing by and grab a brochure to have handy.

Reservations are recommended. Dress attire is business casual. Great prices for such fantastic food and service. I would say that the pricing is middle ground, which is amazing considering the name and reputation the restaurant has built. If you come for dinner on the weekends, you might be lucky enough to be serenaded by opera singers.

Click on the link below for L’Opera’s official website:

http://www.lopera.com
101 Pine Ave., Long Beach CA 90802
Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
Friday: 11:30 am - 10:30 pm
Saturday: 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Sunday: 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
 
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