Food & Drink in Long Beach

John Galardi started serving franks at the original Wienerschnitzel in 1961, and enterprising cooks in more than 350 franchise locations have gone on to doll up original, turkey, and beef dogs with an inventive array of toppings. Chili, kraut, pickles, pastrami, and other fixings leap onto handheld fare or become fresh characters in novels scrawled on napkins. Beneath chilly whorls of Tastee Freez ice cream, the eatery's menu shivers with soft-serve cones, sundaes, and shakes.

SUBA gets its East-meets-West feel from housing two master chefs under one roof: Executive chef David Santiago Sr., an expert in contemporary Spanish cuisine, brings experience from SUBA NYC and Boqueria in New York, while chef Shane Hollinger infuses sushi creations with flare from his native Hawaii. The menu features Spanish classics such as paella SUBA, a mingling of rice with fresh clams, mussels, shrimp, squid, chorizo, and more ($22), as well as reinventions of old classics such as the toro burger, mixed with chorizo and saucified with spicy mango salsa and habañero mayo ($9). Like a double major in biology and football, the signature sushi rolls combine unexpected ingredients, as exemplified by the light my fire roll's mixture of spicy tuna, cream cheese, tempura jalapeño, mango honey, and actual fire, as it comes flambé to the table ($14). Mark Richmond's Japanese tattoo-style art completes the eclectic ambience, making a visit to SUBA as tasty for the eyes as it is for the buds.

A flavorful fusion of art, music, wine, and cuisine, Red dishes up a menu of contemporary American fare, organic coffee, and boutique vinos. Diners can train monocles upon the vibrant artwork adorning the walls while fixing forks into a specialty spicy quinoa pilaf served with either sautéed veggies ($11) or grilled chicken ($12). A tasty selection of gourmet burgers served with sweet-potato fries quells insurgent hungers ($9–$12), and a seared sesame ahi tuna topped with a miso vinaigrette swims succulently into the savor sectors of humans and gilled mariners alike ($18).

With 40 years of sandwich-making expertise, Togo's gives party planners an extensive catering menu from which to choose their spread. Sandwich trays ($45 regular size, feeds 10), the Endless Combinations platter ($65, feeds up to eight with 16 half sandwiches of four different varieties, plus a regular salad), and a 3- to 8-foot Party Footer (feeds up to 32 people; prices vary depending on sandwich type and size) will supply sustenance for Valentine's Day group gatherers, enthusiastic Presidents' Day celebrators, and supporters of early-February professional American football championships.

Earning a Best Pizza designation from Beachcomber in 2010, the family-owned Pizza Place & Garden Café dishes out a variety of pie stylings alongside a stable of salads, calzones, sandwiches, and hot drinks. Bet your hunger on the spaghetti marinara ($6.95) or throw your fortunes to a pizza wheel, each of which uses 11 basic toppings and bribed security guards to deliver jackpots of deliciousness ($11.25 for a medium pizza with two toppings). Meanwhile, fare fashionistas can mix and match 21 gourmet toppings ($2.95 each on a medium pizza) including crab meat and eggplant, or delight in a pre-adorned pie such as the Deep South, topped with smoked andouille sausage, asparagus, roasted red peppers, and a pairing of gouda and mozzarella cheese ($18.95). Customers have the option to relax in the warm glow of the restaurant or carry out to dine by their home hearth.

Maru Maki's menu lists and pictures inspired sushi rolls and traditional Japanese dishes. Starters such as the vegetable tempura ($5.50) or green mussels ($7.50) create a pleasing meal commencement, and the spicy calamari ($8) sates the spice-craving taste buds of pescetarians. Crunch on the popcorn-lobster roll, a california roll topped with tempura lobster and jalapeños ($12), or chew on the smoked salmon, crab, shrimp, and obligatory drizzle of molten rock that gather together in the volcano roll ($12.95). Sashimi fans can spear the yellowtail or tuna ($9.95 for six pieces) or snag the sashimi dinner, which features 15 pieces of sashimi and a bowl of miso soup and rice ($17.95).