Papalucci's, Long Beach/Belmont Shore

Guilt is a strange feeling associated with eating. It's most often experienced after something unusually decadent or fatty, a brain warning letting you know that what you just enjoyed, while delicious, in copious amounts could kill you. However, I experienced my first guilty meal last night not because I ordered something overly fatty or sugary, but because I found myself in a restaurant 100 miles from home in a city I was only in because my grandmother is in the hospital. Luckily, I don't have a lot of experience with the wishes of the ill and balancing being there for them along with giving them much needed rest, but it was somewhat difficult to enjoy a meal of this magnificent magnitude knowing she hasn't eaten since Tuesday and is lying in agony after gallbladder surgery. I guess you gotta eat though, right?

Regardless of how or why I was there, in between visits my uncle, aunt, and myself traversed to Belmont Shore (also home to Frosted Cupcakery) for some highly-recommended Italian eats. Papalucci's is a family establishment smack dab in the middle of bustling 2nd Street, and while many of the overpriced, overcrowded restaurants around them serve underwhelming food with glitzy decor, Papalucci's is a welcoming understated joint complete with rickety wooden chairs, mismatched silverware, and red checkered tablecloths. The decor is rustic without being tacky, and the smells coming from the open kitchen caused my tastebuds to ululate with desire. As creatures of habit, my relatives knew that the linguine with clams (extra sauce, extra garlic) and the Tutti Mare on linguine (no mussels, extra calamari) would be their dishes of the evening, and with the waters of the Pacific only blocks away how could I order anything but fruit of the sea? Mussels marinara with linguine it was to be!



Of course, when they have an appetizer called Garlic Rolls, how could we resist a dish infused with such a wonderous herb? Dipped in butter, sprinkled with basil, heavily seasoned with fresh crushed garlic and parmesan, there was absolutely nothing about these balls of heaven that were anything less than orgasmic.

Also, as a oil and vinegar based salad dressing enthusiast, the simply dressed green salad, paired with extra tomatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs from the simply named Tomato appetizer, was a light and surprisingly flavorful way to begin our meal. Whether the dressing is homemade or store bought, it doesn't matter. The perfect amount was drizzled across obviously fresh greens, and with a bit of extra black pepper for kick it was a screaming success.





Personally, I don't find clams to be the most mind-blowing sea creature of all time, but the sheer amount of them adorning the crown of pasta with a simple garlic butter sauce was impressive enough. And when I say he asked for extra garlic, I can honestly say I have never been served a plate with that amount of garlic in my life, and in no way was that depressing. However, it was obvious that as this was his regular request, the overwhelmingly powerful flavor that bordered insanity isn't the norm for Papalucci's. Unobtrusive, all of the dishes that were being served placed an authentically delicious emphasis on simple and fresh without depending upon heavy sauces that American crowds tend to favor. The perfect choice for a summer meal!



Unfortunately, this picture doesn't do the Tutti Mare justice. Plump, ripe shrimp were in full force, and the fresh tomato sauce did absolutely nothing to unpleasantly weigh it down. I would say this rivals the infamous Mamma Zu's in Richmond, which I will easily place as the #1 restaurant in the city. Actually, Mamma Zu is probably the reason that I ordered the mussels here- linguine with mussels and marinara is my usual choice, so the opportunity for comparison couldn't be missed!



I'd be hard pressed to say which was my favorite, and I think it would take a few more visits to be able to say for sure. I'm definitely planning on making Papalucci's a regular place for me, and with the scent of pizza wafting from all around, and an entire Internet full of recommendations, it seems as though anything I would be served would be absolutely first rate. Grandma, when you get out, we're going to Papalucci's!

Papalucci's
4611 E 2nd St
Long Beach, CA 90803
(562) 434-4454