The Bungalow Kitchen Belmont Shore Opening March 4, 2021

Award-winning chef Michael Mina and hospitality veteran Brent Bolthouse are thrilled to expand their joint partnership in Southern and Northern California with the opening of The Bungalow Kitchen, a brand-new restaurant concept. The new social dining experience and community clubhouse is set to open first in Long Beach, California at Belmont Shore (2^nd & PCH) on March 4, 2021, followed by a Tiburon (5 Main Street) location in Marin County, California, in Spring 2021.

Mina and Bolthouse first teamed up in 2018 to expand The Bungalow, which was conjured from Bolthouse’s rich imagination when he opened the first venue in 2012. The Bungalow’s existing lounge spaces in Santa Monica, CA and Huntington Beach, CA, have established themselves as two of Southern California’s hottest destinations. The Bungalow Kitchen Belmont Shore and Tiburon are the duo’s first collaboration in the social dining space.

The Bungalow Kitchen will bring a chic and bohemian atmosphere, California Cuisine heavily inspired by local, seasonal ingredients, a classic cocktail program, and an expansive wine list to both unbeatable waterfront destinations.  Menu highlights include pristine shellfish served either ice-cold or hot charcoal-grilled; garden “punch” bowl, featuring crunchy, ice-cold garden vegetables served with Gazpacho shooters and three dipping sauces: Green Goddess, romesco and lemon-poppyseed; a comforting Short Rib ‘Pop-Tart’ topped with crispy shallots and drizzled with sauce bordelaise; signature house-made pizzas such as the Carbonara Pizza white pie with Crispy Guanciale, Yukon Gold potatoes, Pecorino Romano and drizzled with a poached farm egg; and Chef Michael Mina’s signature decadent Lobster Pot Pie featuring a whole Maine lobster, truffle-lobster bisque and root vegetables.

“Brent is a longtime friend of mine, his incredible vision, amazing personality, and the humility he carries himself with has allowed him to be successful decade over decade in this industry,” says Mina. “We are so excited to collaborate on our first brand new restaurant concept and to utilize his deep roots in the industry with the launch of The Bungalow Kitchen. Both restaurants will highlight my version of California cuisine and emphasize the incredible bounty and purveyors of the regions in which they are located.  Our goal is to bring a warm and comforting place that will feel like an extension of the living room you always wanted.”

“The original plans for Belmont Shore were to open the third Bungalow location, but Michael and I quickly shifted gears to rebrand and pivot to The Bungalow Kitchen in response to the pandemic, opting to launch our new brand concept there first,” said Bolthouse. “The Bungalow Kitchen Tiburon had been in the works for quite some time, and we’ve long wanted to re-create the striking and luxurious feel of an elegant, exclusive clubhouse on an accessible community level. It’s the most innovative restaurant project I have ever been a part of, and we can’t wait to bring this to the communities of Long Beach and Tiburon.”

Opening: March 4, 2021

The Belmont Shore location is designed by local Venice, CA-based design firm Studio Collective, who have designed some of the most coveted destinations in hospitality; from the beautifully rich hotel interiors of The Landsby Inn in Solvang and Downtown LA’s Hotel Figueroa to the charming comfort of The Bungalow at Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica and the sophisticated surroundings of some of the nation’s most in-demand restaurants such as La Huella in Miami and Giada in Las Vegas.  The 10,000 square foot venue will have an eclectic, residential vibe rich in custom furnishings and layered with unique artwork. Designed with the intent to create an atmosphere of attending a fabulous dinner party, The Bungalow Kitchen Belmont Shore is unlike anything loyal fans of The Bungalow brand have seen previously.

This specific venue gives the nod to the rich architectural history and the Long Beach community’s punk-rock edge. It puts a unique and utterly contemporary spin on the traditional Craftsman bungalow, maintaining certain classic structural elements (wood plank ceilings, large fireplaces, a covered porch) while simultaneously taking a sledgehammer to others and exposing what remains (wood stud and plywood walls, concrete floors, select structural members) and adds the sort of hip, eclectic furnishings one might expect to find in a local musician’s home lend this location an ambiance that is at once comforting and industrial, with a rock-and-roll twist.

Composed of various size and style rooms, the space feels as if it has evolved over time.  Upon entering, guests are greeted by a warm entry lounge with an organic, plaster fireplace and adjacent, built-in plaster seating.  70’s era relics fill the walls, laying the groundwork for what awaits inside.  A plywood corridor displaying a mix of black and white photographs and prints leads guests into the main dining room, where white wood planks line the walls and the vaulted ceiling above.  Anchored on one side by a large fireplace and the other by a copper-topped bar, the dining room is the ideal space to celebrate either a large party or go on date night, with plush, custom sofas providing the perfect seat from which diners can relax and enjoy their meals.  Just off the dining room lies the game room, where a mix of rock and roll nostalgia and rock-inspired artwork are layered over exposed wood stud walls creating the ideal space to shoot a game of pool.  A little further down a small hallway, guests can make their way to the sunroom, where white oak plank walls and millwork provide a more intimate and sophisticated space to escape and enjoy an after-dinner cocktail.  Both the sunroom and the dining room provide entry out to the 3,000 square foot patio where guests can enjoy authentic al fresco dining while overlooking the Marina.  A retractable awning built into a red cedar wood trellis allows patrons to make use of this space year-round comfortably.  A combination of potted and hanging plants adds to the patio’s outdoor feel, while a mix of seating groupings ensure everyone will be able to find their perfect seat on what is sure to be the most desired spot in town.  All in total, The Bungalow Kitchen Belmont Shore looks forward to bringing inspired social dining in an equally unique space and becoming a mainstay for the Long Beach community to enjoy for years to come.