Silber & The Good Life—
Entertainment May 17
Pink Party The highly anticipated 6th Annual Pink Party will kick of the Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride weekend, starting at 8 p.m. May 17, at 1st Street and Linden Avenue. Attendees will flood downtown Long Beach’s East Village Arts District in a sea of pink. A portion of the proceed will benefit the The Center’s MYTE program. Tickets are $10. Tickets are available at www.downtownlongbeach. org/sales/tickets
The Whale & Ale Restaurateur Talks Food, Culinary Adventures By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor
I
n 17 years, San Pedro’s favorite pub has become an institution. Walk inside, the lights are dim and the den of conversation wax and wanes depending on how far or close it is to the weekend. On any night of the week, ask the bartender what’s new in their top shelf, you will generally get a good primer on what’s good and why. If you’re not familiar with Northern European cuisine, the wait staff can educate you and you won’t feel silly for asking. This expert level of service at The Whale & Ale is due to the restaurateur, Andrew Silber. “The main thing... is customer service,” Andrew explained. Andrew isn’t the sort that pulls his punches or sugar coats the truth. “When I look at the restaurants I go to, almost universally the food is pretty good or excellent,” he said. “Not many restaurants survive if the food isn’t any good. What sets them apart is how you’re treated when you get there. And you remember vividly places that give you exceptional service.” Andrew, well–traveled, is fluent in three languages and knowledgeable about fine dining and hospitality. It’s a safe bet that if there’s a culinary adventure to be had, he would know where to find it. In a region as diverse as Southern California, Northern European cuisine is a rarity amidst a sea of Asian and Latin American cuisine.
May 18
Playa at the Maya Celebrate Long Beach Pride with an afternoon full of music, food, cocktails, sexy, boys and girls, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. May 18, at Hotel Maya in Long Beach. Bring your sexy back and wear your colorful swimsuits. This year Play@ Maya is benefiting in part the IT GETS BETTER PROJECT, an organization that gives hope to LGBT youth. Tickets start at $30. Details: w w w. b row np a p e r t i c ke t s . c o m / event/370270 Poseidon at the Queen Mary Long Beach hottest dance party is pack, starting at 9 p.m. May 18, at the Queen Mary. Celebrate Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride weekend with the biggest queen in town. Details: www.queenmary.com/poseidon Venue: Queen Mary Location: 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach Viktorija Gecyte with Go Trio Viktorija Gecyte with Go Trio is scheduled to perform, at 8 p.m. May 18 at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro. Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro
May 19
Wirechoir, Nick Mancini on Vibes Wirechoir and Nick Mancini on Vibes are scheduled to perform, at 4 p.m. May 19 at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro. Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro
Independent And Free.
Continued on page 16.
Home Made Roast Beef
$9.98 lb.
Fresh Homemade Italian Sausages
$2.98 lb.
$1.99 6IN1 #28 Can Tomatoes
Sandwiches • Salads • Pastas Imported Italian Products Fresh Deli Meats & Cheeses
Order Our Homemade Cookies • Cannoli • SfogliatellE Order Your Special Event Sandwich Party Trays!
May 17 – 30, 2013
Imported PEcorino Romano
14
$5.49 lb.
Family Size Ready Cooked Lasagna Trays
$29.95
Just Arrived From Italy— CacIocavallo Ragusano & Fresh Pecorino Romano
Fresh Burrata
$2.50 ea.
Therefore, educating the local palate, without turning diners off, is a challenge. “Most people, even if they haven’t traveled to Northern Europe, they all know what fish and chips are,” Andrew explained. “A lot of them know what shepherd’s pie is or bangers and mash are because they’ve read Sherlock Holmes or seen it in on TV or something. They at least have a vague idea of it. And those who don’t, ask us.” However, Andrew noted that another, albeit (in his words) “minor” challenge, is people’s perception of a pub. “With a pub, there’s all sorts of types,” he said. “It could be a bar with five stools and that’s it. There are some pubs that have three banquet rooms and a dining suite. For people who haven’t visited England or toured around England, some may have a misconception of what a pub is. And the risk then is that they show up and they become disappointed.” Andrew recalled the old pub, Tommy’s Yacht Club, where one of the main attractions was an oscillating liquor cabinet behind the bar. “When we first opened, I think people in the area thought we were going to be like Tommy’s Yacht Club. It had a long bar with lots of alcohol and beer and not much else. So many people didn’t realize that there was food (at The Whale & Ale) —a whole menu and not just chips.” In the past few years, a number of bars that provide food have taken on the moniker, “gastropub,” signifying the advent of gourmet bar food. Some places meet the expectations, while others fall short. When asked about the proliferation of “gastropubs,” Andrew noted that despite the seeming popularity, it hasn’t truly caught on yet, but that the time is coming when it will. “Real gastropub food is taking something like steak and kidney pie and adding foie gras or puree asparagus and making it somewhat jazzyed up, make it more O cuisine. So, it’s pretty innovative.” Andrew opined that the emergence of the gastropub was a reaction against the general terribleness of pub food following World War II, when England suffered through severe shortages and rationing that persisted long after the last shot was fired in that war. “When I was born, 1954, the war had been over nine years,” he said. “We still couldn’t get bananas. We had to get ration books and coupons to buy them.” The gastropub made it a point in turning their reputation around. It is an interesting sort of history. A byproduct of an all boys private school in Kingston, London (the equivalent of high school) majoring in French and Russian, he knew from the very beginning he wanted a career in hotel management. This desire likely came from extensive travel with his father, staying in one hotel after another. Continued on page 18.