Cecilia Tolone and her fiancé Axel Danielsson are doing a pop-up at Colossus Bakery on Second street for Fettisdagen — otherwise known as Sweden’s Fat Tuesday — on Feb. 17, where they’ll be selling her famous semlor pastries.
Tolone is a cookbook author, recipe developer and content creator who developed her suite of skills in restaurants and bakeries in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Stockholm, Sweden for over a decade. Born and raised in Southern California, Tolone was later named Sweden’s first three Michelin star pastry chef.
One of Cecilia Tolone’s semlor pastries. (Photo courtesy Cecilia Tolone).
A flyer advertising Cecilia Tolone’s pop-up event on Feb. 17. (Photo courtesy Cecilia Tolone).
Cecilia Tolone (right) will be selling her beloved semlor pastries in Long Beach on Tuesday, Feb. 17. (Photo courtesy Cecilia Tolone).
Cecilia Tolone will be selling her beloved semlor pastries in Long Beach on Tuesday, Feb. 17. (Photo courtesy Cecilia Tolone).
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One of Cecilia Tolone’s semlor pastries. (Photo courtesy Cecilia Tolone).
“We had so much fun making semlor here in 2023 and 2024 we knew we needed to do it again. We will be making as many semlor as we are physically able to. Each box will contain 4 traditional semlor,” Tolone said.
Semlor are the beloved buns Swedes eat every year for Fettisdagen — Fat Tuesday — known as the “Day of the Cream Bun” in the country. The pastries are made with soft cardamom dough, shaped in a roll, filled with almond paste, and topped with whipped cream.
“When I have done this pop up previously, it is so fun seeing both people from my past like old high school teachers and friends from middle school, as well as meeting Swedes who had come from all over SoCal just for some semlor,” Tolone said. “It’s a lot of work but always so fun.”
Each box will cost $30 and preorders are open now. Orders can be placed online at shorturl.at/FbsYF.
Those interested in buying can also try to get some on the day of the pop-up — but quantities will be limited.
Business changes
Local restaurants are doing all they can to remain open as the cost of doing business continues to rise.
At Chuck’s Coffee Shop, the old school diner that is home of the famous “Weasel,” is now open from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily — and they’re now accepting credit cards, a major change from its previous cash-only operation.
Nick’s Deli at 223 Main Street in Seal Beach sent a message to fans this week that they will be closing earlier. The deli, known for its breakfast burritos, will now close at 4 p.m. each day.
Wine on 2nd, located at 5640 Second St. in the Naples area, is owned by a husband and wife team of Belmont Shore residents Elena Shushkova and Teodor Todorov. The duo has been offering wine flights on Groupon to help drive traffic to their small tasting room.
But they’re also giving back to the community. Tonight, Thursday, Feb. 12, the duo will be hosting a fundraiser to support the Long Beach Film Festival.
The fundraiser for the organization, of which Todorov is the founder, will get underway from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Film Festival itself is scheduled for Aug. 29 and Aug. 30 at the Art Theatre of Long Beach.
A $25 donation is required to attend the event, and will include a glass of wine, a ticket to win a premium bottle of wine, and more.
“It is a great opportunity to see what they’re building and the people behind it. It should be a great evening with good wine and a great cause” said Shushkova.
For more details, visit shorturl.at/1wOTf.
Bixby Village Plaza
The small shopping center at Seventh Street and Bellflower Boulevard always seems to be able to reinvent itself.
Most recently, the center’s management company Westar Associates announced four new additions to the plaza.
The area was most recently a CVS, and a well-known chain bookstore prior to that, has been redeveloped and will soon house four new eateries — which will open on a staggered basis as each location continues to complete their own build-outs.
They include:
California Fish Grill, a casual seafood place serving a California-inspired menu
Urbane Café, serving scratch-made sandwiches and salads
Luna Grill, offering Mediterranean-inspired cuisine (and not to be confused with Luna Bistro and Café on the other end of the plaza, offering craft cocktails and Mexican fare)
The Melt, which will serve gourmet grilled cheeses and burgers
In the meantime, Bixby Village Plaza already has some great places to chow down, including Uncle Fung Borneo Eatery — which is operated by the same team behind Borneo Kalimantan Cuisine in Alhambra, which received The Michelin Guide Award in 2019.
The Guide award distinguishes the Restaurants as having “table excellente, mérite un detour,” or excellent cooking worth a detour.
It’s also worth checking out HiroNori Craft Ramen, which serves house-made ramen.