In last week’s column, I shared some details about how Long Beach’s dining scene has evolved over the past five decades and what some of the catalysts were that made Long Beach the dining destination it is today.

John Faber of McKenna’s Creek and Fiddlers Three fame established the Long Beach Restaurant Society in the late 1970s.

One of the charter members was Ronald W. “Ron” Hodges of Restaurant Row Magazine, a monthly Long Beach dining and lifestyle magazine created and edited in the 1980s. It covered restaurants, wine, travel and entertainment.

The magazine had in depth interviews with chefs such as Wolfgang Puck, first person reports on events like the Napa Valley Wine Auction, and reviews of eateries throughout Southern California. The magazine also became the official restaurant publication of the Long Beach Symphony.

Restaurant Row Magazine was officially described in its federal trademark registration as a “monthly magazine dealing with dining, travel, wine news, entertainment and a variety of lifestyle articles.”

Hodges wrote and edited many of the stories, Ron Hodges and his wife, Monica, said in a joint phone interview this week. Ron Hodges would also typeset the text on his computer and create the layout so it was ready to print.

After the Hodges bought the Bayshore Saloon on Second Street, renaming it Shannon’s Bayshore, Ron became too busy to take on the full responsibility of the magazine.

At that point, the Press-Telegram — the Grunion Gazette’s sister publication — partnered with him, and took on the printing and distribution. The magazine was an insert to the paper and in later years, Hodges sold the trademark name Restaurant Row to an online publication.

When the Hodges first purchased Shannon’s Bayshore, 5335 E. Second St., he had hoped to put a large rotisserie with chickens and other meats slow cooking in the storefront – but space limitations and regulatory requirements took that option away. So he focused on the bar’s classic drink offerings.

The signature drink is the “Shoot the Root,” made with a shot glass of root beer schnapps placed inside a tumbler of draft beer, then topped off and pounded before drinking.

During Belmont Shore’s “Stroll & Savor,” the seasonal street-food tasting event, the bar is known for its tri-tip sandwiches with aioli prepared on a grill in front of the bar.

Hodges later became known for downtown Long Beach hospitality ventures (Shannon’s on Pine, At The Top and Secret Island, for example).

Hodges founded the Downtown Entertainment District Association to help brand Pine Avenue and the Promenade as a unified entertainment district. He has promoted design concepts such as an Art Nouveau gateway and bougainvillea installations, and rallied local businesses. The association emerged after the DLBA canceled its New Year’s Eve event, prompting Hodges to organize nightlife operators.

While not an exhaustive list, here are a couple of tiki bars — including a speakeasy — owned by the Hodges.

Tiki bars

Secret Island Tiki Restaurant & Lounge, 209 Pine Ave., is underground below Shannon’s on Pine. It’s a hidden, speakeasy-style tiki bar accessed through Shannon’s on Pine.  Designed by “Bamboo Ben,” there is a bamboo décor, glowing lights, karaoke nights and a hip underground vibe.

The Bamboo Club, 3522 E. Anaheim St., is a neighborhood tiki bar that serves creative tropical cocktails, brunch, burgers and vegan options. It hosts DJs and has ample outdoor seating. For Halloween, Bamboo Club will transition to the Tremble Club and will be decorated for spooky season from Sept. 28 to Nov. 3.

It will also host Halloween Movie Nights on the patio on Mondays and Tuesdays. Mondays will be for family-friendly favorites, such as “The Addams Family” movie on Sept. 28. Tuesdays will be for scary classics, such as “The Exorcist,” which will be screened next week.

Movie night tickets are $10 and will go toward the credit on your bill. For tickets, go to tickettailor.com/events/bambooclub/2380050.