{"id":155093,"date":"2026-01-29T16:31:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T16:31:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/155093\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T16:31:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T16:31:10","slug":"massimo-aronne-opening-new-italian-restaurant-on-second-street-press-telegram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/155093\/","title":{"rendered":"Massimo Aronne opening new Italian restaurant on Second Street\u00a0 \u2013 Press Telegram"},"content":{"rendered":"

The former general manager of Second Street\u2019s Michael\u2019s on Naples restaurant, Massimo Aronne, is set to open his own Italian Restaurant right next door.<\/p>\n

Local diners are excited to have Aronne \u2014 along with his wine expertise, culinary knowledge and can-do personality \u2014 back on the block.<\/p>\n

The new restaurant had its soft opening on Thursday, Jan. 29. The eatery is located at 5616 E. Second St., and throughout the building\u2019s remodel, Aronne made sure to include some subtle homages to his culinary history.<\/p>\n

Some of those Easter eggs include Chianina artwork in the restroom, a prized Murano glass collection, a photo of a vintage Vespa and another featuring an old school red Fiat.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A peek inside Massimo\u2019s, a new Italian eatery in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Jo Murray).\n<\/p>\n

\"Massimo<\/p>\n

Massimo Aronne poses outside his new restaurant in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Jo Murray).\n<\/p>\n

\"Artwork<\/p>\n

Artwork inside Massimo\u2019s, a new Italian restaurant in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Jo Murray).\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 3<\/p>\n

A peek inside Massimo\u2019s, a new Italian eatery in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Jo Murray).\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

The spot once home to a pizzeria and market has been transformed. Marble tables have been reimagined, and the room has been adorned with wall treatments to reduce noise and artwork featuring towns that hold significance to Aronne.<\/p>\n

The restaurant\u2019s offerings of filtered water, small plates, the glassware and the tasteful cases with simple flowers at each table all have a familiar feel to them \u2014 almost like coming home.<\/p>\n

Aronne, at one time, thought the name of his new restaurant should be Bella de Napoli in honor of his daughter and his hometown \u2014 but later decided naming it after himself was a better fit. It truly is Massimo\u2019s: He\u2019s the chef and manager.<\/p>\n

And locals will likely recognize the staff as well, since he\u2019s brought the Micahel\u2019s on Naples band back together.<\/p>\n

The new menu includes antipasti, salads, focaccia and pizzas.<\/p>\n

Some dishes will be crafted from his own mother\u2019s recipes, including a comfort food pasta with potatoes and smoked mozzarella.<\/p>\n

Panxa Cocina<\/p>\n

Panxa Cocina\u2019s new chef, Richie Ramirez, has unveiled a new menu \u2014 which is a delightful reflection of his culinary talents that pays respect to the legacy of the restaurant\u2019s late chef Arthur Gonzalez.<\/p>\n

With three months at the restaurant\u2019s helm, as the chef, Ramirez is hitting his stride. While he\u2019s kept some of his predecessor\u2019s recipes on board, he\u2019s also added a few of his own creations. The result is a wonderful dining experience honoring New Mexico favorites with a California touch.<\/p>\n

\"Charred<\/p>\n

Charred pulpo (octopus) served with pickled grapes in a mole blanco sauce at Panxa Cocina in Long Beach. (Photo by Jo Murray).\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 1<\/p>\n

Charred pulpo (octopus) served with pickled grapes in a mole blanco sauce at Panxa Cocina in Long Beach. (Photo by Jo Murray).\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

Gonzalez\u00a0 and his wife Vanessa Auclair opened Panxa Cocina in 2014 in Belmont Heights. The restaurant\u2019s vibe from the Gonzalez era remains \u2014 and there is a renewed sense that every recipe has been tested and retested to make its offerings as delicious as possible.<\/p>\n

On my recent visit, I enjoyed the shrimp and creamy grits, charred pulpo (octopus) served with pickled grapes in a mole blanco sauce, and caramelized corn. Many of the menu items incorporated New Mexico Hatch chiles \u2014 showcasing the restaurant\u2019s classic Southwestern influence.<\/p>\n

New businesses<\/p>\n

Belmont Shore Business Association executive director Heather Kern reports that Zarape Cocina & Cantina will be celebrating its grand opening Monday, Feb. 2nd at 9:30 a.m.<\/p>\n

It will be the second location for Zarape, which already has a restaurant in West Hollywood. The Long Beach spot will live at 4702 E. 2nd St.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome meet\u00a0Stefano, the visionary behind Zarape, explore their beautifully designed space, and hear the story behind this much-anticipated new addition to the Shore,\u201d Kern wrote in an email.<\/p>\n

Kern also noted that the ice cream shop dubbed \u201cSorry not Sorry\u201d plans to open in late February or early March.<\/p>\n

Speaking of new businesses, Buen Provecho will also join Long Beach\u2019s culinary offerings.<\/p>\n

The Mexican restaurant will celebrate its grand opening on Wednesday, Feb. 4 with a ribbon cutting ceremony at noon. The event will feature special menu items, handcrafted cocktails, and free tacos for the first 100 guests.<\/p>\n

Buen Provecho is located at 301 The Promenade North.<\/p>\n

Chiang Rai<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to enjoy a Long Beach restaurant with some history, search no further than Chiang Rai.<\/p>\n

The eatery, named after one of Thailand\u2019s major cities, was one of the first Thai restaurants opened in Long Beach. It was originally named Dear Heart Caf\u00e9 when it opened in the 1970s. Chef Junyawan Noi-Inta and her husband, Kiattisak Suyanon, recently took over the longstanding Thai restaurant, with its unique brick corner facade, on Anaheim Street.<\/p>\n

\"Chiang<\/p>\n

Chiang Rai is a popular Thai eatery in Long Beach. (Photo by Jo Murray).\n<\/p>\n

\"Chiang<\/p>\n

Chiang Rai is a popular Thai eatery in Long Beach. (Photo by Jo Murray).\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 2<\/p>\n

Chiang Rai is a popular Thai eatery in Long Beach. (Photo by Jo Murray).\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

It is a small caf\u00e9 that doesn\u2019t accept reservations and always seems to have a line out front. Regulars either opt for takeout or stop by in advance and add themselves to the online queue.<\/p>\n

Chiang Rai has been recognized in the 2025 Michelin Guide USA as a restaurant that offers \u201cgood cooking\u201d and does not disappoint.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The former general manager of Second Street\u2019s Michael\u2019s on Naples restaurant, Massimo Aronne, is set to open his…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":155094,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[7,8132,3739,131,133,132,137,3738],"class_list":{"0":"post-155093","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-long-beach","8":"tag-california","9":"tag-grunion-business-beat","10":"tag-grunion-news","11":"tag-long-beach","12":"tag-long-beach-headlines","13":"tag-long-beach-news","14":"tag-los-angeles-county","15":"tag-the-grunion"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=155093"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155093\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/155094"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=155093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=155093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=155093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}