Right near Long Beach Airport, at 2951 Cherry Avenue, lies Delius Restaurant. It offers a full lunch, dinner, and kids menu, as well as a full bar. The decor and overall atmosphere is modern and somewhat intimate. This place does a great job welcoming business people, couples and families, alike. The restaurant is a decent size, unlike the airport, and the prices are reasonable for California (perhaps a bit pricey for some, with entree prices ranging from $13 - $32. There are five vegetarian offerings, and a couple of them can be vegan. I tried the House Salad, Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese, and the Penne Puttanesca. I did not try the Spinach Mascarpone Risotto or the Four Cheese Pizza, because there's only so much room in the tank.
Let me start off by saying that the House Salad is incredible, but, it is not the "house salad" you're accustomed to - European greens with candied walnuts, red onion, red grapes, cherry tomatoes, crumbled blue cheese and a rosemary infused balsamic vinaigrette. It is not going to stuff you, but it is enough for a delicious light meal. The only possible objection I could see someone having to this one is that the candied walnuts have a cinnamon overtone, which was somewhat of an odd flavor for a salad. I loved it, though. The greens were fresh and the bleu cheese was mild.
I tried an appetizer portion of the Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese, but there is a dinner portion and meat-eaters can add shrimp or Andouille sausage. Assuming Andouille isn't a synonym for soy, I had it plain. But, there was nothing "plain" about this Macaroni and Cheese. It comes out piping hot and is incredible. If you are lactose intolerant, this stuff may kill you. It is cheesy. The chipotle isn't offensive (I was really worried) and offers a vague hint of spice, which works wonders. I highly recommend it.
The Penne Puttanesca came in a trough. I could only eat half of my portion. I really liked it, and enjoyed the capers, and olives. The only surprise there was that it was a bit spicy. I love spice, but it was much spicier than most meals that aren't traditionally considered spicy food, so be warned. Beforehand, I also tried the Carrot and Fennel soup. This soup was good. It could have been better, if the fennel flavor was a bit stronger, but I cleaned the bowl nonetheless.
All in all, I strongly recommend Delius Restaurant. Great food and service. If you are flying into or out of Long Beach, or just in the area, give this place a try. You won't be disappointed. For more info: www.deliusrestaurant.com.
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