
--
The development of Belmont Heights began in the early 1900s. Looking to escape the congested streets of Los Angeles, families began to build homes on the hills overlooking the Belmont marshlands below. In 1908, Belmont Heights' 400 residents voted to incorporate as a city into LA County. At the time, Long Beach was a dry town and locals would flock to the Heights for late night cocktails. However, the fun didn't last long. Just one year later, the city found themselves in financial despair and had no choice but to annex with Long Beach. Regardless, the beautiful Victorian-style architecture and sweeping ocean views helped the area remain a highly desirable place to live.
The vast marshland views that drew so many families to Belmont Heights did not remain as such for too long. In 1920, developers McGrath and Selover began the development of Belmont Shore, a new residential area catering to young families. While thick swamps and high tides caused a few setbacks during construction, it wasn't long before the Shore became as popular a destination as its hilltop neighbor.
Both neighborhoods went through some hard times toward the end of the century, but recent efforts to revitalize the area have seen huge success. Today, 2nd Street in Belmont Shore is a thriving business district lined with both old and new restaurants, bars, boutiques and chains. And while Belmont Heights remains a mostly residential town, there are still some gems hidden amongst its quiet streets.
--
--
Domenico's Restaurant
Open since 1954, Domenico's is not only the oldest surviving restaurant in all of Long Beach, but also one of California's very first pizzerias. When Domenico and Beverly Spano first started their business, pizza was a fairly new phenomenon in California. So much so that the original menu featured instructions on how to eat it, assuring customers that your waitress will be glad to show you the proper way. Back in those days, a large pie went for just $2.70.
The Spanos sold the original Domenico's in the mid-sixties to the Kenyon family, who again sold it to Mike Rhodes in 2004. Through all those years, however, the original pizza recipe has remained intact. It's a recipe that may seem backwards to a lot of pizza enthusiasts, as the Spanos did not follow the traditional order of things. At Domenico's, the scratch-made crust is topped first with a thick layer of cheese, which is drenched in sauce and finally piled high with toppings. In this way, Domenico's puts the focus less on the cheese, but instead on their infamous toppings, which include ground pepperoni and salami as well as mac n cheese.
Domenico's Restaurant: 5339 E 2nd Street, (562) 439-0261
Photo courtesy of @vitality.blog via Instagram
Potholder Caf
It is hard to say just how long the Potholder Caf has been a part of Belmont Shore, but ask any local and they will agree that it is a neighborhood landmark. The self-proclaimed King of Long Beach breakfast offers an all-day breakfast menu full of eggs, bacon, pancakes and French toast. In this neighborhood joint, the walls of all three dining rooms are lined with an eclectic array of paintings, knickknacks and photos of customers holding signs that proclaim Eat At The Potholder. There is a corner of one dining room dedicated to arcade games and you may find a few customers sitting at a booth in their pajamas.
If you're feeling particularly hungry, order the Potholder Caf 's Mac Daddy Pancake Challenge. If you are able to finish this epic meal which includes an 18-inch pancake along with two eggs and bacon on your own, you will still have to pay the $12 bill, but you will walk away with the ultimate bragging rights and, of course, a commemorative t-shirt.
Potholder Caf : 3700 E Broadway, (562) 433-9305
Photo courtesy of @seanduncan via Instagram
Reno Room
Established in 1950, the Reno Room started off as a workingman's bar, catering to naval officers and longshoremen who had docked at the nearby Long Beach port. The bar is situated in an old bank building that was constructed in the art deco style, with funky brick designs on the front. In its heyday, the Reno Room was a men's club where local intellectuals like poet Charlie Bukowski would sip on stiff drinks and gossip about politics.
The bar today still feels a bit old-timey - the dark lighting keeps a certain air of mystery while oil paintings of naked 50s pin-up girls harken back to another time. The old jukebox may have been upgraded to a digital version, but the drinks are still strong and the pool tables still warped from years of spills. Nowadays, the Reno Room's patrons are a mix of all sorts of Long Beach locals, both old and young, natives and transplants, blue collar and young professionals.
Reno Room: 3400 E Broadway, (562) 438-4590
Photo courtesy of @chelseablecha via Instagram
Ma N Pa Grocery
Make a visit to Ma N Pa Grocery in Belmont Heights and you may think you just walked onto the set of an old Western film. Made entirely of wood and featuring an actual saloon door entrance, this little shop feels more like an old general store rather than a beach town market. Even stranger is the fact that Ma N Pa's is the only business on its block. Nestled in a small residential neighborhood, the house that holds Ma N Pa's was built as a family home in 1922, but it wasn't long before it was converted into the grocery store and restaurant combo it is today.
The food at Ma N Pa Grocery is classic Americana cuisine. Their house burger, made with all fresh and organic ingredients, will put you back $5. You can enjoy it at one of the tables outside under the shade of an old Coca Cola umbrella, while reading a book from the store's lending library. All the food served is made with ingredients from the grocery, includin
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
01/11/2025
Thunderbolt 3 Now Standard on Symphony MkII - Starting November 11 Beginning November 11, all new Apogee Symphony I/O MkII units will ship with Thunderbolt 3 as...
01/11/2025
How to Expand the Apogee Symphony Desktop with Cranborne 500ADAT Want to expand your Symphony Desktop beyond two inputs? Whether you're tracking a full drum...
01/11/2025
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has published the Financial Report for ...
01/11/2025
tvONE is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Matrox Video, combining CALICO PRO's high-performance video processing with the Matrox ConvertIP Ser...
01/11/2025
CJP Broadcast has joined the Grass Valley partner programme as both a Systems Integration Partner and AMPP Partner. The collaboration enhances CJP's ability...
01/11/2025
TAG Video Systems, the leader in software-based IP end-to-end workflow monitoring, deep probing, and real-time visualization, has earned a higher-rated DPP Comm...
01/11/2025
Michael Napodano Appointed New CEO Of Operative Media
Operative today announced the appointment of Mike Napodano as Chief Executive Officer, marking the next s...
01/11/2025
Film industry professionals flocked to Cine Gear Expo Atlanta 2025 at celebrated Trilith Studios in Fayetteville, Georgia, on October 3 and 4. Back for its 6th ...
01/11/2025
Photo courtesy of Peacock and Sky
Christopher Ross, BSC, began his cinematic obsession early. He cites reading Scorsese on Scorsese as a teenager with teaching...
01/11/2025
NEW YORK ITN and the sell-side advertising company Magnite have announced the launch of what they are billing as the industrys first Local Linear TV Private Mar...
31/10/2025
FanDuel Sports Network To Deliver Selected Live NBA, NHL Games to Major Streamin...
31/10/2025
NBC Jumps Out of the Gate in Extended Breeder's Cup Deal With Dual Drones, J...
31/10/2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
30 October 2025
It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Segomotso Keorapetse, an award- winning South African television d...
31/10/2025
IRVING, Texas As station groups move into an era that promises rapid tech, regulatory and economic changes, Nexstar Media Group said its board has extended chai...
31/10/2025
While some analysts have questioned the ongoing economic viability of broacast-TV late night shows amid ongoing declines in linear viewing, new data from Tubula...
31/10/2025
The contentious contract negotiations between The Walt Disney Co. and YouTube TV have resulted in a blackout of Disney-owned programming on the pay TV operator....
31/10/2025
CINCINNATI Video conversion and AV signal distribution specialist tvONE and Matrox Video have struck a strategic partnership, combining CALICO PRO's video p...
31/10/2025
NEW YORK The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today released a new industry guide that discusses the urgency of adopting new standards that will help advert...
31/10/2025
While some analysts have questioned the ongoing economic viability of late night shows on broadcast TV amid ongoing declines in linear viewing, new data from Tu...
31/10/2025
Berklee Celebrates the Inauguration of President Jim Lucchese In his inaugural address, Lucchese shared an optimistic vision for Berklee's future as a for...
31/10/2025
Back to All News
Family, Food, and Films: Netflix's Dining with the Kapoors...
31/10/2025
The review highlights DPA 4055 Kick Drum Microphone for its compact design, ease of placement, and authentic tone that captures the true character of the drum p...
31/10/2025
The RT Raidi na Gaeltachta Award 2025 will be presented to journalist P il n N Chiar in at the Oireachtas na Samhna in Belfast tomorrow, Saturday 1 November,...
31/10/2025
RT lyric fm is calling for choirs across Ireland to share their festive music-m...
31/10/2025
Three awards were presented to RT Raidi na Gaeltachta broadcasters at the Oire...
31/10/2025
RT continues its proud tradition of championing Ireland's vibrant arts and cultural landscape through its RT Supporting the Arts initiative. This November...
31/10/2025
RT selects Irish independent production company to produce Christian Worship on...
31/10/2025
Amidst Gyeongju, South Korea's ancient temples and modern skylines, Jensen H...
30/10/2025
Midwich has signed a UK and Ireland distribution deal with X2O Media, a worldwid...
30/10/2025
SVG Students To Watch: Sam Newitt, Kansas State UniversityThe South Dakota native thrives in many roles behind the scenes at K-StateHD.TVBy Brandon Costa, Direc...
30/10/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Swerve Sports' Christy Tanner Explores the Young FAST Channel&...
30/10/2025
SVG Campus Shot Callers: Andy Liebsch, Senior Director, Video Services, Kansas S...
30/10/2025
Diversified Names Paul Lidsky CEO, Expanding Leadership Role After Serving as Bo...
30/10/2025
NBA, Cosm Enter Long-Term Partnership for Shared Reality Production, Distributio...
30/10/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: FanConnect's Brett Crossley on Reimagining the Ga...
30/10/2025
FanDuel Sports Network to Deliver Select Live NBA, NHL Games to Major Streaming ...
30/10/2025
As the year comes to a close, we can feel the invigorating wind sweeping in for ...
30/10/2025
By Bailey Pennick
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
30/10/2025
The SGL Carbon site in Bonn has a long tradition of training. For many years, young talent has been successfully trained here, regularly achieving excellent exa...
30/10/2025
SBS, NITV and Screen Australia announce 2025 Digital Originals Shortlist
29 October, 2025
Media releases
SBS, NITV and Screen Australia are excited to unve...
30/10/2025
Jon Rambeau, President of Integrated Mission Systems at L3Harris Technologies, speaks about industrial collaboration at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (A...
30/10/2025
MELBOURNE, Fla., October 30, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) reports th...
30/10/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr said he has circulated a proposal for the agency to auction additional midband spectrum in the U...
30/10/2025
PLANO, Texas Technology solutions provider Diversified has named Paul Lidsky as CEO, tasked with guiding the company's next stage of growth, driving market ...
30/10/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems today unveiled ORION stream recording support and seamless integration with BATON Media Player, a combination that lets broadc...
30/10/2025
WILMINGTON, Del. InterDigital today announced the acquisition of Deep Render, an artificial intelligence startup with a team of AI experts focused on video code...
30/10/2025
NEW YORK TAG Video Systems has earned a higher-rated Digital Product Passport (DPP) Committed to Sustainability badge and the Aclymate Climate Wise Silver Tier ...
30/10/2025
IRVING, Texas As station groups move into an era that promises rapid tech, regulatory and economic changes, the Nexstar Media Group, Inc. has announced that its...
30/10/2025
Television viewers are spending more time watching streaming content than linear TV, but sports continues to be a bright spot for broadcasters, according to the...