Review: Lost & Found, Lost at Sea in Long Beach
Charred octopus with lemon and chickpeas at Lost & Found in Long Beach. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
These impossibly small but eclectic bistros feel like a party at the chef’s house, which just happens to be a block away from the beach. Alexis Trolf mans the kitchen at Lost & Found, which he opened in 2015 after his previous restaurant Caffe Laguna was wrecked by Superstorm Sandy. Two years later he joined forces with former beverage partner Steve Magliano to open Lost at Sea, just five blocks east in the bustling West End of Long Beach.
Lost & Found has a more carnivorous focus, with an ever-changing menu of small plates and shareable meat entrees. The thrift-store chic room with its collage of framed paintings always seems to fill up quickly. Patrons sit at a thin makeshift bar that wraps around an open kitchen, where you'll see Trolf cooking up spectacular burgers and finishing dishes with an array of sauces he keeps in plastic containers. Part of the joy of this restaurant is watching him and the other cooks prepare your food before they set it in front of you. The experience is kind of like an old school diner, but also like an exclusive dinner party for those lucky enough to have a gourmet chef friend.
The experience at Lost at Sea is similar, but with cocktails and an impressive array of local seafood. Lost at Sea is even smaller and harder to get into than the original. The aesthetic is similar but the vibe is slightly less vintage store and slightly more tiki. The best seat is still at the bar, where Magliano is whipping up cocktails and making witty jokes.
Crudo with scallops, red pepper vinaigrette, salsa cruda and banana chips at Lost at Sea in Long Beach. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
The menu changes so often that it's written in a Word document that you access from your phone. On a recent visit, he was clarifying mojitos until there was no mint left, just the taste. Although, the shaken (not frozen) piña colada always seems to be the favorite.
The two restaurants are notoriously averse to technology and only recently both started accepting credit cards. Dishes are on the smaller side, so expect to order several and spend a bit of money.
But somehow this makes the Long Beach spots all the more charming. It's like that off-kilter charismatic friend who may have an unsettling collection of animal heads on their wall, but they sure know how to fry an artichoke.
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Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
