Long Beach To Kick Off First-Ever Citywide Restaurant Week March 30

STUDIO CITY (CBSLA.com) – Chef Mike Rubino and Elizabeth Borsting from Simmzy's visited KCAL9 Friday to talk about Long Beach's first-ever citywide restaurant week.

Simmzy's is one of more than 50 restaurants slated to participate in Restaurant Week from March 30 through April 5.

Participating eateries will offer three-course meals for $26 or $38.

If you participate in the event and post a photo to Facebook with hashtags #EATLBC and #JETBLUE, you will be entered to win two roundtrip tickets on JetBlue.

For more information, visit Simmzy's or Eat LBC.

Rubino also showed viewers how to make the restaurant's kale Caesar salad, which includes a dressing and polenta croutons:

Salad Ingredients:

10 Cups Baby Kale

4 Teaspoons Lemon Juice

4 OZ Caesar Dressing

1 Cup Polenta Croutons

¾ Cups Cherry Tomatoes

½ Cup Crispy Bacon

2 Tablespoons Fried Capers

½ Cup Shaved Parmesan

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, toss the kale with the lemon juice.
2. Add caesar dressing to the bowl. Gently toss to fully incorporate dressing with the kale.
3. Place dressed kale in the center of a chilled bowl.
4. Garnish salad with warmed polenta croutons, cherry tomato slices, crispy bacon, fried capers, and shaved parmesan.
5. Enjoy!

Simmzy's Caesar Dressing

Yield: 1.5 Quarts

Ingredients:

3 OZ Chopped Garlic

1.5 OZ Chopped Anchovy (weigh it)

4 OZ Dijon Mustard

1.5 OZ Red Wine Vinegar

1.5 OZ Lemon Juice

1 OZ Worcestershire

2 OZ Pasteurized Egg Yolk

3 Cups Canola Oil

1.5 Cups Grated Parmesan

.75 Cups Mayonnaise

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1.5 tsp Cracked Black Pepper

Method:

1. In food processor, mix garlic, anchovy, Dijon, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and Worcestershire thoroughly.
2. Add cold pasteurized egg yolks and puree for one minute.
3. Slowly add ½ of oil until dressing thickens.
4. Add Parmesan cheese and combine.
5. Slowly add the rest of the oil.
6. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
7. Whisk in mayonnaise. Add salt and pepper.
8. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Simmzy's Polenta Croutons:

2 Cups Milk

2 Cups Chicken Broth

1.5 TB Minced Garlic

1 Cup Polenta

2 oz Parmesan

1 Pinch Pepper

1 tsp Kosher Salt

Method:

1. Combine milk , chicken broth, and garlic in sauce pot and heat until it starts to bubble. Keep a close eye on it to avoid the liquid from boiling over.
2. Whisk in polenta and low heat.
3. Cook for 30 minutes on low heat, stirring constantly with a large spoon scraping the entire bottom of the pot to avoid burning the polenta.
4. When polenta has cooked for about 30 minutes and is thickened, add parmesan, salt, and pepper and stir until the cheese has melted and is fully incorporated.
5. Turn off heat. Pour out onto a parchment lined baking sheet into a flat even layer. Place in the refrigerator until completely cooled.
6. Once cooled, cut the hardened polenta into ¼" cubes.
7. At the time of serving, lightly toss in flour and pan fry in a heavy bottom pan with 1/2 " of vegetable oil browning on all sides.
8. Transfer croutons to a paper towel to drain any excess fat. Serve warm.

In:
• Long Beach