Michael's on Naples goes "Hog Wild" with weeklong salute to pork Feb 18 - 25

Executive Chef David Coleman Explores Italian Tradition Using Becker Lane Organic Pork

Long Beach’s #1 rated restaurant according to the Zagat Guide, Michael’s On Naples, is going “hog wild” the week of February 18 – 25 as it celebrates an age-old Italian tradition highlighting various pork dishes. Executive Chef David Coleman will prepare a number of specials all week featuring Becker Lane certified organic, pasture-raised pork. Among the items that will be included on the $55 per person, four-course chefs tasting menu are house-made sausages, slow-cooked pork belly with heirloom beans, house-made mortadella, warm testa salad and country-style pork chops with braised leeks. Pork items will also be available a la carte.

Pork from Becker Lane is used by only the finest chefs in the world as the pigs are raised in a 2,000-year-old tradition of being fed acorns and allowed to graze freely. Coleman says that the weeklong program goes hand-in-hand with the restaurant’s adherence to the slow food movement that reinforces the connection between “planet, plate and palate.” People who follow this concept embrace the notion that with the pleasure of dining comes the responsibility to protect the heritage, tradition, and culture of food.

“We’re delighted to launch our version of this Italian tradition, which underscores our commitment to the slow food movement. We believe that food should taste good and be produced in a clean manner without harming the environment, and that animals should be treated humanely in the process,” said Coleman.

The District Weekly Best Food & Drinks Guide Spring 2008

Farm to fork. This is the philosophy of Marco, Cavuoto, executive chef at Michael’s, and it means that he insists on everything being absolutely fresh, right down to the herbs and spices. If a certain type of produce is out of season, he won’t use it. The meat is never frozen, and the bread is made right in the kitchen with special flour imported straight from Italy. This all comes at a cost, but Marco insists that is pays back. A single taste confirms that notion.

The rack of lamb is lean and lightly salted and peppered, seared, and finished in the oven. The side of fresh ricotta gnocchi, a traditional Italian dumpling, makes this dish a sort of meat-and-potatoes meets Armani—on a Vespa outside the Coliseum, if you will—the perfect fusion of contemporary style with traditional flavors.

Marco grew up in northern Italy, cooking with his grandmother. She taught him the importance of details, and h brought her insistence on fresh ingredients all the way from Milan to Second Street.

A patron looks over his shoulder and says the food is delicious, but that it’s also a work of art. He smiles and looks very earnest, and again insists that the food is gorgeous. “No, really. A work of art,” he says, and then goes back to eating. Well, he’s convinced.

Los Angeles Times May 7, 2008 By S. Irene Virbila

“It’s a short trip to Naples for Italian” From a first-time restaurant owner and a Milanese chef: a new Long Beach standard.

The restaurant’s name—Michael’s on Naples Ristorante—sounds dubious, like the kind of place you might see showing up on British chef Gordon Ramsay’s hit television series “Kitchen Nightmares.” In fact, Ramsay did take in hand an Italian restaurant called Peter’s on Long Island in one episode I saw (and he spent much of the show trying to get the principles of running a restaurant — no eating in front of the clients, no spending thousands on an Armani suit when the kitchen badly needs a stove — through Peter’s thick head).

Michael’s on Naples may have a similarly stubborn name, but the story is very different. Open since December, this casual, sophisticated Italian is owned by first-time restaurateur Michael Dene— who lives in Naples, the marina-rich neighborhood in Long Beach. And his namesake restaurant looks more to Italy for inspiration than Italian-American enclaves such as North Beach or Little Italy. The [former] chef, Marco Cavuoto, is from Milan. Manager and sommelier Massimo Aronne is from Liguria. And the menu is classic Italian with bright Southern California notes.

The sleek, contemporary design is quiet and understated compared with the honky-tonk look of the rest of 2nd Street restaurant row. Inside, would-be diners are crowded at the small granite-topped bar, sipping aperitifs as they wait for a table to open up. Why drive to west Hollywood, I hear one say, when I can walk to Michael’s? Why, indeed. The walls are lined with roomy upholstered booths, the better to pile in with family and friends, and wavy glass lighting fixtures from the Italian company Artemide bathe the room in soft light.

That narrow staircase to the left just inside the front door leads to the rooftop terrace outfitted with charcoal-gray sofas pulled up to an outdoor fireplace and, at the front of the space, a rooftop dining area. Here, you catch some of that balmy sea breeze. I swear, at times, when I had dinner up there, I felt I was somewhere on Capri or the Costa Smeralda in Sardinia, Italy.

You’d probably be eating very similar fare at either place. To start, there’s a beautiful white and mauve octopus carpaccio that covers the entire plate, with a lovely little salad of fingerling potatoes, with olives and radishes in the middle. Beef carpaccio is elegantly presented too, garnished with pretty green arugula leaves, shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and a svelte horseradish dressing.

On an unseasonably hot night, bufala mozzarella with fresh and oven-roasted tomatoes sounds appealing. The mozzarella really does taste like bufala, but the tomatoes just aren’t flavorful enough to show up on their own, at least this early in the season. If you can’t get great tomatoes, don’t make the dish.

Cavuoto has a wonderfully light hand with pastas, though, particularly the lasagna capricciosa listed as an antipasto. Baked and served in a white porcelain ramekin, it’s simply supple fresh pasta layered with burrata, olive-oil cured tomatoes (a Fresh chef would call it tomato confit) and perfumed with Sicilian oregano. It couldn’t be lighter. He plays a similar trick with an other war horse, eggplant parmigiana, layered thinly sliced zucchini into the mix, which lightens it up considerably, giving it a bit of a ratatouille lilt.

Vitello tonnato hardly ever makes an appearance on L.A.-area Italian menus so I was happy to hear it mentioned one night as an appetizer. The chef makes an excellent, straight-forward version of this summer classic—chilled thinly sliced roast veal napped with a piquant tuna and mayonnaise sauce. Fried calamari, too, is better than you’d expect, light and crunchy and instead of the usual boring marinara sauce, it’s served with a bagnet sauce of parsley, garlic, and olive oil and anchovies dosed with vinegar.

Manager’s wine wisdom

If YOU order wine, try to get manager Massimo Arrone’s attention, because he’s the one who knows the wine list and can offer thoughtful advice. Servers haven’t absorbed all the wine information in the flour months and the restaurant has been open and you can sometimes end up with the wrong bottle or producer.

Service in general is friendly but disorganized. You can wait too long to get a menu or even a waiter. The staff is young and still unsure about the intricacies of serious restaurant service. But I suspect — at least I hope — that will come with time. It’s also not a bad thing that the proud owner is almost always in-house, making the rounds of the tables and introducing himself.

This may not be the place for a romantic dinner, though. All around us, diners were cutting loose — eating, drinking, telling stories, and we could hear every word even when we didn’t want to. On the other hand, another diner may be inspired to lean over and suggest a pasta or a main course.

When it comes to pasta, go with either the ravioli or the paccheri alla Bolognese, Ravioli are particularly fine, filled with a mixture of burrata and boiled potatoes in a pinkish roasted red pepper and goat cheese sauce, which sounds heavy but isn’t. The chef doesn’t over-sauce and keeps his filling light. But if you really want to sink your teeth into a rustic pasta dish, order the paccheri, giant rigatoni in a red wine-braised meat ragout topped with freshly grated pecorino from Tuscany.

Fresh fettuccine with eggplant and smoked mozzarella didn’t quite do it for me, though. This kind of sauce needs a dried pasta to work. The egg pasta is too soft and refined. Risotto with fresh lobster and tomatoes tastes too much of tomato and the rice is too hard to be classified as al dente. A real disappointment.

If you have red meat in mind, the wine list has a savvy collection of Italian reds, including Ciacci Rosso di Montalcino and Cavallotto Barbera d’Alba. Drink one with the tagliata made with prime sirloin strip steak, seared and then sliced and served in a rosemary reduction with a heap of broccoli rabe flavored with pancetta. It’s simple and delicious.

Breaded veal chop “alla Milanese” is good, too, though it’s not pounded as flat as they do it some places in Italy. This way it stays a little juicier. And with it you get braised baby artichokes and sautéed potatoes stained a deep gold with saffron. Rack of lamb is flavorful and tender, and if you like gnocchi, order this dish just for the fluffy ricotta gnocchi that comes on the side.

Branzino (Mediterranean sea bass) gets a lift from a Naples-style roast pepper, black olive and caper stew, which takes it out of the ordinary. Roast chicken breast is boring and bland, but wouldn’t you expect it to be?

Comfort food

So far, the kitchen isn’t running many specials. One night it’s a stracotto, braised beef, in this case steak, on puréed white beans, ITalian comfort food at the beach.

Th soundtrack is all Italian —Andrea Bocelli and Italian pop running in an endless loop. Just because the place is Italian doesn’t mean it has to play only corny Italian music.

For dessert, I have two recommendations: the bunét or the affogato. Bunét is a Piedmontese chocolate-hazelnut flan that’s halfway between a cake and a custard. This one is excellent — and not too sweet. The other is your choice of three scoops of gelato affogato — “drowned” — in a cup of hot espresso. On a summer night, there’s nothing more refreshing.

And if you want to chill out longer, gather round the outdoor fireplace up on the roof terrace for a glass of sparkling moscato d’Asti from Paolo Saracco or a ’99 vin santo from Felsina. Or a last quick sip of espresso on Long Beach’s best kept secret: Naples Island.

The Press Telegram July 18, 2008 By Al Rudis

Fine dining that goes the distance.

If your salad tastes smoky, maybe that’s because it’s from Big Sur. Chef Matthew Poley of Michael’s probably hasn’t been there since the fires, but he thinks nothing of driving up with his girlfriend, spending the day at the farmers market there and at specialty farms in the area and returning to Long Beach the next morning with produce for that night’s salads. Or he may do the same in Santa Barbara or shop at farmers markets in Silver Lake or Hollywood.

“My girlfriend and I go to the farmers markets pretty much four or five days a week,” he said in a phone interview last week. “We wake up each morning and go.”This kind of thing is part of owner Michael Dene’s business plan. Another example is the branzino, a seabass from the Mediterranean.“It’s caught by fishermen off the coast of southern France a nd northern Italy,” said Poley. “It’s packed in ice and goes to an airport, where it’s flow directly to Los Angeles. Within 24 hours of it being caught, it’s brought directly to us through a special fish purveyor.”

Dene spent 40 years in the decorative-lighting business, owning factories in New York, Pittsburgh and China. When he retired three years ago, “I traveled the world and sort of got tired of it, and I always had a screaming desire to be in the restaurant business,” he said in a phone interview last week. “I’ve been eating in great restaurants all over the world for 40 years. I tell everyone I have 40 years of experience.”

For the last 22 years, he’s lived in the Long Beach area, but he said he would go to Los Angeles and Orange County for restaurants that met his fine-dining standards.“I’m involved in various investment properties, and when this property came up for sale, I looked at it from the perspective of, well, I’ll obtain the property, do the improvement on it and then find a suitable restaurateur to put in there,” Dene said. “I basically became enthralled with the way the property could lay out and the opportunity to develop it myself, and I scrapped the idea of a tenant and decided to do it on my own.”

He patterned the design after a restaurant he had been to in Capri, Italy, a year ago. “It was sort of laid out the same way with the outdoor dining and interior dining, and it had the same feel, with a very contemporary, very classic, clean look using earth tones and natural stone.”

He hired Martin Howard’s local firm, Howard CDM, to do the architecture and Sybil Van Dijs as interior decorator. Of course, Dene used his expertise for the lighting. Together, the three produced a restaurant that’s among the most beautiful in Southern California. The cost: $1.25 million, not including the price of the property.

As for the food, Poley, the second head chef, has experience at Vissani, a Michelin two-star restaurant near Orvieto, Italy, and Angelini Osteria and La Terza in West Hollywood He serves outstanding dishes as:

Mozzarella e Pomodoro

The buffalo mozzarella is imported from Italy because the cheese is sweeter. The heirloom tomatoes come from farmers markets. The cheese and tomatoes are joined on the plate by a salad of baby mixed greens and wild rocket arugula, some Ligurean extra virgin olive oil and imported aged balsamic vinegar.

Minestrone di Verdure

The soup is all vegetable. Vegans can ask that the beef short rib agnolotti be left out.

Mushroom Risotto

This was the risotto of the day when I was there. The mushrooms were sautéed with garlic and thyme. The rice was “the best Italian carnaroli rice from Italy,” Poley said. The mushroom stock and rice are finished with Parmesan Reggiano, sweet cream butter, mascarpone cheese and fresh lemon juice.

Branzino

Cut at the restaurant, it’s pan-seared in olive oil and then pan-braised with zucchini, smoked cherry tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, Gaeta olives, garlic and lobster stock, then finished with the house stock fresh herbs — basil, chives, tarragon, dill and parsley.

Tagliata di Manzo

The New York strip steak is from Montana. “It’s free range, but it’s fed granola, dried fruits and berries for the last six months of its life,” said Poley, “and this makes the aftertaste sweet.” It’s grilled on a gas char-broiler and served with fresh greens and rapini (wild broccoli) salad, plus sautéed wild mushrooms and a couple of fingerling potatoes.

Benet Piemontese

Underneath chocolate flan and amaretti cookies imported from Italy is a marsala zabaglione cooked from an egg yolk and marsala wine emulsion.

The service is as exceptional as the food. That has a lot to do with consultant Claudio Blatta, who helped Dene put together a business plan and training manual, helped interview the staff (he brought in Matthew Poley, who worked for him at La Terza), helped assemble the wine list, developed the menu and helped open the restaurant.

Every day, the staff has a family-style meal at 4 p.m. “And during that time we do a tasting of the day’s specials and new menu dishes and the pairing of wines to go with them,” said Dene. “Almost every other Thursday, we bring wine vendors in to teach about regional wines in Italy and California. And we teach about seasonal aspects of the menu, which is very important in Italian dining: why there’s more meat used in Tuscany in the winter and what makes fish an important aspect of Sicilian-style food.”

The result is waiters who can answer almost any question. In addition, they are friendly and efficient. Of course, all of this comes at a price, and Dene worries whether people will be willing to pay for the expensive ingredients he insists on. It’s good that he has a la carte entrées as low as $23 for those who can’t afford the dishes that range up to $38. Add soup or salad and it’s $9 or $10 more.Even so, the food, service and ambience are a typical Long Beach bargain. You’d pay a lot more in Los Angeles and Orange County.

The District Weekly July 30, 2008

At first, the servers at Michael’s on Naples seem stuck together, waiting in the back of the place in a single khaki clump. It’s not until the night wears on that the staff is pulled apart, each member running routes with baskets of bread and quartinos of wine. At the restaurant’s busiest, some of the servers can appear overwhelmed, catching on mile-a-minute glimpses of the dining room. It’s a problem that the restaurant usually sorts out, but one that’s also telling of the success of Michael’s - it packs in constant crowds.

Fluttering up from the tables of those with regular reservations is talk of tennis games and dinner parties, conversations that feel fit for some of the more staid tastes, of say, Newport Harbor. But Michael’s sits naturally in Naples, a modern Italian restaurant docked in one of the most moneyed sections of town.

While some of the restaurant’s success may seem practically preordained, then, it ultimately comes down to the fact that Michael’s is a comfortable restaurant. Inside, lamps light up in a cool bloom, tangled fixtures that look like ripples of pasta strung from the ceiling. The booths are stuffed firm and the tablecloths are pressed free of any creases. And up the staircase just behind the bar is a rooftop deck where dishes get kissed by a sweet marina breeze.

It’s by further design that most of the plates at Michael’s are fit for splitting. The appetizers mainly eat with an antipasti edge, like the classic mozzarella e pomodoro, slices of buffalo mozzarella staggered between heirloom tomatoes and leaves of basil. But the fritto misto is best for shared appetites, a mix of market-fresh seafood given a quick fry and paired with a cucumber aioli and spicy tomato sauce. Although the dish is a battered one, it’s all remarkably light, the seafood sent out even airier than some of the most weightless tempura.

The second step in any meal at Michael’s is a plate of pasta. There are only five options here, sewn up mostly by staples like gnocchi with asparagus, brown butter and sage. The most adventurous option ifs the ravioli d’astice neri. The dish is a dark one, blackened by a helping of squid ink ravioli that’s stuffed with Maine lobster and eggplant then bathed in a lobster broth with pesto. The ravioli themselves are excellent, but the pesto marks one too many ingredients, clogging up an otherwise great dish.

Entrées aren’t many at Michael’;s, but that provides a fine focus that the restaurant usually puts to good use. A clear example is the branzino con zucchine al vino bianco (sautéed Mediterranean sea bass with zucchini, fingerling potatoes, cherry tomatoes, Gaeta olives and white wine). The fish is cooked perfectly, completely tender to even the tiniest tap of the fork and touched with a certain citrus that balances the briny Gaeta olives.

On the meatier end of the menu is the costoletta di maiale alla Milanese, a breaded Kurobuta pork chop fried up and served with braised baby artichokes and a potato cake. The pork chop could use some more pounding to match its Milanese name, but it’s a good dish regardless, the potatoes (stacked up in thin slices like a fine layer cake) providing a slightly salty complement to the heavy pork.

Even in its desserts, Michael’s doesn’t hit every mark. (The uneven bonnet Piemontese falls flat as a “chocolate flan.”) But the restaurant doesn’t need to, either, because when it’s at its best, Michael’s can really feel effortless. And it’s then, when servers ship out dishes in precise intervals and in those perfect portions, that the place overshadows and missteps, a restaurant fully fit for the namesake of Naples.

Cheers September 19, 2008 By Tian.

‘Michael’s on Naples’ sets the new standard for a classy, urbane restaurant within the greater Long Beach area, and arguably, within the state of California. Upon entering one is greeted by the amiable and absolutely charming Massimo. A man whose gentle manner and soft personality is second only to his fine knowledge of Italian wine. Get him talking about his homeland, or its viticulture, and you’ll have a seriously passionate conversation on your hands.

The entrance flows into an intimate bistro-esque dining area and bar. Patrons were drinking and ordering at the bar, which I later discovered has a rather comprehensive informal dining menu and a nice enoteca selection, I can see my bachelor friends passing Friday evening here. Flanked by booths and a small number of tables this room transitions to a pass-through kitchen; gleaming with stainless steel and buzzing with activity. Designer lighting has been carefully and well chosen and the interior palate of colors work together very well to complement both class and cuisine.

We chose to eat upstairs, whilst downstairs felt comfortable and inviting, upstairs has a romantic breath and this purely intoxicating. A ruffled open air canopy, wooden shutters and a delicate table arrangement lay in front of a warm fireplace, with wicker lounges that beckon after-dinner drinks and coffee. Close, seductive and surrounded by couples the lighting and decor upstairs works to make you feel as if you are the only couple in the room.

Fresh, hot, bread wrapped like a gift was delivered and the usual offering of oil and vinegar displaced onto cute tiered and purpose built plates. It seems that everything at Michael’s on Naples has been thought out. Well thought out.

The wine menu is staggering and one can get easily swept away with choices of both West Coast American and Italy. One may also bring their own bottle, yet the twenty-dollar corkage, may have you asking Massimo what he recommends and what will go best with your appetite. Not surprisingly he is the resident sommelier. Removing all feelings of being overwhelmed, with this gentleman, you are in good hands.

Wine chosen, one moves on to a plentiful, yet not overly, well-constructed menu featuring Southern and Northern Italian specialties with owner Michael Dene’s own twist. We were fortunate to meet the man himself this evening. I am told that he is often there, making rounds and introducing himself to patrons. Suit clad and with eyes that are full of pride for his establishment, it is a real pleasure to see the traditional notions of ‘restaurateur’ coming back into fashion.

As Michael moved on to the next table, our waitress Julie appeared from his shadow, full of smiles, advice and patience, and bearing a wee gift in the form of a single, rotund ‘Sweet Corn & Artichoke Raviolo’. Presented almost ‘bruschetta-like’, drizzled with lemon butter and garnished with diced heirloom tomatoes, the taste was exquisite. Tomatoes and sweet corn punched through the bread like texture of the pasta with such fervor that this solo piece will leave me forever disappointed with standard bruschetta. At this moment, I knew it was going to be a great... wait, scratch that, it was going to be a ‘G-astronomical’ night!

We started with the ‘Carpaccio Di Polipo’ ($13), Manila clams, salad, fennel and soft herbs combine for an amazing aroma, all laid atop a bed of daintily-thin sliced octopus. A fantastic early evening snack or appetizer. Citrusy and with a zesty lightness that left my palate humming.

Our Primi Piatti consisted of the gorgeously presented ‘Ravioli D’Astice Neri’ ($18). Black ravioli filled with Maine lobster and eggplant with a long trickle of herb and olive oil pesto sauce. It sounds heavy. It is not. In fact, I was astounded how light this meal was to both taste and stomach. The homemade pasta is cooked to what I define as ‘perfection’; a little chewy, dough textured, yet light and refined. One bite quickly turns into four and soon, I was clashing forks with my date over the last piece.

As we couldn’t decide on which pasta, we chose two. The second was the ‘Paccheri Alla Bolognese’ ($15); when they say ‘large rigatoni’, they mean it! Genuinely oversized, ribbed tubes, once again classically prepared and cooked just right with an adequate amount of meat ragout braised in red win and tomato sauce and topped with three thick slices of Tuscan Pecorino cheese. Yes, it is as good as it sounds. It was still salivating over this dish four days later. In fact, it has surpassed any and every form of pizza or macaroni and cheese as a comfort food in my books.

Secondi Piatti welcomed the ‘Branzino Con Zucchine al Vino Bianco’ ($29). Fresh Mediterranean Sea Bass sautéed with white wine, zucchini, sweet cherry tomato and Gaeta olives. An exceptionally light and flakey texture with a robust flavor and very pleasant aftertaste. Then, cherishing what I thought would have to be the best for last, I chose the ‘Tonno Alla Griglia’ ($31). Grilled Yellowfin tuna, as fresh as the moment it was caught served with Caponata. Placed on top of a wild arugula salad, this dish is dramatically balanced with a fig-like sweetness in the form of golden raisins with tasteful hints of lemon. Absolutely divine.

Okay, yes, now I was getting full. In fact, I ordered a strong Lavazza espresso and a digestif to assist with me standing up. Anne’s eyes hinted at temptation. I sat down again. Dessert. It all looked spectacular. Mousse, Panettone, Gelato... We were at a crossroads with choices one more time. Then I looked down. ‘Assiaggio Di Dolci con Moscato’ ($19) — a chef’s choice of three desserts. Our chef Matthew Poley had not steered us wrong yet, how could he now? No chance.

The Baked Chocolate Mousse Cake was sided by a generous scoop of hazelnut praline gelato. Mi Amore! Sweet, nutty, rich bliss. The bread pudding-esque Panettone, fought hard for second place alongside the Panna Cotta, yet, I could not get past Gelato with the ‘Mousse al Cioccolato’, and yes, I am writing that not only because the taste was something outer-worldly, but because I like the way it looks written.

Attention to detail. Three large steps beyond ‘good enough’ and genuine personal service, coupled with an exquisitely crafted intimate dining environment make ‘Michael’s on Naples’ an experience I wish to repeat several times within the next year. I was thrilled to learn that Michael himself and key staff members make frequent trips around the nation, as well as voyages to the motherland of his creation, in order to stay ahead of the culinary curve. A man and his staff dedicated to their craft and the niche they are developing, in what has been lacking for so long in Southern California, authentic Italian with the right decor and a splendid architectural environment. Everything in Michael’s looks and tastes absolutely in place, because it looks and tastes exactly how it should.

Random Lengths News by: Gretchen Williams Tostrup, Lifestyle & Cuisine Writer

This Hot New Restaurant Has Become a Crown Jewel By the Sea

The stars are the ceiling at Michael’s On Naples, with the sapphire evening sky overhead and a bright fire burning on the stone hearth. “This is what dining in Califor- nia should be,” said a visiting European gour- met and wine connoisseur, enjoying the balmy summer evening and excellent menu at Michael’s. The rooftop deck is an island paradise onto itself, an intimate yet sophisti- cated escape from the daily grind. Exquisite attention to detail is evident, from the exotic potted orchids, attractive rattan furniture and gorgeous wine glasses to the subtle classical guitarist playing softly. The main restaurant on the street level is also comfortable and welcoming, fitted with flattering lighting and an accommo- dating bar. Michael Dene’s culinary philosophy is simple and straightforward. He learned about what to eat from his beloved mother, now in her 98th year. “I serve fresh and wholesome dishes that my mother would like. She cooked only fresh fruit and veg- etables, meat and poultry, never canned or frozen. Eating fresh food is the key to longevity and health” said Michael. “From the farm to the fork, with no chemicals or factory farming; I try to be involved every step of the way.”

Dene and his chef David Coleman follow the farmers’ markets and cultivate relationships with the best local growers and producers. The ever-changing menu is focused on seasonal availability, using the freshest and finest that Southern California has to offer. Nightly specials reflect the chef’s creative imagination and versatility, with handmade pasta, bread right out of the oven and still or sparkling water filtered in house, demonstrating Michael’s care and concern for the customer. Michael Dene’s first career was in the lighting industry, and he continues to shed light on his second profession as a restaurateur. His original culinary aspirations sprang from his extensive international travel.

He journeyed to Italy many times and felt that the ambiance, cuisine and wine of Tuscany would suit his Naples Island neighborhood at home perfectly. As a businessman, he found and bought the building on 2nd Street first. “There were no restaurants of this caliber in my own neighborhood. I saw an opportunity to find a restaurateur for my building, but I met no one with the kind of vision I had. So I went ahead on my own.” Dene takes pride in the restaurant’s wine cellar, and with good reason. The wine list features a nice balance of Italian and California wines, with a generous choice of white, red and sparkling varieties. Even the house wine by the glass is exceptional, showcasing Newton wines from Napa. Newton uses a natural approach to its wines, titling Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon “unfiltered” to indicate processing and bottling with plenty of fruit essence left in the wine.

This makes for a crisp and delightful Chardonnay, tasting fresh off the vine, and full and robust Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, packed with flavor, yet eminently drinkable. Newton wines are only available in select restaurants. General Manager Massimo Aronne is instrumental in choosing the best wines for the price, keeping the wine cellar stocked with choices for every diner. The barkeep is also well gifted, and serves a mean martini. The espresso martini is a delicious combination of flavors, unusual and interesting. The dinner menu has something delightful for everyone. Appetizers and salads showcase the bounty of the area. Grilled octopus is served with frisée lettuce and warm potato salad, celery root and salsa verde, a splendid contrast of flavors and textures. Confit artichokes, fennel, arugula and caracara orange salad is California on a plate, dressed with citrus vinaigrette.

“Pizzett” is pizza taken to a new level, a crisp crust with simple, fresh ingredients on top. Napolitano Margarita pizzett is wonderful with heirloom tomatoes, basil chiffonade, finely chopped garlic and olive oil. Handmade pasta is the specialty of the house, and does not disappoint. Michael’s pasta is Dene’s favorite, with thick cut spaghetti, proscuitto di Parma, pepperoncini, plum tomatoes lightly sautéed with onion, garlic and basil. Black pasta purses stuffed with lobster, shrimp and eggplant are colored with calamari ink and served in lobster broth with pesto and roasted fennel. Lasagna is the most beautiful layered pasta on earth, colorful with fresh spinach, tomatoes and ricotta cheese. Mediterranean branzino is traditionally served as a whole fish, moist and savory with fresh vegetables and light broth. The New York steak is a fabulous cut of prime beef served with terrific polenta and grilled asparagus spears. Golden roasted chicken is Italian comfort food, cooked to perfection and served with olive oil roasted potatoes and fresh sautéed spinach leaves. Diver scallops are wrapped in prosciutto and pan seared, served with roasted sweet potatoes and English pea puree and crispy pea tendrils.

Desserts are dynamite, from pick-me- up tiramisu to smooth crème brûlee and intense flourless chocolate cake. Do not forget to ask for the daily specials—the chef has spectacular surprises in store every day. “As a restaurant patron and international traveler, I see attitudes changing around the world. The current economy has humbled many, and the hospitality industry is changing for the good” said Dene. Michael’s On Naples has responded with a casual summer menu served on the rooftop terrace, at the bar or in the lounge, Sunday through Thursday. Satisfying dishes like braised oxtail panini sandwich on ciabatta bread with mozzarella or fennel roasted pork belly with provolone and Dijon mustard sauce will sooth even the most savage carnivore.

Classic spaghetti with tomatoes, basil, garlic and extra virgin olive oil is perfectly executed, and the farmers’ market grilled vegetables with white balsamic vinegar dressing speak Italian like an Ischian. House made pork sausage with fennel, served with roasted peppers and beet greens are a healthy taste of the old country. Grilled prime beef with roasted potatoes and garlic aioli sauce is top of the charts at only $15. Happy Hour is every day from 5-7pm, with selected beers, wine by the glass and bar spirits half price. Michael’s on Naples is the best deal in the harbor area, and the happy clientele confirms it. The great food, good wine and value for dollar must be the reason Michael’s On Naples’ rooftop terrace is popular with locals and visitors alike. Michael Dene believes in the open sky, great wine, live music, elegant ambiance, good lighting and spectacular food. “Now, as we all go through tough times, we are trying to give everyone a memorable restaurant experience in a restaurant like Michael’s. Fine dining can be accessible at an affordable price” Dene said.

Michael’s On Naples, 5620 E.2nd Street, Naples Island, Long Beach. (562) 439-7080

David Coleman Featured in 944 Magazine's "May Picks Issue" May 8, 2010.

Michael's on Naples Executive Chef David Coleman was featured as the "One to Watch" in the Orange County issue of 944 Magazine's "May Picks Issue". This is their most celebrated edition of the year featuring the best of the best in art, fashion, culture, and of course, food.

You can check out the feature in 944's May issue. The feature is located on page 32-33.

http://proofcenter.944.com/newflipbook/1416#