Saturday Outing

A few months ago, Caesar and I unwittingly participated in a fundraising event for The Serra Project, a group of HIV/AIDS homes around LA county that provide 24-hour care to those in need. I say "unwittingly" because we didn't know the fundraiser was happening when we decided to grab a bite at the local Italian place. As it turned out, a portion of the monies made from our meals went directly to The Serra Project, and we could make an extra donation if we felt so inclined. I added an extra $20 to the donation envelope, filled out a little form for tax purposes and that was that.

Or so I thought.

I received an email from one of those involved with setting up the event, telling me that I had won a $25 gift certificate to Parker's Lighthouse and two 1-hour passes for harbor cruises. The prizes arrived about two weeks ago, and today for lunch, we took advantage of the gift certificate to eat at one of Long Beach's finest restaurants.

Parker's Lighthouse sits at the tip of the Shoreline Village and the entrance to Rainbow Harbor. The view is wonderful: the Aquarium, the Long Beach Lighthouse and the Queen Mary -- not to mention all the sea gulls and pelicans flitting about the harbor. The inside has been recently renovated, allowing for a large, two-story wine cabinet at the center of the restaurant. The bar area is both open and cozy, with tall tables and chairs on the main floor surrounded by comfy booths with sloping high backs, and a few curtained areas with a small couches and padded chairs next to the windows. The upper floors offer more room for dining and a banquet room on the top. The dining area stems from the bar, pointing toward the open Pacific.

We started lunch with a small bowl of edamame followed by a Crunchy Sushi Roll for Caesar and Black Peppercorn & Maple Crusted Salmon for me. (Served with green waxbeans almondine and mashed sweet potatoes -- can't for get those.) And yes, they were as delicious as they sound. The salmon was tender inside and crunchy outside, tasting almost like candy thanks to the maple. I didn't sample the Crunchy Roll, but the tempura shrimp with bits of avocado looked amazing. To end the meal, we shared a generous scoop of fresh raspberry sorbet.

As a side note: former California Governor George Dukemejian arrived halfway during our lunch at sat with his family and friends at the table directly behind me. So it was almost like hobnobbing with the well-to-do.

Image or Parker's Lighthouse from Virtual Tourist.