Meet The Women Leading Long Beach’s Eclectic Foodie Scene

In celebration of Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting some of the women making waves in the Long Beach food scene at a few of the most up-and-coming and innovative eateries in Southern California.

From fusion-filled buns to indulgent yet fresh, home-cooked Middle-Eastern cuisine, Long Beach is truly a culinary melting pot that is second to none when it comes to Southern California food destinations.

What's unique about Long Beach’s culinary scene when looking at Southern California foodie cities is the striking lack of pretense in the restaurants that call Long Beach, ‘home’. The entrepreneurial spirit of the chefs and tastemakers of Long Beach’s culinary scene have thrived in a community that celebrates diversity and supports their local businesses, paving the way for tastemakers to get creative, and debut innovative cuisines, delicious comfort food and create tastes and flavors that can only be found in this waterfront city.

Women have indisputably played a major role in making Long Beach’s culinary community into what it is today – from taking the lead as business owners and bakers to becoming the mastermind chefs behind some of Long Beach’s most up-and coming restaurants. This Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting some of the women who are making waves in putting Long Beach at the forefront of California’s impressive culinary successes. Meet the chefs and culinary entrepreneurs setting a place at the table for women in Long Beach’s culinary scene:

Kat Vacharabul, Hangry Belly / Koolberry

Chef Kat Vacharabul owns two restaurants at SteelCraft Long Beach (3768 Long Beach Blvd), an outdoor food hall in Bixby Knolls. She first launched burger restaurant Hangry Belly and, based on its success, pivoted to the world of sweets. Koolberry at Steelcraft offers acai bowls, milkshakes, ice cream sundaes, and other desserts. Hangry Belly continues to serve a menu of indulgent burgers, fries, and a couple options for little bellies at SteelCraft. Both restaurants specialize in culinary creations that are playful and over the top, whether it’s a burger topped with extra BBQ brisket or a milkshake with a slice of cheesecake nestled on the rim. Part of Chef Vacharabul’s focus is building several small businesses to help provide opportunities for other female chefs to grow.

Dima Habibeh, Ammatoli

With the aim of bringing the diverse and vibrant flavors of the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Cypress and Palestine) to Long Beach, chef Dima Habibeh and her husband Husam or “Sam”, created Ammatoli, one of Long Beach’s newest spots for authentic, home-cooked Middle Eastern cuisine. As the chef and culinary mastermind behind Ammatoli, Dima, a proud Syrian-Jordanian woman, and her recipes aim to challenge conventional thinking behind Middle-Eastern dishes – introducing customers to flavorful dishes that beyond the traditional idea of hummus, kebabs and gyros. For foodies without fear of bold flavors, savory spices and unconventional twists on comfort food – some of Dima’s beloved specialties include musakhan chicken roles, and samkeh harra (a spicy grilled fish plate).

Kristin Colazas Rodriguez, Colossus Bread

What started as a simple farmer’s market stall serving delectable chocolate chip cookies as well as coffee has grown into two brick-and-mortar locations. Colossus Bread (4716 Second St), founded by Kristin Colazas Rodriguez in 2018, churns out artisanal bread, masterfully crafted croissants, various patisserie as well as pizza in both Long Beach and San Pedro locations. While locals helped fuel this success, Colossus’ loaves earned national recognition in 2022 when Food & Wine magazine named it Best Bread in California. At the Long Beach shop on Second Street in Belmont Shore, you can stop in for brunch, pick up your bread for the week, and take home a bottle of natural wine.

Laurie Gray, The Pie Bar

From an amateur baker to a successful Pie entrepreneur, Laurie Gray got her start making pies in her mother’s kitchen in Spanaway, Washington, where she learned the art of rolling the perfect pie crust, turning fresh fruits into fillings, and knowing just how long to bake a pie into the coveted golden-brown. As a single mother who started her journey selling pies from her house, then at farmer’s markets, then at her own brick and mortar store in Downtown Long Beach, Laurie’s “Pie Bar” is one of the city’s most adored and frequented eateries. Crafted from Laurie’s own recipes, Pie Bar specializes in sweet and savory pies, always made from scratch with high quality, regional ingredients made in small batches at a time. According to Laurie, some of Pie Bar’s most popular flavors are Key Lime, Mississippi Mud, Smores, Banana Cream and Chicken Pot Pie.

According to Laurie her inspiration to start Pie Bar comes from the simple belief that, “pie is one of the simple pleasures in life and not many people have the skills or the time to make pie from scratch. Pie brings such comfort and reminds people of home and family memories.”

Sonya Suon, I Luv Ur Buns

After honeymooning in Singapore and Bali, Sonya Suon and wife Mandy Bardisbanian were inspired to create a restaurant to share their passion for the street food delicacies they encountered. They launched I Luv Ur Buns (1388 Daisy Ave), which offers a menu of stuffed steamed buns (or bao) that mix Asian, Latin, and American cuisines, as well as loaded fries and even a sweet bun offering, baognets, stuffed with berries or nutella. Diners can order buns for takeout or delivery from their operation inside Daisy Diner in Long Beach’s Washington neighborhood or find them popping up at local breweries and other hotspots.

With more than a decade of experience in food service, Suon serves as the chef while Bardisbandian handles branding and social media marketing. The duo’s lighthearted approach to their business aims to bring people together over delicious foods that blend global flavors, mirroring Long Beach’s diverse blend of cultures.

Angela Mesna, District Wine

Angela Mesna grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, then pursued a career in restaurant and hospitality design in college in Santa Barbara, where she also encountered the world of California wines. She opened District Wine (144 Linden Ave) in Downtown Long Beach in 2010, completing much of the design and construction work herself with the help of family members.

District Wine is a cozy wine bar and lounge in the historic Lafayette Building in the East Village Arts District. Its dark interior with a mix of tables, booths, and upholstered leather armchairs makes for an intimate space where people can enjoy boutique wines, tapas, and live music.

As both a Southern California foodie paradise and a hub for passionate chefs and tastemakers turned entrepreneurs, Long Beach is proud to have a number of inspiring women leading its ever-growing food scene.

To learn more about the delicious eats in Long Beach, click here.

Cuisine Scene: Just Desserts Learn More

Cuisine Scene: Pizza Learn More

Cuisine Scene: Vegan Learn More

About the Author

Claire Atkinson

Claire Atkinson is a Southern California native who has lived in Long Beach for 20 years. She spends her free time visiting local parks, farmers markets, and museums, and loves learning about Long Beach history and culture.