Zuzu's Petals Verified listing

Zuzu’s Petals—Long Beach’s (rightfully and) wildly popular brunch space on the easternmost edge of DTLB—is surely surrounded by beauty. Plates of wonderfully cooked omelettes—no browning, no rubberiness; just a soft pillow—stuffed with lobster and Boursin- are an homage to Chef Ludo Lefebvre’s locally famous version at Petit Trois. Plates of seasonal pancakes—like their sweet potato one featured in the fall—that are as Instagrammable as they are requested out of season. Outright sexy steak’n’eggs, with a ribeye cut and layered atop a hollandaise spread.

To add to that beauty, owners Evan Papadakis and Jessie Franco are persistently present with a deep sense of what it means to be hospitable. It is not uncommon for them to know a vast number of patrons’ names. They will walk down the line—easily wrapping around onto Lime above 3rd Street on weekends—to touch people, ask them how they’re doing, and assure them they’ll be seated and eating soon.

“There is genuinely no better feeling than feeling like the community is embracing you,” Jessie said. “For me, there’s an intimacy there knowing people’s names, pet names, and food preferences. And that is because I know Zuzu’s Petals provides some respite from whatever they may be going through—be it big or small—or just wanting to enjoy life. Given Evan’s story, it’s pretty befitting for this little pocket we’ve created.”

Zuzu’s is wrapped in gorgeousness. And that gorgeousness stems from an equally gorgeous mix of tragedy, struggle, resilience, and purpose.

Written and photos by Brian Addison.

For the full feature on Zuzu's Petals, click here.