Bogart & Co. serves as a retail space during events and can be rented out for private parties.
With $1 million invested in a new catering and restaurant space and $350,000 in kitchen renovations, Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center has revitalized its food and beverage service in the last two years.
Bogart & Co. opened this spring and has already brought in business both for private events and as a retail space. Formerly an underutilized area used mostly as a ‘boneyard’ for storage, Sr. VP at Savor Shaun Beard said the space has been rebranded as a destination.
“It’s really driven food and beverage revenue by making sure we have a very nice, plush and comfortable place to dine,” added Beard.
Rosie Romo, director of Culinary Operations for Savor at Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, said that it’s been exciting figuring out what Bogart & Co. is when it’s not being used for private events.
The 6,500-sq.-ft. space “has a cool 1950s feel that is timeless yet contemporary,” said Long Beach CVB President & CEO Steve Goodling. It is decorated with dark woods and an LED-lit translucent wall. There are three distinct, rentable spaces including the bar area, the main dining room and a separate dining area.
The Long Beach Symphony Orchestra recently rented out the space for a recital for their donors.
“They brought in an oboist and a pianist and had a recital right here in the restaurant with theater seating,” said Goodling. “Even when we remodeled I never envisioned that type of use for it, but they did. It continues to be used in ways none of us ever thought possible.”
Charlie Beirne, Veronica Quintero and Rosie Romo get comfortable in one of the booths at Bogart & Co. (VT Photo)
The food at Bogart & Co. changes by event and items are cooked and plated live at two chef action stations in the restaurant. For something like Fred Hall’s Fishing, Tackle and Boat Show held at the venue each March, “the Caprese salad didn’t make it on the menu,” said Romo, who opted for heartier options to appeal to the demographic.
“The Kobe beef burger was going crazy,” said Region Food and Beverage Director for Savor Veronica Quintero, based at Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, who added that the menu can change midshow depending on demand.
Fred Hall’s Fishing, Tackle and Boat Show is a five-day event so the menu can change to cater to what the audience has liked. After the first day, Romo changed the digital menu boards to highlight the Bogart Burger.
“The menu boards offer the flexibility really necessary in today’s market,” said Romo.
One of Bogart & Co.’s most popular dishes, the Bogart Burger is a half-pound of Kobe beef with Bogart’s signature sun dried tomato spread, deep fried apple wood smoked bacon and gruyere cheese topped with butter-sautéed onions and fresh arugula on a roll made out of challah and brioche bread. The burger is served with house-fried chips and costs $14.
Romo is also known for her Baja California Sustainable Ceviche ($12), which is a vibrant green color due to a cilantro-based citrus chimichurri that is used to marinate the fish and shrimp. Romo is especially proud of her potato tacos. “Basically it’s my mother’s recipe revamped,” she said. She sautees potatoes in garlic and onion, adds tomato paste and seasoning in a tortilla and deep fries the small tacos. They are finished with a light, tomato-based salsa, cotija cheese and micro-greens.
There are three kitchens at Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center: one hot, one cold, and a cold-hot combination. Of the kitchen renovations, Romo is most excited about her new ‘combi’ (combination heat and steam) ovens.
“The quality of the food has increased exponentially because by using combination steam and heat we’re actually putting moisture back into the food,” she said.
Savor handles food for events in any part of the facility, including the arena in any set up, Bogart & Co., the exhibit halls and convention center, two theaters, or even off-premise at locations like the nearby lagoon for companies hosting events at the venue.
Interviewed for this story: Shaun Beard, (610) 729-7900; Steve Goodling, (562) 495-8350; Veronica Quintero and Rosie Romo, (562) 499-7565