Taste Beer-Wine-Kitchen—the much-loved Belmont Heights bistro headed by owners Erin O’Hagan and Laurie Semon alongside Chef Brad Neumann and sommelier Chad Alger that reopened last year after a five-year, pandemic-induced hiatus—will shutter following its last service on Aug. 15.
It will transition to additional storage space for its neighboring Olives Gourmet Grocer, which has seen a surge in patronage.
“Over the past year, you’ve filled our restaurant with conversation, celebrations, laughter, and support—reminding us exactly why we wanted to bring Taste back after its five-year hiatus,” the four collectively shared on social media. “We are incredibly grateful for the love you’ve shown us and for embracing this special encore performance. As many of you know, Taste has shared more than just a wall with Olives Gourmet Grocer—we’ve shared a kitchen, a team, and a genuine passion for serving our neighbors. After thoughtful consideration, we’ve made the decision to transform the Taste space into storage and prep space for Olives, allowing us to better serve the growing demand for our neighborhood market.”
Why Taste Beer-Wine-Kitchen mattered in the grand memory scheme of the Long Beach food scene…
The original Taste was born out of practicality and passion—a storage space transformed into a small but mighty dining room where locals could get a solid glass of wine and a thoughtful plate of food. It was, when it opened, a space unlike any other. Chef Brad would often represent the space at farm dinners, while Erin and Laurie could extend their culinary image beyond Olives…