While trying to land the chef de cuisine job at Sky Room, Long Beach resident Max Pfeiffer decided to take a culinary risk.
He knew his interviewers wanted beef Wellington on the menu at the lavish, fine-dining restaurant on the 13th floor of the renovated Fairmont Breakers Hotel in Downtown Long Beach.
With that in mind, Pfeiffer chose to make the dish for the first time in his 17-year culinary career.
“It was kind of high risk, high reward but I guess it paid off,” Pfeiffer said.
Following that tasting, Pfeiffer was handed the role at the iconic Long Beach restaurant that first opened in 1938 before shutting down for renovations in 2018. Locals who spent countless special occasions dining in the eatery overlooking the Queen Mary have been eagerly awaiting its return, and now it’s here — with a new menu curated by Pfeiffer.
Although not originally from Long Beach — he was born down the coast in Laguna Niguel — Pfeiffer has lived locally for over a decade.
Behind the scenes, he’s long helped shape the Long Beach culinary scene.