Ever since his takeover of the much-missed Michael’s Downtown—which now sits empty following a short stint by Ubuntu Cafe—and his tenure at Nettuno at Fairmont Breakers, Chef Giuseppe Musso has become a deeply connected part of the Long Beach food legacy.
Old-school in style, traditional in spirit, Chef Giuseppe’s gregarious, affable personality is now the front-facing force of Salt & Grove, Courtyard by Marriott’s formal attempt to return to James Republic-like status within the food community.
Its first menu, headed by then-Executive Chef Courtney Beavers and released late last year, fell short: Wildly eclectic but middling in execution, it didn’t quite reach the highs James Republic became known for at its peak. Shifting quickly, Chef Giuseppe comes in with a forthright Italian offering—the hotel plans on formally changing the name to reflect “Italian kitchen” and Chef’s name.
“My guests know who I am,” Chef Giuseppe said. “I loved my time at the Fairmont, but here, I can bring things back to what I do best. I have an incredible kitchen, an incredible team I am training, and plenty of pasta.”
For dinner at Salt & Grove in Long Beach, it is all about the pastas…
Unquestionably, Chef Giuseppe’s most formidable strength lies in his pastas. Always made by hand, wonderfully textured, never hefty, shapes like papardelle, tagliatelle, and lasagna are wrapped and layered in traditional Italian sauces…