Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/13061
LONGBEACHMAGAZINE.COM 25 LONG PURPLE EGGPLANT ROAST WITH SHALLOTS AND FRESH MOZZARELLA Beneath an ivy awning, two monstrous doors lead into a palatial dining room, and a sweeping dusted marble staircase that curls up and around to the towering ceiling and second floor. Archways fill door frames, hand-twisted copper chandeliers and faux grape vines dangle and twist throughout and across the various rooms. Exclusively designed and built as Gazzella Restaurant in 1991, the structure combines the impression of aged Venetian elegance with the glowing patios and dreamy, open-air atmosphere of a Tuscan villa. Much of the dining experience at Gazzella derives from the visual atmosphere. The central dining room mixes impressionist art, plush Jacquard upholstery, and wall insets occupied by a variety of vases and artwork. Attention in the bar room shifts to the grand piano and luxurious wood bar, a polished and snaking structure built for sipping wine. Upstairs, in the private dining rooms and on the mezzanine, the marble floors sparkle. The light ivory-whites contrast with the dimmer reds, browns, and golds belonging to the banquet tables and balcony doors, creating a majestic — almost angelic — aura. WRITTEN BY ERIC WIENER — PHOTOGRAPHED BY MATT FUKUSHIMA