Paradise travels past the typical bar boundaries by offering the kind of casual American dining that allows for inspiration from every corner of the world—there’s everything from Moroccan-braised chicken to balsamic-marinated Portobello mushrooms. And the entrees keep that up, with pasta plates (pasta primavera, linguini with steamed clams) and a number of fish dishes, the latter of which is where Paradise does some of its best cooking. On the seafood side is grilled mahi mahi, a more-than-generous seafood paella and the standout of the bunch, pecan-crusted wahoo, which is given a quick sear and finished with a vanilla cognac cream sauce. The best and smartest part about the dish, though, is that the restaurant pairs it with sweet potatoes and seasonal vegetables, an excellent and light fit with the fish.

PARADISE PIANO BAR 1800 E BROADWAY | LONG BEACH 90802 | 562.590.8773 | OPEN FOR DINNER MON-THURS 5-10PM | FRI-SUN 5PM-MIDNIGHT | WEEKEND BRUNCH 10AM-2PM | FOOD FOR TWO $30-50 | FULL BAR

Tags: american, breakfast, dinner, Long Beach