Starling Diner’s Joan Samson keeps the city alive

PHOTO by SUSAN SABO

Even in between service, Starling Diner hums with energy. There’s music echoing across the dining room and laughter pouring out from behind the counter—it feels alive. And for owner Joan Samson, that’s exactly how she wants it.

Samson, after all, doesn’t view restaurants as just places to grab a bite to eat—they’re places to congregate and socialize, places to build connections. “Food is never just about food,” she says. “It’s a reflection of yourself and your city.” With that open and gregarious mentality, Samson shaped Starling, turning the eight-month-old restaurant into a fixture of its Belmont Heights neighborhood.

It’s no fluke that Starling has found such success—she has plenty of experience. After graduating law school, Samson left the legal world to open a café in San Francisco. Successful as that venture was (the place is still in business), she decided to sell it and move back home to Southern California. After first opening the quaint creperie La Galette in San Clemente, Samson looked to Long Beach to open her diner. “I wanted a city with walking neighborhoods and a strong arts presence,” she explains. “Plus, Long Beach still has a soul.”

These are some of her favorite things:

Long Beach Antique Market “Many of the paintings, photos and doohickeys around Starling come from combing the aisles of the Long Beach Antique Market. I love building a story by grouping interesting items together.”

Veterans Stadium | 5000 E Lew Davis St | Long Beach 90808 | longbeachantiquemarket.com | Third Sunday of every month

The Garage Theatre “To me, art culture and restaurant culture go hand in hand. If a city is truly world-class, the art and restaurant scenes are usually strong. The Garage Theater strengthens Long Beach.”

251 E Seventh St | Long Beach 90813 | 562.433.8337 | thegaragetheatre.org

Henry’s Market “A neighborhood is only as good as its corner market. Henry’s is such a motherly place that sometimes I just go in there so they can ask me how my day is going.”

301 Loma Ave | Long Beach 90803 | 562.438.9180

Acres of Books “I can’t tell you how many ideas of mine have been born or refined thanks to the time spent perusing the books at Acres.”

240 Long Beach Blvd | Long Beach 90802 | 562.437.6980 | acresofbooks.com

Pacific Mercantile Bank “This bank makes me feel like a big shot, even though I’m just making sure there’s money to cover the checks I wrote. There’s never a line and Gemme (the manager) is the most down-to-earth, accessible bank manager I’ve ever known.”

211 E Ocean Blvd Ste 110 | Long Beach 90802 | 562.983.5400

David Galindo Home “Some of my plates at the restaurant and lots of presents that I buy for people are from this amazing store on Broadway. He has a great sense of style and amazing, modernist taste. He makes me wish I had a Cliff May home.”

2815 E Broadway | Long Beach 90803 | 562.930.0033 | davidgalindo.com

Tags: acres of books, best of, garage theatre, joan samson, Long Beach, starling diner