Mike Cincola runs Loof’s Lite-A-Line, the last surviving game from the Pike amusement park

PHOTO by DAVID GUETTLER

“The game is handmade,” Looff’s Lite-a-Line owner Mike Cincola says, and he has the credit card to prove it—the small-sized, long-expired Broadway charge card of Vincent C. Engstrom, the man who wired Lite-a-Line at the Pike in 1941 after Cincola’s father-in-law Arthur Looff built it. Makes sense that the longtime Long Beach resident’s (40 years, same house) favorite picks are as handcrafted as the game Arthur Looff launched 66 years ago:

L’Opera Cincola recommends the gnocci: “They serve it in a parmesan cream sauce that’s really good.” Sounds good enough for us.

101 Pine Ave | Long Beach 90802 | 562.491.0066 | lopera.com

McKenna’s on the Bay Cincola, who knows a tradition when he sees one, recommends the restaurant’s Chop Chop Salad—its signature, made with salami, garbanzos, mushrooms, cheese and lettuce.

190 Marina Dr | Long Beach 90803 | 562.342.9411 | mckennasonthebay.com

Hole Mole The ceviche tostada salad here wasn’t Cincola’s first choice—“I was kind of afraid to eat ceviche,” he confides—but he warmed to it, and now this dish is his favorite.

5209 E Pacific Coast Hwy | Long Beach 90804 | 562.985.1005 | holemole.com

Sky Room Cincola’s wife Pam is a competitive ballroom dancer, and when they go stepping, it’s at the Sky Room—one of the city’s most legendary ballrooms. 40 S Locust Ave | Long Beach 90802 | 562.983.2703 | theskyroom.com

LOOFF’S LITE-A-LINE LIVES ON AT 2500 LONG BEACH BLVD | LONG BEACH 90806 | 562.427.5900

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