Southern Calif Critics Sing Praises of L'Opera at Recent Awards

LONG BEACH, CA, March 22, 2013 (Press-News.org) In the most prestigious night of the year for restaurants throughout Southern California, L'Opera Ristorante, venerable Long Beach Italian dining establishment for 2 decades, was presented with the highly coveted 5 Star Award and the Golden Bacchus Award for its unparalleled wine list by the Southern California Restaurant Writers. This is the second year in a row that L'Opera nabbed those 2 highest honors and this year only 1 other restaurant did the same. Also, Tina Withrow, who has been on L'Opera's wait staff for 23 years, was named Server of the Year. Alegria, the Spanish tapas house next door to L'Opera, received the 4 Star Award. Restaurateurs TerryAntonelli and Enzo DeMuro, who own and operate both L'Opera and Alegria, were on hand to accept the honors.

"I can't tell you what a thrill it was to be recognized by the Southern California Restaurant Writers before so many of our distinguished fellow restaurateurs," said Antonelli.

Added DeMuro, "We take special pride in our very own Tina Withrow, who has delighted guests for more than 2 decades here at L'Opera with her dedication to serving them with the utmost professionalism, thorough knowledge and warmth. She's a true testament to our dedicated team of servers.
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The 170-seat critically acclaimed L'Opera features a menu of northern Italian cuisine. Large artworks by such renowned locals as Aldo Luongo adorn the walls and floor-to-ceiling windows allow guests to watch the hustle and bustle of the city and the Blue Line. Alegria's menu includes entrees representing all parts of Latin America including Mexican chicken mole, traditional Spanish paella Valenciana, Brazilian sweet rotisserie chicken and a Cuban pork dish. Visit http://www.lopera.com or 562-491-0066 andwww.alegriacocina.com or 562-436-3388.