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Upstairs, downstairs: Simmzy’s offers upscale food in a comfy space

Simmzy’s Long Beach

Want to have a nice meal with good food and drink but don’t want to deal with having to dress up? Then Simmzy’s is your place.

Founded by brothers Mike Simms, who also owns Tin Roof Bistro and M.B. Post, and Chris Simms, owner of Lazy Dog Cafe, Simmzy’s is a casual pub with an upscale menu — a gastropub, if you will. Chef Anne Conness works it out with creative (but not too creative as to be off-putting) dishes, such as the Bacon & Date Mascarpone Pizza and the addictive Blue Cheese Haystack (shoestring fries smothered in blue cheese dressing, garlic and spicy sauce).

There are two locations: Manhattan Beach and Belmont Shore in Long Beach. I recently visited the Long Beach location, which offers a slightly larger menu with pizza due to the addition of a woodfire oven. The aforementioned Bacon & Date Mascarpone Pizza, which also comes with Nueske’s smoked bacon, garlic, mozzarella, sage and balsamic syrup, is rich but tasty and worth a try since you can’t get it at the Manhattan Beach location.

Bacon & Date Mascarpone Pizza

As for the starters, my favorites were the haystack and Simmzy’s take on Brussels sprouts, which came caramelized with butter, garlic, lemon, anchovies, capers and bruschetta. You know Brussels sprouts are my favorite, and this version is right up there.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

Blue Cheese Haystack

The standout dish of the meal was the Saturday night special Short Rib & Chocolate Porter Chili. Topped with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream, and served with a bag of Fritos for good measure, this bowl of chili is crave-worthy. It’s sweet, savory and has great depth of flavor.

Short Rib & Chocolate Porter Chili

Simmzy’s boasts 41 taps, including 10 reserved for wines by the barrel. The 31 rotating beer taps feature craft brews, and the white sangria isn’t bad, either.

White sangria

Beer sampler

And let’s not forget dessert. Simmzy’s does some nice ones, including the Chocolate S’mores Pudding, which is more like a parfait with its layers of pudding, graham crackers and marshmallows, and the Apple Filled Donut, a sizable pastry filled with chopped cinnamon apples and topped with salted caramel, pistachios and vanilla ice cream.