Smooth's Blog

LB Bicycle Grand Prix and Bike to Work Day

2009-04-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is bike to work day for the City of Long Beach! Remember to leave your car in the garage and driveway, and bring out the spandex and helmet!

On Friday and Saturday, Pine Ave. and Smooth's will be hosting the Long Beach Bicycle Grand Prix Festival. The festival will consist of anything bicycle related including vendors, fashion shows, gear demonstrations and criterium road races.

The festival will start in the afternoon on Friday April 3rd and will feature live music, delicious food and the Wokcano Beer Garden. Live music and entertainment will follow, get your reservation at Smooth's for a premier outdoor table. The outside patio will have a perfect view of the stage for live entertainment. The staging will be similar to New Years on Pine Ave. So call now! (562) 437-7700.

The races on Saturday will run from 12:40 P.M. to 7 P.M. There are men's and women's events for all ages, and a special race for the police and fire department. Over the course of day bike riders from seven categories will be taking the streets to race including the $10,000 men's pro twilight race that will cap off the evening. Smooth's is a great place to order great food with a premier viewing place for the race!

The 80s Band, Was, is set to take the stage on Friday Night. Make sure to come out for a good time. Read Tim Grobaty's Press Telegram column about the festival here.

For more information visit www.bikelongbeach.org

We'll see you there!

March Madness Continues!

2009-03-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

Smoooth's was packed last week during the opening two rounds of March Madness! Hundreds of people packed the inside of Smooth's to watch the results of the preliminary rounds.

The sweet sixteen is now set! Today, March 26 and tomorrow March 27 will feature the games of the sweet sixteen with teams vying for the elite eight.

Today's Matchups Include

4:07 PM - #1 Connecticut vs. #5 Purdue
4:27 PM - #1 Pittsburgh vs. #4 Xavier
6:37 PM - #3 Missouri vs. #2 Memphis
6:57 PM - #3 Villanova vs. #2 Duke

Thursday Night is College Night! Happy Hour all night long!$2 Kobe Beef Sliders from 8:30 - 11 PM with live music!

Tommorrow's Matchups Include

4:07 PM - #1 Louisville vs. #12 Arizona
4:27 PM - #3 Syracuse vs. #2 Oklahoma
6:37 PM - #3 Kansas vs. #2 Michigan State
6:57 PM - #1 North Carolina vs. #4 Gonzaga

Come get baby back ribs for only $9.95 from 5 PM- 7 PM during the madness! Dancing is available all night!

Smooth's Stimulus Package!

2009-03-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

John Morris and Smooth's Sports Grille is offering weekly specials under $10 to stimulate the local economy in Long Beach!

Smooth's is the #1 rated happy hour in Long Beach rated by Long Beach Magazine.

The John Morris Stimulus Package strives to provide food, fun and entertainment without breaking the bank. The quirky concept of putting Morris’ face on a Smooth’s ten dollar bill is the platform for the Stimulus Package. A few deals to kick off the Stimulus include:

Daily Specials under $10:

Every day lunch special: Free coffee, tea or soda w/ purchase of lunch item (11a-2p)
Monday: Burger ‘n a Beer Mondays $8.95
Tuesday: Tini Tuesdays, $5 martinis and $5 appetizers all night
Wednesday: Wings ‘n Wii Wednesdays, 6 wings for $5.95 all night
Thursdays: $2 Kobe Beef Sliders 8:30-11p w/ happy hour drinks & live music (no cover)
Friday: Baby back ribs $9.95 from 5p-7p & dancing all night

Weekend Specials:

Saturday: Prime Rib $9.95 (from 5p-7p) & live DJ (no cover)
Sunday: Live music (no cover)

Big Dance starts tonight!

2009-03-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

The race to the final four begins. Who will be upset? Which teams will make it to the final four?

Come to Smooth's for full coverage of the NCAA Tournament, All 64 games. Here is the first round schedule that will be featured on Smooth's 30 HD televisions throughout his full restaurant and bar. We've got the best Happy Hour in town!

The first game starts tonight to determine which team will become the last #16 seed to face #1 Louisville

Moorhead State vs. Alabama St. - 4:30 PM

Schedule for March 19
11:30 AM - #5 Purdue vs. #12 Northern Iowa
12 PM - #1 Connecticut vs. #16 Chatanooga
12 PM - #1 North Carolina vs. #16 Radford
12 PM - #7 California vs. #10 Maryland (PAC-10)
2 PM - #4 Washington vs. #13 Mississippi State
4 PM - #7 Texas vs. #10 Minnesota
4:15 PM - #3 Villanova vs. #14 American Univ.
4:15 PM - #7 Clemson vs. #10 Michigan
4:30 PM - #4 Gonzaga vs. #13 Akron
6:45 PM - #2 Oklahoma vs. #15 Morgan State
6:45 PM - #2 Duke vs. #15 Binghamton
7 PM - #6 UCLA vs. #11 Virginia (LOCAL TEAM)
7 PM - #5 Illinois vs. #12 Western Kentucky

Schedule for March 20
11:45 AM - #6 ASU vs. #11 Temple (PAC-10)
12 PM - #6 West Virginia vs. #11 Dayton
12 PM - #3 Missouri vs. #14 Cornell
12 PM - #1 Pitt vs. #16 E.Tennessee State
4:15 PM - #7 Boston College vs. #10 USC (LOCAL TEAM!)
4:15 PM - #5 Utah vs. #12 Arizona
4:30 PM - #4 Xavier vs. #13 Portland State
6:45 PM - #8 Ohio State vs. #9 Sienna
6:45 PM - #4 Wake Forest vs. #13 Cleveland State
7 PM - #5 Florida State vs. #12 Wisconsin

Twice on Sundays Concert Series

2009-03-06T10:54:00.000-08:00

Schooled in Song and We Love Long Beach are set to co-host a month long music showcase of local talent titled "Twice on Sundays" at Smooth's Sports Grille. "Sundays" residents include Local band Jay Buchanan and video artist Warren Woodward, with guest bands throughout the month that include: Free Moral Agents, 60-Watt Kid, So Many Wizards, Blank Blue and Deep Sea Diver. The exact dates are on this flyer.

Watch this awesome video of Jay Buchanan.

Free Moral Agents

Shows will be scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. every Sunday from March 15-April 5, 2009 on Smooth's first level. There will be a $2 cover charge at the door, 2-Hour free parking with validation, and $2 drink specials. Parking can be found at Broadway and Pine, next to the 7-11 or behind George's Greek Cafe, in the parking structure next to Avis Car Rental. Smooth's 25+ HD Flat Screen Tvs will be broadcasting live video art throughout the entire venue.

Come out to see the shows on Sundays!

Smooth's is your home for March Madness!

2009-03-01T20:34:00.001-08:00

It's official. That time of year has come around again, time to prepare for March Madness. Haven't started researching your tournament hopefuls and bracket busters? Be prepared because major tournaments around the nation are starting to see which teams will make it to the big dance. Will Cal State Long Beach make it through the Big West tourney? Will UCLA make another run at the final four?

Smooth's will be the Greater Long Beach headquarters for all of your March Madness play. This week features great games from around the nation. Here is a small preview of what will be showing at Smooth's.

Big 10 Tournament
First Round - 11:30 AM, 2 PM Thursday March 5th
Quaterfinals - 11 AM, 3 PM, 5:30 PM Friday March 6th
(Top 25 Ranked Teams: Michigan State, Purdue, Illinois)

ACC Tournament
First Round - 12 PM Thursday March 5th
Quaterfinals - 12 PM Friday March 6th
(Top 25 Ranked Teams: North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, Florida State)

SEC Tournament
First Round - 12:30 PM, 4:30 PM, 7 PM Thursday March 5th
Second Round - 12:30 PM, 4:30 PM Friday March 6th
(Top 25 Ranked Teams: LSU)

Smooth's Hosts Bike Seminar for City of Long Beach

2009-02-24T22:40:00.001-08:00

This past Monday, Smooth's hosted a bicycling seminar with an expert from Copenhagen that spoke to high ranking city officials, Bike-Friendly Long Beach and Long Beach bicycle advocates. The seminar focused on the positive benefits that come with implementing quality bicycling initiatives throughout the city.

In July of 2008, Long Beach announced that it aimed to be the most 'Bike-Friendly City' and planned to develop two bicycle 'boulevards' using a $330,000 grant from Los Angeles County. The full story can be found here

Bikestation, a Long Beach bike parking facility and service center, first started in Long Beach and since then has expanded to five other cities. A Press Telegram article about the company can be found here.

Bike Friendly Long Beach's mission statement includes
-creating safe, connected, and easy to navigate bike routes
-offering bike friendly public facilities, transit and shops
-promoting bike share opportunities throughout the city
-encouraging the community, through education, to create a culture where cyclists and motorists interact safely
-implementing fun, healthy bicycle programs

Current efforts of Bike Friendly Long Beach include operation and maintenance of Long Beach Bikestation, City Bike Share and installing 400 bike racks throughout the city that incorporated public art. Planning includes creating safe and accessible bicycling environment, creating East/West and North/South connections and encouraging commuter and recreational riders.

The expert of Copenhagen listed many key consequences on become more bike friendly which included: helping the environment and alleviating traffic. Smooth's continues to supports quality initiatives like these for the City of Long Beach.

Smooth's Feeds Long Beach Flood Victims

2009-02-18T23:11:00.000-08:00

Check out this video that recaps what happened this past Sunday.

John Morris and the employees at Smooth's knew that the people in Long Beach were hurting by the flooding. We did our best to accommodate those victims with a meal, entertainment, and simple relaxation.

We continue to advocate for the victims flooded by rain again, on River St. 7 times this area of Long Beach has been flooded, and we hope that the long term and short term solutions can be implemented as soon as possible.

Here is another video recapping the floods.

Smooth's Sports Grille is your Long Beach Nascar Headquarters

2009-02-15T23:47:00.000-08:00

Daytona 500 onlookers watched Matt Kenseth spray Gatorade and celebrate his win in Florida. Daytona experienced a lot of controversy as Dale Earnhardt tapped Brian Vickers right in front of the field, that forced then current leader Kyle Busch and his M&M car out of the race.

The humble Kenseth, won praise from fellow drivers since he's a consistent driver not usually thrust in the lime light. Articles about Daytona can be found at ESPN and Nascar.com Or check out the video recap here.

The NASCAR season has just begun, and it arrives in Southern California next week. For everyone not driving to Fontana, Smooth's is your Orange County and LA County Nascar Headquarters. This Weekend has two Nascar Events with the Spring Cup Series and Nationwide Series at Fontana.

Nationwide Series' Stater Bros. 300 will be broadcast at Smooth's starting at 4 p.m. this Saturday February 21.

The Sprint Cup Series presents The Auto Club 500 at 2 p.m. this Sunday, February 22nd.

Bring your friends and cheer on the race as it is broadcast live from Fontana this weekend. Smooth's continues to offer the best food, drinks and televised sports Long Beach has to offer. To reserve your table this weekend call (562) 437-7700.

Aptera 2e at Smooth's

2009-02-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

The Aptera 2e arrived at Smooth’s Sports Grille in Downtown Long Beach to reveal its electric capabilities to the public. Aptera, based in Carlsbad, CA, arrived in Long Beach earlier this week for the Technology Entertainment Design (TED) conference. John Morris, owner of Smooth’s, invited Aptera to bring its new model and park the vehicle on his outdoor terrace.

“The capabilities of the car are quite amazing,” said Morris. “I wanted Downtown Long Beach to witness the possibilities of renewable energy.”

The Aptera model displayed featured a full electric motor, speeds up to 90 miles per hour and can travel up to 100 miles per charge. The sleek design of the 2e can be attributed to the butterfly-style doors, fluid exterior form and the three-wheel motorcycle-esque look. The exterior appeal of the vehicle may look expensive, but the approximated price tag is between $25,000-$40,000. Aptera will be officially launching the vehicle for sale in October throughout California.

“4,000 reservations are currently on the online waiting list,” said an Aptera spokesperson.

More information about the company and vehicle, in addition to the official waiting list can be found at www.aptera.com.

Check out the video here.

UFC 94 St-Pierre vs. Penn II

2009-01-25T23:05:00.000-08:00

Come out to Smooth's and see B.J. Penn get into the ring for the second time with Georges St. Pierre for this epic rematch. Lightweight champion Penn moves back up to fight at the welterweight division. If Penn wins the fight, he will be the first fighter in UFC history to hold two belts, the Light and Welterweight.

Georges St. Pierre (17-2) has won his last four fights with dominating wins over Matt Hughes, Matt Serra and Jon Fitch. BJ Penn (14-4-1) earned the welterweight title once before in 2004 with a submission to Matt Hughes. But Penn has been untouchable since he went back down to the lightweight division with dominating wins over Jens Pulver, Joe Stevenson and Sean Sherk.

Check out these videos on the fight.

We are showing the event on over 25 HD TV's throughout the restaurant and full-bar. $20 cover charge, with $10 going toward your meal/drink purchase. For any questions please call the restaurant at (562) 437-7700 or visit smoothssportsgrille.com

All our prime TV Events are posted on the calendar site, LimelightLB.com. Make sure to check out the website to find showing of your favorite local sports team.

New Years Eve in Downtown Long Beach

2009-01-03T15:43:00.000-08:00

7500 people crowded Pine Ave in Downtown Long Beach to celebrate the coming of a New Year this past Wednesday night. 9 years after the last New Year's party graced downtown in 1999, the crowds still surged reviving the restaurant and entertainment district.

John Morris, owner of Smooth's Sports Bar and Restaurant produced the downtown New Year's Event with enormous success. See the multiple articles from The Press Telegram interviewing Morris and detailing the event here and here. Also take a look at the articles from the LB Post and LB Report.

The event was brought to you by The Downtown Long Beach Associates, The City of Long Beach, The Long Beach Convention and Visitor's Bureau and The Port of Long Beach.

DJ Abel started the live music with his old school and funk set that warmed up the crowd early. People were dancing in the street as early as 8:30 PM, waiting to bring in the new year.

DJ Abel was followed by local band, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band. Their 45 minute set energized the crowd with their unique sound. Lead singer, Dustin Apodaca, showed off his keyboard, vocal and accordion skills to thousands. "Street Fighter", off Dusty Rhodes' latest album "First You Live," was a huge hit with the crowd with the rock anthem chorus and long rock instrumentals. Check out the video below.

Delta Nove was the grand finale as they brought in the new year with their power funk and elaborate percussion sounds. Delta was led by the impressive saxophone playing of Rob Covacevich and vocals of Bobby Easton.

Smooth's hosted a packed bar, dance floor and rooftop terrace during the New Year's celebration. VIP members who bought their tickets prior to the event were able to experience an exquisite buffet, an appetizer and drink from various bars and restaurants on Pine and VIP treatment from Smooth's staff.

New Years revelers were able to watch Robbie Knievel jump a Volcano in Las Vegas on 25 flat screens throughout Smooth's and had access to its full bar.

The event was a great success, and we look forward to the next event on Pine!