Taylor Swift-themed dining experience debuts in Long Beach
The Taylor Swift-inspired dining experience runs through the month of December at The Ugly Duckling in Long Beach. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Fear not, Taylor Swift fans: A new pop-up dining experience in Long Beach solves all your “Champagne Problems” with unlimited mimosas. The bubbly drinks are a staple of the weekend brunch menu, and also happen to come with an edible candy bracelet.
It's all part of the new Taylor Swift Inspired Dining Experience, which has taken over The Ugly Duckling for the month of December. If opening weekend was any indication, this celebrity-themed extravaganza will surely draw plenty of Swifties.
The restaurant has been converted into a Taylor Swift tailgating zone for weekend brunch and dinner, with the pop star's music video montages on multiple flat-screen TVs. The walls are plastered with glamour shots as well as pictures of ex-boyfriends with the word “declined” stamped over their faces. (There's also her current main squeeze, NFL star Travis Kelce, but his picture is left intact.) The restaurant has a photo booth and selfie stations, including a throne you can sit on, as well as a claw machine with only stuffed cat animals. And then, there's the red carpet out front.
Dinner is $40 and includes a main dish and dessert. Brunch is $50 with unlimited mimosas and a main dish. On Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m., Eras Trivia night costs $50, including a main dish, dessert and a cocktail (plus a chance to win prizes). Reservations are booked and prepaid in advance.
Upon seating, servers ask diners to put their orders in before venturing around. On a recent Saturday night, troupes of young girls were running amok, singing Swift songs at the top of their lungs. A box on the table included tools to make friendship bracelets.
The menu is scattered with some of Taylor's favorite foods and drinks, including a “Hey Stephen” hummus platter (she once told “Vogue” that she always keeps a jar of hummus in her fridge), and a “Taylor's version” vodka soda with Diet Coke ($18 extra). Main courses on the brunch menu include “Forever and Always” French toast sticks, “Blank Space” eggs Benedict delight, and “Cruel Summer” chocolate chip pancakes.
But really, this event is not about the food. It's about the mimosas and the dark lighting, which allow you to belt out all your favorite Taylor songs with no shame. “Look what you made me do!”
The Taylor Swift Inspired Dining Experience at The Ugly Duckling, 906 W. Beech St, Long Beach, 516-208-3383, popstarpopup.com. Open 7-9 p.m. Wednesday for trivia night, 5 p.m. to midnight Thursday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, and 5 p.m. to midnight Sunday. Runs through Dec. 31.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
