By Athena Mekis
Special to the Signal Tribune
Nino’s Italian Restaurant welcomed customers who lined up around the block to celebrate their 50th anniversary last Thursday.
Owners Vincenzo and Inge Cristiano brought Italian recipes to Bixby Knolls and established Nino’s, which is located at 3853 Atlantic Ave. They rolled back prices to 1958 for five different pasta dishes served with bread and soup/salad, which ran from $1.65 to $2.35.
Nino’s estimates 2,000 meals were served that day. Luckily, those customers waiting in line were entertained by the Long Beach Municipal marching band, at least until they marched on.
Their mission to roll back prices not only benefited Nino’s customers, but also Food Finders, an organization feeding the hungry in Los Angeles and Orange counties. “We ordered a lot of food and what we didn’t use we gave to them,” Inge Cristiano said. 
The Long Beach Press Club met at Nino’s the following day on First Fridays. Dave Wielenga, senior editor for the District Weekly, wanted to know what others thought about the state of journalism. During the inaugural meeting, journalists got the scoop from old friends and new acquaintances about how they were surviving in the business.
It still isn’t certain whether the club will turn into a professional association, meeting on a regular basis or remain a social gathering. The next meeting will take place at Smooth’s on Pine Avenue. A website is currently being constructed with the latest information.
First Fridays on Atlantic Avenue between Bixby and San Antonio presents artwork, food and music. Every business creates a welcoming atmosphere. To name a few: FreeSpirit Yoga enlightens visitors with nature photos and symphonic music, Jammin’ Music attunes family members with percussions and mariachis, and Summer Shutters captures Bixby Knolls with community photos and folk music. All of Bixby Knolls little treasures may be found during First Fridays.
