The members pay no dues.

The members stage no family picnics, nor have organized golf outings, nor even plan exotic weekend trips to Las Vegas.

Indeed, I didn't even know the Long Beach Restaurant Association existed until the liquor industry grandee, the legendary Bernie (The Prince of Tabs) Selmanson, related its existence to me recently.

"What in tarnation is it?" I wondered, since I mistakenly thought I knew about every organization in Long Beach right down to Big Mike O'Toole's faintly known Gondola Fellowship Society.

"Talk to Nico's George Mlouk who is one of the founders and driving forces behind it," replied Mr. Selmanson. "He'll tell you all about it."

And so I talked to George Mlouk, who it turns out started what he terms as an alliance last March with other prominent Long Beach restaurateurs like Ciarian Gough, Mike Neufeld, John Rosetti, Ryan Hoover, Eric Johnson, Denny Lund, David Ursini, Rod Fontino, John Morris, Geoff Rau, Phil Trani, Michael Dean, Robert Booth and many others in the wake of the Coronavirus restaurant lockdown instituted by California governor Gavin Newsom that, except for a brief reprieve, has endured for seven months.

"The reason we started it was that we wanted our voices to be heard," said Mr. Mlouk. "We united for the betterment of restaurants in Long Beach. We discuss issues and exchange views on various matters. If nothing else, it's been a uplifting, cathartic experience for all of us."

Nico's owner George Mlouk

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For a while, this nascent organization remained small, but as the months passed and the financially-strangling lockdown continued it began expanding robustly to the point there are now almost 200 members in it.

Indeed, it has grown to the level it's been having monthly meetings -- the latest will be Wednesday night at the Belmont Brewing Company -- and it even has hired an influential local political operative, Mad Mike Murchison, who's on speed dial with all the bigshots at City Hall.

Shockingly, George Mlouk revealed that he has been receiving strong assistance from a most unlikely source -- after all, this gentleman is a fierce loyalist of Gavin Newsom and Eric Garcetti -- Long Beach mayor Robert Garcia.

"Mayor Garcia has really been trying to help us as much as he can," says Mr. Mlouk. "We have been assured by the City of Long Beach that we will have the Parklets (curbside barriers) for the rest of the years, and as you know the Parklets have been an absolute monetary savior for so many restaurants in Long Beach."

Now that Robert Garcia has apparently joined sides, even displayed empathy for the Long Beach restaurateurs, when will the notorious leader of the Long Beach Health Department, Duke University graduate Kelly Colopy, start restraining her nit-picking, irritatingly meddlesome sleuths from their relentless harassment of local culinary establishments as well as other businesses?

Anyway, George Mlouk, who opened Nico's in 1998 -- it is named after his twin brother -- after co-owning Christy's Ristorante on Broadway for eight years, is quite aware about the financial ruination Newsom's prolonged lockdown has caused so many restaurant owners in Long Beach.

"Unfortunately, some of my colleagues might have had to close up permanently," he says.

But he plans to keep the budding Long Beach Restaurant Association permanently intact.

"We're going to continue to remain united and address the issues that will always arise as we continue engaging in our business in this city we all love so much," he says. . .