Food in Venice

[dfunghi]

Yes all three are still open.

[Pan]

Just a quick update: I was able to get a reservation for Joe's in mid-August. I will eventually report back on my meal, but no pictures, because it's a dinner with relatives.

[dfunghi]

So Pan maybe you want to bring me a quart of half sour garlic pikles from Gus's and a dozen Yonnah Shimmels?

David

[Pan]

So Pan maybe you want to bring me a quart of half sour garlic pikles from Gus's and a dozen Yonnah Shimmels?

David

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Hardly likely, considering that I'll be in California for almost 2 weeks already by the time I hit LA.

[chefzadi]

I don't check the California forum much. Michael, you should have PMed me to let me you would be down my way. I didn't make it to New York as planned, mostly because I didn't want to travel without my wife and children.

Let's arrange something.

[Pan]

I really want to thank you all for helping me to pick out Joe's. I will attempt to do justice to our meal in a separate thread when I have the chance.

[Pan]

Here's my report on my meal at Joe's. If I ever go back some fine day, I hope it will be equally good. I do know that it would be hard for it to be better.

[LarsTheo]

Joe's website works fine in Opera, but I generally use Firefox, which makes it look tiny.

I've lived in Venice since 1994, and the restaurant choices are getting better. One of my favorites is Wharo Korean BarBQ, which is less than a block from Venice in MDR. For that matter, Beechwood is actually in MDR because it is on the south side of Washington. A lot of places on Washington claim to be in Venice or MDR when they are really in the other place FSR. I've had good food at Akbar in MDR, although the last time I went was not as good as earlier. Abbot's Pizza has the best pizza in the neighborhood and should not be missed.

[Pan]

Time to revive this thread.

I have a date around noon Friday. My friend is going to pick me up at my cousin's place in Venice and then we'll go to LACMA. We talked about going for a good, inexpensive (I guess upper limit of $30/person, preferably more like $25 or less) lunch either in Venice or somewhere near or on the way to LACMA. Any suggestions?

[JFLinLA]

Pan -- Venice & LACMA are not in the same neighborhood by a long shot. Venice is (obviously) on the coast and LACMA is easily 10 miles inland and somewhat north. That's a lot of real estate to cover between the two. This thread has any number of good suggestions in Venice that would meet your requirements.

The food in the immediate environs of LACMA (Wilshire & Fairfax) is not great. However, you might want head just a bit north to 3rd Street. There you can eat at the original Farmer's Market (NE corner of 3rd & Fairfax) for a truly LA experience and much preferable in my opinion to the Grove mall adjacent to FM. Or you can eat at any number of good places on 3rd Street.

In between the two and sort of on the way from one to the other is Culver City which is brimming with great places.

[Pan]

How many of the places recommended in this thread are still good? In New York, two years is a very long time in restaurant years, so I presumed it could be the same in LA. I'll do a search for Culver City.

[Carlsbad]

Campanile is near LACMA and you can do lunch there within your limit.

[Pan]

Thanks, Carlsbad. I'll report back on wherever we go to.

[JFLinLA]

How many of the places recommended in this thread are still good? In New York, two years is a very long time in restaurant years, so I presumed it could be the same in LA. I'll do a search for Culver City.

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Joe's in Venice is always good. Slightly north of Venice on Main Street in Santa Monica is Chinois on Main if you want the Wolfgang Puck experience.

Campanile (east of LACMA on La Brea just north of Wilshire) is always good.

Farmer's Market (the original) has stalls and sit down places and it depends on what you want. The scene itself is great. My fave there is Monsieur Marcel located in the southeast area of the original market.

Culver City -- I love Beacon (get the black cod). I also like La Dijonnaise just across from Beacon if you're going for a French Bistro thing. Lot's of hot new places in Culver City -- Ford's Filling Station, etc. If you are in the area and do not stop into Surfas (the best gourmet/cookware/restaurant supply store on the planet), you will really be missing something.

[Pan]

We had lunch at Beacon, and I really liked it. I'll post about it separately, since it isn't in Venice.

Tomorrow (Saturday), I have a request for a good Greek restaurant in Venice or Santa Monica for dinner. Do you know of any?

[rjwong]

LA Times food critic reviewed a Greek restaurant called

Petros Greek Cuisine and Lounge

451 Manhattan Beach Blvd

Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

310.545.4100

Petros received a ** 1/2 star rating, which is really good. Apparently, there is a dress code. The restaurant is located south of LAX and El Segundo over in Manhattan Beach along the coast. Go ahead and check-out the website.

[Pan]

Thanks, Russell. I saw recommendations of Petros on Chowhound, too, but my friend decided to go in a different direction. We'll be going to Primitivo Wine Bar on Abbot Kinney. I'll report back on how it is.

[Pan]

The short version is that Primitivo Wine Bistro was very good. Here's the longer version:

We were a party of four.

We had to wait for a table, so we started with some wine. It seemed only natural to begin with a glass of their Primitivo, Sollione, Salento 2004, which if I remember correctly, we found to be a good, somewhat but not overly dry wine with a nice finish. (I'm no wine geek, so don't expect any fancy wine talk from me).

We followed that up later with a bottle of what I believe, based on their online wine list, to have been Rioja, Vinedos de Paganos "El Puntido" (100Tempranillo) 2002, which I considered much better than other Riojas I've drunk, a really solid wine, and again, not simply dry but full-bodied. It went well with the tapas we shared, which were:

Artisanal Cheeses with Olive Tapenade, Kumquat Chutney and House Made Bread (Delicious caraway raisin rye bread, very nice selection of cheeses, especially the one with sage in it and the creamy brie-like one. I also liked the kumquat chutney a lot, though I think some members of my party found it sweeter than they preferred.)

Gaspacho with shrimps, avocado, and I think something else, which was a special (surprisingly spicy, very good)

Sauteed Tiger Shrimp with Garlic, Lemon, White Wine and Chilies (two portions, because we liked it!)

"Steak Frittes" [sic] Grilled New York Steak, Peppercorn Sauce with Shoestring Potatoes (again, very good, nice charred, rare-to-medium-rare steak, very good shoestring potatoes that were ungreasy)

"Patatas Bravas" Fingerling Potatoes with Garlic and Tomato Sauce (This was a large portion and I loved it and had more of it than anyone; the potatoes were really high-quality potatoes in themselves, were perfectly cooked to my taste, and I loved the garlicky tomato sauce. I highly recommend this.)

Paella with Chicken, Tiger Shrimp, Mussels and Chorizo (I'm no paella expert, but this tasted good and seemed to comport with what I understand to be a true paella - really, a risotto-like rice-based dish, not a stewy or soupy dish.)

I think we may have had another special that slips my mind.

Then, we shared two desserts:

Warm Bread Pudding with Calvados Caramel, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

I don't see the other dessert on the online menu, but it was a raspberry trifle with I believe lemon meringue and I forget what else.

Both desserts were very pleasing.

As you see, I liked everything and was dissatisfied with nothing.

We tipped nicely, at 20% of the whole bill including tax, and paid $60/person, which I consider a fair value for such a good meal.

The establishment is located at 1025 Abbot Kinney Blvd, right next to Joe's, Tel. (310) 396-5353

The bar area is loud, but where we were sitting, the noise level was not bad, and they have a nice outdoor area in the back.

Have a look at their website, if you like.

[Pan]

The tapa I forgot about was ceviche, which was good.

I was part of a party of three at Joe's last night. The meal was very good. I'll post about it at greater length on the Joe's thread later, but I must say that if any of you are going soon, get the Rhubarb Soup. What a fantastic dessert!