The Win-Dow - Excellent Cheap Eats In Venice!

There could not possibly be a more beautiful day than today in Venice, California. It's only Thursday (Little Friday!), but the holiday weekend seems to already be ON. The Boardwalk is packed. The Skatepark is packed. The bike path is packed. And the line at the new burger spot, The Win-Dow, on Rose Avenue was looong.

The Win-Dow is exactly that - a window to order, and a window to pick up, and you either take your food to go, or sit on little plastic chairs in the parking lot of the former Ranch Market and La Fiesta Brava space, which most everyone on this gorgeous day chose to do.

The new endeavor from Superba and Pitfire Pizza's Paul Hibler is open now, and the adjacent larger restaurant - American Beauty - is coming soon. I ran into Hibler in the parking lot as I was waiting for my lunch, and when I thanked him for providing a new place with actually affordable food in Venice (the burgers are $3.95!), he smiled and said, "I said I was going to do it, so I did." And we can all be glad.

The burgers are excellent. Basic cheeseburgers with super-soft buns, grilled with onions, so there's a slight White Castle vibe - in a good way. The fries are my favorite kind - thin, crisp, and hot. The lemonade is fresh, and the perfect way to wash down the food. There's a vegan burger and kale salad for the healthier options, and a fried chicken sandwich that is going to be my next conquest. I'm impressed.

The service was super friendly, as was the vibe in the parking lot, with friends and neighbors greeting each other as they enjoyed the sunshine. You wouldn't have been surprised if a dance party had broken out right there on the blacktop ... the day had that kind of feel. Stoked.

I carried on with my day, fully sated, and more than happy to report that The Win-Dow is awesome. I'll see you there again soon!

The Win-Dow
425 Rose Avenue
Venice
11 am - 7 pm Daily

Now Serving At The French Market - Lily's Menu Is Back!

There's going to be a Blogtown double feature today, because there were two distinct Very Venice Valentine events last night that each deserve their own little story. First up, the absolutely fantastic news that The French Market Café is now open for dinner each Thursday - Saturday - and they're serving up our old favorites from Lily's (the neighborhood favorite French restaurant on Abbot Kinney that is now Neighbor, for those of you who may be new to the area)!

Agnes Martinez (owner of the French) and Francis Bey (former co-owner of Lily's) have teamed up to bring back the cuisine that has been SO missed by Lily's regulars like me, and last night when I finally got to order the onglet a l'echalote dish that was one of my all-time favorites. After a glass of Valentine champagne with Agnes, I tucked into my dinner, and it literally brought a mist to my eyes. A welling up of remembrance, and for people and places that are no longer here. It was as delicious as I recalled, and now I'm going to be at the French even more than I already am (next up: the moules frites!).

I had to go backstage when I finished, to hug and thank Francis for making my old culinary dreams come true again. He told me he was going to put a burger on the menu instead, but I had begged for the onglet for so long that he put it on the menu for me! I'm so grateful, and telling everyone to go there so I get to order this more often is the very least I can do. Please GO!

There are several other classic Lily's dishes, and desserts (creme brulée, tarte tatin) to go along with them. A bonus to the French being open at night is that we can finally drink all of their wine from their cellar with dinner! These are exciting times. I couldn't stay and hang out as long as I would have liked, as I had to skedaddle over to Beyond Baroque to catch the album release show for my dear pals, Suzy Williams and Michael Jost (the next story in the queue), but I was so very pleased to be able to attend the opening night of dinner service at my beloved French Market!

So ... the next time you're talking about where to go for dinner (on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday, for now), hit the French (free parking!), sit outside, sip some wine, eat some Lily's food, and tell them "Carole" sent you!

The French Market
2321 Abbot Kinney Boulevard
Venice
Dinner 6-9 pm, Thursday - Saturday

A Fond Farewell To Fumi!

There have been many changes at Wabi Sabi the past few years (as there has been with Abbot Kinney and Venice at large), but the one constant since the first month they opened in 2001 has always been Fumi Kimura. She has managed the restaurant, nurtured its workers and customers, and has been the most lovely and gracious hostess of our neighborhood sushi spot ever since ... but now she's leaving, moving back to Japan, and last night was her last night there.

Wabi Sabi closed down early and a party sprang up in the back room, as friends and neighbors filtered in with armloads of floral bouquets to show their respect and give their love to someone who has meant so much to our community. Kimura has been there through many transitions, and it was clear to see from the many adoring patrons lining up to give their hugs and thanks, that she will be sorely missed. It was fantastic to see so many familiar local faces back on the Boulevard, and to know that they were there for Fumi. Venice family. 

The constant sound of champagne bottles popping last night let you know that it was meant to be a celebration, and not as sad as it felt, so we all clinked glasses and toasted our friend, wishing her well ... knowing that now we have someone wonderful to visit in Japan! And also knowing that when someone has been such a big part of Venice for so long ... they tend to return. We can only hope, and send Fumi off with fond memories and so much love.

Genki de (ALL the best!), dear Fumi!

Marla's Is Now Munch - And Better Than Ever

Venice has enjoyed the delicious home cooking of Marla's Cafe for years, and now Marla Barreira has passed her baton off to her son, Matt, and Marla's has become Munch. There's a new sign out front, with arrows pointing you around to the brand new back patio that is an oasis of chill right here in the neighborhood. The menu is almost exactly the same, with all of our favorites, so when the carnitas taco craving (or salad, or pasta, or awesome sandwich, or awesome anything ...) , hit last night, we knew right where to go.

You'll immediately notice that the big Nutcracker (year round) and silk butterflies decorating the outdoor patio have been removed, and replaced by twinkle lights, comfy chairs, and a fire pit to dine by. You can now also eat inside, in the newly renovated room adorned with a big, colorful mural created by family friend and artist, Duncan Lemmon. Lowriders rev and hula girls dance around the walls, in a scenario that's perfect for Venice.

Munch is consistently delicious, and the line of folks placing after-work orders were all regulars, and all from the surrounding neighborhood - again, exactly what Venice needs to protect and preserve - our Community. I love a place where you regularly hear, "Having the usual?" That's solid.

Eating outside is always a delight, and now with the new fire pit (that we took over the second some dudes left), it's extra cozy - especially with the bottle(s) of wine that you bring in, because though there's no liquor license, there's also no corkage. Sipping wine outside after a perfectly satisfying and delectable meal, with a complimentary Marla's cookie, is pretty great.

It's great for many reasons, and yet another one is that you can bring your dog, and they'll get their own water bowl and chill right next to you, no problem. Kids love it, Grandmas love it, and so does everyone in between. Though the kids have largely taken over, and Marla is getting a sorely needed break, her hands and heart are still tangibly felt in each dish - that she created. And honestly, I've never had better carnitas - Anywhere.

Munch serves their great food until 2:30 am - and delivers that late too - so there is never a need to subject yourself to a drive-thru or anything like that after the party. In fact, the party will most likely be happening at Munch when you get there late too. They're having an art opening for their muralist and several other local artists on August 5th, and that night promises to be way better than the First Friday stuff going on up the street. Locals are always recognized and hooked up, and you can just tell that the love is there, in everything they do.

Matt Barreira and his family call their brand of cuisine "Feel Good Food", and it is certainly that. Freshly made, home recipe food is the Barreira family tradition, and I'm thrilled to see it being carried on in such a new and excellent way. I'm looking forward to seeing you all there - all the time.

Munch
2300 Abbot Kinney
Venice
310-827-1843
Open Tuesday - Sunday, 5 pm-2:30 am

The Gjelina Volunteer Program At Venice High - Teaching Our Future Chefs!

What a wonderful and inspiring afternoon I just had, crashing the Gjelina Volunteer Program cooking class at Venice High School. I'm honestly so, so impressed. Chef Travis Lett and Program Director, Angela Hughes, are pals of mine, so I had an inside track to getting to know all about this excellent stuff going on with the kids around our Venice community.

The GVP started a few years ago, with Lett wanting to be more involved in the community that has shared so much with him and his restaurant endeavors. They started out by making pasta with the little kids at Walgrove Elementary, which fascinated the children, Hughes told me. "It blew their minds. The power of food is taken away when it's all packaged and processed. Showing them where their food comes from and how it's made empowers them, because now they get it, and they made something that pleases them." That led to "Jammin' In The Classroom", where they would make jam from scratch, with butter the kids churned up themselves. They next attacked 5th graders with salad, which they deconstructed and showed the kids how to grow and prepare the ingredients. The kids literally devoured it all, both the food and the information. The kids at Westminster Elementary take bakery tours over at Gjusta, and learned to make bread from the wheat that they had grown themselves. Amazing.

The success on both sides was immediate, and Hughes says, changed the kids and the business, with all parties involved realizing the importance of their own health and the health of the community, which can only improve when so much care is taken of each other. As I witnessed yesterday at Venice High.

These teenagers stay after school once a week (for 16 weeks) to partake in the "Chef's Club" class offered by Gjelina's volunteer program, and they learn the whole deal, from planting and harvesting the vegetables and greens outside in the (surprisingly bucolic) Venice Boulevard-adjacent garden, all the way through eating the meal and cleaning it all up.

On this day, they were gathering up snap peas, radishes, gorgeous swiss chard, and salad greens to accompany the whole branzino fish they would be preparing as the entrée up in the classroom. Lett, Hughes, Oscar Lusth, Judy Babis (who comes up with the curriculums), and their employees/volunteers from Gjelina were out there with the kids in the garden, explaining the growth and nuances of the produce (which I also eagerly listened to), and we could have been way out in rural California somewhere, not even noticing the rush hour traffic a stone's throw away.

Public schools have been so shafted by our government over the years, as gone are the Home Ec, Shop, Automotive, Art, Music, and so many other things done away with by short-sighted politicians and budgets. Thank goodness there are those in arts and business in our community that actually do care and will do what they can to give these exceptional youth opportunities they would never otherwise have. Venice High Principal Oryla Wiedoeft has welcomed these groups (also in cahoots with the Boys and Girls Club of Venice) into the school, and embraced what they have to offer, as clearly the students have as well. All I saw were excited, enthusiastic, open faces, eager to learn and create. The atmosphere was abuzz, and I was completely jealous as I watched the kids learn knife techniques, how to blanch the snow peas, filet the whole fish, season the inside ... this was not your basic boil an egg class for high school students ... this is pretty advanced stuff.

As I watched her slicing up a lemon perfectly, a student named Emily told me that her Grandfather had a restaurant when she was growing up and everyone in her family could cook, but now she felt like she had things she could teach them. She added that now she and her Dad cook breakfast for the whole family every Saturday morning ... proving that classes like this not only help the kids, but their families too.

 One young man said when asked how he felt about the Chef's Club, "Oh, I love it! Now I do all the cooking at home, my Mom is so happy." I bet she is, especially when you see these guys whipping up dishes like these, that could easily be served right up at Gjelina itself.

"Kids are smarter than we were at that age," said Lett. "They want to be here for three hours after school. Our resources should benefit their public schools and the communities around them. When the school is uplifted, it benefits everyone. We're all in this together." I had never been inside of Venice High before, just outside for games and the Grease sing-along. It's really old inside, and the kitchen area hadn't been used, and was sorely outdated. Not anymore. Gjelina has connections, obviously, and now the kitchen features a gleaming, giant new refrigerator, and spotless, upgraded working spaces. It's great.

And so are the kids. Every single one of the 35/40 kids being taught by a world-class Chef (gearing up to open Gjelina East in NYC's Bowery, where they will also work with farms and schools) for free in a public school (!) was polite, open, and all ears and smiles as Lett, Lutsh and Babis explained the steps in the recipes, all of them listening with tangible respect. "Everyone is so nice here, they treat us like professionals," added one boy as he kindly prepared a plate of their fish dinner for their guest - Lucky Me.

 It was truly delectable, and so super inspiring to see these kids so pleased with their results, sharing and discussing it with each other as they ate the feast they had prepared themselves from literally the ground up. When kids today are more interested in their phone screens than dirt, this was truly awesome. The only inkling one would have that these were 2016 teens was when one girl was going around seeing which fish platter was "The most Instagrammable". Who could blame her though, with dishes as impressive as these.

Lett and I both had chills as one student after another repeated that the best thing about the class was "It's fun!"

As learning should be. As LIFE should be, especially when you're a kid figuring out who and what you want to be. With experiences like these under their belts ... truly anything is possible.

Many thanks to everyone involved, from the Gjelina Volunteer Program, to Venice High School, to these incredible, thoughtful, talented, wonderful young Gondoliers/Chefs of Venice. They are absolutely rowing, not drifting into a fantastic future.

Vinny's - Cheesesteaks At The Beach!

Yo! This one goes out to all my Philly friends. Now you can get your cheesesteak fix at the beach at Vinny's! That's right, Vinny's on Westminster and Ocean Front Walk is coming up on their one year anniversary of serving awesome cheesesteaks out of their little window, so I thought it was high time to get to know the people behind it ... namely Vinny.

Vince Zangari grew up in Lancaster, PA in Pennsylvania Dutch territory, where his Dad, Ronald, opened up a restaurant after the Korean War in the 1950's. He did cheesesteaks (his own way) so folks didn't have to drive to Philadelphia. As one of 15 kids in their massive Italian family, there was always family involved in the business, and Vince worked there all through high school.

After attending Temple University and  F.I.T. in New York, Zangari got a gig with Armani, which led to acting, which brought him out here to the West Coast. He had a family, and that kept him here, acting, but also working at restaurants all the while. Zangari then met Greg and Yunnie Morena, whose family had owned Santa Monica Pier Seafood (on the Pier) since 1977. When the Morena's took over for Yunnie's father, they revamped the place, renaming it The Albright. Zangari became the VP of Operations, and when The Albright began doing the food program for the Pier Concerts, Morena encouraged Zangari to do a tent with his family recipe cheesesteaks. It blew up immediately, with crazy lines and the crew serving 400 steaks an hour. Soon thereafter, Morena noticed there was a space available on Westminster, and with the success at the Pier Concerts, urged Zangari to open a cheesesteak place, and now we have Vinny's!

Vinny's cheesesteaks are done their way, which means hand-sliced in house beef ("eye of the round"), white American cheese (not Cheez Whiz, but they do have that kind of stuff on hand should they encounter a diehard who believes that's the way), mushrooms and onions (not peppers, and you can't get those), delicious Amoroso bread shipped in from South Philly, and their family recipe sauce. (I'm a real plain Jane with my sandwiches, so I take mine with just meat and cheese, and it's sublime). You can also get a chicken one, and eggplant parm, and pulled pork, but I'm pretty partial to that steak.

Though Zangari, in all honesty, had some trepidation about operating out of a space at the Boardwalk, thinking it was maybe too crazy down here, that soon dissipated when the surrounding merchants and neighbors immediately embraced them. There is a man named Vinny who is always down on Westminster playing guitar, and he had to leave town when his mother died. Neighbors originally thought the big new "Vinny" painted on the wall was in tribute to guitar Vinny, so automatically thought this new place was cool. Which it is.

Zangari loves serving the locals, and realizes that they are his bread and butter. They deliver sandwiches to the Boardwalk vendors (at a discount!), the skatepark kids line up to chow down, and Vinny's regular customers are now also friends. "I'm really grateful to have the opportunity to have a business on the world famous Venice Boardwalk," says Zangari. "I didn't know what to expect, and we were accepted by the community from Day One. Locals have always been our focus."

We sat and watched the world going by (Literally. People from all over the world in like an hour), and Zangari truthfully said, "There's no place like it. It's so unique - in good AND bad ways. Where else do you have such homelessness, and such money, all melting together in the middle, co-existing?" Nowhere. "Yeah, there's change, but I was here 20 years ago, and the essence doesn't change. I still have the same energetic feeling I had 20 years ago. The PEOPLE are what makes it Venice, right?" Right.

"My family is East Coast multi-generation, so I understand and respect history... and am grateful to  now be a part of the Venice history." That's the attitude that locals can understand and respect, and certainly appreciate in a time where the unique charm of Venice is being so threatened by less respectful/more greedy parties.

Vinny's is manned most days by Zangari's trusted Boom Boom, a local guy that Zangari wanted to help set up with a business. "I'm interested in investing in people," says Zangari. Also certainly appreciated. Served with a smile by Boom Boom and Lawrence, working out of their extra-tiny kitchen, I think it was the best cheesesteak I've had outside of Philly.

It's a beautiful day in Venice. It's lunchtime. I know a great spot where you can breathe in the fresh ocean air while you eat ...

Vinny's Cheesesteaks
1301 Ocean Front Walk
Venice
#310-392-7788
EatVinnys.com
Every day. 11-5 in Winter, 11-7 in Summer
*Delivery available from Eat 24 and ChowNow

The Rose - By Any Other Name ... Does It Smell As Sweet?

We've been eagerly awaiting the re-opening of The Rose Café (established in 1979) in Venice (now called "The Rose"), and got in there last night to check it out. I'll have to reserve judgement until they're totally up and fully running, but so far ... we miss the old Rose.

My friend, Nori, is currently using a cane post foot surgery. We pulled in to The Rose parking lot, and were told by the valet that the first hour is free, and after that it's $9.00 per hour. Even for hobbled people with canes. Gone is the kindly old valet that charged like $2.00 for all day or something. Yeah, no thanks. We parked on the street, and Nori limped along for two blocks.

The space inside is lovely. There is no gift shop now, and in its place is a big, full bar. That's great, though I did love that little shop and its unique cards and gifts.

I guess it's the same owners, but they clearly want to capitalize on being Google-adjacent, and the homey old feel of the former Rose Café is no longer. It's pretty slick, and obvious that they want to compete with Gjusta down the street, with the same various stations for pastries, to go food, and all that.

The servers (very nice, almost ass kissy - which I get, they're new) referred to new Chef Jason Neroni as "Chef", which I always find slightly off-putting. "Chef likes to serve ... " I get that hierarchy stuff in the kitchen, but let's cool it on the aggrandizing, because, frankly, we didn't really like the food so far. At all. They won't be serving the full dinner menu for a couple of weeks, but what we had from the bar menu was really not even ok. We wanted the pizzas we'd seen posted on Instagram, but were told those weren't available, and we could just get cheese pizza by the slice. Out came a super oily piece of what might have been a Stouffer's French Bread pizza. Thick. Overcooked.

The sashimi Nori ordered was really good, but a little, tiny plate of it. The sheep's cheese we ordered came in a soupy Chef Boyardee-style sauce, with a tiny hunk of hard bread on top all sticky from the gross sauce. We tried to get at the cheese without getting sauce on it, and there was not enough bread even for that. We asked for some more bread - as it wasn't nearly enough for two - and were later dismayed to find that that "side of tiny bread" was $5.00 on our bill, which was not relayed to us when asking. The parking costs two tiny loaves of bread! Ridiculous.

We had fried chicken with a lot of gristle and a sauce drizzled over it that when I scanned my taste memory, the closest thing I could come to in describing it to Nori (not a meat eater) was vomit.

The wine pours were tiny, and honestly, the only thing we liked was the coffee shop type lemon bar we had for dessert, because that was the only thing that sounded good or not like breakfast. Oh, we also liked the decor and the patio, but where we sat was right across the street from Google, who seemed to be hosting a YouTube kids show, and all we heard throughout dinner were little girls screaming like they once did for The Beatles. Times have certainly changed at The Rose.

We relayed all of our concerns to the servers, who were lovely and gracious, but the one probably set herself up when she asked us, "Is everything amazing?!" The long pause was almost answer enough, but Nori cracked me up when she replied, "Amazing might be a little strong." Speaking truth to power.

I hope The Rose settles in and works it all out, because it's always been a great meeting place for the People of Venice, and it's a gorgeous space. I just hope they don't forget that people loved their old Rose Café, and we're still here, Google be damned.

As we hobbled back along the two blocks to Nori's car, we just kind of had to laugh. And hope for the best.

The Rose
220 Rose Avenue
Venice

Bobo Venice - In Bobo We Trust

Piccolo on Dudley Avenue in Venice had always been one of my very favorite restaurants in all of Los Angeles. It was a beautiful place, serving some of the finest Italian food anywhere in the world, according to many reviews. Chef Bobo Ivan has been there on Dudley since Piccolo opened in 2005, and has now reopened in the same space as Bobo ... with just about the same wonderful menu. The same warm glow from inside beckons you in to what you know will end up being a special and culinarily spectacular meal. Every time.

Ivan became a friend over the years, though you wouldn't see him much as he was running all over town, expanding to two separate Hostaria del Piccolo restaurants (on on Rose Avenue in Venice, and one in Santa Monica), opening the gorgeous Ciboteca restaurant/market in Santa Monica, and planning a new Piccolo in the old Powerhouse Theater, also in Santa Monica, while also cooking and operating the original Piccolo (now Bobo) location. He was a busy dude.

Too busy, as it turns out, and with the added pressure of having multiple investors wanting different things, the decision was made to close all but the Dudley location, close that for a couple months to regroup, and reemerge as Bobo, while still working on the future Piccolo location. Bobo has now been firing on all burners again since late September, and I'm so happy Chef Bobo and his team are back in action ... it's truly some of the best food you'll ever eat.

I used to kind of save Piccolo for special occasions, because it wasn't cheap, nor should it have been with its very high top shelf quality. Bobo has the same amazing food, with the concept of "Eat less, taste more" as it's touchstone. The portions are smaller, but that is to say they are the perfect size. I honestly could not eat on more bite of anything I had, so exactingly apportioned were they. The tastes are out of this world, and each dish is unique, special, and entirely delicious. The scallops. Oh, my. Even the TONGUE that I've never had before, but I trust Chef Bobo. In fact, the tasting menu is called "In Bobo We Trust", and that's exactly what you should do.

Dishes appeared on our table, each plated and tasting more wonderful than the last. Bobo does a caprese salad, deconstructed into like heirloom tomato jelly, with creamy burrata and basil on top. SO good. The carbonara is made with quail instead of bacon. It was one of the best I've ever had, and totally original.

This is the after picture, if that tells you anything. (They have great plates too).

As we're inching into fall, we had a pumpkin gnocchi with sage sauce that was ridiculous, and chased down with the Italian wines and Prosecco from the exact region of Italy where Chef Bobo is from. He is from Venice, and always wanted to leave and travel, so decided that a Chef's life would allow him that. It certainly has. After growing up in a family where his parents didn't cook, Chef Bobo has now cooked all over the world, and now Venice, California is exactly where he wants to be.

We reminisced about our friend Sponto while we ate our faces off ... his gallery was located in the exact spot where we were dining, a fact acknowledged on the menu as being a "Historical landmark". So true ... the Solstice parties that took place while diners ate their pasta at the little outside tables, watching all the mayhem next door. The many Sponto sessions spent talking and laughing under his chandelier, that now hung right above us, almost like the angel that Sponto now is. They were great and special times, and we both know and knew it. Those times are also why we're so adamant now about keeping Venice cool, keeping it original.

Bobo is doing just that. His menu is like no one else's, and he is at the forefront of what he calls "Bistronomy" - really good, very high quality food at affordable prices. Simple as that. Chef Bobo is also a musician, and says that with music, like his food, "You have to put it down somehow." You have to have a creative outlet, and Bobo's art is clearly that for him, with bites that you've never thought of blowing your mind throughout your meal. Keeping with the music, Chef Bobo is setting up a vinyl record player, so customers can bring in their own records to dine to. I love it.

I hear of locals driving all the way downtown or Hollywood for their Italian dinners, and while that's fine once in a while, we all need to remember that one of THE preeminent Italian chefs in our country is cooking right there between Speedway and The Boardwalk. Like walk or bike (in heels) to your fine dining right in your own backyard.

While our eyes were rolling back in our heads over the fantastic dessert platter brought out by our wonderful server, Tommaso (that gold leaf chocolate cake! The deconstructed tiramisu!) and sharing stories of our sister cities, Venice and Venice, Chef Bobo looked out at the fog rolling in from the ocean and said, "This is my dream. I'm cooking, there is the beach, it's perfect. I wasn't expecting Venice, Italy here, but it is. And our Venice needs to stay special."

I couldn't agree more. It's my dream to eat food like this right by the beach, and our Venice certainly needs to stay special. Bobo Venice is for sure doing its part ... it's very, very special.

Bobo Venice
5 Dudley
Venice
#310.314.3222
www.theBoboway.com

Leona Venice - A Neighborhood Gem

I'd been hearing great things about the new Leona restaurant in Venice for a little while, and my brother and I decided to go check it out last night for dinner in honor of our wonderful Grandma Olson. She would have been 115 (!) yesterday, and her name was also Leona. Perfect.

Leona was also the former name of Washington Boulevard back in the day, so Chef Nyesha J. Arrington (formerly of Melisse in Santa Monica and a Top Chef contestant) and her team are honoring Venice's past in name with their Washington Boulevard location (formerly the Canali Café), while looking straight toward the future with her wonderful dishes and the very now feeling space.

Everyone was warm and welcoming right from hello, and when I shared that we were there in celebration of our late Grandma named Leona's 115th birthday, everyone was even cooler. They didn't have to think it was special like we did, but they truly seemed to care. Perhaps that's because in Chef Arrington's bio it said she was deeply influenced by her Korean Grandmother (as was I by my little Norwegian Grandma), so they get it about Grandmas.

They get it about everything, really. The hostess gals were friendly and adorable (and one was named Joy!), and set the tone from the outset. Our server Ryan was great, and when he said, "I'm so excited for you guys to try the food, it's great!" it was fully genuine, like when a pal tells you about something new and great. And Ryan was completely right, as each bite we had was wonderfully delicious.

We began with a gorgeous, colorful crudité plate, compliments of the Chef. It was so bright and healthy, served with a tangy hummus and pomegranate seeds. We kept saying, "Mom would love this." And she will the next time she comes to visit.

I'm not big on taking food photos (and just not that good at it), but my chicken "Brick" and my brother's black cod were both picturesque and super tasty, just trust me. The brick was one of the weirdest dishes I've had in a while, and I say that in the best way possible. I've just never really had anything like it. It was really a brick shape, with succulent bits of chicken molded together between two crispy strips of chicken skin, served with blackberries and shishito peppers. YUM.

This is one of those spots that will take multiple visits to sample all the different items on the ever-changing menu that says it's, "seasonally driven, ethically harvested, and globally inspired. We're proud to share our passion for the mosaic of the Golden State." And they certainly do.

Chef Arrington came out to greet us, and I gushed all over her. What a cool and talented lady, leading a cool and talented staff. We're all gonna be good friends, I can tell. Like when the GM Matt came out with a complimentary (and the best thing ever!) dessert, saying, "This is for your Grandma Leona", as he'd heard the story I told everyone. I almost cried it was so kind and sweet. We ate that chocolate sea salt lavender shortbread bar (!) and toasted our Grandma Leona with some bubbly. I'd been thinking of her so much all day, and this just felt like the nicest possible way to toast her memory. I'd like to think she knew.

What a welcome addition to the Venice dining scene Leona is! They're doing it just the way a new spot should in Venice ... honoring the history of the place with its name and creativity (down to the fuchsia velvet chair in the ladies room), throwing out all pretension and scenester attitude (looking at you, Scopa, etc ...) and simply  welcoming and serving their customers as if we're all family friends. That is the way to bring in the people that live here, the way that they will all want to spread the word, and the way that will keep us coming back for more of all the goodness.

Welcome to Leona, and CHEERS for doing everything just right (down to recycling the old paper menus to be the paper liners for the fries - sustainable!). Thank you for showing us such a lovely time, and for helping us to honor our Leona along with you.

Leona 
123 West Washington Boulevard
Venice
#310.822.5379

The Wee Chippy - Revolutionary Fish And Chips For Venice

My colleagues and I were looking for fish and chips for lunch last month, and during our online search for a good spot, someone asked me about The Wee Chippy, knowing that I was in Venice. Well, I didn't know, I'd never heard of it. But I had to know. Now I know.

Joe Gorrie is a Scotsman, living between Venice and New York for the last fourteen years. He had been working in television, grew tired of that, and was about to move back to New York for good, when on a run to the beach, he decided that he had to do something that was "very Venice, something nuts" before he left.  When thinking about what that might be, he thought, "I'm from Scotland, I can do anything with potatoes, what about chips?" Fries. Whenever Gorrie was asked to bring something to a party, he was only ever asked to make his chips. So chips it would be.

The day before Gorrie was packing up to leave New York, he chanced upon a store in his neighborhood that had just opened. Inside were rows and rows of jars of flavored salts. Flavored salts! Now Gorrie knew that he had the thing that would set his chips apart. They would be flavored themselves vs. having to dip them in stuff ... which you could also do! Multi-flavors! It was on.

The Wee Chippy opened for business in March of 2013 in their little half-door space on Westminster, right off the Boardwalk. With no culinary background, no advertising, and only word of mouth, within two months of being open, The Wee Chippy was voted "Best Of Venice" in the LA Weekly. Gorrie also proudly dropped that they have more five star reviews on Yelp than Gjelina does, which is nothing to sniff at.

The chips are getting so much buzz because they truly are delicious. Everything is fresh, they don't pre-make anything. Each batch is made to order, and there's twelve different flavors to try. Everything from black truffle and garlic rosemary to jalapeno-ginger and Gorrie's favorite, sweet toasted onion. Then there are the dipping sauces (like the divine truffle mayo), combining for a flavor explosion every time. "It's never been about money, I wanted to do something for the neighborhood ... you get a bag of chips at the seaside and go for a walk ... Heaven."

Once the Chippy's reputation was built in the first year, Gorrie decided he needed to add a protein so it could be a full meal. The obvious choice was fish, so once Gorrie found the finest purveyor of Atlantic cod that he could, it was on. They started serving fish and chips last July, and there's been lines in front ever since. Speaking of lines, Gorrie said every day around 4:30 pm, there is a line that stretches almost all the way to the Skatepark, full of starving skaters ravenous after their sessions. "The skateboard kids have kept me in business. It melts my fucking heart, it really does." Those skate kids are loyal too, appreciating the Venice Locals discount Gorrie hooks them up with (and there might be an occasional 4:20 deal too), even wearing Wee Chippy shirts in contests. "We take care of each other majorly ... they really did save the shop," Gorrie added, gratefully. I love it.

There's something about fish and chips at the beach that is just the best. "I want to bring fish and chips into the 21st Century," explained Gorrie. "I want to do old school fish and chips with a modern spin, with different flavors for every nation. I want to introduce people to new flavors via the most universal food people can share." This new take on it (being perfectly executed by Gorrie's chef from New York, Victor Martinez) has attracted a lot of attention from top chefs all over town wanting to collaborate, and now Gorrie's fellow Scotsman, renowned chef Grant McPherson is in talks to open Wee Chippy locations in Las Vegas ... and it all started here, just off the Boardwalk.

In addition to Vegas locations, Gorrie is dreaming up more ways to bring flavors to the people: a line of potato chips, condiments, sodas, and even a partnership with a chocolatier are all in the works. Oh, speaking of the sodas ... the Wee Chippy label root beer is one of the best I've ever had. It was so refreshing and old fashioned and yum with my fish and chips that I'd like another right now, please. Catering, an app to have chips delivered to you on the sand on the beach (!) ... Gorrie is full of ideas for the Chippy. You may also soon be hearing about rooftop fish frys at the Sunset Suites hotel nearby. Fun.

"Venice locals have made this the place that it is (hence the discount)," Gorrie reiterated. When he put a bench out front for people to sit and enjoy his wares upon, the Police told him he'd have to move it or get a fine. He refused and it remains. This bench is a meeting place. People come in the morning with their dogs and kids, have their coffee ... other people bring their own chairs. It's a place for people to congregate with their neighbors, and build community. Banning tables, chairs, benches and even trash cans (Yes! Gorrie was told he couldn't have a trash can in front! Seriously, people have to stand and eat and walk until they find a trash can. Nice red tape, City Of L.A. Another vote for Venice Cityhood.) hinders that. Cops have been called for a classical guitarist (Vinny!) playing out front. He couldn't play there, but he could play 25 feet away on the grass. Ridiculous. Let's work on that, Venice. Anyway - people have made friends with each other just from meeting at the Wee Chippy, and that's a beautiful thing.

Gorrie and his sweet rescue dog, Theo stick pretty close, getting their sandwiches at Zelda's and smoothies at The Fruit Gallery, but they do love to stroll over to Abbot's Habit to get that bagel. Other than that, you can usually find them in their quaint corner of Venice (that really should be a true food court, with tables and chairs and live music and fun. Come on already.), keeping an eye on the Chippy.

"I CHOSE to do The Wee Chippy here in Venice. There was just something about it. There is so much world class untapped talent just walking by every day here...This is an AMAZING community. Everyone here has my back, the loyalty is beyond," said Gorrie with true sincerity. "I don't even want to go back to New York. I don't want to go anywhere else - gospel truth - I only go as far as the pier. I eat, breathe, work and sleep here, and I love it." I totally get it.

As I finished my absolutely delicious lunch, Gorrie said, "I just want to do good quality food that everyone can afford, and give back to Venice what it's given me." The tag line for The Wee Chippy is "Revolutionary Fish and Chips", and in today's Venice climate, that statement is about as revolutionary - and appreciated - as can be. Viva La Wee Chippy!


The Wee Chippy is open every day, 12-7.
1301 Ocean Front Walk #9
(the ordering window is on Westminster)
#310.450.0077
www.weechippy.com