While establishments have popped up across Venice to showcase new-age, sophisticated cuisine, few have dared to border the iconic boardwalk. Surfside is that brave soul, challenging the typical grab-n-go shacks that define the area’s otherwise lowbrow dining scene. This loud, high-energy restaurant rises above the riffraff, but does so with a smile on its face, letting the food speak for itself with just the right touch of Venice pizzazz. Surfside’s menu is inventive, worldly and delicious. An American comfort food base layered with Korean and Mexican influence produces works such as their top-selling Korean fries, covered in bulgogi steak, melted cheese, sriracha mayo and kimchi. The LA street corn is something truly special, genius in its simple approach to crushing cotija cheese into the corn to get the most decadent bite, every bite. The mac ‘n’ cheese is something else here. Surfside nails it with the exact kind of indulgent creaminess you’d hope for. Burgers are a staple, as are bowls and salads for a healthier approach. The Mexicali bowl is an absolute favorite, made all the more special with rich chipotle crème. Surfside is a seasonal restaurant, so the menu will change frequently, but expect the execution of Head Chef Jesse Gutierrez to remain excellent. Portion size lands in the guest’s favor here, a rare find for food this good in a prime location. Just be sure to navigate the menu the right way. As great as it is, Surfside can’t afford to stay in business by giving away expensive ingredients…another way of saying that if something has lobster in it, it may not fill you up as much as would a burger or bowl. A fun cocktail list rounds out the culinary experience, but a visit to Surfside is capped off with some spectacular people-watching. The price point is in a sweet spot—high enough to keep out most of the ‘I don’t shower’ crowd, yet reasonable enough to attract some very interesting personalities. Sports may be playing across the restaurant and bar, but all eyes tend to focus on some of the characters that walk through Surfside’s doors. Surfside is located at 23 Windward Ave, Venice, CA 90291. Open for food service 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Sun – Thurs, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. Fri/Sat. Bar open until 2 a.m. Mon – Sun. Average out-the-door price for split appetizer, entrée and 1 – 2 drinks is ~$56/person. For more information call 424-256-7894 or visit Surfside online.
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You’d never guess that the OP Café, a quaint and quiet little breakfast nook on Ocean Park Blvd, would house food with a level of sophistication rivaling that of many Michelin-starred establishments. Enter Gargantua, a high-end pop-up that takes the helm at OP Café on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. The nostalgic beach décor and bed-and-breakfast feel remain, but the menu and the chef behind it bring about an entirely different experience. Chef Nick Barainca, a veteran chef of Four Seasons and various LA eateries, serves up a 5-course menu that takes the palate through intricate levels of savory, salty, sweet and all-around fascination. Barainca shows off spectacular attention to detail and culinary intuition, making every ingredient in every course a talking point. This is Barainca’s first solo show, and he’s definitely taken off out of the gates. You don’t start out with just bread; you start with black garlic bread basted with mushroom and air-dried beef, served with salted butter churned that day. What is listed as pozole is not as much a soup as it is individually seasoned tender potatoes and sheep’s cheese with out-of-this-world texture that sit in a harmonious sauce accented with sliced tomatillo. The beef belly is simply superb, holding rich flavor with a bold crust that most steakhouses couldn’t come to grips with. The list goes on and is ever-changing. Gargantua’s menu shifts quite frequently, so guests will get en entirely different experience with almost every visit. Patrons should also come prepared in two ways. First, the experience is BYOB. Second, portion sizes stray about as far from the gargantuan name as you can imagine, so don’t come hungry or expect to leave full. Think of this as more of an interactive culinary art exhibit, where equivalent meals would be at least 5x the $47/person that you pay at Gargantua. Interested guests should hurry. The nature of pop-ups is that you don’t know how much longer they'll be around. Gargantua is located at the OP Café, 3117 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Open Thurs – Sat, 6:30 – 11:00 p.m. 5-course prix fixe menu is $47/person. For more information and reservations, call (310) 452-5720 or visit gargantuan online. 2017 marked the 38th year of the Planned Parenthood Los Angeles [PPLA] Food Fare, and it was certainly one for the books. The environment was extravagant, featuring spectacular lighting with a global flare and floral arrangements exceeding what you would expect at a wedding. That, and some incredible food and drink, paved the way to a hugely successful food festival. Record setting attendance had the event selling out to more than 2,000 guests, who were all comfortably accommodated in the massive Santa Monica Barker Hangar. More importantly, the event raised more than $1M for Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, another record. Culinary highlights included the focaccia from Savore, which featured goats milk ricotta, pea puree, and an explosion of fresh vegetables and herbs including pea tendrils and shoots, shaved purple radish and asparagus, purple and green kale, and a mint, parsley and chive herb salad. Quite a mouthful, but tasting as beautiful as it looked. Among sweets at the PPLA Food Fare was Mozza’s butterscotch pudding. In spite of it’s light, airy texture it was equally as rich and deep in flavor with an ever so delicate rosemary cookie on top that gave the dessert what could only be called another level of brightness. Add that to Salt and Straw’s simply unbelievable compilation of flavors, such as honey lavender and sea salt with caramel ribbons. And while it’s called the PPLA Food Fare, the drink aspect is ever present to say the least. Take, for example, the handcrafted aperitif, Jardesca which features an artisinal blend of three white wines and a double distilled Eu de Vie infused with 10 botanicals. Also pouring was Elixir G, an all-natural concentrated ginger syrup that’s as good, if not better, than most ginger beer brands in any cocktail. Tonight in particular featured margaritas and Moscow mules, which were simply pristine. The amazing food and drink purveyors are too many to list, but additional vendors included Clementine, where Chef/Owner Annie Miler was recognized as Chef of the Year, Rao’s, Doma Kitchen, Castle’s Catering, Kali, Sweet and Savory, Miro, Pettycash, Casalinda, Rosti, Pink’s, Boneyard Bistro, Chichen Itza, Craft, Sweet E’s, and Border Grill. Be on the look out for next year’s PPLA Food Fare. Buy tickets early—If it’s anything like this year, this event will sell out. |
AuthorBenjamin Brown is a seasoned restaurant writer and hospitality consultant, serving up SoCal's hottest food news and reviews. Categories
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